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iPhone OS 3.0 to Allow Users to Share and Recommend Apps?

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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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BusinessWeek reports that Apple has included features in its upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 that would allow users to share apps with other iPhone users, although whether Apple decides to activate those features remains to be seen.
Apple's new iPhone 3.0 software includes features that, if activated by Apple, may let users share software with one another, according to a person familiar with the technology. Eventually, iPhone users may even get a commission when they've induced someone else to make a purchase, says Richard Doherty, director at consultant Envisioneering Group. Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock wouldn't discuss features that might be available in the future, saying only, "We've made no announcements at this time."
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The report discusses the role users might play in promoting applications to other users, pointing to the existing "Top 10" lists in most mobile app stores and "Tell a Friend" features built into some apps as useful but incomplete means of drawing attention to standout applications. Apple could take advantage of the "peer-to-peer connectivity" described at Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 preview event in March to allow users to "invite" nearby users to download applications.
One example of P2P connectivity will be available in the new iPhone 3.0 software, due this summer. Users will be able to play multiplayer games with one another using Bluetooth connectivity, rather than needing to be on a carrier's network. A player's phone will automatically detect nearby iPhones and iPod touches that run the same app and send them an invitation to join the game. Initially, the feature will work only when both parties already have a particular app. "Now you can sell copies of your app to two players instead of one," says Dave Howell, a former Apple engineer who now runs peer-to-peer file-sharing apps maker Avatron Software. In the future, a player may be able to invite another to a game when the second person does not yet own a particular app. Such invitations could trigger additional purchases.
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iPhone OS 3.0 will be a major topic of discussion of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Article Link: iPhone OS 3.0 to Allow Users to Share and Recommend Apps?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/03/iphone-os-3-0-to-allow-users-to-share-and-recommend-apps/
DipDog3

DipDog3

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2002
1,191
812
In the future, a player may be able to invite another to a game when the second person does not yet own a particular app. Such invitations could trigger additional purchases.
Click to expand...

So does that mean that we will be able to transfer the game to the other iPhone/Touch or would they still have to download it from the app store. Some games are huge and can’t be downloaded over 3G.
 
MD5Hash

MD5Hash

macrumors member
Sep 30, 2008
79
0
عمّان, ا&#1604
No. For the love of God, no.

You all do realize that this will immediately turn into the hellish experience that Facebook has turned into, getting dozens of stupid application invitations each day from friends you haven't talked to in years?

I will only call this a good development if there's a good way to turn it 100% off, and without any hassle.
 
jholzner

jholzner

macrumors 65816
Jul 24, 2002
1,385
21
Champaign, IL
More than any of this crap I'd like the simple ability to gift an app to a friend like I can with music and movies! I don't understand why this is not there yet as I've wanted to buy apps for friends several times but can't.
 
T

tjanssen1990

macrumors newbie
Jun 1, 2009
22
0
Sweet!

But will it be like NDS where one person can host the game for everyone? Or will everyone have to be in some Connect-To-Players-Limbo waiting for people to offer them invites?

Hopefully push notifications will work like text messages for game invites when you can detect local iPhone/iTouches.

I do see one problem with this though. I very very very seldom use bluetooth as it sucks battery power, it seems.

Mine is always off. They will need to make a way for you to accept notifications and then turn on bluetooth automatically to set it all up.


meh.. they'll figure it out.
 
hob

hob

macrumors 68010
Oct 4, 2003
2,004
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London, UK
Am I the only person who foresees a dystopian future where every iPhone user is effectively turned into a "dealer" for Apple, hawking wares on every street corner...

Also, isn't WiFi faster than Bluetooth? Why not just use that?
 
AforAndromeda

AforAndromeda

macrumors member
Jan 30, 2009
78
1
UK
No....

Unless I have misunderstood the article, I don't like the idea of more peer to peer introducing rubbish on my stuff.

Have you seen the results of MS*N, BEB*O et al.?

Its bad enough having to run anti malware progs on my PC (like the excellent Spybot), but I don't want that on my Mac stuff. ..... It's the amount of time these days.... I simply haven't got it to spend correcting and checking things 24-7!


What I WOULD like is something to allow me to SECURELY 1 to 1 videochat to my wife or friends, without someone hacking into it or incurring any costs .
 
TheSpaz

TheSpaz

macrumors 604
Jun 20, 2005
7,032
1
I'm thinking about ditching my iPhone all together and just buying a 32GB iPod touch. Then I don't have to worry about paying a $100 bill every month.
 
M

MacFly123

macrumors 68020
Dec 25, 2006
2,340
0
I think this sounds like a good idea, and I say that as a user AND a developer! :)

I would want the trial to expire after an amount of time though or something like that so they can't just keep a shared app they didn't pay for forever.
 
HLdan

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
hob said:
Am I the only person who foresees a dystopian future where every iPhone user is effectively turned into a "dealer" for Apple, hawking wares on every street corner...

Also, isn't WiFi faster than Bluetooth? Why not just use that?
Click to expand...

You might actually be the only one since at least myself and maybe a few others don't know what the heck "dystopian" means. ;)
 
M

mrbrightside623

macrumors regular
Mar 21, 2009
164
0
San Jose, CA
I think this is similar to the way the PSP does game sharing. It share through the infrared sensor on the PSP. And knowing that the iPhone/iTouch(2nd gen) has bluetooth, I think they will allow game sharing like the PSP through a bluteooth connection.

Just my take on it :D

-Tony
 
lazyrighteye

lazyrighteye

Contributor
Jan 16, 2002
4,095
6,313
Denver, CO
MD5Hash said:
You all do realize that this will immediately turn into the hellish experience that Facebook has turned into, getting dozens of stupid application invitations each day from friends you haven't talked to in years?

I will only call this a good development if there's a good way to turn it 100% off, and without any hassle.
Click to expand...

If true, there will definitely be a Preference setting that toggles this feature ON/OFF. Much like Location Services. No way Apple will allow any iPhone user to bombard other iPhone users in the vicinity with random requests. No way. Nope. Not happening.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
A quick easy way to send someone to an app link from my phone would be useful. Right now I have to go to DESKTOP iTunes to get a link and email it--or just tell them verbally to search for it.

Please also allow GIFTING apps at long last--as you can already do (in desktop iTunes) with music.

hob said:
Am I the only person who foresees a dystopian future where every iPhone user is effectively turned into a "dealer" for Apple, hawking wares on every street corner...

Also, isn't WiFi faster than Bluetooth? Why not just use that?
Click to expand...

People already recommend apps they like, and that's a good thing for users. Making the process easier won't cause people to recommend apps they DON'T like. For a few cents commission? Better to search your sofa cushions :p
 
lazyrighteye

lazyrighteye

Contributor
Jan 16, 2002
4,095
6,313
Denver, CO
JayLenochiniMac said:
Share apps and lose the ability to re-download over the air? No thanks!
Click to expand...

Agreed.
I own ~200 apps. Not only can I not fit them all on my iPhone 3G, I wouldn't want to. Thus, there have been enough times I have been away from my Mac and wanted/needed an app that I owned but wasn't sync'd to my iPhone, that I could simply redownload and keep moving. Loosing that ability is a real bummer. I hate when Apple removes features in an update. More like a downdate.
 
Apple Ink

Apple Ink

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2008
1,918
0
Boring Boring Boring..

I truly wonder if Apple is keeping everything under really tight seals or if it actually has something interesting at all for WWDC?!
 
J

jhsfosho

macrumors 6502
Jun 9, 2006
288
0
Houston, TX
This would be pretty sweet for head to head games. I can also see how it would be annoying if you received several recommended application requests all the time.
 
U

uspdan

macrumors newbie
Apr 7, 2009
1
0
sounds like an awesome attack vector for an iPhone targetted worm to me. Just sayin...
 
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