Installing Native Third-Party Apps on the iPhone Getting Easier

Apple, Inc. has tried to greatly limit the types of third-party software that can be installed on its iPhone, but those who aren't satisfied with these limitations have been working hard to find ways to install and run native applications on this smartphone.

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Several ways to install software on this device have been known for weeks, but these are typically only usable by experts. However, nullriver has released a public beta of an application installer for the iPhone that is the simplest to use so far.

Of course, this is somewhat relative. Installing this installer on the iPhone is a bit more complicated that many might hope, but it should be doable for someone who follows the instructions.

Once the installer is in place on the smartphone, finding and installing native applications for the iPhone is a much simpler process. These can be downloaded and installed directly to the mobile device over Wi-Fi or a cellular-wireless connections.

To make it completely clear, installing native applications on the iPhone is not supported by Apple or AT&T.

Web 2.0 Applications vs. Native Ones

It's possible this news might confuse some people, because Apple already allows iPhone users to run third-party applications on the iPhone. However, these are Web 2.0 apps, that operate through the version of the Safari web browser included on the iPhone.

This type of software is not stored on the smartphone and is only usable when the device has a connection to the Internet.

Native applications, on the other hand, are installed and run entirely on the iPhone, and are typically significantly faster than the other type.

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