Hidden Buttons in iOS 6.1 Lend Weight to Apple Radio Service Rumors

[MacRumors]

9to5Mac reports finding files for radio buttons in the iPad Music app in iOS 6.1 that could lend weight to last year's rumors that Apple plans to launch a Pandora-style service, providing streaming access to music which could then be purchased if desired.

The files, first found by iAust1n, include a series of eight "radio" buttons, several of which have the word 'buy' in the filenames, suggesting plans to allow the purchase of music tracks from within the app. Interestingly, the piece notes that the files are found only on the iPad, not the iPhone.

The files are called some variation of "radio button" with an icon that looks similar to the radio icon that used to be in iTunes for Mac (it was traded for a more prominent top location in iTunes 11 without the antena tower). The iPad music app currently doesn't have any radio functionality so our first thought was that Apple would be adding an iTunes-like 'traditional' streaming radio to the iPad.

More interestingly, the name of these button files and are labelled with 'buy' in the filename which could imply exciting new functionality.

Bloomberg had suggested a Q1 2013 launch date for the service, although follow-up reports had indicated that negotiations with record labels were moving slowly. With files perhaps related to such a service now apparently in place in iOS 6.1, Apple may be laying the groundwork for a launch once it is able to strike content deals.

Article Link: Hidden Buttons in iOS 6.1 Lend Weight to Apple Radio Service Rumors

[basesloaded190]

It's only a matter of time now.

[InuNacho]

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

[RoboCop001]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

But with Internet radio you get way more selection. Personally I only like one station where I live, so I pretty much always use Internet radios like TuneIn. Much better. The battery drain from data usage is worth it lol

[Dr McKay]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

But with Internet radio you get way more selection. Personally I only like one station where I live, so I pretty much always use Internet radios like TuneIn. Much better. The battery drain from data usage is worth it lol

But with a real radio you get both. My old Nokia Lumia 900 had a built in radio and even though half of my journey I was at "No Service" it continued to pickup the radio flawlessly.

[mw360]

Ugly buttons. They should try that thing everyone's on about these days. Skewo-something.

[RoboCop001]

Originally Posted by Dr McKay

But with a real radio you get both. My old Nokia Lumia 900 had a built in radio and even though half of my journey I was at "No Service" it continued to pickup the radio flawlessly.

Well that's true.
Alright McKay, you've got 5 minutes to come up with a cell phone that never loses reception or we're all dead.

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by RoboCop001

But with Internet radio you get way more selection. Personally I only like one station where I live, so I pretty much always use Internet radios like TuneIn. Much better. The battery drain from data usage is worth it lol

+1. I much prefer to choose an internet radio station that I like than listen to the crappy stations in my area

[goobot]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

This is what I really want, but apple isn't going to do it just so it isn't competition for their Internet one

[Squilly]

So... why is this needed?

[KdParker]

Originally Posted by Squilly

So... why is this needed?

Same thing I was thinking. You could easily use an app or even stream from a stations web page.

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Originally Posted by Squilly

So... why is this needed?

Partners AT&T, Verizon, Sprint etc are not making enough a windfall with the "stream everything from the cloud" mindset. So now, "big innovations" are going to be other features that have to burn data to function. Note where the focus has been recently:

• Siri- must have an internet connection to function
• imessage- must have an internet connection to (sort of) function
• Maps- must have an internet connection to function
• Facebook integration- must have an internet connection to function
• Shared Photo Streams- must have an internet connection to function

And don't forget the recent "approval" by some of the 3G/4G tollmasters to "allow" Facetime functionality. How nice of them to let us burn through more data if we like (when we could already do the same with various other Facetime-like apps).

If you want to guess the next big (software) things from Apple, think about what else depends on streaming data to work. I suspect AT&T, Verizon, etc brains are making a steady stream of pitches to Apple for ideas that are data-hungry. "Siri, read War & Peace or the Encyclopedia to me aloud." Etc.

Everything seems to be increasingly streaming-data intensive. Why do we need this from Apple when we already have good versions of it from other players like Pandora? I wonder if there is some secret goal for all iDevices to achieve a certain amount of 3G/4G usage via Apple apps? Maybe the subsidy depends on it? Or maybe the subsidy will be better if Apple can move it's following to burn through even more 3G/4G data?

Burn that data, burn. Pay those 3G/4G tolls, pay them. Isn't the cloud wonderful?

[ovrlrd]

Originally Posted by goobot

This is what I really want, but apple isn't going to do it just so it isn't competition for their Internet one

It has nothing to do with competition, it has everything to do with cost (plus the space it takes up to add the antenna in the device).

[goobot]

Originally Posted by ovrlrd

It has nothing to do with competition, it has everything to do with cost (plus the space it takes up to add the antenna in the device).

Apple has been adding antennas to every gen iPhone, and they need to add something to the next iPhone other than NFC.

[addicted44]

Originally Posted by goobot

This is what I really want, but apple isn't going to do it just so it isn't competition for their Internet one

You mean the internet radio they haven't actually had for the past 12 years they have been selling iPods?

Why didn't they place radios in their ipods/iphones before then (other than in 1 notable exception)?

Instead of coming up with ridiculous conspiracies, why wouldnt people accept the simple answer, which is that (a) it takes up room (b) adds cost (c) terrestrial radio is barely used outside of your car, and almost every car already has a radio in it.

[EwanMcTeagle]

Originally Posted by addicted44

You mean the internet radio they haven't actually had for the past 12 years they have been selling iPods?

Why didn't they place radios in their ipods/iphones before then (other than in 1 notable exception)?

Instead of coming up with ridiculous conspiracies, why wouldnt people accept the simple answer, which is that (a) it takes up room (b) adds cost (c) terrestrial radio is barely used outside of your car, and almost every car already has a radio in it.

I don't know, maybe you're right, yet there are smartphones (like my girlfriend's HTC) that have FM radio - the antenna is in the headphones as I presume. And it could've been the same in iPhones. I wouldn't complain if I had radio on my iPhone. Then again the lack of it wasn't a deal-breaker for me, but it was and is for my girlfriend, who listens to FM radio a lot since she's traveling by train (no WiFi there) a lot.

[goobot]

Originally Posted by addicted44

You mean the internet radio they haven't actually had for the past 12 years they have been selling iPods?

Why didn't they place radios in their ipods/iphones before then (other than in 1 notable exception)?

Instead of coming up with ridiculous conspiracies, why wouldnt people accept the simple answer, which is that (a) it takes up room (b) adds cost (c) terrestrial radio is barely used outside of your car, and almost every car already has a radio in it.

Im not talking about the past. I'm talking about the future.

[bushido]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

indeed, i love my TuneIn app but its useless outside of wifi range. id run through my data cap in half an hour.

doent the ipod nano have fm radio?

[goobot]

Originally Posted by bushido

indeed, i love my TuneIn app but its useless outside of wifi range. id run through my data cap in half an hour.

doent the ipod nano have fm radio?

The nano does.

[marc7654]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

And it would be trivial to do a "Shazam" like recognition of the song being played over the air to let you buy it from iTunes. Maybe they would even incorporate a Radio DVR like option.

[CausticPuppy]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

There's absolutely nothing on the radio worth listening to in Atlanta any more.... no big loss.

[somethingelsefl]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

Ummm...what phones are talking about? With the exception of the Galaxy S3 (non-US-spec) very FEW smartphones released recently have an FM radio in it. Many handset makers are dropping the functionality.

What phones are you talking about? I'd be very curious to know.

[kdarling]

Originally Posted by somethingelsefl

Ummm...what phones are talking about? With the exception of the Galaxy S3 (non-US-spec) very FEW smartphones released recently have an FM radio in it. Many handset makers are dropping the functionality.

There's like 50+ phones in the US alone with an FM Radio, and the NAB is pushing for all to include it for "national emergencies". A lot of the cheaper phones outside the US still come with one.

As for just smartphones, a search for FM Radio on PhoneScoop found these supposedly currently available models:

[somethingelsefl]

Originally Posted by kdarling

There's like 50+ phones in the US alone with an FM Radio, and the NAB is pushing for all to include it for "national emergencies". A lot of the cheaper phones outside the US still come with one.

As for just smartphones, a search for FM Radio on PhoneScoop found these supposedly currently available models:

Attachment 394941
Attachment 394940

Thanks. I was actually curious. My old HTC's used to have it, but my newer Android phone and iPhone do not. I gotta say though, I maybe only used the FM radio on my old phone maybe once or twice...but I guess it's good that the option is there for other people who might use it more frequently.

[rak007]

Originally Posted by InuNacho

Instead of some internet radio they could just stick a normal radio in them like every other smartphone in the world.

I am all for this. It will be a hit especially in the developing nations (like where i come from) as Radio is a very prominent medium.
Apple had eventually put radio in their iPod nano (starting with that mini version), they can put in the iPhone as well. Hope it happens some day.