Apple to further open iOS to developers

Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated in an interview that Apple will further open up its iOS operating system to third-party developers. In addition, Cook indicated that Apple has no fundamental objections to making Android apps, but now sees nothing in it.

The interview took place during the D11 conference from Allthingsd.com. Tech journalist Walt Mossberg asked Cook if he was willing to give third-party developers more options within iOS to improve certain functionality of the OS. Mossberg gave the onscreen keyboard as an example, which in his view was better on Android, partly because users can choose and install a variant themselves.

Cook said that the company must always balance openness and user experience, but also that Apple plans to make more APIs available to developers in the future and that the company will be more open. Those new APIs may be part of iOS 7, which is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s WWDC developer conference in mid-June. That new version of Apple’s mobile operating system will also get a visual makeover.

The Apple CEO also said in response to a question from the public that the company in principle has no problems developing apps for other mobile platforms. Cook therefore does not rule out the possibility that Apple will develop an app for Android in the future, although he currently sees no need for this.

Furthermore, Cook said he is very excited about wearable devices, but not in the form of glasses, such as Google Glass. He hinted that Apple is currently developing such products, but did not want to say anything concrete about it. He may be referring to the computer watch that Apple has been rumored to be working on for a long time.