14 DAY TRIAL // It has been confirmed that members of Apple's paid iPhone Developer Program have been granted free access to the iPhone SDK 3.2 GM (Golden Master) build. This is reportedly the first version of the development kit to fully support the iPad. Developers must sign in with their Apple ID and password in order to download the new tools.
Up until now, developers were forced to craft their apps using beta versions of the SDKs. For example, those eager to have their iPad app featured in the grand opening of the iPad store had to code their apps using a pre-release version of iPhone OS 3.2 and SDK. According to a report by HotHardware, developers can also download the official iPad 3.2 firmware and corresponding licensing agreement, in addition to the SDK.
According to the same report, the agreement makes references to terms for future firmware upgrades on the iPad, stating that, "Apple will provide you any iPad OS software updates that it may release from time to time, up to and including the next major iPad OS software release following the version of iPad OS software that originally shipped from Apple on your iPad, for free."
The site points out to the possibility of Apple releasing a major software update at no cost in the nearby future, which doesn’t seem far-fetched at all – while Apple generally charges for major software updates, it doesn’t have the same policies for devices that heavily rely on the respective changes, such as the iPhone. The iPad should be no different from this point of view, at least for its first months in the wild.
Developers looking to download the latest iPad development tools from Apple should visit the company’s iPhone Dev Center here. Only developers enrolled in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program ($99) can gain access to these resources.