Not sure why you couldn’t do this previously, but Kotaku is reporting that you can now give the gift of an iPhone app through iTunes, just like music!
Of course, your gift recipient will need to have the required hardware to make the app work, although it does look like Apple will refund incompatible gifts. Also worth noting is that gifts can only be redeemed in the store country from where they originated, so if you’re buying an app for a US friend, you’ll need to change store countries before purchasing.
[Kotaku]