Apple's new iPhone software may let users share applications

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple's forthcoming iPhone Software 3.0 may introduce features that let users share their purchased applications with family or friends, a move that would give iPhone and iPod touch owners a greater say over which apps deserve the spotlight in the overly-congested App Store.



Citing a "a person familiar with the technology," BusinessWeek reports that the forthcoming software update "includes features that, if activated by Apple, may let users share software with one another." The publication goes on to speculate that such a feature could even be expanded to allow iPhone users to generate a commission "when they've induced someone else to make a purchase."



The ability to try applications before buying them has been a sore point with App Store shoppers. In an attempt to address this, some app developers have released "lite" versions of their apps that are free or close to free and include only a few levels or features of the full-fledged version.



This, however, adds a few more steps to the purchasing process for a potential buyer, since a second trip to the App Store must be made to purchase the full version. Additionally, the user will probably want to delete the lite version from the iPhone to free up memory and avoid confusing the two apps, which often have similar icons.



With the tens of thousands of apps available in the App Store today, shopping for interesting and useful applications can be a challenge. Friends and family often share common interests, and the ability to learn of a new application, obtain it directly from a friend or family member, and try it out could present a more streamlined approach to app shopping in many instances.



Apple has seeded five betas of iPhone Software 3.0 to date in which numerous discoveries pertaining to future software and hardware features have been made, but Wednesday's claim is the first to suggest application sharing capabilities will be amongst the software's highlights.



Apple reportedly declined to comment on the matter, with spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock stating that, "We?ve made no announcements at this time."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    You can already share purchased apps with family iPhone users on condition that they're on the same iTMS account. For instance my wife and I both have iPhones, use a common family iTMS account, and can each download the same apps for a single payment.
  • Reply 2 of 32
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    Jennifer Bowcock's got herself a pretty easy job.
  • Reply 3 of 32
    chronsterchronster Posts: 1,894member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


    You can already share purchased apps with family iPhone users on condition that they're on the same iTMS account. For instance my wife and I both have iPhones, use a common family iTMS account, and can each download the same apps for a single payment.



    I think that's illegal and considered piracy. I read at gizmodo that Apple will be ending this soon.



    When you buy an App, you're buying a license to use that app. That app can only be used on the device intended. What people are doing is letting their friends go into their account and download all their apps without paying for it. Someone paid for it at least once, but the app can be tossed around to anyone at that point. Pretty stupid and obvious loophole if you ask me. It's amazing Apple didn't prepare for this.



    I guess part of the lure of the iPhone was if you upgrade your phone to a different model (8gig to 16gig for instance) then you can bring your apps with you. Don't know how this will work now. I guess you have to register the phone with the itunes account, and only one phone can be registered with the account at a time...



    Correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I understand it is this new "share" method would simply be like linking a friend to an app. Like, "Look at this cool app. Here I'll send it to you so you can buy it."
  • Reply 4 of 32
    el3ktroel3ktro Posts: 52member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    that's illegal and considered piracy. Apple will be ending this soon.



    I don't think so. Afaik Apple explicitly allows all your music, videos and apps to be used on up to five devices.
  • Reply 5 of 32
    I hope they call it squirting.
  • Reply 6 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by el3ktro View Post


    I don't think so. Afaik Apple explicitly allows all your music, videos and apps to be used on up to five devices.



    Apple allows you to use your iTMS purchases on up to five computers. There is no apparent limit to the number of devices (iPhones; iPods; etc) that can be synced with those five computers.
  • Reply 7 of 32
    el3ktroel3ktro Posts: 52member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheWatchfulOne View Post


    Apple allows you to use your iTMS purchases on up to five computers. There is no apparent limit to the number of devices (iPhones; iPods; etc) that can be synced with those five computers.



    Ah ok, even better!
  • Reply 8 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheWatchfulOne View Post


    Apple allows you to use your iTMS purchases on up to five computers. There is no apparent limit to the number of devices (iPhones; iPods; etc) that can be synced with those five computers.



    For any iTunes store account, 5 Mac/PC computers can be authorized to play DRM'd media/apps.



    An unlimited # of iPods/iPhone can sync with each of those 5 computers.



    Those iPods/iPhones are married to a specific library for each category. I don't know what happens if you mix store accounts across those categories. For example, I sync movies on a computer with [email protected] as my store account and I sync apps on a computer with [email protected].



    You can, however, have multiple store accounts associated with a library. But that counts that 1 computer for both accounts. This allows my wife and I to have separate accounts in the store but the media/apps are usable on both our phones. However, the updating on-the-phone for apps only works on the phone that has the primary account for that app. Updating and transferring from iTunes works fine.



    This encourages "Family" use of media/applications but should make it difficult/impossible for me to give my friends copies of my DRM'd media/apps.
  • Reply 9 of 32
    jozsoojozsoo Posts: 39member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    Jennifer Bowcock's got herself a pretty easy job.



    Yeah, absolutely. Wonder why Apple maintains that position.
  • Reply 10 of 32
    jerseymacjerseymac Posts: 408member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trirnoth View Post


    I hope they call it squirting.



    There is no question, Microsoft knows how to be cool.



    I can't wait to start Binging! LOL!
  • Reply 11 of 32
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheWatchfulOne View Post


    Apple allows you to use your iTMS purchases on up to five computers. There is no apparent limit to the number of devices (iPhones; iPods; etc) that can be synced with those five computers.



    Which is an interesting thing to consider. The "computers/devices" distinction comes from iPod days, when it was clear that the computer was the hub and the device was relatively dumb.



    But iPhones already have the computational heft of full blown desktops of some years back, and given how people hang onto their Macs, I wouldn't be surprised to see households where the "device" is literally more powerful than the "computer."



    At which point the only reason to keep treating the desktop or laptop as the primary device is the big keyboard and screen and access to local storage, and all of those things may well become accessible to iPhones in the form of peripherals.



    So I have to wonder how much longer Apple will keep treating their mobile offerings as tethered subsets of their laptops and desktops. It's a convenient way to conceptualize usage, but it might not make much sense any more.
  • Reply 12 of 32
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by el3ktro View Post


    Ah ok, even better!



    I already share my applications with friends. How is this news? Because it'snow more than 5?
  • Reply 13 of 32
    jsonjson Posts: 54member
    Hmm.... first there are reports that we might have to pay again to re-download an already purchased application to the same device we bought it with the first time and now there is information that we might be able to share applications between devices....



    Yes I know that the two functions are not mutually exclusive, but still it sounded mildly ironic....



    And no, I am not complaining, it was just a reflection.
  • Reply 14 of 32
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stevesabol View Post


    For any iTunes store account, 5 Mac/PC computers can be authorized to play DRM'd media/apps.



    An unlimited # of iPods/iPhone can sync with each of those 5 computers.



    Those iPods/iPhones are married to a specific library for each category. I don't know what happens if you mix store accounts across those categories. For example, I sync movies on a computer with [email protected] as my store account and I sync apps on a computer with [email protected].



    .



    You snatched up the SJOBS account names? OSSUM!
  • Reply 15 of 32
    jnoeljnoel Posts: 19member
    I do this on my Zune today with tunes, would love to do it with my iPhone and its apps. I am tired of the "send me the list of all the cool apps you use" request.
  • Reply 16 of 32
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:

    The ability to try applications before buying them has been a sore point with App Store shoppers. In an attempt to address this, some app developers have released "lite" versions of their apps that are free or close to free and include only a few levels or features of the full-fledged version.



    This, however, adds a few more steps to the purchasing process for a potential buyer, since a second trip to the App Store must be made to purchase the full version. Additionally, the user will probably want to delete the lite version from the iPhone to free up memory and avoid confusing the two apps, which often have similar icons.



    I think the in App purchase in 3.0 will solve this problem. Developers can give away say a game with first or/and second levels for free or almost free and then charge for additional levels by using the in app purchase in iPhone 3.0. No more "lite" version, you buy/get the full version and decided whether you want to pay for more or not.
  • Reply 17 of 32
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    I think that's illegal and considered piracy.



    Not only is that not the case, as you'll have seen from the subsequent posts, but as far as I can tell there's not even a way around it. We each sync our iPhones to our own Macs, but as long as we have a common iTMS account it's not possible to pay each time.



    In fact I had fully expected to pay for each app to each iPhone, and honestly, coughing up $1.99 a few extra times isn't going to make much of a difference to the iPhone cost of ownership picture. And believe me, once you've bought something like the Adobe Creative Suite, you're not going to spend too much time worrying over the typical iPhone app's cost.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    I think the in App purchase in 3.0 will solve this problem. Developers can give away say a game with demo levels for free or almost free and then charge for additional levels by using the in app purchase in iPhone 3.0. No more "lite" version, you buy/get the full version and decided whether you want to pay for more or not.



    I love the idea, but hope that it?s more robust and versatile than perviously explained. For instance, there are, for example, GPS apps, where I may only want a certain city or state or country for a reduced rate, but then later want to add more regions, but don?t necessarily want to keep them all on my iPhone when I want the app present. For instance, if I traveled Europe for a summer I would want a TomTom app that covered Europe, but back in the states I just want my US maps.
  • Reply 19 of 32
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jerseymac View Post


    There is no question, Microsoft knows how to be cool.



    I can't wait to start Binging! LOL!



    Bada-bing!
  • Reply 20 of 32
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I love the idea, but hope that it?s more robust and versatile than perviously explained. For instance, there are, for example, GPS apps, where I may only want a certain city or state or country for a reduced rate, but then later want to add more regions, but don?t necessarily want to keep them all on my iPhone when I want the app present. For instance, if I traveled Europe for a summer I would want a TomTom app that covered Europe, but back in the states I just want my US maps.



    Are there examples of what you're looking for on the market now? That is, do GPS app sellers typically offer regional editions of their wares, with maps that can be treated as off-loadable files for the app?



    I have no idea, which is why I'm asking. Is there any way on an iPhone to download and store files that aren't apps per se, but intended to be stored and used by an app, as in the case of specific maps and GPS? Or would app makers have to treat each region as a separate app?
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