As Apple gears up for the launch of its 3G iPhone, outside developers and startups are finally going to get to sell or give away their own applications that run natively on the phone (as opposed to being optimized for the Safari browser, as are most legal, third-party apps today). These apps, which are built on the iPhone SDK announced last March, will be distributed through the upcoming iPhone App Store (which apparently won’t launch for a few weeks). These apps will have some limitations (you can only run one app at a time and VOIP services only work via WiFi, for instance), but they will also bring a lot of innovation to the iPhone.
We’ve been tracking some of these announcements as companies prepare to unveil their new iPhone apps. They are listed below. There is a good chance more will be announced on stage during Steve Jobs’ keynote today. We will update as we learn more. Please let us know which ones we missed in comments.
Zenbe Lists: Webmail service Zenbe (reviewed here) is testing the iPhone development environment with a to-do list application that can be used to keep track of your chores and collaborate with friends and coworkers. Create task lists, check off items, and sync them with your contacts. Lists can be sent to your friends via email and accessed through the browser when sitting at a desktop computer. The Lists application won’t be integrated with Zenbe’s main email app, at least to start.
Super Monkey Ball: It took Sega two weeks to create a version of its popular video game for the iPhone. It will cost $9.99 at the iPhone App Store. Players use the built-in accelerometer to move the character.
The Associated Press: New app will retrieve local news based on your location. Also links every iPhone with the app to the AP so citizen journalists can send in photos taken on their iPhones of breaking events, as well as text commentary.
Six Apart (TypePad): Blogging from you iPhone? An iPhone announcement from Six Apart is expected today. More details as we get them. Update: Six Apart’s iPhone app lets you blog from your iPhone and add photos taken with the phone’s camera. It makes it easy to create micro-blog posts around a photo by adding a title, category and text. This app will be free for Typepad users. See how Six Apart CEO Chris Alden tried valiantly not to answer Mike’s questions on video when he was cornered right before the Apple keynote:
Pangea Software (Enigmo and Croman Rally): Two games for the iPhone that will cost $9.99 each. Enigmo is a touch-based puzzle game where you move drops of water around with your finger. Croman Rally is a race game with Flinstone-style cars that players control with the iPhone’s accelerometer.
Cow Music: Built by a single developer, Mark terry, in his time, the app is called Band. It lets you play virtual instruments on the iphone and create music. Instruments include piano, drums, guitars. You play the instruments by banging (lightly) on the iPhone.
MLB.com’s At Bat: Shows stats and video highlights of baseball games.
Modality: An anatomy app for medical students. The app is filled with anatomy drawings and images linked to Google and Wikipedia for more detailed information.
MIMvista: Another tool for doctors to view CT scans and PET scans on their iPhones.
Digital Legends Entertainment: Another game that took two days to port to the iPhone. Will be available in September.
SlingPlayer Mobile: You will soon be able to watch TV on your iPhone. Just like a Slingbox that let’s you access your TV from anywhere around the world, Sling Media is creating a version of its SlingPlayer Mobile app for the iPhone. That means theoretically you could watch all the channels you have at home on your iPhone, as long as the Internet connection is strong enough to stream the video.
Loopt: The social mobile network is expected to announce an iPhone version of its app. Loopt shows you where your friends are based on GPS and other location-tracking technologies. Loopt is already available on many Sprint and Verizon phones. With the iPhone, it will add AT&T to its roster.
Phanfare: Take pictures on your iPhone, add captions, and share them as slideshows on the Web. Phanfare is launching its iPhone version today.
Whrrl: Another mobile social network geared at sharing opinions and reviews of local establishments with your friends. The company behind Whrrl, Pelago, was is part of Kleiner Perkins’ iFund. (Read our review here).
Citysense: Nightlife tracker. Let’s you see the city’s hot spots by showing heat maps of where people are via their cell phones and other signal-emitting mobile devices. Only available in San Francisco for now. A demo app for Sense Networks.
iCall: VOIP on your iPhone. We covered it here.
Glide 3.0: It’s your desktop on your iPhone.
eBay: We’re not sure what eBay has up its sleeve either, but Mike caught up with an eBay executive at the Moscone center who sounded like had something to hide:
Update: Turns out eBay developed an auctions app for the iPhone. From Mike’s liveblog notes: “They’re showing home screen with search, avatar and a number of navigation items.”
Kooaba: Point your iPhone camera at a movie poster and get movie details and show times Cool visual-recognition app
:
Update 2: Some winners of the Apple Design Awards for best iPhone Apps include:
Remember the Milk: Take your to-do list with you.
AOL Radio: Web radio that tunes in to local CBS stations.
Enigmo by Pangea Software: Water drop game (see above)
Twitterific: Twitter app.
Omnifocus: Location-aware task management. “Pick up the dry cleaning, it’s around the corner.”
MIM by MIMVista: Healthcare app (see above)
AP Mobile News Network. This was a runner up. Location-aware news. (see above)
Will these apps work on the ipod touch as well?
“eBay: We’re not sure what eBay has up its sleeve either, but Mike caught up with an eBay executive at the Moscone center who sounded like had something to hide:”
Haha…I guess if Alan (eBay’s Alan Lewis) makes goes up on stage to present one of THE very FIRST iPhone apps, he should be an “eBay executive”.
Congrats to the eBay Innovations team for this milestone!
Now I need a new shiny 3G iPhone to replace my old one, so I can use eBay’s new app!
Can not wait to see this apps in action. I think the iPhone as a platform is awesome.
Latest Rumor: Is Steve going to announce a phone that helps small businesses to Grow Smart? First unconfirmed pics of the Smibs phone seen on the web… http://tinyurl.com/5535fj
This just in.. On it’s *second* attempt Apple has added features and functionality that have existed in other phones for many years (while still leaving plenty out). People who like shiny objects inexplicably go wild…
The apps are going to be providing the core value of the iPhone in the future. Its neat to see that there are some cool apps already, but they are going to get much better, especially as Apple adds more to their SDK, like the push notification system. More here: http://www.zint...e-applications/
Does this mean I get a pay raise?
-Alan
Do you not read over your posts before publishing them? Punctuation, capitalization, etc., simply awful.
So can I download an app and use it on more than one iphone? I can use my itunes ringtones if I get a new phone, but will I be able to do the same for apps? This is one thing that annoys the heck out of me with conventional phones. If I buy an app, I want to own the app, even if I upgrade my phone.
VoIP on 3g would have been practical. I am going to wait for Android phones to start coming out instead.
Thanks for making a point about VoIP. It seems they really just want to dick people around then. Thank god AT&T doesn’t own time warner cable.
@Marlo
No, they are playing who can post iPhone articles the fastest.
Is the iphone compatible with ebooks? My favorite site right now is BooksOnBoard.com which allows me to download books onto my computer, but I was wondering if I can also do that for my iphone. Any ideas?
It seems to be well suited for enterprise use. Does the new iphone contain local encription? Anyone knows?
So I read here via one the articles … still can not have apps running in the background. Then, right after I read about push notification system.. not sure what that is? Is that a work around to being unable to have an app that runs in the background?
the islingbox would be pretty damn cool…. of all the location based apps ive seen, citysense looks like its got the most potential and technological prowess
I wonder what technology will be like in the next 20 years or so. Stuff now is pretty amazing to see.
Apple needs to release the iPhone SDK for Windows, not every developer has a mac
If apple apps are allowed to be distributed freely, how is Apple going to make money with the 200 iphone?
- rumors say that it isn’t getting a share of the subscription revenue (if it doesn’t, i’m not sure why it would stick with AT&T)
- charging software can’t compete with freeware. Phone-ware is generally small and cheap to make.
- mobileme? 100 bucks a year for something other sw can do for free? No thanks.
This is bothering me a great deal. Apple always has a business strategy. What is it now?
lol @ the lame attempt to get the guy to give up the goods. come on you guys can do better than that!
Yeah, yeah…apps, apps, apps. How’bout iPhone simply doing things most other phones of that price already do?!? For example… stereo Bluetooth? Has anyone heard if Apple plans a software update for the now “old” iPhone that’ll let me listen to music on Bluetooth speakers?
@Erick: Can you have the guy from Loopt that made the guest post explain what GPS capabilities are in this new iPhone?
A-GPS
GPS ASIC?
The details are still kind of murky, so anyone for that matter. If I can’t get cell phone coverage ’cause I’m in the back country will the GPS still work?
@14, it sounds similar to the PushRegistry mechanism that Java ME (J2ME) currently provides. Google it.
The price drop is quite substantial. It will be interesting to see how the reviews look. I wrote about this on my blog as well:
http://www.grow...ase_announ.html
I’m pleased New Zealand has been included in the iPhone’s Coalition of the Willing for July 11 and that we are not viewed as an axis of evil by Apple or the US. “Yes We Can” use it on our networks from July 11 NZ … “Yes We Can” …
In his close-to-two-hour keynote at the WWDC in San Francisco, Steve Jobs discussed the new iPhone 3G, its new price points (very nice!), and highlighting some of its new applications (available soon via the developers website that is due to be launched shortly), which are sure to get iPhone and Apple enthusiasts in general excited about what is coming out this summer. One way I think they could certainly improve the iPhone in light of these new development kits, is to include speech and/or voice activated applications. In today’s world where hands-free laws and sheer convenience seem to be putting a heavy demand on a user-friendly interface, what is easier than using just voice to control your handset? If you can dictate text messages, emails, conduct searches, dial from a contact list, play music and discover hidden applications just by speaking your request, I would think this would be some of the most sought after applications on any phone – especially the iPhone!
Both embedded and downloadable applications from Nuance Communications can do all of that and more…and they all work on the iPhone. The human voice is a powerful thing, and we think it is the next big step for improving the mobile device. We are excited to see what is next for the WWDC this week!
Half the price??? That’s false advertising, its actually $40 more if you’re in the USA where you have to use ATT since ATT has raised the required plan price by $10/month, so you pay an extra $240 over two years, add to this $100 and you’re actually paying $40 more than the $399.
The custom apps are great, though I don’t see how they will be much different than the safari versions most companies have created which are already quite impressive.
With the web, if anything we’ve seen more web apps and less traditional software download apps, I don’t see why people would flock to downloading apps on their phone if they can get nearly equivalent versions just thru safari?
I must say the decision of lowering price of new 3g iPhone is great. By this, apple will have the chances of more ROI.
Just a few months ago, I wanted to buy an iPhone. But as I went to the Apple retailer store, they said that it’s meant for at&t only, and if you decode and open it for t-mobile for example, you won’t be able to use the bluetooth, forget the software updates and etc. Because I’m not interested in illegal versions of this product, since I am paying for it and I would like the same treatment as I would use it on at&t network, I said to myself that I wont buy the iPhone ever, even if it comes to Europe soon available for other networks.
I still can’t find out why the Apple inc. in general, is closed so much for European market and the rest of the world in general. They won’t get too many chances to act globally when they want to. I’m the customer, and the vendor is the one that takes care for its customers in offering the product. In this situation, as customer, I have to find my way of acquiring iPhone. Well I won’t let it happen. I’ve talked to many people regarding this issue, and they share the same ideas. The people are angry with Apple.
In the meanwhile, I’m waiting for the new HTC touch diamond/pro; Sony Ericsson Xperia and Samsung Omnia with Windows Mobile 6.1. That’s why Microsoft rules the world. They listen for the market needs and are not isolated for the customers worldwide. So they still have the power.
In one of the Apple retail stores told me that the Mac OS X is so secure because there are still no viruses for it. And my comment to this is, doesn’t it mean that the Mac OS is so rarely used, that it is not interesting for the hackers, so they wont build viruses for Mac. In a column I’ve read few days ago, when some of the experienced hackers were intentionally asked to break in the Vista, Mac Leopard X and Linux, the Mac OS X was the first to fall the test.
Anyway it’s very good that you as customer have right and chance to choose, and can find this kind of relevant good web pages to comment about
@ed (#1): Most applications written for the iPhone should work for the iPod Touch. There may be exceptions where the Touch is simply not capable due to hardware limitations (e.g. if an app requires access to the microphone or to a cellular network). But the two platforms are binary-compatible (i.e. the same app/code will run on both devices).
Re Kooba: If I can see the movie poster couldn’t I just look above or below the poster and see the show times? A solution where there isn’t even a problem…
The absence of ebook reader in iphone is hard to understand. Apple could have made millions selling direct ebook dowloads. Strangely, I also don’t see a reader in outside apps offered so far, even though it’s a very simple program. The only explanation I can think of is that some kind of a deal was made, probably with Amazon, which is making a huge investment in their new Kindle reader – Apple will stay out of ebook bisiness and they stay out of music. If anyone has better explanation, let’s hear it.
Missing from your list for iphone apps is Mariner Software’s Mariner Calc they are even asking for peoples input as to how much should the Mariner Calc for iphone cost
There’s a great review of the Where and AOL Radio apps on Valet magazine.
http://www.vale...mix/071408.php/
kooaba search is now available for free in Apple’s AppStore!
http://phobos.a...968692&mt=8
It’s amazing to see how these developers make use of the development platform. I have seen some unique apps being created that I would have never even imagined.
The iPhone is really amazing. You have all kinds of apps, from Photoshop Tutorials to games like this and more. Amazing.
The television app is one I have been waiting for a while now, it would probably get annoying if you have a bad connection though.
CitySense, Loopt, Amazon Mobile and Shazam are a few for my favorites!
I’ve found a few other good finds on
http://www.igoa...all/13/2/1/none
I just got my Iphone 3g, and i cant believe I denied my self from having an Iphone for all this time.
Cow Music, developed by Mark Terry is my favorit app from this list.
iPhone is really getting famous now because of its relevent features and dynamic apps. Which people really love to used in their iPhone’s. Many iPhone Developers are developing Quality iPhone Applications for users.