At a special press conference to discuss the iPhone SDK, Steve Jobs answers some requests, and disappoints our pirate friends.
Exchange ActiveSync support will come to the iPhone in the next version of the iPhone software, version 2.0, which will not be available until June, at about the year anniversary of the device's retail launch. Along with Exchange support, other populars requests will finally make their way to the device, including IM clients, advanced touch games and even, possibly, a VoIP service, though there will be significant limitations.
What thou shalt and shalt not do
For one thing, Apple will control the distribution of all apps for the iPhone, and will exclude certain types of programs. Obviously, malicious code and illegal software will be excluded, as will "Bandwidth hogs," which probably means that peer-to-peer sharing options are out. All software will be embedded with a digital certificate from Apple, which means that open distribution models are out of the question. If you want to sell an app, Apple gets a cut. If you offer it free, Apple will distribute it for you for free via an iPhone app store on the iPhone itself, similar to the current iTunes Wi-Fi store, or through iTunes using the iPhone's sideloading features.
Conspicuosly absent was any mention of Flash, or any codec enhancements, for that matter. Also, though Jobs suggested that VoIP programs could work using the phone's Wi-Fi connection, they will not be allowed to use the cellular radio. This is significant, as it hints at the level of control Apple will hold over iPhone app creation, which will be severe.
So, were we right?
Our editors discussed our ideal uses for the iPhone SDK from a current owner's perspective and a potential buyer's perspective. Did we get what we wanted? We definitely got ActiveSync and gaming. Potentially, there was nothing in today's announcement that would block features like the universal remote control or the file browsing options, though Apple may limit how much access users have to their files. Bittorrent and Flash are a definite no, for now at least, but Wi-Fi syncronization remains a question mark. Unless Apple builds it, it might be difficult for a third party to create a Wi-Fi bridge to the iTunes program on the desktop. Also, extended peripherals are also iffy, as Jobs didn't explicity discuss how much access developers will have to the Dock Connector port, though if we had to guess we'd say there is a good chance that new ideas for external peripherals should work fine.
But, were we impressed?
Frankly, there is nothing yet to be impressed about. We had hoped that an iPhone SDK announcement would be accompanied by a software update and launch, but the App Store and the first iPhone programs won't hit the airwaves until early summer. And we're not developers, so until a developer tries something innovative and gets slapped down by Apple, we're not sure how severe the limitations will be. We were impressed by the sensitivity of the accelerometer in game demos, and relieved that ActiveSync and other enterprise-level options, like Remote Wipe, will be coming the iPhone, but these probably should have been there from the start.
Right now, the technology press seems to be under the spell of the Jobs Reality Distortion Field, which causes folks to applaud at things like Instant Messenger and Exchange Active Sync support; features we've seen on other smart- and not-so-smartphones for years. Still, there is a lot of potential in the robust hardware and innovative input methods to look forward to. And did we mention the cool touch games?
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