MercuryNews reports on how the iPhone and upcoming App Store are attracting many developers to Apple's mobile platform. Loopt's cofounder, Sam Altman, describes how he's seen an excitement amongst mobile developers:
"People who said they'd never start a mobile (applications) company because they didn't want to rely on the carriers are now starting companies focused only on the iPhone."
The existence of stable development tools, relatively favorable sales percentages, and streamlined application delivery are cited as the most attractive features of the iPhone platform. No other mobile platforms provide as integrated a solution as the App Store to distribute applications directly to the customer. Despite some vocal concerns about the 70%/30% developer/Apple split on App sales, other carriers are said to take up to 60% of revenue on other platforms. One analyst projects that the App store could create a $1 billion-plus iPhone ecosystem by the end of 2009.
Of interest, Apple based the iPhone software development kit (SDK) around the existing Mac development tools. This common toolset has even led some to suggest that these new iPhone developers may also begin developing for the Mac.
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