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

MacRumors · Feb 5, 2013

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 · Feb 5, 2013

It's only a matter of time now.

InuNacho · Feb 5, 2013

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

bwolfcale · Feb 5, 2013

Eiffel Tower?

justperry · Feb 5, 2013

And it's sad there is no REAL Radio built into the iDevices, there is most likely one in there but just not activated by Apple.

(The new (stealth) AppleTv Broadcom chip has Radio on it)

basesloaded190 · Feb 5, 2013

bwolfcale said:
Eiffel Tower?

Radio tower?

lostngone · Feb 5, 2013

bwolfcale said:
Eiffel Tower?

Yes, only French radio stations will be available via this service.

alent1234 · Feb 5, 2013

OMG this is amazing

apple did some development work before a business deal was done. most times they sign the papers and then spend years doing the coding to make it work

testcard · Feb 5, 2013

basesloaded190 said:
Radio tower?

Ostrich foot?

RoboCop001 · Feb 5, 2013

InuNacho said:
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

goobot · Feb 5, 2013

InuNacho said:
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

ovrlrd · Feb 5, 2013

justperry said:
And it's sad there is no REAL Radio built into the iDevices, there is most likely one in there but just not activated by Apple.

(The new (stealth) AppleTv Broadcom chip has Radio on it)

Just to be clear, are you talking about FM radio? Because every iDevice out there has radios in them, otherwise you wouldn't get WiFi or cellular.

Anyway, even with "hidden" FM radios there isn't much reason for them to enable them without antennas to make them work. You can't have a radio work without an antenna, so the additional cost of that (not to mention the space it takes up) basically means it isn't really worth it. It always amazes me how people forget about this. I guess people are used to ignoring how things work because it's all hidden to the user.

Internet radio (Spotify, Rdio, Pandora) is the future anyway, it is where the real money is going, and Apple is not stupid to ignore that.

macintel4me · Feb 5, 2013

That's an ugly icon, IMO. Not very Apple-like.

Squilly · Feb 5, 2013

So... why is this needed?

ConCat · Feb 5, 2013

Although, knowing Apple this will be a paid service, unlike all the ad-supported competitors out there like Pandora and Spotify.

ovrlrd · Feb 5, 2013

goobot said:
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 · Feb 5, 2013

ovrlrd said:
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.

decimortis · Feb 5, 2013

bwolfcale said:
Eiffel Tower?

That's clearly a giraffe.

D.

bushido · Feb 5, 2013

InuNacho said:
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?

LagunaSol · Feb 5, 2013

macintel4me said:
That's an ugly icon, IMO. Not very Apple-like.

Very ugly.

But then, so are the iTunes and Mac App Store icons. Maybe ugly icons are the new "Apple-like?"

goobot · Feb 5, 2013

bushido said:
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.

Dr McKay · Feb 5, 2013

RoboCop001 said:
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.

TimTheEnchanter · Feb 5, 2013

decimortis said:
Tthat's clearly a giraffe.

D.

It's a huge alien grapple sent down from the mothership to scoop-up whole city blocks in one grab..... either that or some crazy sex toy.

mw360 · Feb 5, 2013

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

codefuns · Feb 5, 2013

I don't think cost or antenna is the problem, remember zune has radio but with a much smaller body and without antenna. And for the function, I think FM radio is really useful, it can let you know what happens around you, the ads you may want, traffic, accident around you, radio is not all about music.

ovrlrd said:
Just to be clear, are you talking about FM radio? Because every iDevice out there has radios in them, otherwise you wouldn't get WiFi or cellular.

Anyway, even with "hidden" FM radios there isn't much reason for them to enable them without antennas to make them work. You can't have a radio work without an antenna, so the additional cost of that (not to mention the space it takes up) basically means it isn't really worth it. It always amazes me how people forget about this. I guess people are used to ignoring how things work because it's all hidden to the user.

Internet radio (Spotify, Rdio, Pandora) is the future anyway, it is where the real money is going, and Apple is not stupid to ignore that.

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

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