AppleInsider Staff
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that third-party developers would slowly gain access to iOS application programming interfaces (APIs) in the future, allowing for apps to integrate with higher functions of the iPhone and iPad.
Of the myriad topics crammed into Cook's one hour interview at the D11 conference on Tuesday was whether the company's mobile OS would become more "open" to developers, that is would Apple give up some of its notoriously strict control of iOS,
"Of course," Cook told AllThingsD's Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. "On the general topic of opening up APIs, I think you'll see us open up more in the future, but not to the degree that we put the customer at risk of having a bad experience. So there's always a fine line to walk there, or maybe not so fine.
Cook said he believes customers pay for Apple to make certain choices on their behalf, such as a system's security and stability.
Mossberg referenced Google's Android lock screen assets as an example of being open to developers. Specifically, he pointed to Facebook's Home Android launcher, saying he heard the social network offered a similar solution for iOS.
"I've see some of these settings screens, and I don't think that's what customers want," he said. "Do some want it? Yes."
In the future, Cook said he expects iOS to become more open, but hinted that the control would ultimately lie in the hands of Apple.
"So you'll see the bobbleheads?" Swisher asked jokingly, referring to Facebook's Chat Head feature.
"There's always more the companies can do together," Cook replied. "I don't think that that's one."
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29 Comments
I recall just the other day expecting this to happen, in order to allows Services to be leveraged ala NeXTSTEP/Openstep; and more importantly within an entire OS X/iOS Ecosystem.
I wonder if Forstall's departure has anything to do with this or if it was going to happen anyway (now that Steve is gone).
I wonder if Forstall's departure has anything to do with this or if it was going to happen anyway (now that Steve is gone).
I feel Steve more than Forstall.
[quote name="mdriftmeyer" url="/t/157732/apple-to-open-ios-for-third-party-developers#post_2334611"]I recall just the other day expecting this to happen, in order to allows Services to be leveraged ala NeXTSTEP/Openstep; and more importantly within an entire OS X/iOS Ecosystem.[/quote] But aren't private APIs becoming public APIs par for the course with their SDK?
Isn't it what they've been doing ever since they released the iPhone OS SDK? Anyone remembers how restrictive it was at first? There are hundreds of things that iOS devs can now do that they couldn't back in 2008.