Third Party iPhone Apps Availible: Only in Safari

Apple has announced that third party applications will be available on the iPhone, but not as separate software packages. Instead, developers will be able to write Web 2.0 style applications that will be accessed by users via the iPhone’s built in browser, Safari.

Steve Jobs said today at the WWDC Keynote:

You can write amazing Web 2.0 and AJAX apps that look and behave exactly like apps on the iPhone, and these apps can integrate perfectly with iPhone services. They can make a call, check email, look up a location on Gmaps… don’t worry about distribution, just put ‘em on an internet server. They’re easy to update, just update it on your server. They’re secure, and they run securely sandboxed on the iPhone. And guess what, there’s no SDK you need! You’ve got everything you need if you can write modern web apps…

This method circumvents the problems previously discussed regarding reliability and AT&T’s concerns with crashing their network, by running the apps within the safety of Safari. The first question, however, is whether the apps will be availible and usable if the phone is out of cellular or wifi coverage. If not, the usability of these apps is highly in question.