iPhone Web Developer Guidelines
Apple iPhone will have passed its 1 millionth subscriber by now. If you’re a Web developer or someone just curious about how your blog or Web pages will function in iPhone, then you must read Apple’s Development Guidelines for iPhone. Web developers using the Windows platform were delighted with the public beta release of Safari for Windows. At last, they won’t be relying on browser screen shot services anymore to test their layouts.
On the other hand, with the release of iPhone there will be new opportunities for those who want to boost their blog readership and Web site traffic. Safari is also the Web browser used by the device. Apple said that those Web pages that rendered correctly in the desktop version of Safari will most likely display correctly in Safari on iPhone. However, there are changes that need to be considered and it won’t be that easy. According to the iPhone Development Guidelines, one will need to have an understanding of Web standards and established Web design best practices to provide the visitors of his/her blog or Web site with a great user experience.
The iPhone Development Guidelines listed some tips. Please visit the page to gain more information:
- Understand User-iPhone Interaction
- Use Standards and Tried-and-True Design Practices
- Integrate with Phone, Mail, and Maps
- Optimize for Page Readability
- Ensure a Great Audio and Video Experience
- Know What Safari Supports on iPhone
- Connect With Web Developers
Just a heads up (from the iPhone Development Guidelines):
- iPhone users supply their own input device — two fingers (no mouse pointer).
- Safari on iPhone doesn’t have windows; it has a fixed viewport.
- Supports all the latest modern web standards.
- An option to provide conditional CSS for iPhone.
- Doesn’t support Flash and the FLV format as well as Java.
- By default, Safari on iPhone blocks pop-up windows.
In addition, Safari on iPhone doesn’t support:
- window.showModalDialog()
- Mouse-over events
- Hover styles
- Tool tips
- Plug-in installation
- Custom x.509 certificates
iPhone Web Simulator for Designers
As far as visuals are concerned, a free software (currently available for Mac OS X) called iPhoney enables Web developers and designers to test their Web pages on a screen resolution compatible with iPhone. From the Web site:
iPhoney is not an iPhone simulator but instead is designed for web developers who want to create 320 by 480 (or 480 by 320) websites for use with iPhone.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:29
I thought iPhone sucks
. Atleast Digg says so. Just search iPhone and 90% of the results will be -ve feedbacks..
July 6th, 2007 at 14:30
Hey Beta3,
I depends on what you expect of the phone really. I think Apple got many of the things right that many other Major Phone makers should sit up and look hard!
Of course it has it’s draw back and I am concern with the call quality but style wise, ease of use is excellent!
I don’t need 3G, MMS or a ton of other features but I do take pictures and view them on the phone. And my current nokia is too slow for that.
The current web browsers on the mobiles are not up to standard and this is where the iPhone shines
It is not perfect but very close to what I need, closer then most existing phones out there.
So I wouldn’t say it suck!
July 6th, 2007 at 22:46
Haha! It could be because of the media hype even before it was released. My feed reader was full of that a week before iPhone’s release.
But I admit that iPhone is a revolutionary smart phone. Smart phones have been around for a while but they weren’t as good as Steve Jobs’ idea.
July 15th, 2007 at 0:31
[...] Apple opened up Third Party Development for the iPhone only weeks before it’s release. This blog post details the guidelines I would have to know to design an Application for the iPhone. [...]
April 2nd, 2008 at 20:45
Thanks for such a nice page. Iphone is the best I think.
April 11th, 2008 at 23:19
Top five shortcomings of the why iphone sucks? according to Newlaunches:
1. 2-megapixel camera when others have 5-megapixel shooters on board
2. 5-hour talk time: not enough battery life
3. No expansion slot. Go for the 8-gig model and that’s it.
4. No 3G: EDGE is so last year
5. No removable battery: You mean we can’t take along a spare battery? WTF?
June 4th, 2008 at 17:44
This is something that web developers are definitely going to have to take into account when designing sites — mobile devices. It is an interesting time for web designers!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:33
I don’t really care about mobile users. I could use my iPhone for the web but why would I bother if I have my computer at work. I think that there are not enough people using the iPhone for internet purposes for me to change everything I do.
June 9th, 2008 at 18:12
No, I do not think that the iPhone sucks. It actually is a quite good model for the first release. The iPhone 3G is supposed to come out very soon and I cannot wait to play around with it at the Apple Store. As for the iPhone for developers, that’s a strict outline they have. Thank you for this information.
June 11th, 2008 at 16:28
I guess, the less than 5 MP iphone camera does not actually matter. Almost everybody brings a digicam these days and the new iphone that will be released this year has a 3G.
June 12th, 2008 at 9:03
I don’t know many web developers who work their sites to look good on an IPhone, to be honest. As Polishbear, most people won’t use their mobiles to surf the web. Instead, they use their computers. It’s faster and more confortable.
June 17th, 2008 at 17:16
Great article. Thanks for taking the time to school us on this one!
I find the iphone have a few revolutionary, very unique features. I like the virtual iphone subdomain trick you’re using…I think I will switch to that rather than sniffing the user agent while testing. I’m also going to check out iUi, that looks very cool.
For sites that can’t be easily re-templated (or don’t need to be), I’ve had success with wrapping a global iPhone layout and custom CSS around my existing HTML templates.
layout :determine_layout
def determine_layout
if mobile_safari_subdomain_or_relevant_header?
return “iphone”
end
return “application”
end
You can make the entire site iPhone-friendly in a few minutes and you don’t have to rewrite every template to do it.
Through these tips you can use iUI! And create an iPhone version.
thank u.
June 21st, 2008 at 14:09
I like the iphone, it is just too expensive. It is a lot of money to be paying for something you don’t need. I don’t plan to use the internet on my phone, and I think that a lot of people get the iphone just because they want to have the coolest thing out there.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:39
I want to get the new iPhone. It looks pretty sweet. I think that the new mobile me service will be very successful.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:55
The iPhone is an expensive gadget that may or may not be worth the money. I know someone that has one and likes it, but they have had a few security problems, and apple is being really weird with their apps lately. I feel like they are trying to take over the world.
July 6th, 2008 at 19:44
That sounds awesome! It is really great…
July 14th, 2008 at 15:37
The iphone has become its own self sustaining organism. Its really quite fascinating.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:18
Thanks for the link to the iphone simulator. I have a client who is creating a product for teens and they want the site to work on mobile devices and this is my first time designing for it. I think in the future we as web designers will need to “think small” cause a new era in web use is coming just around the corner.
Very helpful article thanks heaps
October 11th, 2008 at 4:10
I like the ipod touch- has a lot of the features of the iphone but it doesn’t have the price.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:12
I think developing for the iphone is a great way to get some attention. There is a lot of open room. A friend and I have been brainstorming the possibility of an SEO related application where you could do basic SEO stat research on the go. I think something like that would be awesome.
October 17th, 2008 at 23:39
have been brainstorming the possibility of an SEO related application where you could do basic SEO stat
October 30th, 2008 at 7:20
No, I do not think that the iPhone sucks. It actually is a quite good model for the first release. The iPhone 3G is supposed to come out very soon and I cannot wait to play around with it at the Apple Store. As for the iPhone for developers, that’s a strict outline they have. Thank you for this information.
November 4th, 2008 at 21:13
I don’t need 3G, MMS or a ton of other features but I do take pictures and view them on the phone. And my current nokia is too slow for that.
November 12th, 2008 at 19:06
There is a huge opportunity for people who can develop for iphone. These numbers will be increasing.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:54
Strange that they use a gmail address and not a me.com addy.
I did call the number and left a voicemail!
November 21st, 2008 at 4:00
thanks for the link to IPhoney, if you want to be part of the future ya have to be up on the tech!
November 27th, 2008 at 10:55
As for the iPhone for developers, that’s a strict outline they have. Thank you for this information.
December 29th, 2008 at 21:50
Great page about iphone. It is not perfect but very close to what I need, closer then most existing phones out there.
January 4th, 2009 at 12:30
iphone has been around for a long time now, i guess now you convinced me, i am buing it next week!
January 28th, 2009 at 14:38
Our stylish BOSS has the smart iphone and we love him too. Everything related to iphone lures us much and your article has both arraction as well as information.
January 28th, 2009 at 22:53
nice post! thanks for sharing!
February 5th, 2009 at 9:13
Thanks for the link. As for the iPhone for developers, that’s a strict outline they have. Thank you for this information
February 7th, 2009 at 6:11
Great! I’ve had some ideas for both an iPhone application and a web-driven application as well. Hopefully I can use some of these tips with the newest firmware/Safari updates. Thanks again.
February 21st, 2009 at 4:07
Hi!!! I am using iPhone for last 2 years but it is working great for me. I love this set.
April 1st, 2009 at 4:27
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great artice thankyou
..
April 1st, 2009 at 4:28
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great artice thankyou
..
April 1st, 2009 at 7:58
My friend has an iphone and she loves it. It has many applications and is really cute.
April 3rd, 2009 at 17:49
Great guide, iPhone is now among the hottest thing for application developers.
April 4th, 2009 at 0:19
That is one awesome looking demo. I love its simple, sleek, and classic yet contemporary design.
April 30th, 2009 at 15:23
Nice post thanks for providing guidelines. I really appreciate this.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:26
Thank you very very good
May 20th, 2009 at 17:05
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
May 21st, 2009 at 23:16
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
July 3rd, 2009 at 0:45
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
July 13th, 2009 at 13:45
Thanks for providing nice information about iphone .
July 14th, 2009 at 5:40
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
July 22nd, 2009 at 14:44
thanks
August 6th, 2009 at 3:33
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
August 8th, 2009 at 0:53
This is a really interesting story. Keep it up, my colleagues would love this.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:20
iPhone Web Developer Guidelines | Project Afterlight. Articles, News, Updates, and Reviews on Technology and Life. great article thank you.
September 1st, 2009 at 22:05
Thank you very much very nice article
Great information! Very useful for me. Thanks a lot.
The idea is awesome. Congrats.
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September 10th, 2009 at 8:06
Thanks.