Report: iPhone software development kit due in early 2008

Is Apple ready to embrace developers for the iPhone?

According to one report Tuesday morning, yes. BusinessWeek cites sources "familiar with the company's plans" who say Apple will officially release a software development kit for the iPhone in early 2008. Those sources say the official announcement could come during Steve Jobs' keynote at the annual Macworld Expo on January 15. Apple could be waiting to release an SDK until after Leopard, the latest version of its Mac OS X operating system, is released. Apple said Tuesday that the official release date is October 26.

The report contains few other concrete details, but an Apple-sanctioned kit will likely be embraced by the developer community that has already created scores of applications for the device without Apple's official blessing.

It could also cut out some of the tension that has sprung up between the iPhone maker and its customers. Apple angered both developers and iPhone owners when it released a software update for the device that either "bricked" it or erased all unauthorized applications in September.

[thedreaming]

It's our phone...

People are used to having their phone pimped out with custom wallpaper, ringtones and even apps and no one, not even Apple can tell you what you can and can't have on your phone.<br /><br />It's nice to see that Steve Jobs finally realized this.

[Vegaman_Dan]

Yes, it's your phone... but only the phone

You can do anything you want with the phone. You do not have the right to do anything you want with the software / OS on the phone however. <br /><br />Apple controls that through their EULA.

[Nodack]

Shrug

You were allowed to use whatever picture you wanted as your <br />wallpaper the moment you bought your iPhone.<br /><br />Apple now allows custom ringtomes although only ones you buy <br />from them so far.<br /><br />It has been rumored for a long time that the iPhone's software is <br />really a version of leopard and that after leopard is released they <br />will allow a developers kit for the iPhone to make apps. Apple <br />has already been working with some select companies such as <br />EA sports to make software for the iPhone.<br /><br />The iPhone just came out 4 months ago people. Have a little <br />patience and quit biting the hand that feeds you. Apple knows <br />what it is doing. Take a chill pill things just might work out OK.<br /><br />Apple can't tell you what to do with you phone, but if you don't <br />listen to them hack your phone and it gets screwed up, don't <br />come crying to Apple that your phone was messed up.<br /><br />"Apple's official update screwed up my illegal hack. I'm going to <br />sue for a billion dollars."

[QuadFather]

Let the free market reign

I am a big supporter of the free market, and I think people should be free to *truly* own the property that they pay money for. Big companies like Apple and Microsoft can bully consumers for a little while, but consumers always tend toward a free market - and these big companies always have to reckon with the free market eventually. Case in point: iTunes-competitor Amazon.com offers better rates and greater freedom for its mp3 downloads than Apple. Also, look at the growing popularity of increasingly powerful open-source software; they are a response to the price-gouging and freedom-stripping of overly-powerful capitalistic forces. These things don't spell doom for bully companies, but it does spell an eventual end to the bullying. And that's one fact of life that I feel really good about. The free market will win the day. God bless America!

[QuadFather]

Maybe an hour later, I am proven correct!

WHAT did I tell you! The free market wins the day ... already!: <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9798044-7.html?part=rss&#38;subj=news&#38;tag=2547-1_3-0-5" target="_newWindow">http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9798044-7.html?part=rss&#38;subj=news&#38;tag=2547-1_3-0-5</a>

[Nodack]

You tell them

I thought Apple started the whole download music thing when <br />everybody was stealing it for free on the internet. Everybody said <br />what a stupid idea and predicted doom for Apple. Apple forced <br />everybody that went with them to agree to 99 cents for music <br />even though they wanted to charge more. The music industry <br />and companies like NBC did force Apple into the DRM anti <br />pirating codex so people can't share the music they download <br />even though Apple wasn't a fan of that. <br /><br />I think the biggest reason iTunes was and is so popular was, 1. <br />they were the first ones to the party. Everybody else thought <br />they were nuts and had a wait and see attitude. The early bird <br />gets the worm. Once iTunes was successful it was almost too <br />late for everybody else to catch up. 2. They made prices <br />reasonable even though they had to fight with the record <br />companies over that.<br /><br />Now several years later after it has been proved a huge success, <br />NBC just decided to play hardball with Apple because Apple <br />refused to allow them to RAISE prices. NBC said they wouldn't <br />renew with Apple and Apple said let's just end this relationship <br />now then.<br /><br />Now to get back at Apple, NBC has gone to a different music <br />store, lowered it's prices and took off the DRM anti pirating <br />codex that they demanded from Apple.<br /><br /> They did exactly the opposite thing they were trying to force <br />Apple to do.<br /><br /> Now in order to establish themselves in their new marketplace <br />they have to lower prices and take off the anti pirating software <br />so people will buy from them. If they do establish themselves in <br />their new home do you think they will keep prices down forever? <br />I doubt it since their whole reason for getting pissed off at <br />Apple in the first place was for not allowing them to raise their <br />prices.<br /><br />That is the free market system.<br /><br />I see both sides viewpoint. NBC and other companies want full <br />control over their prices.<br /><br />Apple has built a hugely successful business model and they <br />don't want anybody to screw it up.<br /><br />As far as owning the whatever you buy and can do whatever you <br />want to it, I agree. Keep in mind that you will void the warranty <br />of almost anything you buy if you go in and tinker with it.<br /><br />I buy a new car and tinker with the onboard computer to try to <br />increase gas mileage. Guess what, my warranty is now null and <br />void.<br /><br />I buy a new plasma screen TV and tinker with it. Yep, warranty <br />null and void.<br /><br />Rip open my DVR to add a bigger hard drive. Null and void.<br /><br />Open the case on your new Play Station to add a hack. Null and <br />void.<br /><br />Are all these companies big meany bullies? A lot of you will say <br />so, but they built a product that doesn't need to be tinkered with <br />and most likely if you tinker with them you will screw them up <br />and since you deliberately did exactly what they said you <br />shouldn't do, you are responsible.<br /><br />Go ahead and add hack your iPhone. It's yours to do as you <br />want. Keep in mind you just voided your warranty and Apple <br />isn't responsible for it anymore. Their new update screwed up <br />your iPhone?<br /><br /> It didn't screw up my iPhone and my warranty is just fine. I also <br />look forward to all of the new (licensed) third party software <br />coming out for the iPhone as soon as Leopard is released. There <br />is even a developers kit coming out then AS SCHEDULED for <br />those with a little patience.<br /><br />The free market will win the day and smart people will get <br />rewarded for making smart decisions.

[alb203]

$

1) Ok, when all you guys pay for the research and development and design a phone of your own then you can say it's your phone. Until then be happy with what you got. The people complaining are the same ones that run to the store or call tech support every 5 mins because you did something you weren't supposed to and now your phone is broken. The reason they don't want you to do things to your stuff is because then when you break it you expect Apple to give you a new one for free. You waste their money, time, and resources on things that if you hadn't messed with wouldn't be broken in the first place. <br />The other reason they don't want you messing with things is they want to be able to make those features down the line and make people want to buy more. Do you really think the ipod would be so successful if they gave you everything you wanted the first go round?? <br /><br />2) For those that think that by complaining apple changed their mind. Apple was going to put out the SDK but they wanted the product to be out there first. Cart before the horse here people. And for the guy that is comparing iTunes to Amazon it's real easy to come in and do something supposedly better when someone has been doing it as long as itunes has. It's completely diff to get all those customers that are happy with itunes to dump it for Amazon. It's the reason why McDonalds is still selling Billions.

[JaquesLenoir]

From Steve's mouth

Third Party Applications on the iPhone<br /><br />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. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users. With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers.<br /><br />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. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones?this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target.<br /><br />Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than ?totally open,? we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone?s amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs.<br /><br />We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.<br /><br />Steve<br /><br />P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch. [Oct 17, 2007]