Initial Notes on the iPhone SDK
For calender Q4 ‘07, the iPhone (28%) was second only to the RIM Blackberry (41%). Palm and all the rest are in the weeds.
[Translation: Buy AAPL while it’s still cheap.]
Full enterprise messaging and security features coming in the next update for all iPhones.
[Translation: Go short on RIM.]
It’s unclear whether the same is true for iPod Touch, but the SDK covers the Touch as well.
[Translation: Go really short on RIM.]
Apple has licensed use of the full MS Exchange API, and has built Exchange support into iPhone Mail, Calendar, and Address Book.
[Translation: We hate the Exchange client as much as you do.]
Your IT department can remotely wipe a lost iPhone to protect corporate secrets.
[Translation: You can get your boss to buy an iPhone for you, but you might want to buy another for personal use.]
The iPhone SDK is free to all Apple Developers after an additional registration step to become an iPhone dev.
There are additional costs to distribute apps: $99 annual developer fee for access to the iPhone “App Store”.
[Translation: OK, OK, OKAY! We get it! Apps aren’t music and don’t belong in iTunes.]
Free apps are distributed for free. Apple takes a 30% cut on commercial apps. You pick the price and you get a monthly revenue check.
[Translation: Free is great, but somebody has to pay the bills.]
There’s a $299 annual developer fee for the ability to distribute proprietary apps for corporate in-house use. This buys a private download page on the App Store for enterprise employees.
[Translation: We plan to make at least $299 per year from our cut of the sales of each new iPhone app.]
The iPhone SDK includes an iPhone emulator.
[Translation: Want an iPhone? Sell some apps!]
Tip: In the keynote video, jump ahead to 41 minutes in to see a truly great game.