Apple Sez, Hurry Up and Wait

Anyone hoping to see new native iPhone apps this month was sorely disappointed by Apple’s bait and switch last week. The company rolled out its long-promised Software Development Kit, which is both late and still in beta. This means that the iPhone 2.0 software that will support third party mobile content won’t see the light of day until late June. Apple promised that developers would be able to make apps that link into key features of the iPhone, like mapping, geo-location, video and music players, WiFi, address books, etc. Publishers will need to go through Apple and the on-phone or iTunes store to distribute, so Apple is going to have some gatekeeper function. Actually, in what may be another slap at the usurious revenue sharing exacted by carriers on content, third parties in the iPhone app store will be able to set their own price for these programs and keep 70% of the revenues. That alone could prove to be a major incentive for all media companies to develop for the iPhone and thumb their nose at the current carrier model.