So, Steve Jobs Does Agree With Me About iPhone Software

In a published e-mail exchange with the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg, Steve Jobs reveals something hugely important. That is, he shows he understands that iPhone is not like iPod as regards the importance of software. Job says,

I will say that the iPhone is the most sophisticated software platform ever created for a mobile device, and that we think software features are where the action will be in the coming years. Stay tuned.

Indeed. Of course, software features are where the action will be for the entire mobile industry in the coming years. That’s why companies like Nokia, Motorola and Sony Ericsson are building software developer communities.

As I’ve said before, iPhone will be an incredible device to develop applications for; and, Apple simply won’t be able to develop all the great new applications themselves. Neither will Apple have the bandwidth to build one-to-one relationships with many software development companies in ways that make the economics work. So, Apple will need to come up with ways of helping any developer to build great native applications for iPhone.

In other words, Apple will need to open iPhone up, or watch the offerings of their competitors gain ever more amazing new software features, while iPhone stagnates…

Trackbacks & Pings

  1. iPhone Watch « Random Musings on 28 Jun 2007 at 10:20 am

    [...] of an iPhone SDK, Simon Brocklehurst says : As I’ve said before,  iPhone will be an incredible device to develop applications for; [...]

Comments

  1. Asam Bashir wrote:

    I think it’s right for Jobs to first establish the brand and open the revenue streams for Apple with the first iPhone, it’s been a long learning experience for Apple, but once the Euro and Asian iPhones are out, I think it might be the time to start thinking about licensing iPhone OSX at the same time as the consumer iPhones. That way Apple can still sell the best hardware/software experience for any mobile device, but can let other phone companies use some of the technologies in a controlled manner. That way iPhone OS X would become a wider platform, but Apple would still keep it’s own implementation and advantage very tight.

    As I said before, Apple does listen very carefully to criticism from the rest of the industry and can respond faster then any other tech company, specifically because it does make the whole widget.

    After watching the keyboard video on the Apple site, it’s quite obvious why there was so much development needed in the space between announcing and shipping, the keyboard and data entry was singled out as a major concern by all watchers, and Apple has responded by providing an intelligent system combining traditional spelling check with smart predicative technology. Another first.

    (Dear Steve, let me be a beta tester for Euro iPhone OS X!)

  2. Asam Bashir wrote:

    http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iPhone_User_Guide.pdf

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