OS 3.0

The first day back after a week off is always a hectic one, however today has been pretty exciting…

The latest version of the iPhone operating system was released to developers last week and clients have been keen to know how the new features will affect their applications.
Much of the press coverage has been about features such as copy & paste and MMS which will undoubtably make an immediate impact on the usability of the platform. However, dig a little deeper and there is a wealth of new features open to developers. In-game purchasing, peer-to-peer connectivity, iPod library access and many hundreds of other features provide developers with the tools to create applications that are far more engaging than had been possible previously. Apple provides the tools and the challenge to developers is to “…go away and make some great apps…”

This, I think, is the essence of why the iPhone has such great potential to developers and rights holders. The organic nature in which the platform is growing, its solid foundations, the tools available to developers and the simple distribution channels are key. Gone are the complex rights negotiations, distributor agreements, listings, royalty terms and many other time consuming factors that offline platforms such as DVD have and which can often hinder development and stifle creatitivty. The iPhone developer environment is a meritocrisy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a teenager in a bedroom, or a large multi-nation corporation, if you’ve got a good idea, you can put it on the App Store, and people might, just might, buy it…

If you’ve got a great idea that you think might make a good iPhone application, then do please get in touch.