iPhone SDK in Beta Only? More 3G iPhone Predictions...

[Himpressive]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

The only thing that matters is if users can install applications developed from whatever SDK is released next week.

more like if developers can engineer anything from what's made available next week

 

[EagerDragon]

Well I am glad that they are releasing a beta which will allow developers to start practicing. Given that it is a beta, that means that some of the API calls may change in the future as such applications developed with it will also need to be treated as betas until the official one is out.

A Beta SDK may also mean that the beta is open to everyone and at no cost. People can use it to release for pay apps, donationware and free software now without waiting for the official release. In the mean time they get to practice.

The iPhone 1.1.4 recently release probably moved some of the files and libraries around, closed some potential security holes and created an environment where unsigned and untrusted can live and execute from without totaly trashing the iPhone.

When the offical SDK is release I guess we will see iPhone version 1.1.5 or 1.2 where all applications are required to be signed and for enterprise all application installations are only allowed from an Enterprise trusted server.

Assuming that Apple is going after the model of BlackBerry for the Enterprise, that also means they need to create a BES look alike that can also be installed in the Enterprise email server. So it is not just the SDK, it is 5 things:
a) iPhone OS changes, directories and firmware
b) SDK
c) Bluetooth enhancements for sync
d) iTunes
e) Server side software (BES Look alike) with MS licenses to be able to integrate with the corporate email system and domain controller / Active Directory for authentication).

We do not know how far Apple is going, but the above is the minimum if they are going after BlackBerry (RIM).

With the above integration, an enterprise would register each device, which would be locked from being changed and locked from allowing software installations and then loaded with the enterprise set of applications that they have blessed. After that the phones are handed to the individuals. Each person then connects it to the PC via USB or Bluetooth and enter the information needed to connect to the enterprise email server. Authentication to the device is via cached credentials and when connected via the domain controller / Active Directory.
Mail would traverse via a secured network connection to/from the device to the corporate email server.

At the enterprise option they can then force all storage on the phone to be encrypted, they can remotely cause the phone to erase all data, they can allow or prohibit connection to bluetooth headset or other devices, also control if the camera works or not and also cause the device to erase itself if you enter your password 3 or more times wrong. This is only for enterprise situations not for regular off the street devices. OH one more thing .... They can prevent your personnal non-company phone from working with the enterprise email system.

I have a feeling that Apple is going this way to give RIM some competition and provide an alternate solution to RIM.

The above plus a few more items, will create a very large market for the iPhone.

 

[chr1s60]

I understand that it takes time to develop a perfect SDK, but June is ridiculous. Apple should have been working on an SDK since the iPhone release, if not earlier. They should have known people would want more apps and them not recognizing that was a failure on their part. I hope this rumor is wrong but if it isn't, that's a major negative in my opinion. Perhaps Apple should stop announcing things with a specific release date and instead just say something like, "coming within the next year."

As far as the 3G iPhone goes, I still think we won't see it til at least the end of 2008.

 

[mstroud]

I must say, i completely disagree with this (apart from the 3g part which i hope happens soon). i think there is a hidden message in the image that apple put in the invites. If you look at the road map there is a trail that leads from...
- the software update sign (They've just released software update 1.1.4)
- then the SDK sign (this will be the event on the 6th)
- then the enterprise sign (i think this is showing that it wont be released on the 6th, but will be announced, and then will be added as they strike deals with companies)

anyway that is my view on things, the way i conceive the image.

 

[macintel4me]

It's has to be the distribution mechanism. If "hackers" can come up with unofficial SDK already, there is no reason why Apple can't. There is something else that is going on. The only thing that I can think of is the distribution through iTunes and lots of non-technical things. I guess we will all find out soon enough.

 

[Niiro13]

okay, I only develop simple applications, so I;m no expert but....

I'm finding it hard to believe that its taking apple this long to release an SDK, the iPhone Hackers seem to have thrown together a pretty good system in very little time, I think that the reasons that this is taking so long, are either, patent issues, or the delivery system.

The second one I think is most likely, they need to find a distribution system that works well for this, they will use iTunes I imagine, but more will need to go into it.

And what good the hackers have done with numerous phones that bug out and need constant restores.
Also, remember that apple is trying to make a safe Sdk. I'm surprised no one cared to make a virus through the jailbreaks to show that the hacking system fails.

 

[Diode]

Resources being spread too thin?

 

[EagerDragon]

And what good the hackers have done with numerous phones that bug out and need constant restores.
Also, remember that apple is trying to make a safe Sdk. I'm surprised no one cared to make a virus through the jailbreaks to show that the hacking system fails.

It exist but not yet released. Only works on hacked phones and population is still too small.

 

[lcm123]

Wwdc

When is the next WWDC by the way, does anybody know?

 

[sjo]

People who think this should have just happened overnight have no idea just how much work goes into something like this. Making a third party software environment that is reliable, consistent, supportable, and secure takes a lot more work that the (admittedly impressive) work that the hacking/hobbyist community has done.

you may well be right.

what is strange and worth some consideration, however, is that apple doesn't seem to have an idea of the amount of work that is required.

another wierd thing is that apple didn't seem to understand the need and usefulness of the 3rd party software until after ppl started jailbreaking their iphones.

 

[chr1s60]

I must say, i completely disagree with this (apart from the 3g part which i hope happens soon). i think there is a hidden message in the image that apple put in the invites. If you look at the road map there is a trail that leads from...
- the software update sign (They've just released software update 1.1.4)
- then the SDK sign (this will be the event on the 6th)
- then the enterprise sign (i think this is showing that it wont be released on the 6th, but will be announced, and then will be added as they strike deals with companies)

anyway that is my view on things, the way i conceive the image.

I see it the other way. The arrow on the Enterprise sign is pointing to the right, which makes me think the map is going that way. I don't know why it would be going that way, but it doesn't make sense for the arrow to be pointing against the flow of the map. It would be a big help if we could read what the key in the top corner said.

 

[Zoboomafoo]

If you don't think it's a company's responsibility to maintain healthy growth in their stock, then I guess it isn't their fault. So when the stock you personally own takes a dive, don't go blaming the company or anything crazy like that!

Have you turned on a television or read the news this year?

Yes Apple's going down, yes I own stock and yes it sucks. But you know what, the world's economy does not live and die by Apple. Do you own a house? How about your credit cards, got any debt on those? All of these things greatly impact Apple's profitability. "I just lost my house ... let's go buy an iPhone." "I've maxed my credit cards, but if i sell enough plasma, I can get that iPod Nano I've been wanting"

Everyone needs to get a grip. How many years were we sitting there thinking, gee, wouldn't it be great if Apple made a phone? And they took their sweet time didn't they. And then they released the iPhone and ... well I for one am glad they didn't rush something out.

 

[olternaut]

This is great news. This gives other companies time to develop a better phone so we can all get off this Apple bandwagon!

Exactly! Its amazing to read the negative reactions from some of the clueless children here. This is an extremely exciting time for Apple. And I bet the mood over at cupertino is very upbeat. All that I hear about Steve traveling like mad (probably making wireless deals) and the 34 percent increase in R&D (new mobile devices)...Its like a volcano thats about to explode! And I betcha they do indeed meet their 10 million iphone sales goal before the end of the year (thanks to the iphone 2.0 with 3g).
Plus a sizeable number of wifi mobile devices they they are also going to debut.

 

[RickJames69]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I gotta a buddy who is a big mgr at Walmart. He swears that Walmart will have iPhones by June!

 

[Peace]

I see it the other way. The arrow on the Enterprise sign is pointing to the right, which makes me think the map is going that way. I don't know why it would be going that way, but it doesn't make sense for the arrow to be pointing against the flow of the map. It would be a big help if we could read what the key in the top corner said.

So you guys are assuming that's a one way street?

 

[addicted44]

That might be right, but then surely Apple would of known how much work it takes. So why tell people they'll have an SDK in developers hands by February?

Because a Beta would be in developers' hands, so they could start working on it already?

Although, yeah, they should be burnt at the stake for being a week late.

 

[EagerDragon]

bad post

 

[TheSpaz]

My mistake. October 17th it was.

Actually... you were both right. On Jan. 15th Apple said the SDK was coming at the END of February... they originally said SDK in Feb on October 17th and then Jan. 15th, they re-stated that it was on time for the end of February.

 

[lkrupp]

What a tease. It just seems like Apple can't get anything fine anymore. There getting more and more like Microsoft.

__________________

If every company was like Apple, technology would be years ahead of what it is today!

Wow, compare your post with your signature. You must have one hell-of-a case of cognitive dissonance there. You might want to get some help with that.

 

[markpalmer]

Beta

Perhaps not. And that's why Apple doesn't really like giving deadlines in the future. I imagine he wanted to offer some sense of firmness to an area that a lot of press and analysts are keeping an eagle eye on. The only people who will care about this are the people who want to fill 45 screens on their phone with apps, and the people who click reload on MacRumors forums every 2 seconds in a thread with dozens of responses about how people are feverishly downloading the 1.1.4 firmware update in the hopes that it has Flash or iChat.

The IT and wireless press, analysts, and others won't really care much if the first release is a week late, or whether it's a beta.

Look at VLC, been a beta for years works brilliantly. I'd take an Apple beta over many companies version 1.5 any day. Anyhoo isn't everything just a beta these days?

 

[rtdunham]

...The comments above (and the couple below this, and probably about 99% of the rest in this thread) typify the reaction by those who have literally no idea just how much work goes into developing such an initiative. I wouldn't go so far as to say "ignorant" or "completely unable to see the big picture beyond what new little icon they'll have on their phone", but close....

Hi Dave,

I think you're a little harsh. Much of the objection here is to the fact Mr Jobs, who i admire greatly, said the software would be ready in February. HE should have known how much work it takes, even if we are ignorant of that. Releasing a beta in march and the real software in june irritates the way politicians' "parsing" irritates. I know we'll be happy when the SDK and resultant apps are in our hands.

peace

 

[ccrandall77]

I'm kinda surprised it's taking so long to put this SDK together. Being a frameworks driven OS, I would think they'd be leveraging something like the Dashcode plugin for XCode. Afterall, aren't the apps on the iPhone/Touch similar to Dashboard widgets?

If it comes out as beta initially, that's fine by me. I just hope the SDK isn't limited to vendors through some sort of strict license. They have to release this thing to the masses so anyone can develop apps. I think that would create the conditions necessary to make a development community take off which would only make these devices more attractive to potential buyers.

 

[chr1s60]

So you guys are assuming that's a one way street?

I assume a one way street, but I also notice there are two paths. The blue path goes through Enterprise, SDK, and Software Update. Then there is also a pink path that just goes through Software Update and SDK. From there I make the assumption that the blue path is for developers wanting to make money and the pink path would be for developers that make apps and will allow them to be downloaded for free.

 

[markpalmer]

SDK for developers only?

It's not entirely unlikely that the SDK will be a registered developer only download, and for the paid for accounts not the freebie one.

I don't imagine all of the people whining here about the SDK not showing up on time are going to have access to it anyhow.

 

[specops]

Does that make any sense to you guys?
THINK ABOUT IT... just a few weeks ago apple said the SDK will be out at the end of this month. How could it possibly be that far away from completion and still in beta if they were shooting for release this month? i call shinaniganss..