Alleged iPhone 2.2 leak shows direct podcast downoads

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
An apparent new slip from Apple's upcoming iPhone firmware update shows the device gaining a long requested ability to download podcasts directly from the device instead of relying on an iTunes sync.



The claimed leak of iPhone 2.2 beta features handed to TUAW shows a list of episodes from a podcast with a new "Get More Episodes" item added at the bottom.



Tapping the option doesn't perform any actions in the current build of the software but implies that iPhone and iPod touch owners will have the option of picking and downloading individual podcasts, though whether subscriptions are also possible isn't mentioned.



While no other discussions of this feature with iPhone 2.2 have surfaced until this point, casting a certain amount of doubt, the appearance would potentially explain Apple's decision to pull Podcaster from the App Store.



At the time, Apple had described the podcast download utility as replicating an iTunes feature despite other iPhone music and podcast apps with streaming-only features -- either of which are possible in iTunes -- surviving the cut.



If part of the final release, podcast downloads would make the in-development firmware one of Apple's largest outside of the landmark 1.1 and 2.0 releases. The California electronics giant is set to expand Google Maps with Street View, directions for public transit and walking, and location sharing. It should also carry text auto-correction, support for Japanese emoji symbols and the ability to rate App Store listings.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    dr. xdr. x Posts: 282member
    The ability to download podcasts on the iPod Touch and iPhone is great news along with the other features of the 2.2 update.
  • Reply 2 of 54
    The single feature is reason enough for me to be excited about 2.2. As I travel regularly and it's a pain not to mention against my companies IT rules to have iTunes on my company laptop just to get my podcast fix everyday.
  • Reply 3 of 54
    Will this update be free for iPod Touch?
  • Reply 4 of 54
    Street View will be great but then they'll have to update with the Car Navigator being developped by Google Japan



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj6ahH1SRhc



    Seems quite great !
  • Reply 5 of 54
    don't care. i want to see push notification
  • Reply 6 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by qntmfred View Post


    don't care. i want to see push notification



    I don't care you don't care, so I thought I'd post a reply about it
  • Reply 7 of 54
    Great news!
  • Reply 8 of 54
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    one step closer to wireless sync!
  • Reply 9 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by daniel84 View Post


    Will this update be free for iPod Touch?



    Yes. They charge for big jumps like 1.X to 2.X but 2.1 to 2.2 etc are free. Anyone know why they charge for Touch but not iPhone?
  • Reply 10 of 54
    It sounds like it works like the AppleTV podcast downloads.

    I find this useful, glad to have it, but I'd much rather have a subscription system like iTunes gives.



    On the AppleTV I have to specifically browse my favourite podcasts, then pick an episode to play or download. Lets hope both the AppleTV and iPhone allow you to check all your subscriptions (or check your favourites) for new episodes.
  • Reply 11 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore View Post


    Yes. They charge for big jumps like 1.X to 2.X but 2.1 to 2.2 etc are free. Anyone know why they charge for Touch but not iPhone?



    The iTouch doesn't have a telco contract and drives residuals to Apple like the iPhone.
  • Reply 12 of 54
    ronsterronster Posts: 153member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by qntmfred View Post


    don't care. i want to see push notification



    and for Apple to enable the full functionality of the bluetooth chip (both iPhone and Touch have the same 2.1 chip)
  • Reply 13 of 54
    ronsterronster Posts: 153member
    duplicate post
  • Reply 14 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ronster View Post


    and for Apple to enable the full functionality of the bluetooth chip (both iPhone and Touch have the same 2.1 chip)



    It is a software issue. Not hardware. Apple crippled the BT stack. That is why there is no A2DP, or OBEX, or any other reasonable "smartphone" feature.



    BTW: direct downloadable podcasts are not new. Other phones have had them for years.
  • Reply 15 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sandau View Post


    one step closer to wireless sync!



    Now this would something to be excited about. Direct downloadable podcasts? Does Apple really think these dribs and drabs are innovative or impressive?
  • Reply 16 of 54
    fumifumi Posts: 23member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by qntmfred View Post


    don't care. i want to see push notification



    Me to. I don`t care about pointless eye candy like street maps and google earth and all the other stuff that keeps getting added.



    Give us practical things like Push Services and Cut&Paste. Jesus, how hard can it be?
  • Reply 17 of 54
    Looks to me like the option to download more episodes was under an existing podcast synced to the phone. So, it seems it lets you get other episodes of your existing subscriptions rather directly, which is what I want to do most of the time. I would then hope the new episode syncs back if not completely listened to.



    Subscribing to new podcasts on the phone would be nice as well. Probably not a huge deal to extend the iTunes app to list the podcasts. Bonus if you can do that over the cell network and not only WiFi. Also, it would probably support the "subscribe in iTunes" links on webpages.



    Also: is it only me that figured Apple denied the podcaster app because they were working on this? I agree it would have been better had they told the developer not to bother developing a podcast app, but then that gets back to how much of their future plans do they have to reveal.



    Frankly, I'm now worried that by Apple not rejecting any of the todo apps, they are tacitly saying they are not going to make one that syncs with iCal. However, there are a couple of apps that will email a Google maps link of your current location, but I think I saw that feature was coming, and they didn't reject those apps.
  • Reply 18 of 54
    It is my belief that the absence of cut, copy and paste on the iPhone is very similar to the absence of arrow keys on the original Mac. It is forcing developers to not rely on the old, inelegant ways for everything and develop proper UI elements to perform the real function you are using cut, copy and paste as a hack to do.



    This is not to say that you don't need this feature ever. You certainly need it for when there is nothing else, but once developers get used to not relying on it because it is there, then it will reappear just as the arrow keys on the Mac keyboard did once developers explored the mouse rather than ignore it because they had the trusty old arrow keys they'd always used. John Gruber has a nice analysis of this: http://daringfireball.net/2007/08/clipboard_and_arrows
  • Reply 19 of 54
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fumi View Post


    Me to. I don`t care about pointless eye candy like street maps and google earth and all the other stuff that keeps getting added.



    Give us practical things like Push Services and Cut&Paste. Jesus, how hard can it be?



    In many cases, it is precisely because it is hard that you don't see a particular feature right away and instead see other, eye candy like features come out ahead of it. Not every programmer at Apple can be working on each feature at once, so it stands to reason that some of the simpler stuff will come out first. Certainly, in the case of Google Earth, those were Google programmers working on it over at Google. It's a 3rd party app - not an Apple produced one like the Maps app is.



    Personally, I would rather see a system search feature before cut, copy and paste. At least a search feature within apps that have many data files like Mail, Notes and iTunes.
  • Reply 20 of 54
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fumi View Post


    Me to. I don`t care about pointless eye candy like street maps and google earth and all the other stuff that keeps getting added.



    Give us practical things like Push Services and Cut&Paste. Jesus, how hard can it be?



    Last time I checked, GoogleEarth was an OPTIONAL app. You don't have to put them on your phone if you don't feel them worthy. Other people however, do feel that way. That is the nice thing about choice right?



    Cut&Paste does not seem to be the end-all-and-be-all for most users. I certainly am using my iPhone just fine without it as well as the several dozen friends of mine that also have one and have nothing to complain about. I would prefer Apple continue refining their product.



    I'm sure Cut/Paste will come one day when they are able to implement it in an elegant way.
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