To write applications for the iPhone or iPad you will need to be filmier with Objective-C programming. There are a number of tools on the market that allow you to develop code in different languages and then either compile down to the Objective-C.

Apple offer a free iPhone SDK (software development kit) for the iPhone OS which was released in March 6^th 2008. The SDK allows developers to create applications using Xcode that will natively run on the iPhone, iPad Touch & iPad.

Applications are distributed through the Apple Development program and can only be sold exclusively through the iTunes store. Developers who publish their applications on the App Store will receive 70% of sales revenue and not pay any distribution costs for the application. The only extra is that an annual fee is required to use the iPhone SDK and upload applications to the store which is $99.00.

Any application submitted to the App Store is subject to approval by Apple for basic reliability testing and other analysis.

The main issue with developing native and web based applications is that the iPhone OS does not support Flash Adboe does have two versions of its software Flash & Flash Lite but Apple views neither suitable for the iPhone.

In late April 2009 Steve Jobs CEO of Apple announced they were no longer working Adobe to release Flash on the iPhone or iPad.