Apple Releases the iPhone SDK
Published:
Apple released the first iPhone software development kit in March 2008, finally giving developers an official way to build native applications for the iPhone. Until then, Apple had encouraged third-party developers to create web applications that ran in Safari.
The SDK included Xcode, Interface Builder, an iPhone simulator, and frameworks based on Mac OS X technologies such as Cocoa Touch. Applications were written in Objective-C and compiled to native ARM code. Apple also introduced a signing and distribution model in which applications would be reviewed and delivered through the forthcoming App Store.
That architecture shaped mobile software for years. Developers gained fast native applications and access to device APIs, while Apple retained control over installation, permissions, payments, and review. The App Store opened four months later.