App Store submission offers wireless iTunes sync for iPhone

A developer has created an application that allows the iPhone and iPod touch to sync wirelessly with iTunes over Wi-Fi, and plans to submit the software to the App Store later this week.

The software, dubbed "Wi-Fi Sync," requires a separate desktop application on either a Mac OS X or Windows machine that allows the sync to occur over a wireless network. The developer, Greg Hughes, released a video that shows the syncing process with the application, which must first be approved by Apple before it could be released for the App Store.

The first sync includes a pairing process that must only be done once to verify that the iPhone is to be synced with the computer. Once a handset has been paired with a computer by accepting prompts on both devices, iTunes is launched on the computer and begins syncing with the mobile device.

The video shows off the feature with an iPod touch. When the sync is activated, the standard iPhone OS "Sync in Progress" screen, complete with a slide to cancel option, is displayed. When done, iTunes updated to say that the sync was completed and it was OK to disconnect — just like if the device had been tethered via a USB cable.

Whether Wi-Fi Sync falls within the rules of Apple's iPhone OS developer agreement is unknown, but if the software relies on non-public application programming interfaces, it would likely be rejected. The developer said he believes his application doesn't break any of Apple's rules.

Engadget, which first discovered the video, suggested it would become available on the App Store "in your dreams," but presented the Cydia jailbroken marketplace as a potential alternative. In a comment on his YouTube video, Hughes said he'll consider his options should Apple reject the application.