Home Titanium 1.0 Launches: Build Native Apps for Desktop, Mobile & iPad

Titanium 1.0 Launches: Build Native Apps for Desktop, Mobile & iPad

Today Appcelerator is launching version 1.0 of their Titanium app-building system which allows developers to build mobile and desktop applications using standard web technologies like HTML, JavaScript and CSS. In addition to supporting desktop platforms like PC, Mac, and Linux, the new version of Titanium now supports both iPhone and Android with RIM Blackberry and Apple iPad support just around the corner.

Unlike other DIY toolkits that promise mobile apps without needing to know code, Titanium lets web developers leverage their existing skills to build native mobile applications that do anything any app built using that platform’s specific technologies could, like access the phone’s camera or stream video, for example.

What’s New

Titanium’s code base has been improved over the past few months resulting in a number of upgrades to performance. Notes the company, “load times are under 3 seconds, down from 10-20 seconds, transitions between pages are instantaneous and processing speed has improved five-fold.” They’ve additionally added more features to offer over 100 native UI controls, native 2D/3D animation capabilities and data and media presentation capabilities. With these new improvements, developers can now build branded apps, casual games and augmented reality applications that run on any of the supported platforms.

Why Titanium?

When asked to explain what really made Titanium different than the other app-building services out there, the company’s VP of Marketing, Scott Schwarzhoff explained that many of its competitors were simply offering web apps disguised as native apps as opposed to offering the real deal. Every other offering is not even close, he says. “Native user interface (over *100* native APIs)? We’re the only provider. Push notifications? We’re it. Native maps? Same thing. Facebook Connect? We’re the only one. Application analytics? That’s us. Augmented reality? Ditto. The list goes on and on.”

Since June of last year, the Titanium platform has attracted over 27,000 developers thanks to what the company has dubbed their “native advantage.” Described here on the company’s website, this includes support for things like native controls, location-based services, social sharing, HTML5, online or on-device databases, integrated analytics, rich multimedia and more.

With the launch of the iPad only weeks away, Appcelerator is promising support for Apple’s new slate device by the third week of March. Blackberry support will follow in May/June. Titanium’s Community edition will be completely free while a pro version offers premium support, analytics and beta access to new versions.

Note: After this post was published, Appcelerator rival Rhomobile got in touch. They took issue with some of Appcelerator’s statements. Specifically, they wanted it to be known that Rhomobile’s Rhodes supports push as well as native mapping and Rhodes was the first native smartphone app development framework to do so. Also of note, they claim Rhomobile supports native UI in the only way that is portable. If you want to port to other platforms, Appcelerator’s methods do not work they said.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.