UK iTunes Store price drop; BBC on iTunes; iPhone software 2.0

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple appears poised to make good on its promise and reduce the cost of songs sold through its iTunes Store in the UK. Meanwhile, BBC is rumored to have reached an agreement to sell TV shows from its Worldwide subsidiary on the Apple download service. And yet another rumor has Flash support for the iPhone arriving imminently.



iTunes Store UK price drop



Apple may be ready reduce music pricing on its UK iTunes Music store, according to tipsters who claim they were charged just 73p per song for downloads over the weekend rather than the usual 79p.



"I bought a track from iTunes last night and my Debit Card was charged 73p instead of the usual 79p," one tipster said. "The iTunes Store UK still shows the track as 79p."



Apple last month said it would lower the prices it charges for music on its UK iTunes Store by mid-year, resolving European Commission charges that its online download service broke European Union rules by setting prices country by country in Europe.



British shoppers were at a particular disadvantage, the European Commission has argued, as the 79p song downloads were the most expensive across the entire region.



BBC Worldwide on iTunes



BBC as early as Tuesday could announce a partnership with Apple to sell its BBC Worldwide television show content over the iTunes Store.



The British broadcasting conglomerate is reportedly struggling to fund its expansive array of online services through license deals alone, and is said to pushing for a two-fold increase in revenues from its Worldwide subsidiary over the next five years.



Citing a source in the television broadcasting industry, the Register claims that BBC has already detailed its plans in an email to third parties, indicating a formal announcement of the new distribution channel is slated for tomorrow.



More iPhone software claims



For the sake of completeness, AppleInsider notes a dubious rumor report from MacBidouille on expectations for the next version of Apple's iPhone software.



According to a tip passed onto the site, Apple recently commissioned a survey alongside its exclusive French iPhone wireless provider indicating that the next version of the handset's software would be labeled iPhone software 2.0 rather than 1.1.4 and include support for Adobe Flash, copy and paste, and iChat over WiFi, among other things.



MacBidouille holds a mixed track record on its forward looking Apple reports as of late, with its most recent claims falling well shy of their mark. Additionally, the site hedges its own bets, noting an "absence of confirmation" on its latest report.



If accurate, however, the rumor has the next version of the iPhone software arriving "in a few days."
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    I call rubbish on iPhone 2.0 rumor.

    Quote:

    send files to the clipboard via email or bluetooth



    Send files to the clipboard? Why on earth for? What would you do with files on a freaking clipboard?

    Quote:

    iClips Management (is this the name of apps distributed via iTunes?)



    Apps will be called iClips?
  • Reply 2 of 54
    It would be cool if UK citizens could download beeb programs for free.
  • Reply 3 of 54
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Since it's BBC Worldwide, does this mean that US customers will have access to Top Gear, Torchwood, Dr. Who and Little Britain ASAP?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by filburt View Post


    Send files to the clipboard? Why on earth for? What would you do with files on a freaking clipboard?



    You could then copy info from, say, a website, and then paste it to, say, an SMS or email. It's really the only option.



    I only hope that it's more robust than Clipboard for Mac OS X. Meaning, allow you to save multiple clipboards, allow you to edit the data within the Clipboard, and save the clipboard for future use.
  • Reply 4 of 54
    6 pence isn't going to suddenly make me download new songs, I hope the price cut is a lot larger, should be down to below 60 pence if its matching US pricing plus VAT.
  • Reply 5 of 54
    If the iphone rumors are true, what will iphone nay sayers complain about next?



    The iphone is the best phone out there by a mile already...I would't even consider another phone now...at least everything I've checked out was way inferior overall, even if beating iphone with a feature or two...and Apple is quickly fixing that. Whoever heard of a phone where they kept adding features after you bought it?? For free no less!
  • Reply 6 of 54
    I think parts of the rumor are probably true. It makes sense that Apple would be working on a 2.0 instead of 1.1.4. I think third-party app support alone is worth a whole number upgrade, but I'm sure there will be more as well.
  • Reply 7 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Since it's BBC Worldwide, does this mean that US customers will have access to Top Gear, Torchwood, Dr. Who and Little Britain ASAP?









    You could then copy info from, say, a website, and then paste it to, say, an SMS or email. It's really the only option.



    I only hope that it's more robust than Clipboard for Mac OS X. Meaning, allow you to save multiple clipboards, allow you to edit the data within the Clipboard, and save the clipboard for future use.



    I 'love' the solution in the video, although I'm not as sure I feel the same way toward the demonstrator (LOL). The only problem is what if I want to copy part of the message I am creating for later use rather than just pasting something? The methods in the video are the same for both copy and paste depending on where you are. Some small refinement of this idea could really work quite simply, however.
  • Reply 8 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nothowie View Post


    If the iphone rumors are true, what will iphone nay sayers complain about next?



    The same as ever. Lack of 3G, basic features missing, missing bluetooth profiles, a below average camera, carrier lock-in, poor tariffs and a big price tag. Wooo, they fixed cut & paste though.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nothowie View Post


    The iphone is the best phone out there by a mile already...I would't even consider another phone now...at least everything I've checked out was way inferior overall, even if beating iphone with a feature or two...and Apple is quickly fixing that. Whoever heard of a phone where they kept adding features after you bought it?? For free no less!



    If they weren't missing features in the first place they'd have nothing to add. But keep beta testing it for us hold outs and they'll have it perfect by the time they add 3G.
  • Reply 9 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Since it's BBC Worldwide, does this mean that US customers will have access to Top Gear, Torchwood, Dr. Who and Little Britain ASAP?



    Probably and in typical Apple fashion you'll get them before us Brits
  • Reply 10 of 54
    mrshowmrshow Posts: 164member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by filburt View Post


    I call rubbish on iPhone 2.0 rumor.



    Send files to the clipboard? Why on earth for? What would you do with files on a freaking clipboard?



    Apps will be called iClips?



    I call BS as well.



    Just as an FYI here is a good reason why Flash will NOT happen. http://daringfireball.net/2008/02/flash_iphone_calculus
  • Reply 11 of 54
    Whilst i for one would like to see the end of the licensing monopoly it'll be a shot in the arm for Apple as the BBC will naturally shout it from the rooftops.
  • Reply 12 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr Underhill View Post


    Probably and in typical Apple fashion you'll get them before us Brits



    I just hope whatever number it is - the next software rev allows finding of phone contacts with the keyboard (is in when sending txt message) - the current flip through mode is not effective - should be easy to do - given it's available for text messages?
  • Reply 13 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The British broadcasting conglomerate is reportedly struggling to fund its expansive array of online services through license deals alone



    I think you mean the license FEE. As in the British television tax that funds the BBC operations in the UK (it is not a commercial organisation). The government did not allow to BBC to increase the fee by as much as they wanted and the BBC is trying to make up the short fall through other means such as BBC Worldwide (which is it international commercial subsidiary).
  • Reply 14 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    The British broadcasting conglomerate is reportedly struggling to fund its expansive array of online services through license deals alone, and is said to pushing for a two-fold increase in revenues from its Worldwide subsidiary over the next five years.



    Well the BBC web sites and other online services for once are some of the best stuff out there
  • Reply 15 of 54
    iPhone 2.0? Possible if it was held back until the larger memory was available for the iPhone and will be tied to the SDK being released. I'll just sit back and wait without holding my breath.



    iClip may be Apple's answer, but the developers getting ahold of the SDK will come out with their own version - just like they have with the Mac.



    Basically I see the iPhone/touch just getting started and the situations like the two above are heading our way, along with a lot of other rather neat stuff. In a year from now we'll have a hard time remembering just how "limited" the original offering was and we'll still be excited about what is coming in the future.
  • Reply 16 of 54
    hattighattig Posts: 860member
    I don't see Apple bumping the version number to 2.0, although it isn't totally out of the question.



    I thought they'd go to 1.2 for the SDK release (end Feb update). Unless the SDK release is a complete overhaul - quite difference from the 1.1.x series which does look like a development branch that's merely being maintained. Maybe the architectural differences are enough to warrant a version 2 (and also expect the current APIs used by jailbroken apps to not even be a close match).



    iChat I think has been coming for a while, and Apple know that Adium and more will be iPhone-ised when the SDK comes out, so they have to get their option on there ASAP.



    Flash - only if it is disabled by default (for bandwidth and CPU resource reasons) but available with a FlashBlock-like "Play Flash" button. However even then I don't expect it to play Flash video (except possibly if it's encoded with H.264, which is a recent option for Flash).
  • Reply 17 of 54
    The first iPhone was a home run despite not having 3G, GPS, battery life issuess, no cut and paste options, or a search facility in address book.



    With impending flash support, GPS integration, 3G and a host of other upgrades all arriving this year, iPhone 2 can only get better. It will take what is already a remarkable machine and simply blow any competing system into the weeds. NOKIA has already been KNOCKED OUT of smart phone contention. Add corporate server support and RIM looks like it too could get REAMED.



    Yes, I own and iPhone.
  • Reply 18 of 54
    Where's the freakin' A2DP support Apple!!!??? In an age of wireless everything, we still must be tethered to our music device even though the bluetooth technology and hardware exists to eliminate all wires from the useless headphone jack???
  • Reply 19 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tailpipe View Post


    With impending flash support, GPS integration, 3G and a host of other upgrades all arriving this year, iPhone 2 can only get better. It will take what is already a remarkable machine and simply blow any competing system into the weeds. NOKIA has already been KNOCKED OUT of smart phone contention. Add corporate server support and RIM looks like it too could get REAMED.



    Nokia sold 18 million smartphones last quarter. A little early to be suggesting they've been 'KNOCKED OUT' perhaps.
  • Reply 20 of 54
    Yes they are on iTunes now with :

    Torchwood

    Little Britain ( though theres only the "i'm Gay" song so far )

    Spooks

    The Mighty Boosh

    Life on Mars

    The Catherine Tate Show

    Two Pints of Lager and a Packed of Crisps..



    well done beep .. now get more stuff on there to show the rest of them channels that iTunes is the way to go
Sign In or Register to comment.