The Future of Mobile Web (25+ Essential iPhone Development Resources)

Technology

Ever since the iPhone originally came out industry experts have been buzzing about he future of the mobile web. If you are reading this blog, you are probably very aware of the face that Apple announced the iPhone SDK, and other new features that will be launching this July. With this announcement (read the details on Engadget and the roundup on gizmodo) I finally decided to make the plunge, and not because of the new features. But why would I decide to buy a $400 phone if I wasn’t really that interested in the release of the new features and I hadn’t already made the move?

The impact of the iPhone announcement
While getting AIM, Push email, contacts, and a calendar along with video games are great options to have available on the iPhone, it is their impact that is going to allow the device to reach a critical mass. According to the SDK announcement 28% of the US smart phone market is held by the iPhone, which I am sure makes up the majority of mobile web users. Now consider the impact of the SDK announcement, with the addition of enterprise tools big business loses its excuse for making the plunge. Add to this consider the amount of gamers that will make the plunge because of the promise of a great gaming experience on the move. The iPhone has become the mobile platform that offers something for everyone with the ease of use and cool factor that can only be offered by Apple. What Apple has created, in my opinion, is a formula for wide spread adoption of the iPhone and it is very easy to see why (and I’m not the only one who thinks so).

By why make the jump now?
With widespread adoption of a mobile platform it finally becomes feasible for small startups and freelancers with little open time to develop for the device (It was arguably feasible prior to the announcement, however now I have no excuse). When the iPhone was initially announced I initially was excited by the opportunity to design / develop something that could truly be always on, now that interest has been reinvigorated. With that I have done some research before I decide to make the jump, and I have decided to share my findings with you my readers…

iPhone development resources (focused on web apps)

  1. A list Apart: Put your Content in my Pocket
  2. A list Apart: Put your Content in my Pocket Part II
  3. iPhone Web Development Center
  4. iPhone Development Center
  5. Marketcircle: iPhoney - iPhone web emulator for designers
  6. Blueflavor: dotMobi Mobile Web Developers Guide
  7. Hell Yeah Dude: How to Add an iPhone fav-icon to your Web Site
  8. iPhone Web Apps Library
  9. iPhone Web Application Submission Form
  10. Ajaxian: iPhone Web Development Tips
  11. jPint iPhone Web Development Framework
  12. DevX: iPhone Web Development with Ruby on Rails
  13. iPhone and iPod Touch Programming: Building Applications for Mobile Safari (book)
  14. IU: User Interface Library for Safari Development on the iPhone
  15. iPhoneWebDev: A Community Devoted to Mobile Safari Development
  16. iPhoneWebDev: Fonts Available on the iPhone
  17. Detecting if a User is on an iPhone
  18. Ajaxian: iPhone SDK for Web Developers
  19. Ajaxian: iPhone Cachability: Watch your Weight

General mobile web resources (general mobile web knowledge)

  1. Web Monkey: The End-All Guide to Small-Screen Web-Dev
  2. My Opera: Developers Corner
  3. Stopdesign: Targeting Small Screens (an older but solid article)
  4. Community MX: The Mobile Internet
  5. XML.com: Developing Wireless Content Using XHTML Mobile
  6. Cameron Moll: Mobile Web Design (ebook)
  7. DevPhone.com: A Site Devoted to Mobile Web Development
  8. Dev.mob: A Mobile Development Community

A paradigm shift is upon us
In my opinion this is the next big thing in web technologies, forget web 2.0 (its over already) and forget about web 3.0 (you sound stupid looking for it). Where the internet is headed is a world of small interconnected devices that can access information from anywhere at any time, and offer an experience that rivals its desktop equivalent. Hopefully, the iPhone will be the standard platform that allows this to occur (whether through the SDK and custom built applications, or compatible web interfaces).

03/09
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8 Responses to “The Future of Mobile Web (25+ Essential iPhone Development Resources)”

  1. David Sparks
    March 10th, 2008 at 8:30 am

    Thanks for all the info!
    I was fixing to buy one off eBay because i refuse to leave t mobile for at&t and your post saved me some disappointment. I’ll definitely be waiting till after the new one comes out for a few months and get that one. in the mean time learn how to do all this sweet stuff.

    thanks for sharing your research. saves me a lot of time!

  2. Zinni
    March 10th, 2008 at 10:52 am

    David,

    Actually, to clarify the new features are coming out in a free update. So you technically could buy a phone now, no new hardware has been announced yet…

  3. Max Deng
    March 11th, 2008 at 2:10 am

    dev.mobi may help a lot for develop mobile or iphone site.

  4. Zinni
    March 11th, 2008 at 4:40 am

    Thanks Max, I will add it to the list…

  5. hellyeahdude.com
    March 11th, 2008 at 6:20 am

    Hey Zin,
    Thanks for using our resource, did we mispell our headline or was that you? hahaha, hopefully it wasn’t us *going to check right noooow*

    iPhone favicons are duh shit though.. haha, I love the way they look, nice little treat for visitors, as well my secret 404 page.. haha

    I will be talking to you soon about a Meet-up, still in the works, possibly going to ask and see if I can have it at our offices here (right off Wacker).

    - Patrick

  6. Zinni
    March 11th, 2008 at 7:24 am

    Patrick,

    I think that was my misspelling (I Wrote this really late at night). I am glad to hear that you are still following through with the meetup, I look forward to it.

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