Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

iPhone SDK Looks to Keep Programmers’ Wares in the App Store

By
iPhone SDK Looks to Keep Programmers

Although not everybody with an iPhone wants to jailbreak the device and explore the wild and wooly world of iPhone applications not sanctioned by Applem, the Cupertino company is apparently taking a dim view of developers who want to create programs and applications and distribute them in some way besides the officially sanction iTunes App Store. The latest version of the iPhone software development kit (SDK) forbids developers from distributing their programs in any way except via ad hoc distribution of via the App Store—which, of course, famously only offers programs that have met Apple’s still-unstated criteria for distribution.

The new clause in terms for the iPhone SDK reads: “Applications developed using the Apple Software may only be distributed if selected by Apple (in its sole discretion) for distribution via the App Store or for limited distribution on Registered Devices (ad hoc distribution) as contemplated in this Agreement.” Developers pay $99 to enroll in the developer program. Enterprises can sign up for $299, although enterprise developers don’t get App Store distribution as an option; instead, they can use in-house ad-hoc distribution to get applications to employees. Enterprises are categorized as businesses or organizations with 500 or more employees.

Recommended Videos

Apple’s move is no doubt a shot across the bow at Cydia, an application that comes with software designed to “jailbreak” iPhones and break them loose from AT&T or other authorized carriers and lets the devices run unauthorized software. Cydia recently launched a storefront for unauthorized iPhone applications, enabling developers to earn money for iPhone programs that aren’t available through Apple. Technically, developers who use the new iPhone SDK to create applications distributed via unapproved channels would now be exposing themselves to liability for breach of contract with Apple. And Cydia may not be Apple’s only target: another company has promised to open a storefront for adult-oriented iPhone applications.

Related

Apple’s move may serve the heighten the debate over ownership and rights on mobile devices. When users by a PC, neither Apple nor Microsoft or any other organization has any claim on controlling what software may be installed on the system; however, with the iPhone and iTunes App Store, Apple has asserted itself as the sole arbiter of what programs and services may or may not be used on the iPhone.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
I’ve used the iPhone 16 Pro Max for 6 months. Here’s why I love it
The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I bought the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max when it was announced and have used it every day since then, racking up six months of use, and yet I’ve written very little about it. It’s time to change that, explain why it is technically my only “permanent” phone, and why I think it’s superb.
How I use my iPhone

I have two SIM cards. One is my “main” SIM card which is attached to the phone number I use, and the other is all about data, and they both live in different phones. My main SIM is switched in and out of review Android phones all the time, while the SIM I use mostly for data only lives in my Apple iPhone. They’re both always with me, and since September 2024 I’ve used the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max alongside whatever Android phone I’m reviewing.

Read more
Apple might serve a massive front camera upgrade on iPhone 17
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

The domain of Apple leaks is currently obsessed with the controversial iPhone 17 Pro design refresh, which could stir some heated debate with its massive camera hump. A lot of chatter is also focused on the svelte iPhone 17 Air. Yet, it seems there are a few other internal upgrades worth getting excited about.
According to analyst Jeff Pu, Apple will equip all four iPhone 17 series models with an upgraded 24-megapixel front camera. So far, Apple has stuck with a 12-megapixel selfie snapper on its mainline iPhones. Moreover, the company hasn’t ever deployed a 24-megapixel camera sensor, keeping its experiments limited to 12-megapixel and 48-megapixel units in the past few years.
The research note by Pu, which was seen by MacRumors and 9to5Mac, doesn’t go into details about the specifications or feature details of the new 24-megapixel front snapper on the iPhone 17 series. However, we can take an educated guess, based on what Apple accomplished when it switched from 12-megapixel to 48-megapixel rear cameras.

A 24-megapixel sensor will most likely default to pixel-binning for delivering pictures and videos at a lower resolution than the native pixel count. Pixel-binning essentially combines the light data collected by adjacent pixels, creating what is colloquially known as a super-pixel.
The sum total of these efforts are pictures that are more detailed and with more realistic color rendering, especially in low-light scenarios. Depending on how the pixels are combined, the final image is usually a lower-resolution shot, but more pleasing to look at.
For example, the iPhone 16 Pro’s 48-megapixel main camera does 4-in-1 pixel binning to produce 12-megapixel pictures, but you can still stick full-res 48-megapixel shots, too. There’s also an intermediary option to to get the best of both worlds with 24-megapixel clicks.
With a 24-megapixel selfie camera coming into the picture, iPhone 17 buyers can expect improved selfies and better-quality video calls. Moreover, since there are more pixels to collect light data, Apple might leverage it to offer more advanced camera features, too.

Read more
Apple’s rumored foldable could be the most expensive iPhone by far
Concept render of a foldable iPhone.

If you're waiting on Apple's rumored foldable iPhone, start saving your pennies. And nickles, dimes, and quarters, too. Analyst Tim Long told Barclays the first foldable iPhone could start in the $2,300 range, which would make it nearly double the price of the current most expensive iPhone (the iPhone 16 Pro Max) and one of the single priciest handsets on the market.

This announcement follows rumors that the foldable iPhone will enter mass production sometime in 2026 or 2027 and lines up with what tipster Ming-Chi Kuo predicted for the price. That said, the rumored handset has gained a lot of attention from iPhone fans. The expected demand for the iPhone foldable is great enough that even the higher price tag might not hurt sales.

Read more