Apple releases iPhone SDK, apps coming soon

Apple has finally released the much-anticipated iPhone SDK. The company has also announced a 2.0 software update coming in June which will add new functionality to everyone’s favorite phone.

With the new SDK will come a huge variety of new iPhone apps. Apple will be distributing the apps through iTunes and will have the final say on which apps will be allowed to appear on the iPhone. Some applications will be free and others you’ll have to pay for, with the developers of the applications making that decision.

A welcome addition to the iPhone will be games. EA has already shown off a touchscreen version of its highly-anticipated game Spore. Sega will be bringing Super Monkey Ball to the iPhone as well. These games are guaranteed to be fun time-wasters, but their impact on the phone’s battery will probably be huge.

Another new app was demonstrated - AOL’s iChat. iPhone users will finally be able to chat with their AIM buddies over an internet connection without having to use text messages. The application will have most of the features of a regular AIM client including status messages, a buddy list, multiple conversations, and an invisible mode.

These are just a few of the preview applications, with many more coming soon as developers begin to use the iPhone SDK.

Apple is also adding several enterprise features to the iPhone for businesses. The new features include Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync support, push email, push calendar, push contacts, Cisco VPN, security policies, and Remote Wipe. The iPhone looks set to compete with RIM and other smartphone companies in the enterprise marketplace.

Mark your calendars: when the 2.0 update hits in June, iPhone users will have a whole lot of new toys to play with. We’re excited to try out all of the new features and see what kinds of applications developers will concoct.