Nokia vs Apple: History Repeats with the iPhone SDK

IanFogg | October 18, 2007, 05:45 PM

Apple has announced a limited application development initiative for the iPhone (and, as I predicted, for the iPod Touch).

Apple's smartphone rivals are already open, have numerous applications available and actively encourage independent development (i.e. Nokia with Series 60, SonyEricsson's UIQ (*), Microsoft on Windows Mobile).

I wonder if Apple is now repeating mistakes akin to its 1980s era Macintosh strategy.

If the Apple SDK isn't available until February 2008, then applications presumably won't ship for another six months, perhaps longer.

Timing is everything in business. About ten years ago, and about ten years too late, Apple reacted to criticism of its lack of operating system licensing, by doing just that. Apple licensed Mac OS to Power Computing, Motorola, Radius and a few others. The initiative was half-hearted and short-lived. Microsoft had licensed early and often, and had secured too great a market lead, as Steve Jobs acknowledged in his interview with Walt Mossberg earlier this year.

Apple has to get its approach to iPhone development right quickly. If Apple makes a mistake, then Nokia, Microsoft and the rest may have such momentum that Apple may find it impossible to catch up: iPhone could become a very successful niche in the mobile market and not the major player to which Apple aspires.

The one thing that is totally different this time around is the complete balkanisation of the mobile handset audience. Unlike the Windows PC market of the 80s and 90s, there is nothing remotely close to approaching a dominant OS platform for third party developers to target. This hinders mobile application developers tremendously and gives Apple a window of opportunity.

I find it doubly fascinating that no one has argued that Apple should license the flavour of Mac OS used in the iPhone to third parties. How times change. Except, of course, at Microsoft and Symbian where they continue to seek out new licensees for their mobile OS's. History repeats. Or do the historians bloggers just repeat each other. (**)

* Now, as of this week, part owned by Motorola, but given Motorola's inconsistent OS strategy over the years I suspect SonyEricsson will continue to be the driving force.
** But bloggers/historians/everyone feel free to quote me!