iPhone development began with Apple CEO Steve Jobs direction that Apple engineers investigate touchscreens. Apple produced the device during a secretive and unprecedented collaboration with AT and T Mobility—Cingular Wireless at the time—at an estimated development cost of US$150 million over thirty months. Apple rejected the "design by committee" approach that had yielded the Motorola ROKR E1, a largely unsuccessful collaboration with Motorola. Instead, Cingular gave Apple the liberty to develop the iPhone's hardware and software in-house.

Jobs unveiled iPhone to the public on January 9, 2007 in a keynote address. Apple was required to file for operating permits with the FCC, but since such filings are made available to the public, the announcement came months before the iPhone had received approval. The iPhone went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time, while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide. The original iPhone was made available in the UK, France, and Germany in November 2007, and Ireland and Austria in the spring of 2008.

The iPhone wave seems to have taken over the world, and there’s an ever growing demand for cooler and more exciting applications for iPhones. This has given offshore iPhone application companies a great incentive to develop customized applications for iPhone. In essence Apple’s new Edge mobile (or the iPhone) integrates three very different applications - a widescreen iPod, a great mobile phone and a revolutionary web surfing device. A virtual keyboard and a multi touch screen complete the jaw dropping package. When the iPhone was released in July 2008, it didn’t take long for consumers to realize the potential of this device, and to make this powerful new possession of theirs even more versatile, they started approaching offshore iPhone application development companies to design customized applications for iPhone and instigated extensive iphone website development.

For companies that are into developing applications for mobile phones, the popularity of the iPhone has given their business a huge boost. One of best biggest draws of developing customized applications for iPhone is its density and popularity with the users. Moreover, iPhone’s OS platform is far more cost effective than all other platforms in the same class. Not to mention, iphone website development is not far behind, which avail these applications for wider public usage.

If you are planning to outsource iPhone application development to a company, it’s well worth the effort to look into their credentials. However, most companies that develop customized applications for iPhone are well equipped to design unique applications for your phone. The reason is simple. To develop iPhone applications, the designer should have access to a specific technology. Thankfully, all the necessary tools and software are available to the public with the iPhone’s SDK.