Samsung Launches TouchWiz Widget SDK, $20,000 Prize for Best Creation

Samsung’s proprietary user interface, TouchWiz, could be getting a lot more interesting, as today they have announced a software development kit that will allow programmers to create widgets on a range of supporting devices. Previously, you were stuck with the selection of widgets preloaded on the phone, but soon the doors will be open for third parties to make their own.  The Eclipse-based tools support Windows Mobile, Symbian, Java, and, of course, the TouchWiz user interface.

On the user end, a Widget Gallery will be available on the Omnia II (which is due out on Verizon by Christmas) and later devices. To kick off the new development environment, Samsung is hosting a contest at a devcamp running September 11-13. The creator of the best in each of five categories will win $5,000, on top of a $20,000 grand prize for the best in the show. It sounds promising, but let’s see what the turnout is like and if a reasonable stable of widgets can be built up before the Omnia II launch strikes.

[via Samsung]