May 2008 Archives

Android is described by Google as "the first complete, open, and free mobile platform". More specifically, it is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to develop applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.

Like the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), the Android SDK is being made available for free to developers to create applications.

iPhone developers who wish to make their applications available to the public must apply to the iPhone Developer Program. The $99 Standard Program is for developers who are creating free and commercial applications for iPhone and iPod touch. An $299 Enterprise Program is available for developers who are creating proprietary, in-house applications.

Android developers are encouraged to discuss the platform and their coding experiences in groups, forums, and blogs. This is in contrast to Apple's decision to require developers to agree to a ten page iPhone SDK pre-release non-disclosure agreement. In my view Apple is making it more difficult than it needs to be for developers to create great applications. It is these roadblocks that make other platforms like Android appear more developer friendly.

While Android appears to be a very solid developer friendly mobile operating system, it is to early to tell how devices running the OS will compare to the more established Windows Mobile and iPhone.

Below are a few YouTube videos from the Google I/O Conference held this last week. These videos remind me how excited I am for the iPhone 2.0 software update coming in late June.

I have received several messages from readers stating that their local Apple stores have run out of iPhones. More concerning than simply being out of iPhones is the fact that the retail staff do not know when their stock will be replenished. The search for available iPhones is beginning to look like a page out of a Where's Waldo book. Can you spot the iPhone in this picture?

The most popular and logical explanation for the shortage is the release of a 3G iPhone. Assuming this is the case, the only point of discussion is timing. Apple has run out of product too quickly prior to the release of the next model. This was either a mistake or a move to ensure they aren't stuck holding previous generation devices.

Many of the blogs I read (see the 'Pages We Enjoy' section to the right) are expecting the release of the next generation iPhone will occur during or shortly after the WWDC. The timing would match perfectly with the iPhone 2.0 software update. What else will Steve Jobs announce during the keynote? My guess is that it will go something like this:

• We are very excited to see a jump in registered developers.
• The final version of the iPhone SDK will be available.
• Officially announce that the iPhone will be available in a lot more countries soon.
• New iPhone model with 3G. Maybe with GPS, more memory, and a slightly different design.
• Get developers excited about easily distributing their applications with a demo of the App Store.
• Show off other new applications and improvements that appear in 2.0.
• One more thing... Mac development. It is about time they get us thinking about the next OS X release.

What do you think? Will Apple restock their stores with the existing model? Will the 3G iPhone be released this summer?