iPhone SDK release could mean it is actually usable!

Just catching up on a little Tech News today. Apple released the SDK for the iPhone yesterday and it now looks like that the iPhone actually may be usuable for business people! Still no Canadian release date yet but based on what I have heard means that the device may actually give Blackberry some competition.

The roadmap for the SDK indicates that the iPhone will natively support Microsoft Exchange using Activesync, including push email, calendar and contacts as well as remote locking and wiping! Timeframe indicates that applications will be available sometime in June of 2008 (But will the iPhone be available in Canada around then). No word yet on the ability to edit MS Office attachments, but applications that could do this could be developed. Currently you can view Word and Excel documents. I wonder if you could use Google Docs and Spreadsheets for editing currently.

If this information is correct, and based on the pricing of data plans in Canada I may actually get one. Prior to the announcement Thursday there is no way I would have given up my Blackberry Curve for an iPhone. Now as I indicate it may actually be usable.

Other announcements indicate that VOIP applications will be allowed (only via 802.11) but this would also be a great addition. Think about having the ability to use Skype to make calls while at home or on the road and connected to a wireless network.

Now if the iPhone would support HSPDA (the new high speed cellular standard) then it would be truly an awesome device.

The release of the SDK should also give the iPod Touch new abilities as applications could be developed for these devices as well.

But a word of caution to Canadians, don’t hold your breath waiting. Rogers (the most likely Canadian carrier) will not move quickly to bring the iPhone to Canada as I have said in other posts, cellular data plans in Canada are ridiculous with the carriers seeming to work in collusion at keeping data rates extremely high! With the plans that Apple negotiated with AT&T in the US, I doubt that Canadian carriers would even consider that deal.

I will publish more if I hear anything!