It’s been roughly 8 months since the release of the iPhone and there haven’t been any software updates that have drastically changed the usability of the iPhone. The most significant update allowed for the addition of web clips and the ability to move icons around the screen. Those frustrated with the lack of movement have resorted to jailbreaking the iPhone and utilizing many of the unofficial applications already available. The landscape will all drastically change soon after Apple releases the official iPhone SDK (shorthand for Software Development Kit) later this month, clearing the way for official iPhone applications.
Although a specific date has yet to be announced, a statement made by Steve Jobs back in October promised a February release. "Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers hands in February," said Jobs in a statement in October. The impact of the release will no doubt have a substantial impact on the device itself. A robust operating system, an anxious group of quality developers and the release of the iPhone software development kit should pay off for iPhone users looking to expand the capabilities of their device.
The release of third party applications will change the way people think about the iPhone. One of the few drawbacks that detractors could fall back on was the fact the iPhone was a "closed device". Clearly, this will no longer be the case as the floodgates of third party software will be open. Steve Jobs doesn’t have to release iPhone version 2 to get the iPhone buzz back on track. Adding hundreds of useful robust applications will most certainly generate excitement that’s waned since the release. To be fair, it would be impossible for it not to be in decline given the vast amount of coverage surrounding the release. Jobs continued, "We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users." There have been rumblings surrounding an Apple event at the end of this month. While it most likely will not be iPhone 2, it might very well be the iPhone SDK and for many the result will be like having a new iPhone.
On my Nokia N95 there is a search plug-in on the standby screen that provides a shortcut to search on my device or via the internet. Previously, you had a choice between Windows Live Search or Yahoo Search. This week Nokia announced that Google search will be implemented in the future as well. The four new devices (the N96, N78, 6210 Navigator, and 6220 Classic) will have it integrated and eventually everyone will be able to download an update to the Nokia Search application.