Why is iOS 4 free?

[lynkynpark86]

Recently, Apple announced the iPhone 4. On the page, it has a link to the iOS 4 page. It says the update will be free for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Why would apple make 4.0 free, if 3.0 cost $10? I just don't get it.

[miles01110]

Yours not to reason why.

[costabunny]

I would say mainly because they want to get iAd out to as large a consumer base as possible.

just my opinion here of course....

[nlensander]

They are giving it out free because the majority of people stuck with their 2nd generation or 1st generation before this and they will have to upgrade to be able to take advantage of the multitasking

Just a thought

[mauly]

Is iAd a good thing to me? When I watch television I fast forward ads!!! are there any pro's for a general user.....

[Hadron]

They are giving it out free because the majority of people stuck with their 2nd generation or 1st generation before this and they will have to upgrade to be able to take advantage of the multitasking


But they're offering it free for the 2nd generation touch (though it won't multitask), which reduces their incentive to upgrade.

It might be that they want to sell books to more people, but I fear that the person who suggested iAd as the motivation may be right.

[Mugambo]

Recently, Apple announced the iPhone 4. On the page, it has a link to the iOS 4 page. It says the update will be free for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Why would apple make 4.0 free, if 3.0 cost $10? I just don't get it.

Because they will shove ads down our throats via iAds and all those ads will pay for our upgrades. That is one way for advertising to get onto the most talked about phone in 4 years! THAT is why its free.

[Hadron]

Is iAd a good thing to me? When I watch television I fast forward ads!!! are there any pro's for a general user.....

Unless you think it's a pro to have ads on your iPod, not really.

Steve would tell you that it will allow devs to offer cheap/free apps, and that's how you benefit. Personally I think iAd usage sounds like a good reason not to install an app. But I'd guess that newspaper apps and suchlike are the obvious users, and if it's intrusive there are other ways to get that content.

[rdowns]

It's free due to as change in accounting rules. Not worth getting into the complicated details.

[Tom B.]

The only reason the previous major software updates were not free was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes–Oxley_Act). Due to recent changes to accounting standards, Apple is now allowed to add non-advertised features without charging extra.

[Eso]

It's free due to as change in accounting rules. Not worth getting into the complicated details.

Actually, it's free because a company can charge whatever it likes for it's products, independent of any GAAP. Apple just used the GAAP in the past as an excuse to charge $10 for OS upgrades, and you believed them.

[McDughf]

I don't ever remember paying for an iPhone upgrade. Granted I started with a 3G handset which came with OS2, but the upgrade to OS3 was free.
I remember apple used to charge for upgrades on the iPod touch, but never iPhone.:confused:

[cerote]

I don't ever remember paying for an iPhone upgrade. Granted I started with a 3G handset which came with OS2, but the upgrade to OS3 was free.
I remember apple used to charge for upgrades on the iPod touch, but never iPhone.:confused:

They are talking about the iPod touch. Hence why it is in the Ipod section. iPod owners had to pay for upgrades.

[GFLPraxis]

Is iAd a good thing to me? When I watch television I fast forward ads!!! are there any pro's for a general user.....

Yes. You already have to deal with Google ads in apps- and if you accidentally click on them, they close the app and launch you into your web browser.

This just replaces those. And it means more free apps, as ads will be easier to implement.

[renewed]

Is iAd a good thing to me? When I watch television I fast forward ads!!! are there any pro's for a general user.....

Yes. You already have to deal with Google ads in apps- and if you accidentally click on them, they close the app and launch you into your web browser.

This just replaces those. And it means more free apps, as ads will be easier to implement.

Exactly. We get "free" minus the cable bill, TV shows due to Ads, we will get more free apps due to Ads as well.

Personally I didn't see what they showed off very intrusive so bring it on.

[macfan881]

Because they will shove ads down our throats via iAds and all those ads will pay for our upgrades. That is one way for advertising to get onto the most talked about phone in 4 years! THAT is why its free.

good lord if you watch the keynote you would find your post is wrong it will be a normal ad and nothing will show from the ad unless you click it and all the ads will stay on the apps.

[easy4lif]

everyone of the reasons above me are correct and I'll add one more. 3 months from now when jobs does his ipod keynote he'll start off with how the iOS4 is running on 75 to 90% of ipods and iphones and it accounts for over "X" amount of new ad revenue for developers via iAd & it still hasn't hit the iPad but it will come oct


it will be a big ****** U to googles android and make those developers/companies that haven't signed up for iAd service, do so.

[NJMetsHero]

iAds. It's as simple as that. They make way more money putting ads on your iPod than charging you $10 dollars each. Anyone with a 1st or 2nd generation iPod wouldn't even upgrade most likely since we don't get most of the updates. All we're going to get is iAds basically. So they give it to you for free, give you a few updated features, and they give you ads.

I don't mind ads so much. If the apps have ads, than the developers will charge less for them, or even make them free. If they need to show me a few ads so I don't have to pay for content I want, I'm fine with that.

[celticpride678]

It's been rumored that Apple couldn't make major OS upgrades free to iPod touch users because of licensing issues. Maybe they finally got those worked out.

[kenypowa]

I would say mainly because they want to get iAd out to as large a consumer base as possible.

just my opinion here of course....

The only reason is iAd. Apple is getting 40% of the cut, which is a ridiculously high margin. By making it free iAd will be available to a huge market, which means more advertisers will be more willing to advertise..

[OGDaniel]

Is iAd a good thing to me? When I watch television I fast forward ads!!! are there any pro's for a general user.....

That's up to you whether or not they're good. Why are you asking people what to think?

And what costabunny said was right. They wanna start banking on the iAds. A year from now, the iAds will be worth 800 million-1 billion dollars.

Also, since all of us 1g and 2g touch users won't have all the features supported, instead if paying $10 for half the new features on our old hardware, the majority of us would just jailbreak. And they don't want that.

[Dagless]

I would say mainly because they want to get iAd out to as large a consumer base as possible.

just my opinion here of course....

Exactly what I was thinking. They'll be raking it in with iAds.

Though I am surprised they're completely dropping support for older devices. I know they don't make up a huge %age of the market but there's still a lot of them out there.

[IJBrekke]

To supplement the iAd argument: keep in mind too that the only way they could charge for this would be to have ALL iOS4 features available to ALL iPod Touch users. Only 3rd gen users receive the full benefits of upgrading.

[Mugambo]

good lord if you watch the keynote you would find your post is wrong it will be a normal ad and nothing will show from the ad unless you click it and all the ads will stay on the apps.

Welcome to the world of advertising.

[Aeroplane]

if Apple charges ipod touch users for iOS5 then you will know iOS4 was free because of iAds, if they don't then it was probably because the so called accounting problems...

no?

[Beric]

if Apple charges ipod touch users for iOS5 then you will know iOS4 was free because of iAds, if they don't then it was probably because the so called accounting problems...

no?

It's my opinion thy aren't charging because of iAds, but who can tell for sure.

[ECUpirate44]

They are giving it out free because the majority of people stuck with their 2nd generation or 1st generation before this and they will have to upgrade to be able to take advantage of the multitasking

Just a thought

the 2g touch is able to upgrade to ios 4 no?

[celticpride678]

the 2g touch is able to upgrade to ios 4 no?

The second-generation iPod touch will be able to update to iOS 4, but features like multitasking and background wallpaper's on the home screen are not supported.

[DisneyRicky]

Because Apple loves us! :)

http://www.macresearch.org/files/apple_heart.png

[DuckSoup]

Recently, Apple announced the iPhone 4. On the page, it has a link to the iOS 4 page. It says the update will be free for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Why would apple make 4.0 free, if 3.0 cost $10? I just don't get it.

If it will make you feel any better you can send me the ten bucks you were expecting to pay for iOS4. ;)

Mike

[greygray]

Because Apple loves us!

http://www.macresearch.org/files/apple_heart.png

Nice! :)

[longball11]

I will never upgrade to iOS4 with my recently bought iPod touch via BTS. I will keep that as long as possible before having to deal cluttered iAds in iOS4 or having to buy new iPod touch (may buy classic or nano to dodge).

[Plutonius]

It's free due to as change in accounting rules. Not worth getting into the complicated details.

+1 ...

Government accounting rules.

[CJayC]

+1 ...

Government accounting rules.

I'm curious. Tell me more.

[Kieranic]

I'm 99% sure it's because some people are unable to get all the features and instead of releasing numerous versions at different prices and make it complex, they made it simple by keeping it all free :D

[capn7]

The more people have iAds, the more money Apple makes.

$$$

iOS4... IT PRINTS MONEY BITCHES!!!!!

[Caris]

I'm curious. Tell me more.

What he said.

[a sandwhich]

Reason for iads is so developers can produce more apps that are free to the user. This increases the market size and makes the iphone and ipod more useable. It's just like running a website, you make money off of the ads you get paid to show.