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iOS 7 May Include AirDrop Wireless File Sharing Capabilities

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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According to 9to5Mac, Apple is internally testing versions of iOS 7 that include AirDrop drag-and-drop file sharing capabilities.

First introduced with OS X Lion, AirDrop is a Finder function that allows Mac users to share files with other Mac users without the need for a Wi-Fi network or storage device. AirDrop for iOS is said to work in the same way, allowing files to be quickly shared between two different users.

airdrop.jpg
AirDrop for OS X​
Sources say that the AirDrop functionality is currently integrated into the standard iOS share menu. AirDrop will work between two iOS devices and potentially between an iOS device and a Mac. The feature will make it easier than ever to transfer, for example, a photograph or document from one person's iPhone to another person's iPad.

While iCloud synchronization works well for sharing photos and documents between two iOS devices owned by the same person, the AirDrop feature will allow seamless individual file exchanges between iOS devices belonging to different people.
Click to expand...
Along with AirDrop file sharing, iOS 7 is also expected to feature a major redesign and enhanced social network integration, which includes support for both Flickr and Vimeo. As noted by 9to5Mac, beta features that are in testing, like AirDrop, may or may not make it into the final version of the operating system.

iOS 7 will debut at the keynote of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which is scheduled to take place on June 10.

Article Link: iOS 7 May Include AirDrop Wireless File Sharing Capabilities
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/02/ios-7-may-include-airdrop-wireless-file-sharing-capabilities/
T

that1guyy

macrumors 6502
Nov 11, 2011
454
20
What's with features leaping from OSX to IOS and vice versa and being touted as "new" when they release? Need NEW features.
 
C

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
This would likely be limited to the iPhone 5 and later, as AirDrop is just Wifi Direct in disguise (which previous iPhones don't support). I had thought this would've debuted with the iPhone 5 as a way to differentiate; perhaps it wasn't ready.
 
blackhand1001

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,599
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bboucher790 said:
S Drop

- Samsung
Click to expand...

They already have this functionality. Its called s-beam (android beam) Its also much better implemented and uses wifi direct so it doesn't require devices to be on the same wireless network like this will. Using NFC for the pairing makes the setup of the connection extremely simple.
 
T

tann

macrumors 68000
Apr 15, 2010
1,944
813
UK
iOS and Mac would be amazing, currently rather than waiting for iPhoto to update with my photo stream I either email myself or iMessage myself a picture I want to share quickly.

Or plug it in with a cable and use Image Capture if there's a lot.
 
jrlcopy

jrlcopy

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2007
548
840
I've always had problems with airdrop, either I could never connect to the computer, or the file transfer was going to take hours for 1 GB. This was always with the computers within 10 ft of each other and I was controlling them both.
 
springsup

springsup

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2013
1,227
1,222
AirDrop is actually very cool.

The way it works in the Mac, you don't even need to be on the same Wi-Fi network - in fact you don't need a WiFi network at all to send files.

It works if you're both on different WiFi networks, or if one or both of you has no WiFi at all. It's perfect for the iPhone.

It works by having the WiFi card switch rapidly between the two states; which means you get a real proximity-based 'who is near me' list (...of people also in the AirDrop window; for privacy reasons the Mac doesn't keep broadcasting).
 
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springsup

springsup

macrumors 65816
Feb 14, 2013
1,227
1,222
blackhand1001 said:
They already have this functionality. Its called s-beam (android beam) Its also much better implemented and uses wifi direct so it doesn't require devices to be on the same wireless network like this will. Using NFC for the pairing makes the setup of the connection extremely simple.
Click to expand...

No, AirDrop doesn't require you to be on the same WiFi network.

It also doesn't require you to touch devices or anything. The other person could be in the next room, upstairs, etc.
 
bb426

bb426

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2011
421
132
California
blackhand1001 said:
They already have this functionality. Its called s-beam (android beam) Its also much better implemented and uses wifi direct so it doesn't require devices to be on the same wireless network like this will. Using NFC for the pairing makes the setup of the connection extremely simple.
Click to expand...

I highly doubt this will require the devices to be on the same network. Airdrop doesn't require them to be on the same network already.

This will be pretty awesome :)
 
I

iisdan

macrumors 6502
Feb 19, 2010
319
331
I loved airdrop when it first came out but I have stopped using it because messages is far easier
 
xkmxkmxlmx

xkmxkmxlmx

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2011
885
113
Cougarcat said:
Well, as I said above, the required hardware wasn't there until the iPhone 5. They probably wanted to release it then but the software wasn't quite finished.
Click to expand...

If you can update wirelessly since iphone 4, why couldn't airdrop be implemented?

I mean, it wasn't that it took *that* long since airdrop itself is kind of new... but airdrop itself should have been around a lot earlier as well.
 
C

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
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xkmxkmxlmx said:
If you can update wirelessly since iphone 4, why couldn't airdrop be implemented?

I mean, it wasn't that it took *that* long since airdrop itself is kind of new... but airdrop itself should have been around a lot earlier as well.
Click to expand...

AirDrop relies on a technology called Wifi Direct to allow it to connect to other devices without connecting to an existing wireless network. WD has been in macs for a while, but the new Broadcom wireless chip in the iP5 is the first to support it in the iPhone.
 
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