All that is gold doesn’t necessarily have to glitter. Android has been touted as being one of the next big platforms that would knock iPhone of its throne. However, this doesn’t seem to be the situation for Android. The ultimate problem that the platform is currently facing is the number of versions of software on phones. With a whole slew of releases available for the Android platform, many apps are not necessarily backward or forward compatible with the operating system. Add to this the various vendors providing different phones with numerous variations of hardware components means that most developers have nightmares developing code for each individual phone rather than a universal app.
The problem inherently in this situation is that cross-platform independence regardless of hardware is an ideal utopia that developers want but can never get. Similar to the BlackBerry situation where porting apps from other platforms is a nightmare, it can happen but not without a significant fight.
From a smaller developer viewpoint, Android is a difficult platform to work on. The amount of resources and time needed to code for a single application is significant for a small business; the need to re-code for various hardware and software versions is not conducive to building a customer base. Not only do variations in hardware and software affect the overall compatibility of the app, it reflects poorly on the build quality of the app. As a result, customers are naturally wary of the platform when they experience poor app quality and interaction. Developers are then compelled to write quick-and-dirty patches to resolve problems, which is inherently dangerous and shoddy programming.
It has been an important year for smartphone OS developers. With fierce competition from the iPhone and Google’s Android, the traditional players in the market have held conferences in an attempt to retain and attract developers to their platforms. BlackBerry was one of the pioneering companies with regards to smartphone becoming an essential need for business users. However, the primary concern for most developers during this conference was the direction that RIM was taking to promote the BlackBerry conference.
A majority of the talks held by senior developers focused on the overall experience of BlackBerry’s App World and the ability to successfully publish apps on the BlackBerry platform. Alongside the overall app development process, many experts were specifically focusing on the relevant technologies that were needed for developing and coding apps.
BlackBerry’s platform is meant to be cross-platform compatible; however, issues with the Java focus do occur. Java’s inherent problem is that the number of versions available means that the coding must reflect each version. Resultantly, some apps may not work on selected hardware; this means that developers have to re-code for older sets, etc.
Almost as a foreboding of the problems to come; jail-broken iPhones are now vulnerable to a new virus that installs itself through a default password in the SSH and remotely sending all data stored on iPhones. Yet again this is another feather in the cap of Apple who has been stating that jail-broken iPhones are illegal and ultimately will not be responsible for damages incurred.
This recent exploit is frightening since the SSH client’s default password is known to the virus developers and many people are not excessively comfortable tweaking with their iPhones. By the time users are comfortable with tweaking their iPhones, a massive amount of sensitive data may be collected without users knowing. The irony of this situation is that many international customers who have jail-broken their iPhones are at risk as well; further driving home Apple’s point of not using jail-broken iPhones.
The fix to the virus is very straightforward, it requires a simple change of password of the SSH client to anything besides the default password. Although a very straight forward fix, it also raises an interesting junction for Apple. The massive popularity of the iPhone has driven up profit margins for Apple; a significant portion of this chunk is attributed to the international market.
Apple’s actions here can dictate loyalty to a potentially massive customer segment that would switch to legal iPhones rather than jail-broken devices. A software update to patch this problem would remind customers that they should always purchase legal devices with a friendly warning. This would be similar to a gentle slap on the hand to consumers, and may increase the loyalty and brand image of Apple amongst users.
Apple’s App Store has passed the 100,000 app mark within 16 months
Congratulations are in order for Apple; Apple’s App Store has passed the 100,000 app mark within 16 months. This is no small achievement considering that the concept of an app store along with the product life of the iPhone has been a few short years in comparison to some industry giants such as Nokia, Palm, Samsung, LG, and Sony Ericsson.
The number is milestone considering the tough review that most apps go through when submitted to Apple. With a wait time of weeks to months, Apple’s iPhone is a consumer success along with the App Store that created a massive storm of developers moving into to develop apps.
However, the competition is heating up with Google’s acquisition of specialist social media and web design companies. Clearly, the Android Marketplace seems like it will get a revamp to ensure that it can compete with the integration of iTunes-App Store. The social media will probably integrate with Google searches ensuring that the developers and Marketplace both receive webtraffic.
Secondly, Palm’s holding a conference soon in an effort to attract more customers to its webOS. Interestingly enough, Palm has a number of high-quality apps that have been developed by specialist firms already available. As mentioned previously in the blog, Fandango has its own version available for webOS, which helps build customer trust in the platform itself. The Palm Pre and Pixi will help spread the word of webOS, provided Palm markets them aggressively on Sprint’s network.
Apps are powerful pieces of software when used in the right hands. Developers can easily access iPhones remotely if they chose to do so. Recently, a gaming studio has been sued by a litigant for illegally obtaining his iPhone cell phone number without his consent – (Source). The litigant claims that access of the apps allowed the gaming studio to harvest his cell phone number and importantly, violated the “integrity of the data” in his phone.
Security has always been a concern for developers whenever they develop software. Malicious use or cracking is more than evident on the Internet for a variety of software applications. The main reason why this more relevant for smartphones is the plethora of data stored within them. With names, numbers, addresses, email addresses, photos, music files, and other documents stored on smartphones, the potential to find sensitive information is almost a certainty with millions of users utilizing the iPhone.
Again, the lawsuit will establish new guidelines what dictates the level of privacy that hardware manufacturers should guarantee and what software developers need to establish as standardized security protocols. Although all smartphones generally prevent apps from accessing the core architecture and software of the phone, most apps can access the secondary levels of architecture in a phone.
An example is the limited SMS forwarding ability of the iPhone prior to software updates, applications had sprung up that managed to deal with this problem. It basically allowed iPhone users to mass forward SMSs’ to contacts in the users’ phone. Considering that the app accessed some level of the functionality of the device, if there was malicious intent of the developers, it would be very easy to steal significant amounts of data. With identity theft a major concern for Internet users, the same situation applies to smartphone users who are now using their phones as Internet browsers, cellphones and PDAs. Security from malicious apps and developers is important in keeping consumers trust in the handset and app quality.
