Sun vows Java on iPhone

Sun intends to use the newly established iPhone SDK to provide a Java virtual machine for the device, the company's Java marketing VP Eric Klein said late Friday. The company hopes to implement a native version of Java Micro Edition that would provide a direct framework for most any application that can run with the mobile-optimized virtual environment. Implementing the engine should allow the Java games that often land on most phones as well as business-grade tools such as customer relations management and enterprise resource management software, Klein adds.

The company came to the relatively quick decision after reviewing the information available from the SDK, and notes that the resources available on the iPhone and iPod touch would not necessarily preclude more advanced versions once Sun is more experienced with the platform. A version of Java Standard Edition could allow desktop-level apps, Klein suggests, while JavaFX could provide an updated, animation-driven mobile framework.

The Sun official did not supply a timetable for a copy of Java for the platform, but plans to make the software publicly available through the App Store. Most existing client versions of Java are available as free downloads.

Apple has historically been resistant to adding its own Java code to the iPhone. At one point, company CEO Steve Jobs described a Java virtual machine as a "ball and chain" of old technology versus more modern, lightweight technology such as Javascript.