iPhone native application developers, take heart: Apple doesn’t hate you. And now you have a whole new device to play with.

Updated 3:15 PM: Apple says “software updates will most likely break” native apps as they go forwards.

Updated 1:15 PM: I just got a call from Joswiak who wanted to make clear: “not hate” doesn’t mean “like” or “support.” I think I made that clear further down, but they said that some people may not be reading all the way down this piece. So to summarize: Apple will neither forbid nor support native code on the iPhone/Touch. They will not design software updates specifically to break native apps, but if the updates happen to break native apps or your native apps turn your iPhone into a rutabaga, don’t go crying to Apple, ’cause it ain’t their problem. Capiche?

Original post: A couple of PC Magazine folks met with Apple marketing honcho Greg Joswiak yesterday to talk about the new iPods, and thrillingly, he had some answers to interesting questions.

First of all, the iPod Touch and iPhone use the same software platform – they’re both running OS X on basically the same hardware, Joswiak said. My interpretation: They’re the same platform the way a Mac Mini and Power Mac are the same platform. What Greg didn’t say, but I surmise, is that means apps for the iPhone will likely work on the iPod Touch.

More after the jump, including Joswiak’s perspective on native iPhone apps.

The iPod Touch does not have Bluetooth. Any images on the Internet that may have implied that it did were errors, Joswiak said. Also, there are no games coming for the iPod Touch right now.

I asked him about independent, native software development for the iPhone. He said Apple doesn’t oppose native application development, which was new to me. Rather, Apple takes a neutral stance – they’re not going to stop anyone from writing apps, and they’re not going to maliciously design software updates to break the native apps, but they’re not going to care if their software updates accidentally break the native apps either. He very carefully left the door open to a further change in this policy, too, saying that Apple is always re-examining its perspective on these sorts of things.

I pointed out that Apple delivers regular software updates to Macs, and that they don’t break third-party software. He responded that Apple has a lot more experience with the Mac platform than they do with the iPhone platform. Also, the Mac platform being a PC, he said that consumer expectations absolutely demand third party software be available – though he looked a little wistful at that moment, as if wondering how peaceful the world would be if Apple actually controlled all the software on the Mac platform. Then he came back to reality.

I’m finding all of this very exciting, and very encouraging. Dozens of native apps are already available for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform – let’s call it the “Mac Micro.” Apple’s moving slowly, but I think the direction is clear: this is a next-generation handheld PC platform, and by this time next year, we’ll all be able to treat it as one.