Wednesday
Oct172007
The Other Shoe
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 12:31PM 
From Apple - Hot News, his Stevieness says...
Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February. ... It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. ... P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch.(Emphasis mine.) Hallelujah!
tagged Apple, News, Technology, iPhone in Blog
Apple, News, Technology, iPhone in Blog
Reader Comments (29)
Unlike you, some commentators have been saying that Apple might never do 3rd party apps, and the phone is worth considering if it doesn't have 3rd party apps, like blackberries might
Opps .. misclick there .. one other comment. Merrill Lynch has all of its Blackberries locked down so that you cannot receive SMS or use 3rd party apps. Even if you can have an advanced phone, you might not get the capabilities of an advanced phone.
Safari can be a welcomed way around some of these impossed limitations.
Does this mean you'll put away the N95 and the Curve for good?
I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this hot news item. My first thought -- someone has hacked apple.com and posted a message pretending to be Steve. Seeing as the message is still on their site I would have to say this appears to be a legitimate hot news posting!
This is going to change everything.
Feel better now about your purchase, Leo?
Steve just likes to keep the drama going - it keeps Apple in the news.
So Now what phone? Blackberry 8320 or the I Phone?
Ok...so, real 3rd party apps. Delivery mechanism...iTunes (?). Monetizing the process? Over the air downloads using the iPhone's iTunes?
Reminds me of what Danger and Tmobile did with the Sidekick (the first iPhone), only now, Apple has a better distribution channel.
A few musings on my blog: http://tinyurl.com/25vy37
-HTD
I'm super excited for 3rd party apps, but I don't really know why. The problem with 3rd party apps is that I can't really think of any applications that I really want added. The first thing that always comes to peoples mind is an instant messaging app but I have absolutely no use for that, I don't have any use for it, I would much rather just use SMS. I don't know, I'm happy but I guess I need some inventive devs to figure out what apps I want.
Wow, I might actually think about getting an iPhone sometime after February. Right now the N95 does the trick.
Now if they would get the iPhone off of Edge I would be totally sold.
This was bound to happen. You can't design the iPhone the way they did and just expect it do to just a few things.
Leo, your comments lately on security and the iPhone compared to the bb. I think the OS design on the BB is pretty secure, however the iPhone is not that secure (as we seen by the hacking community). Any hacker could potentially write a 3rd party app embed a virus that would replicate what we've seen windows viruses do. I do not think it is possible to do that on a BB. Remember the iPhone is a computer with pretty much a standard OS.
Last thing I want to do is download a simple game and next thing it's the next "my iPhone loves you" virus.
I also think we are waiting so long for 3rd party apps because the iPhone is not up to snuff yet. We are still in the "burn in" period of this device.
I wonder what the digital signing process is going to be like. The Symbian/Nokia signing process that Stevie mentioned looks pretty onerous.
The Newton is back.
I'm getting an iPod touch soon and I'm happy that Apple is realizing we want them bad and if they're free that would be great. I don't think they'll be free, but my thinking is that Apple will have an online database of keys for programs. The device would connect to it and check to see if the application is approved.
Oops... misclick. :) I do think they will be free.
@ John,
Perhaps we are both right, and really up to the developer. Some Freeware, some Shareware and some Commercial.
Only time will tell.
-HTD
I'm sure this was the plan from day one, good things take time, they haven't gotten all the bugs out of the system software, once they get it all figured out, they will open it up for third party apps. The cell phone business is no easy thing, and I'm glad Apple is taking it on. Cause it needed a good kick in the butt. Maybe, someday their will be no more whining about third party apps.
Until they sell it in canada 3rd party news means nothing to us up here unless we Un lock that is.
No more iPhone bashing from you I hope? It's really nice that we will eventually get official 3rd party apps, but what excites me the most is the unlocked iphones Orange will be selling in France. Hope that will provide us iPhone owners in Asia a chance to go official eventually.
It's about bloody time. I am surprised they launched with the phone locked down in the first place. However, Apple is just being Apple when they try and make a closed system out of everything!
I hope this will stop all the iphone bashing on MBW. I love the show and all of the Leo vs. Scott debates.
Well, how about that. I was right. Apple didn't break homebrew on 1.0.2 because they were evil incarnate, but because the iPhone OS isn't completely ready to open, and clearly requires Leopard functionality to write proper apps for. You know, I have yet to hear you correct on your radio show (at least as of TG 395) or any of the TWIT shows, expect MBW all of the ranting about how what Apple did was unconscionable and criminal. It might do your credibility some good to fess up about running an emotional response to a techincal problem as fact on so many shows for so long.
I don't need to defend Leo, but he was right in his ranting IMHO... The iPhone as it was (or is still, until we see the SDK) was a "castrated" device (as advertised, but "castrated" nonetheless). Lots of potential, but shamefully closed... And if some people say that this announcement was Apple's plan right from the beginning, some other could say that it was because of people like Leo that were really vocal about this stupidity, that Apple changed the course eventually...
Only Apple knows.
Its OK Leo, you can rejoin the club now. We forgive you.
I dunno - as someone who's considered purchasing an iPhone but hasn't yet bit (largely b/c I'm happy w/T-Mobile as my cell provider, and want to stay with them as I have for over a decade), I read the statement, and I have some questions:
- Which developers are the iPhone and iPod Touch being opened up to?
- What types of applications will be encouraged, which will be reluctantly tolerated - and which will be actively prohibited...and why?
- Why was the iPhone released before users were protected "from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc."?
I personally think Leo's jumping with relief a bit too soon - this sounds a lot like spin to me. OTOH, if you're happy w/your iPhone as is, then none of this matters - I just wish it was on T-Mobile, too. :/
Of course in this will be another firmware update that will break all the unlocked phones but at least now there will be a reason for the evil unlockers to want to upgrade. And I have no doubt the hackers will find a way around this.
I just wish they would release the iPhone down here in South Africa.