Apple to allow third-party applications on the iPhone

Apple will allow third-party applications to run on the iPhone next year, CEO Steve Jobs said on Wednesday.

This changes a policy that had angered many, and has lead to various hacks that allow non-Apple programs to be installed.

Jobs said on Apple's web site that a kit for developers won't be available until February, since the company needs to work out how to open up the phone without exposing it to malicious programs.

"We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones," said Jobs.

Developers have tried to open up the iPhone networks beyond Apple's exclusive US partner, AT&T, though Apple has blocked many such moves. Spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said Apple has not changed its policy on locking the phone to other networks.

Until now, Apple also had stopped developers from creating applications to run on the iPhone without delivering them through the iPhone's Web browser.

Some 200 applications have been created for use on those terms, but consumers have seen this layer of technology as an unnecessary throttle to innovation.

Under the new policy, applications will be allowed to run in so-called 'native mode'.

Jobs said he expects malicious developers to focus on the iPhone. "Since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target," he said.

Apple could require a digital signature for programs to authenticate their developer, he added, referring to a system that mobile phone maker Nokia is implementing.

While this makes such a phone less than "totally open, we believe it is a step in the right direction," Jobs said.

[ Apple]

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