Itching to get your hands on an iPhone but can't justify shelling out $399 for a first-generation product? It's totally reasonable to want to wait for iPhones to contain built-in GPS or support faster mobile network connections, which have been speculated to arrive in later models. However, Apple announced last week that it is planning to deploy an iPhone software development kit by February, which may be enough reason to at last open up the purse strings. This would allow programmers to build custom programs, which could then be executed on an iPhone.
When Apple first came out with its mobile unit last year, developers and other users complained that they couldn't write their own iPhone applications. Since iPhones run a stripped-down version of Mac OS X, it seemed to follow that those who already write applications for Mac computers would be able to do just the same for their handhelds. In the name of security, Apple chose to limit iPhone applications to those that they could have complete control over, such as the Safari Web browser.
The iPhone comes with about a dozen applications pre-installed on it, but it's understandable that users would like their toy to function at the best of its ability. This gives those determined to use third-party applications two choices: Web applications, which could be accessed through Safari, or work-arounds that could involve voiding their AppleCare warranties. A large number of Web sites, including Google and Digg, have put out "iPhone compatible" versions of their pages, and some developers have even created Web applications solely intended for usage on an iPhone. An example of this is a Web site that, combined with a script installed on a MacBook, would allow people to access their laptop via their iPhone.
Apple embraced this concept, compiling resources and guidelines on developer.apple.com to aid those interested in creating iPhone Web applications. Due to the limitations of Web applications when compared to those on an operating system, some users chose to take things a step further, "hacking" their iPhones in order to install their own programs against Apple's wishes.
After this hacking began growing in prevalence, Apple announced that hacked iPhones would no longer qualify for the warranty that came with their purchase, and that future firmware updates may even render these phones useless.
Thankfully, with the announcement of an official software development kit, the dangers associated with hacking one's handheld should be a thing of the past. Certainly, Steve Jobs knows the danger that viruses and malware pose to smart phones, and, as the most advanced phone on the market, the iPhone could be heavily targeted unless protected.
The Apple CEO stands by his belief that a few months of patience will be worth taking the time to perfect the development kit will ensure. This February, iPhone owners will finally be able to experience the wealth of useful applications that Mac OS X users are already privy to. If you've been on the fence about purchasing an iPhone, an official software development kit is a huge selling point that will certainly make the phone far more versatile than it already is. The sky will truly be the limit in terms of how many new applications will be readily available, as Mac OS X already has a passionate and creative development community.
These freeware and commercial applications are undeniably a driving factor in the operating system's success and are expected to have a similar effect on the iPhone.
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