Rumor: Apple Set to Open Up the iPhone

Is Apple going to open up the iPhone to third-party software? That's been the question that has fueled the fire of many a hacker that was developing applications before the 1.1.1 firmware update. Now it seems that Apple just might open up the iPhone as long as you play by Steve Job's rules.

9to5Mac.com is reporting from sources that Apple will be working with their partners to bring a few third-party applications to the iPhone.

Apple has been furiously working with their partners on games and applications for the iPhone/iPod and the standardized Human-Interface Controls that will go along with them. For instance, EA [ERTS, purveyor of Madden NFL, NBA Live, etc.] is currently porting their iPod lineup to the OSX iPod/iPhone platform to be sold along side the classic iPod OS versions. Other big developers with strict confidentiality agreements are also on board.

According to 9to5mac, Apple has hired a few developers from Danger, the company that makes the SideKick for T-mobile in hopes they can design an architecture that would be similar to what the Sidekick has with Tmobile, namely a software testing and distribution system.

We firmly believe that Leopard will pave the way for more applications and functionality of the iPhone. We really can't imagine Leopard NOT bringing anything new to the iPhone. The much rumored Note syncing for instance should become a reality. Writing an SDK for an OS that isn't quite done is not something Apple is going to do. We should all just sit back and be patient.