iTunes Leaks 'Automatic Download' Over-the-Air Updates in iOS 5

[MacRumors]

In the days leading to WWDC, Apple's iTunes seems to have leaked a new feature that must be coming in iOS 5. When asking iTunes to check your app library for updates, the above screen reveals a new feature that must be coming. The following line as been added to the My App Updates screen:

Or if your device has Automatic Download enabled for apps, your updates will download to your device without having to sync.

Such a setting doesn't exist in iOS at present, which suggests that you will be able to automatically get app updates to your device. Presently, users must either sync or download the updates themselves manually through the App Store app.

It also suggests that there is an Automatic Download setting for other items besides apps. Apple has been rumored to be making a push into over-the-air updates as well as some sort of wireless syncing. Rumors of AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule updates have also hinted at such a feature.

WWDC kicks off on Monday with a keynote from Steve Jobs who will detail Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud.

Article Link: iTunes Leaks 'Automatic Download' Over-the-Air Updates in iOS 5

 

[ridley182]

Sounds like a nice feature, as long as it doesn't impact battery life in a negative way.

Monday seems so far away.

 

[LandOfTech]

omg monday will be DA BOMB!

 

[cloroxbleach4]

About damn time!

 

[Caliber26]

Hell yes!! About freakin time... I hope it doesn't stop with just app updates.

 

[Consultant]

Interesting feature.

But what's so hard about pressing "update all" when you are on wifi? No computer needed.

 

[hellomoto4]

Sounds like Apple is taking a different approach rather than direct over-the-air syncing, as it likely would have been too hard for the battery to cope. Reminds me of multitasking implementation in iOS 4. Instead of simply implementing backgrounding for applications, Apple did it the best way they saw fit.

 

[HMFIC03]

NICE - I've been waiting for this to happen one of these days - now if we could only synch wirelessly too.

 

[rorschach]

I'm glad it looks like we'll be able to turn this off. I don't want apps downloading in the background and sucking up battery life. On the computer it's great, but not on my phone.

I'm really hoping for wireless syncing.

 

[jkozlow3]

Seems interesting that the sentence in the leaked screenshot starts with "Or". Who starts a sentence with "Or"? A hoax perhaps?

 

[Cougarcat]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Kinda weird this is in iTunes already--not because it's before the keynote, but because there's no way iOS 5 will be released to non-developers Monday.

 

[arn]

Seems interesting that the sentence in the leaked screenshot starts with "Or". Who starts a sentence with "Or"? A hoax perhaps?

you can verify yourself in itunes. it shows up in mine.

arn

 

[vigilant]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8J2)

Could just be referring to AppleTV which is ios and automatically updates over the air

 

[hellomoto4]

Can't be seen here in Australia. Maybe it's only been accidentally pushed in the US store at this time.

 

[Eric5h5]

Who starts a sentence with "Or"?

Writers do.

--Eric

 

[jeremyblevins]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8J2)

Could just be referring to AppleTV which is ios and automatically updates over the air

For my app updates?

 

[nunes013]

is this going to be a feature att or carriers can charge to have or do people think it will be a wifi only thing. omg these next 3 days will be so slowwwww

 

[PaulieORF]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Kinda weird this is in iTunes already--not because it's before the keynote, but because there's no way iOS 5 will be released to non-developers Monday.

Perhaps Apple will release iOS 5 beta to devs this week, and this verbiage is in there for devs to also test this feature in addition to their apps.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Monday.

 

[sniffies]

I ain't no switching this feature on, no way. I'd go through 25GB in no time. No, thanks.

 

[scarnie]

Feature for apps is already there

In 4.x you can do OTA updates for Ad Hoc builds, and it works great. Additionally, you have always been able to go in to App Store on your iOS device and download updates directly to your device without syncing (unrestricted on WiFi)…

 

[drewisanapple]

iWeb for iPad

 

[QuarterSwede]

In 4.x you can do OTA updates for Ad Hoc builds, and it works great. Additionally, you have always been able to go in to App Store on your iOS device and download updates directly to your device without syncing (unrestricted on WiFi)…

The difference is this is automatic.

 

[Cougarcat]

I wonder if apple will introduce optional automatic updates for the Mac App Store as well.

 

[drewisanapple]

Sounds like a nice feature, as long as it doesn't impact battery life in a negative way.

Monday seems so far away.

I find this humorous, because Apple made sure Multitasking didn't kill battery performance. Apple is all about Batteries, so I'm sure if they have this they won't impact. Besides the App Store already syncs to there serve automatically to find updates periodically, so it may not be much more trouble for them to just go ahead and background this, also might be why they need the high chips and won't be supported on iPhone 3Gs, and early iPod Touches.