Apple ups limit of App Store downloads over cellular to 100MB
Following the rollout of iOS 7 and iTunes 11.1, Apple has raised the limit for App Store downloads initiated over cellular networks, with the new 100MB per app restriction doubling the previous cap of 50MB.
The bump in over-the-air downloads comes on the same day that Apple released iOS 7, and two days prior to the iPhone 5s and 5c public launch. The new iPhone 5s in particular will likely spur development of advanced apps looking to take advantage of the handset's buffed specs.
With the new cap, Apple is likely preparing for a new breed of app expected to address the iPhone 5s' raw processing horsepower generated by a powerful 64-bit A7 SoC. Developers are already testing boundaries with titles like Infinity Blade III, which uses a refreshed graphics engine to create extremely detailed 3D environments and smooth gameplay.
As apps become more capable, their size usually increases with data for rich environments, powerful features and slick user interface tweaks.
The change is seamless and will only be noticed when attempting to download a 100MB+ app over a cellular network. As always, no cap is applied when purchasing over Wi-Fi. The App Store OTA limit was last raised in March 2012 in preparation of apps built for the third-generation iPad's Retina display.
The bump in over-the-air downloads comes on the same day that Apple released iOS 7, and two days prior to the iPhone 5s and 5c public launch. The new iPhone 5s in particular will likely spur development of advanced apps looking to take advantage of the handset's buffed specs.
With the new cap, Apple is likely preparing for a new breed of app expected to address the iPhone 5s' raw processing horsepower generated by a powerful 64-bit A7 SoC. Developers are already testing boundaries with titles like Infinity Blade III, which uses a refreshed graphics engine to create extremely detailed 3D environments and smooth gameplay.
As apps become more capable, their size usually increases with data for rich environments, powerful features and slick user interface tweaks.
The change is seamless and will only be noticed when attempting to download a 100MB+ app over a cellular network. As always, no cap is applied when purchasing over Wi-Fi. The App Store OTA limit was last raised in March 2012 in preparation of apps built for the third-generation iPad's Retina display.
Comments
I wish they would not have a cap at all. I have unlimited data and access to LTE so the cap is nothing but a burden to me.
Then again, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is 1.84GB.
And yeah, it's worth every byte of the space it hogs on your iPad.
There are of course other people in this world with iDevices.
There are of course other people in this world with iDevices.
Really? I never would have guessed. My point is they could very easily make an option in settings to remove that restriction or adjust it to whatever level we like. Some with low data plans might even appreciate a 10MB cap for example. Why not allow the users who know their plans best to be able to adjust it instead of this one size fits all approach.
So those users can give the idevices to their children and they in turn can run up the data usage. Hmmm. Who would get blamed for that.
That's actually a valid point! Even better; if you buy your iPhone from a telco, on contract with unlimited data, they could delete the cap for you automatically. That would require an update system from the telco to Apple, if the user changes their dataplan. We don't want that data roaming issue from 2007 to reoccur.
A compromise would be to permit the user to select their own value according to carrier agreed to recommended levels. Include a no limit with a one-time warning for people like us that select unlimited. I too am unlimited on iPhone and iPad.
Edit: Oops, didn't see your later post until.... later.
Really? I never would have guessed. My point is they could very easily make an option in settings to remove that restriction or adjust it to whatever level we like. Some with low data plans might even appreciate a 10MB cap for example. Why not allow the users who know their plans best to be able to adjust it instead of this one size fits all approach.
But that would require going into icky menus and making decisions. Much easier for Mother Apple to make that call. Mother Apple knows whats best for all her users.