5 Apps I’d like to see developed with the iPhone SDK


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Well, it’s February. Sometime this month the iPhone SDK is supposed to be officially released. When that happens it’ll only be a matter of weeks before we start seeing applications (and I expect we’ll see some apps at the launch of the SDK) for the iPhone.

I’m fairly certain iTunes will be the hub for the applications – in fact, you might even consider the recent iPod Touch applications upgrade package a test run for the iTunes applications store, so it’s safe to say that we won’t be seeing any official video game emulators or other decidedly homebrew applications – so let’s skip that kind of stuff for now.

Instead, here’s a short list of 5 applications that I’d like to see make their way to the iPhone as soon as possible. Please feel free to make your own lists in the comments.

1. iChat – an obvious choice, but of all the applications that I’d like to see on the iPhone, iChat is number one.

2. Frenzic – There is already a web-based version of the game for the iPhone, but the fellas at the Iconfactory have been clamoring to get this game on the iPhone since day one – I would love to see a native version of the game.

3. Twitterific – While we’re talking about the Iconfactory team, I’d love to see their Twitterific application native on the phone. There are some great web-based Twitter clients out there, but I’d really like one that was native to the iPhone.

4. Podcast App – Sometimes I don’t want to mess with downloading a podcast on my Mac, and syncing the iPhone. I’d rather have the same convenience that I have with the iTunes store on the iPhone. So, I’d like to see a Podcast version with direct links to the iPhone compatible feeds of podcasts. There’s a web based one out there, but I’d like an ad-free native app.

5. GTD App – I’d very much like to see a GTD (“Getting Things Done”) application that’s native, and subscription free, on the iPhone. Again, there are web-based options out there, but some things would just run better locally, and I’d like to see one.

What’s most interesting about this list is that most everything I’d like to see on the iPhone is already available in web-based apps…but having native versions of these applications would be so much more responsive, slicker looking, and just all around better.

What applications would you like to see?


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

16 Comments

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  1. How about a *search* app!

    If Apple won’t provide a way to search contacts and email, maybe some enterprising programmer can bridge the gap!

  2. Definitely an “official” terminal application. I can’t count the ways, this type of app would be useful to me.

    I’m not super interested in voiding my warranty, so I’ve held off jailbreaking.

  3. What about a simple search program. Something like Spotlight.

    And then there is Skype!

    Agree with an GTD kind of program.

    Sling Media would also be nice

  4. Just jailbreak it man. I don’t get how people think tweaking the software voids their warranty. Your not messing with hardware, downloading a pirated game doesn’t void anything, uninstall it and presto like new. Jailbreaking is no different. Format the iPod or iPhone and presto warranty magically reappears. Not to mention most of these apps are already made native and are surprisingly good.

  5. I’d like to see a voice dial app to allow voice dialing for the phone while driving!!!

    This is a BIG failure of Apple to not provide a way to make using the iPhone legal in the growing number of jurisdictions that require hands free operation for using a cell phone legally while driving.

    Not to mention that it is just plain safer!!

  6. – FLASH! just give us Flash! 🙂

    – a working IRC app

    – a flashcard program that can do unicode characters

    – a UNIVERSAL web radio app. And what I mean here is something that can do more than just playing those streams available on iTunes….maybe someone should just port VLC 🙂

    – we can transfer mp3s and videos via USB cable. Would be nice if there were an app that would allow us to do this for any file type, thus bringing back the old harddisk mode.

  7. 1. Flash (sorry Apple, it’s just too ubiquotous…)
    2. Proper VPN connectivity option
    3. VNC client
    4. Windows Remote Desktop Client
    5. Skype
    6. Fix Safari so it works with NTLM intranets, failing that, Firefox
    7. Hardware/software combo GPS
    8. File level access from host PC like HD based iPods have

  8. I’d like to see Emoze on the iPhone. I currently use a Nokia N95 and discovered the Emoze application there. Great app that pushes your email to your phone for free. I’m thinking about switching to the iPhone though, just hope I can figure out some way to use Emoze.

  9. Dunno if Dirk Spiers really exists anymore (Google gave up on him in 2006) but his comment about Sling Media is right even if it comes from Beyond Real Time………

  10. 1. AdiumX!!!
    2. Pages
    3. HD mode
    4. Video Recorder
    5. A “My documents” folder on the iphone where you can put and organize all your documents.

  11. Also, it should act more as a PDA, as for now your not able to send and receive files, as pictures and v-cards, thru Bluetooth..
    It should also include flash plugin in the safari browser.
    They should put in copy and paste function as well.

    Right now, I have to say, iPhone is rather useless compared to a real PDA as you cant really do anything special with it.. Sure the animations are pretty cool and the screen is kinda easy to use, but you cant put your documents in it, u cant edit files like word, pages or whatever, and you cant send or receive anything with the Bluetooth or WiFi. I really hope Apple fixes this so that it becomes a better phone to not only play around with, but be able to actually do some work with it. Maybe put in Pages in it and sell a small Bluetooth keyboard to it so that you can work with it.

  12. One thing “missing”, and what I’d like, is an application to access the iPod Touch or iPhone through USB using a simple interface from the computer w/o going through iTunes. This application should reorganize/simplify the view of the filesystem, much as OS X finder does with the underlying BSD filesystem. This would give an easy access to music-, video and images folders…

    Today’s way, using an ftp-client to access your “jailbroken” iPod Touch/iPhone, is more for enthusiasts and isn’t really suitable for non-advanced users. it’s also amazingly unsafe as most systems are totally open after installing the BSD subsystem and OpenSSH leaving it open for all to access using the standard login…

    For the iPod Touch/iPhone itself there’s ofcoarse Flash but me personally would LOVE a port of VLC and to be able to view xvid, divx, ogg, wmv a.s.o… the question is if the machine itself i fast enough to handle “full size” video though…