Thanks to jkOTR reader Joe for shooting me the information; the kids were off from school, so I was introducing them to bookstores and overpriced hot chocolate when the news hit. Apple will indeed offer an SDK for the iPhone in February of next year. This means the iPhone won’t be a web-only device, but will offer true native apps from third party developers, just like the Windows Mobile platform we’ve come to know and love.
I’m not suprised at the news on two counts. One: the iPhone isn’t just a phone and it isn’t just an iPod; it’s a true handheld computer based on Mac OS X, which gives it nearly unlimited potential. Sure, there are much more powerful and capable handhelds, but the device’s potential is now only limited by its hardware. Two: in my opinion, Apple couldn’t release an SDK before Leopard; that would have complicated things for developers and users. Now that the cat’s out of the bag on October 26th, this move makes perfect sense.
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