iPhone 2.0, iPhone SDK, and iPhone Apps Frequently Asked Questions

[MacRumors]

It seems the same questions are coming up again and again, so here's an attempt to clarify some points.

What is iPhone Firmware 2.0? When can I get Applications/Enterprise Features?

iPhone 2.0 firmware is the next software update for the iPhone. It will include Enterprise features and support for the iPhone SDK and iPhone applications.

Regular customers will be able to download the iPhone Firmware 2.0 in "late June". Customers will also be able to start buying iPhone applications from the iTunes Store starting then. So for the next 4 months, your iPhone will stay pretty much the same as it did yesterday.

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[iTeen]

so what is anyones guess on how much the apps will cost for the ipod touch?

[arn]

Originally Posted by iTeen

so what is anyones guess on how much the apps will cost for the ipod touch?

you mean iPhone 2.0 firmware? The iTunes Store apps will cost the same, of course, as it does for the iPhone.

I'd guess $20 for the 2.0 firmware, just like the previous one.

arn

[Telp]

Any word on bluetooth? Anyway to beef that up?

[overanalyzer]

Originally Posted by arn

you mean iPhone 2.0 firmware? The iTunes Store apps will cost the same, of course, as it does for the iPhone.

I'd guess $20 for the 2.0 firmware, just like the previous one.

arn

It is a huge release, so I can see them doing $20, but at the same time I feel like it'd be in Apple's interest to get as many people to upgrade as possible...maybe they'd go with the $1.99 that they did for the 802.11n upgrade to encourage adoption amongst existing iPod Touch users?

[Telp]

Originally Posted by overanalyzer

It is a huge release, so I can see them doing $20, but at the same time I feel like it'd be in Apple's interest to get as many people to upgrade as possible...maybe they'd go with the $1.99 that they did for the 802.11n upgrade to encourage adoption amongst existing iPod Touch users?

I agree. 20$ for 5 apps, a bit much but not outrageous. $20 for a software update seems a bit much. No more than $5 i would hope, and hopefully less.

[overanalyzer]

Originally Posted by Telp

I agree. 20$ for 5 apps, a bit much but not outrageous. $20 for a software update seems a bit much. No more than $5 i would hope, and hopefully less.

The other thing too is that the iPhone/iPod Touch is going to be a long-term evolving platform, and potentially the kind of thing that 20 years from now we will credit with the same kind of revolution in computing that we credit the first Apple, IBM and Mac for. Clearly they can't keep charging $20 every single time there's a major firmware update to improve the platform...imagine if every OS X point release were $20.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by iTeen

so what is anyones guess on how much the apps will cost for the ipod touch?

Do you mean the 2.0 firmware upgrade from Apple. My guess is "cheap". Just some nominal amount like $1.99 or $5.

Or do you mean what will you have to pay for application that are sold on iTunes after y've upgraded to the 2.0 firmware. My guess is there will be many free ones and many price like current shareware (from $5 to $50) and there will be a very few quite expensive ones

[RoboCop001]

The $99/year thing is just to have the app on iTunes right?

If I download the SDK, can I put my app on my own phone and other iPhones through my computer without having to pay anything?

[arn]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

The $99/year thing is just to have the app on iTunes right?

If I download the SDK, can I put my app on my own phone and other iPhones through my computer without having to pay anything?

No, the free SDK will only let you run applications on the Simulator. You can't install on the iPhone at all unless you are a $99/year developer.

arn

[Telp]

Originally Posted by arn

No, the free SDK will only let you run applications on the Simulator. You can't install on the iPhone at all unless you are a $99/year developer.

arn

So that means no debugger unless you pay the $99? That's alright with me. And good initiative for people to step it up, if they are serious enough...or willing to depart with that much if they arent serious, but just want to "play around" with it.

[un1ty]

I thought I saw them compiling and then running the app on the connected iPhone and the simulator at the same time.

[Telp]

Originally Posted by un1ty

I thought I saw them compiling and then running the app on the connected iPhone and the simulator at the same time.

They can do whatever they want, that doesnt mean the public can. I saw them playing games, i cant get them though. From what it sounds like arn is saying, if you pay the $99 you will be able to run the apps on your iPhone.

[ansalmo]

Originally Posted by arn

No, the free SDK will only let you run applications on the Simulator. You can't install on the iPhone at all unless you are a $99/year developer.

arn

That really sucks if it is the case. I'd want to be able to upload my home-grown apps to my own device, just as I can with my Windows Mobile device. There's no way I'm going to pay $99 a year (or, given I'm in the UK, probably something more like £79 = $160) for the 'privilege' of just doing that though.

[AlphaBob]

Originally Posted by ansalmo

That really sucks if it is the case. I'd want to be able to upload my home-grown apps to my own device, just as I can with my Windows Mobile device. There's no way I'm going to pay $99 a year (or, given I'm in the UK, probably something more like £79 = $160) for the 'privilege' of just doing that though.

I suspect that is the case only for the next few months (Until 2.0 firmware is distributed to everyone).

Today the $99 fee gets you two things. First is early beta access to the 2.0 firmware which is required to upload applications to the iPhone/touch. It also gets you access in June to the iTunes App Store. But once you have the right firmware on your iPhone/touch you can use the SDK to upload to it (you don't go thru iTunes).

So if you wait long enough I suspect the free SDK will be able to put whatever you want on your own iPhone/touch. The $99 fee paid every year will then just be required if you plan on selling things through the App Store on iTunes.

[ansalmo]

Originally Posted by AlphaBob

I suspect that is the case only for the next few months (Until 2.0 firmware is distributed to everyone).

Today the $99 fee gets you two things. First is early beta access to the 2.0 firmware which is required to upload applications to the iPhone/touch. It also gets you access in June to the iTunes App Store. But once you have the right firmware on your iPhone/touch you can use the SDK to upload to it (you don't go thru iTunes).

So if you wait long enough I suspect the free SDK will be able to put whatever you want on your own iPhone/touch. The $99 fee paid every year will then just be required if you plan on selling things through the App Store on iTunes.

Really? If that were the case, then what would stop me from being able to distribute my own app to anyone else, so subverting the App Store? All anyone would need, at worst, would be a copy of the SDK to upload to their device, which seems to go against what was said at yesterday's presentation.

[pluto198]

Originally Posted by ansalmo

There's no way I'm going to pay $99 a year (or, given I'm in the UK, probably something more like £79 = $160) for the 'privilege' of just doing that though.

That's the point. There's no reason to be testing on a device unless you intend to distribute the app through iTunes. If everyone were able to put apps on their devices through Xcode, then developers and hackers could distribute Xcode Projects, and Apple no longer has any control over third party software.

[ansalmo]

Originally Posted by pluto198

That's the point. There's no reason to be testing on a device unless you intend to distribute the app through iTunes. If everyone were able to put apps on their devices through Xcode, then developers and hackers could distribute Xcode Projects, and Apple no longer has any control over third party software.

Really? No reason? I thought I'd given a very valid reason, which is what I've been doing for the past 27 years - writing my own software and running it on my own devices. I guess I must be an anarchist

What I'd like to have seen is something along the lines of the model used on Windows Mobile - to access privileged APIs (mostly phone- or kernel-level), you need to have your app privileged-signed, which costs money. Yet any application using more mainstream APIs is able to be installed (and obviously distributed) freely - there's a prompt when running it the first time to warn that it's not signed, and it's up to the user whether they want to allow it to run. That model works for the hobbyist as they're only minimally constrained on the platform and have no monetary burden to bear, and it works for the networks as "dangerous" use of the devices is protected to a greater or lesser extent.

[bithound]

I read that the final 2.0 will support new iPhone hardware, namely 3g chipset. found that on http://www.personafile.com/products

[klimegreen]

Originally Posted by bithound

I read that the final 2.0 will support new iPhone hardware, namely 3g chipset. found that on http://www.personafile.com/products

this make sense. btw, the permalink for the story is http://www.personafile.com/pproducts...p=up0000003150

[c-Row]

This might be no FAQ, but... I know Cocoa is just an API rather than a programming language, so - what language do you code in for the iPhone? Java? Objective C?