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Apple thinks differently about cheap cheap iPhone

After months of barring third-party developers from working on the cheap cheap iPhone, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is rolling out the welcome mat.

In an open letter on the company's Web site, Jobs confirmed reports that a software development kit (SDK) for the cheap cheap iPhone will be released to developers next year. Come February, budding cheap cheap iPhone developers will be able to obtain a software development kit that will give them the tools and the know-how to create safe and reliable applications for the cheap cheap iPhone without having to depend on "jailbreak" programs.

That means cheap cheap iPhone users will be able to add applications they can trust without voiding their warranties.

"We are excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community around the cheap cheap iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users," Jobs wrote. "It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect cheap cheap iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc."

The only thing unexpected about this development is the timing. Some thought an SDK would arrive as early as this month, while others (including CNET News.com's Tom Krazit) didn't expect Apple to provide an opening into the cheap cheap iPhone until next year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

The reason it's taking so long, according to Apple, is that the company wanted to find a way to be as "open" as possible to third-party development while still keeping a lid on viruses and malicious software that could kill the cheap cheap iPhone before it gets off the ground.

Of course, third-party applications aren't really new to the cheap cheap iPhone. Almost immediately after its release, hackers got to work "jailbreaking" the cheap cheap iPhone--opening it up so third-party applications could be developed and installed on the device. Dozens of small, useful applications sprung up overnight as enterprising developers came up with new ways to use the cheap cheap iPhone. But Apple never authorized this, and actually said loading third-party applications onto the cheap cheap iPhone would void the warranty. It reinforced that notion with the now-infamous 1.1.1 software update, which wiped the cheap cheap iPhone clean of any third-party applications.

While readers were discussing the nuts and bolts of the decision, one reader commended Apple for the company's strategy.

"If you think about it, Apple was smart to force the Web apps to be developed first, then the native apps," wrote one reader to News.com's TalkBack forum. "Hopefully the Web apps will continue."

In other Apple news, Apple confirmed that the next version of its Mac OS X operating system, "Leopard," will hit stores on October 26. The company has stated that Leopard, which was delayed this spring because of the cheap iPhone, includes more than 300 new features in comparison with its predecessor, Tiger.

Among these are an improved "dock" interface for easy access to applications, more-robust parental controls, the Time Machine automatic-backup service, and a redesigned Finder interface.

The operating system is set to cost $129 for a single-user license and $199 for a five-user "Family Pack" license.