After claims on Friday that Apple would be policing iPhone software produced using the official SDK, insisting on distributing it solely via iTunes and only after vetting it themselves, further sources have provided more detail of the company’s plans for third-party apps.  Electronista is reporting that Apple’s strenuous validating procedure will only apply if the developers are looking to sell the software; free programs will not be constrained by the same rules, and Apple will in fact be unlikely to examine these releases at all.

Instead, the sources claim, Apple would focus solely on paid-for software, which it would expect to take a cut of the sale price from.  Speculation has been that the company is attempting to stimulate the iPhone development community into building a broad range of readily available applications, so as to counter criticism that platforms such as Windows Mobile and S60 have a far greater catalogue of third-party software.