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Apple announces SDK for the iPhone, support for Microsoft Exchange and that "Spore" is coming to the iPhone

Apple has promised the software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone for months now. The SDK was delayed slightly, but Apple delivered today and it’s most definitely firing on all cylinders.

First off, Apple announced that is targeting enterprise customers with a wealth of new feature on the iPhone. The iPhone will now support push email/calendar/contacts, global address lists, Cisco IPsec VPN, Certificates and Identities, WPA2/802.11x and remote wipe. In addition, Apple is bringing the oft-requested support for Microsoft Exchange via Microsoft ActiveSync -- Apple licensed ActiveSync specifically for this purpose.

Apple also revealed on its Cupertino campus that the iPhone SDK is available today for third-party developers. Access will be provided to the iPhone's APIs including Cocoa Touch, Core Services, Media and Core OS. Developers can use Xcode to create and debug applications. Xcode includes a source editor, integrated documentation and a remote debugger -- naturally, it runs on Macs.

In addition, Apple rolled out the iPhone Simulator which will allow developers to test the software they have developed on a Mac and see exactly how it will look and respond on an iPhone. The mouse can then be used to make Multi-Touch gesture commands on the "Virtual iPhone" screen.

Apple announced today that EA Games' highly-anticipated "Spore" is coming to the iPhone in September and will be the first third-party game for the platform. The stripped-down version of “Spore” was made in a claimed two weeks using the SDK and includes 18 complete levels. Other new apps coming to the iPhone include AOL Instant Messenger and SEGA's "Super Monkey Ball".

In order to distribute these new third-party applications, Apple created the iTunes App Store. Unfortunately, this will be the only way that customers will be able to get new iPhone applications.

While developers can nab the SDK today for free, it will cost $99 to publish an application to the iTunes App Store. All hosting, processing fees are free if a developer makes his or her application freely available. If a developer chooses to charge for the application, Apple will take a 30% cut of the purchase price.

For companies that are just starting out, a $100M venture capital "iFund" will be provided by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -- a figure ten times that of the Google Android fund -- to help make the development process easier.

"Developers are already bursting with ideas for the iPhone and iPod touch, and now they have the chance to turn those ideas into great companies with the help of world-class venture capitalists," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. "We can't wait to start working with Kleiner Perkins and the companies they fund through this new initiative."

Developers can start making apps today, but customers will have to wait until the iPhone/iPod touch 2.0 firmware update to take advantage the previously mentioned goodies (iPod touch users will again have to pay for the update). Unfortunately, that update won't see the light of day -- for consumers -- until June of this year. Developers and enterprise customers can apply to beta test the update.

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About time
By FITCamaro on 3/6/2008 3:21:49 PM , Rating: 2
Only took them what? 9 months?

Anyway. While I won't even touch the iPhone until they offer it on Verizon without any BS requirements (like that you must get a contract that includes data services), lets hope more companies start releasing somewhat open phones that let people write their own apps.

I'm looking forward to Google's Android OS.




RE: About time
By bkphysics on 3/6/2008 3:29:18 PM , Rating: 2
The iPhone is so easy to unlock now that to use AT&T exclusivity as an excuse not to get it is silly.

Unlocking 1.1.4 (and all version for that matter) takes 4 mins and one mouse click.


RE: About time
By stinkyj on 3/6/2008 3:35:58 PM , Rating: 5
Yeah, but what some people still seem to fail to grasp, is that the iPhone is GSM. Verizon = CDMA, so you're just out of luck.


RE: About time
By oab on 3/6/2008 3:36:09 PM , Rating: 1
Verizon is CDMA, not GSM therefore the iPhone cannot be used on Verizon, so OP's point is valid, though short-sighted because it probably won't be released on GSM anytime soon, if ever.


RE: About time
By heffeque on 3/6/2008 9:21:24 PM , Rating: 2
European iPhones are GSM, aren't they?


RE: About time
By oab on 3/7/2008 1:07:15 AM , Rating: 2
All iPhones are GSM.


RE: About time
By glennpratt on 3/7/2008 2:11:33 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
...it probably won't be released on CDMA anytime soon...


RE: About time
By Chaser on 3/6/2008 3:36:14 PM , Rating: 2
until Apple updates the Iphone's firmware again and bricks the phone.


RE: About time
By JonnyBlaze on 3/6/2008 4:06:02 PM , Rating: 2
you know it's a choice to upgrade the firmware. you don't upgrade until you can jailbreak the new one, which usually doesn't take long.


RE: About time
By xRyanCat on 3/6/2008 4:20:53 PM , Rating: 2
That's why you don't automatically go out and grab the latest releases.

It's the same with the PlayStation Portable modding scene. Sony constantly updates it's firmware so old hacks won't work. But this is usually reverse engineered by the hackers to work on the new hacked firmware.

The PSP is 100 times better unlocked than locked down with Sony's Firmware.


RE: About time
By TheWizardofOz on 3/6/2008 3:38:14 PM , Rating: 2
How exactly would you like to get your iPhone? With no data plan? Or pay as you use? Which one do you think is going to be cheaper?

If you don't want to use the data why don't you get a free bluetooth phone from Verizon and get iPod touch?

And for the offering in Verizon... It's not even GSM, so how is this going to work? Do you expect Apple to make a complete different piece of hardware just so that a few thousand CDMA people can get iPhone, whereas GSM is widely used in the WORLD?


RE: About time
By Natfly on 3/6/2008 5:27:25 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe he only intends to use data services when connected to a wireless ap, or just doesn't need the unlimited plan.

As for not creating a CDMA version, I don't see why they wouldn't. Verizon alone has 65 million subscribers and Sprint has over 53 million. Also, from what I have heard, South Korea is all CDMA.


RE: About time
By TheWizardofOz on 3/6/2008 5:37:28 PM , Rating: 2
Wireless standards have not unified yet. Maybe in 4G there will be some sort of unification between GSM and CDMA. (WiMAX - VoIP(?)

iPhone is an international product and by so it has to support major standards. There are over 1.2 billion GSM users worldwide, so iPhone is using this standard. it's highly unlikely that Apple is just going to create a new iPhone version to support CDMA, since 4G and WiMAX are so close to be used widely.

By the way S.Korea is not all CDMA, KTF and SK telecom are offering GSM.


RE: About time
By phatboye on 3/6/2008 6:43:07 PM , Rating: 2
That can't be true because if memory serves me correct, Apple went to Verizon first before going to Cingular/AT&T about the iPhone. Verizon is one of the largest callular compaines in the US and I'm 100% positive that if Apple and Verizon could come to an agreement they would offer a iphone that worked on Verizon's network as well.


RE: About time
By oab on 3/7/2008 1:09:26 AM , Rating: 2
It's AT&T exclusive in the US, it's not going to Verizon until that deal expires.

However, AT&T was the only carrier that said yes to Apples proposal, the others said no because they were afraid of the contract stipulations, the kickback on subscribers and the fact that apple would do it's own thing with the software on it, and not just do whatever the carrier wanted.


RE: About time
By winterspan on 3/7/2008 2:57:19 AM , Rating: 2
It looks like at least most of the CDMA stallwarts are going to jump over to the "GSM track" of LTE for their "4G" network upgrades. Not sure about South Korea, but America and probably Canada will be unified LTE along with the rest of the world.
The only problem is that in the near term during a transitionary period, CDMA carriers will probably use LTE just for data and layer it over the existing CDMA technology creating CDMA/LTE phones, similar to how some GSM carriers only use UMTS/HSPA for data and still rely on their existing GSM networks for voice.
eventually however, everyone should be converted to an All-IP LTE network using a type of VOIP for voice... hopefully then they'll be able to make 1 phone for all regions (except we-dont-want-to-pay-royalties China)


RE: About time
By chromoplastic on 3/6/2008 11:38:30 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah, you pay Apple for your application, you pay Apple for every application sold, you're Apple locked... all this just to see that in the near future your application doesn't work anymore because Apple changed CPU or OS or platform. Mac users are this stupid, developers shouldn't...


RE: About time
By kelmon on 3/7/2008 3:45:50 AM , Rating: 2
I'm sorry, who is this moron? What has been proposed is a win for all parties involved. Users get a one-stop-shop to download applications from a trusted source, developers get maximum exposure for their applications (which can be free) with Apple dealing with the distribution, and Apple gets to maintain a secure platform by ensuring that only good applications (i.e. ones that aren't malicious or cause stability issues) are available. It will remain to be seen how Big Brother Apple will actually be but you'd be hard pressed to suggest that this isn't anything other than a very good announcement.

"Mac users are stupid" - nasty case of "pot calling the kettle black" you've got there.


RE: About time
By mattflaschen on 3/12/2008 4:19:30 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Apple gets to maintain a secure platform by ensuring that only good applications (i.e. ones that aren't malicious or cause stability issues) are available.


Apple approving every single application is lock-in, plain and simple. Somehow, Microsoft and Palm haven't found it necessary. Even Apple wouldn't dare try making Mac OS X a "secure platform" this way.

Lest we forget, Apple didn't want to allow third-party development at all.


RE: About time
By winterspan on 3/7/2008 2:43:39 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Only took them what? 9 months?


I'm no Apple apologist, but have you ever tried to write a stable, secure, and modern mobile operating system? I think they have move pretty fast considering the limited resources they have compared to much larger entities.

I too wish Apple had made a CDMA/EV-DO iPhone at launch, but including unlimited data access with the usage plans is a no-brainer. Why would you want an iPhone with no data plan?

Android looks pretty nice, but it's going to take a while for a killer device to come out that can get anywhere close to comparing to the iPhone.