My observations on iPhone development

June 30, 2007 at 8:08 pm

I wrote a little test page to try to figure out some aspects of web development on the iPhone. Here's some things I learned related to creating web apps specifically for iPhone.

• The iPhone is not running an incredibly fast processor. The test page animates two divs five seconds after the page loads (the animation adjusts the position and opacity of the divs). My iMac handles the animation without breaking a sweat. The iPhone strains a little bit. What I do now on the page seems to be about the limit of what you can expect to do on the iPhone (technologically, not creatively) without the framerate taking a dive into the crapper.
• It's probably a good idea to use a meta tag to set the page to be 480 pixels wide, then construct the app so that it looks good when it's 480 pixels wide (when the iPhone is held in landscape) as well as when it's scaled down to 320 pixels wide (when it's held in portrait).
• The protocol for calling a phone number is tel:. Example: <a href="tel:555-1212">Call Me</a>
• The protocol for sending an email is mailto:. Example: <a href="mailto:address@domain.com">Email me</a>
• The protocol for looking up an address on Google Maps is maps:. Example: <a href="maps:20 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA">Look me up</a>