Google’s newly acquired AdMob has beaten Apple’s iAd to market with an SDK that allows iPhone OS mobile apps developers to specifically target the iPad. AdMob’s iPad SDK was released on Jun 2nd, whereas iAd SDK is not expected to be announced until Monday’s WWDC 2010 keynote address by Steve Jobs.
AdMob’s SDK supports two formats: (1) text and tile ads; (2) image ads. Both format types are available in three IAB (Internet Advertising Board) standard sizes: 300×250, 728×90, 468×60. Personally, I’d think that these sizes are inappropriate for the iPad and really more suited to websites and blogs. It’ll be interesting to see what Apple’s iAd offers.
The two companies are now competing at yet another level. AdMob has the advantage over iAd, being the largest ad network on the iPhone. However, Apple is unlikely to block the AdMob’s iPad SDK, possibly because Apple is the target of an antitrust review by the U.S. Justice Dept and FTC. On the other hand, iAd has a development advantage, being able to access iPhone OS features for the iPad that may not be available in public iPhone APIs. Under the Apple App Store’s current guidelines, iPhone OS apps must not use “private” iPhone APIs.
Regardless, both companies ad networks stand to gain.
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