CTIA: Sprint Opens Up Third-Party Apps on Feature Phones

Mobile-phone apps can now control phone cameras and send messages.
LAS VEGAS—Sprint made a big change in a quiet way today, opening up third-party Java applications on its feature phones so independent programmers can access more of the phones' functions.
Sprint also gave a thumbs-up to third-party app stores and independent methods of software distribution, rather than going down T-Mobile's road of offering a carrier-sponsored application store.

It's a lot easier for developers to write software for smartphones like the iPhone than for feature phones like the Samsung Instinct, for various reasons. One reason is that feature phones' programming systems—typically BREW and Java—only allow access to a limited number of features.

Sprint is opening up several powerful new feature sets to third parties. On the new Samsung Instinct s30, and soon the older Samsung Instinct M800 and future Sprint phones, programmers will be able to play and record audio, take photos with the phone's camera, send and receive messages, connect with other devices over Bluetooth, read and write to the address book and calendar, and store and access files on the phone.

"Access to core Java APIs like messaging and multimedia will make it even easier for more developers to create new applications," Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of product and technology development, said in a press release.

Of course, with more features comes more danger. An app that can control your camera and send messages could do some nefarious things. Except on the new Samsung Instinct s30 phone, Sprint will require that applications be 'signed' by the carrier, Spokeswoman Jennifer Walsh Kiefer said, and all of Sprint's phones will force users through two levels of prompts if an app wants to use sensitive functions. Users will have to agree to the functionality when they install the app, and then they'll have to agree again each time they run the app, Walsh Kiefer said.

Sprint intends to hold developers' hands—at least for folks developing for the Samsung Instinct phones—by offering free resources, developer guides, and sample applications at http://developer.sprint.com/instinct.

But Sprint has decided not to open up its own easy-to-use app store. Rather, Sprint is backing a free-market approach, letting developers distribute their own apps through Web sites and third-party stores, Kiefer explained.