Katie MarsalApple is already providing developers with a new iPhone firmware beta with enhanced location-finding that could lead to true navigation as well as the roots for background push services.
The additions confirm statements recently by Apple's Greg Joswiak, who rejected earlier claims that iPhone 3G's GPS antenna wasn't powerful enough to handle navigation and in turn explained that "complicated issues" are holding the device back from serving as a true navigation unit.
Separately, AppleInsider has also confirmed that Apple is implementing a rough version of its background push notification service in the 2.1 firmware.
Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference, the feature lets third-party native programs receive data such as alerts or new messages without actively running. The measure saves processing power without interrupting some apps that depend on constant access to the Internet.
The inclusion of this early version of the code alludes to the 2.1 update becoming public at the same time as the push notification service itself, which is tentatively due for September. In the meantime, Apple and its US partner AT&T are known to be testing iPhone 2.0.1, a maintenance release that likely fixes some of the outstanding bugs with the initial 2.0 release.
More information about 2.1 is expected to appear soon, though developers committed to shipping production apps are being warned to hold off testing the new release and its accompanying SDK as it will prevent them from submitting programs to the App Store.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
56 Comments
Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.
Apple has the most brilliant marketing machine ever. They introduce features that have been around on Windows Mobile and Blackberry for years, and make it sound like a new invention. I'm not dissing them (I'm sorely tempted to buy a 3G), but c'mon. Push data? Very well played, SteveJ. Glad you're on this team. When MS tries this tactic, they fall flat.
Does Microsoft already have a service similar to Apple's Push Notification Service? Why would they bust Microsoft's chops about a task manager on a mobile device if they already do it?
Does Microsoft already have a service similar to Apple's Push Notification Service? Why would they bust Microsoft's chops about a task manager on a mobile device if they already do it?
How about -
British English dictionaries
MMS
Sending business cards
LESS LAG ON CONTACTS
Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?
How about -
British English dictionaries
MMS
Sending business cards
LESS LAG ON CONTACTS
Downloading music over 3G, not just wifi - or am I missing something here?
I completely agree with the first 4, but I do have some insight on the last one. I read (somewhere) that Apple cannot sell downloads over 3G because it is not in their deal with the record companies. They are trying to add it to the terms, but, as usual, the record companies are dragging their feet. It will happen sometime, but when is anybodies guess.
Steve
I completely agree with the first 4, but I do have some insight on the last one. I read (somewhere) that Apple cannot sell downloads over 3G because it is not in their deal with the record companies. They are trying to add it to the terms, but, as usual, the record companies are dragging their feet. It will happen sometime, but when is anybodies guess.
Steve
Even if it was in their deal with the record companies, I'm pretty sure the carrier (AT&T) has it disallowed.
You might think promoting heavy data use at expensive data rates would be in AT&T's interest. It's not. For one, it would slow down their network too much, and for another, they make far more margin selling ringtones that are smaller files for other models of phones.
If Apple is going to use AT&T's network for selling music to iPhone owners, they are going to want a cut-- not just the price of traffic. My guess is that either Apple or the rights holders don't agree, or else there simply isn't a way to give everybody a cut and still price the way Apple wants to.
Long story short: there's no way to keep iTunes pricing and give AT&T a cut without making it unprofitable, probably for the record companies, almost certainly for Apple.