Apple to allow third party iPhone applications by February

Great news for official Apple developers. Steve Jobs has issued an official statement on the Apple web site stating that they want native third party applications on the iPhone, "enabling hundreds of new applications for our users."

He said that it would take until February (2008, we hope) before a Software Development Kit (SDK) would be available to developers, because they were trying to balance the provision of an advanced, open platform while protecting iPhone users from viruses, malware, and privacy attacks.

"As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target," he wrote.

Interestingly, he seems to take a shot at Nokia, who have started a campaign that seems to knock iPhone for not being open, by stating:

"Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction."

A veiled attack wrapped in positivity? No matter, the fact is that the iPhone will officially be opened up early next year.

No doubt, it won't be enough for the hackers. I'd be surprised if the official SDK sanctions the likes of terminal SSH access, for example, and Apple will never officially sanction iPhone unlocking, user ringtones, and such like.

So, it looks like there'll be a healthy market for both official and "underground" application development for quite some time to come. Just don't expect the two sides, and their products, to cooperate, collaborate, or even function together.

Read Steve Jobs' full statement after the fold:

Third Party Applications on the iPhone

Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users. With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers.

It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones—this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target.

Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone’s amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs.

We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.

Steve

P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch.

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