Apple activates iTunes downloads over 3G, with a caveat

Add new songs to your iPhone over 3G.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

Though the addition of DRM-free music is grabbing the most iTunes headlines, there was more music news at the Macworld 2009 keynote on Tuesday.

Apple Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller also announced that beginning Tuesday iPhone users will be able sample and wirelessly download iTunes tracks over AT&T's 3G network or EDGE. Previously, iTunes song downloads, unlike apps, were available only over a Wi-Fi connection.

The process works relatively well, though we encountered a couple of hiccups. Like with the iTunes Apps store, you must use Wi-Fi or a wired connection to your computer to download songs over 10MB. When we tried downloading a longer song, we received a warning message advising as such. During our first download, our connection was interrupted once. We were able to reconnect and continue the download

We tried downloading a 6.4MB song over 3G. It took about one minute and 15 seconds, which is about the same as a Wi-Fi download. We then downloaded a 7.2MB over EDGE. As expected, it was painfully slow--after all, EDGE basically is dial-up speed. It took about 20 minutes to get our song, which is too long to bother in our opinion.

[dt21211]

Even though it will most likely never happen it would be so cool if the itunes store came to the android platform and not only would it be awsome but apple would dominate the market if you could use the itunes store on more than just the iphone and ipod touch

[lkrupp]

There's just one little problem with your theory. The iTunes Music Store exists for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to sell iPods and iPhones. Apple is now and has always been primarily a hardware manufacturer. Making the iTMS compatible with any other devices defeats the purpose of its existence. As for dominating the music market, well, they already do.

[mattumanu]

"Defeats the purpose" <br /> <br />Then why go with DRM free music? That, by default, makes iTunes compatible with other players not manufactured by Apple.

[MafiaPenguin]

@ mattumanu:<br />The iTunes format that you get from the iTunes store is not an MP3:<br />Users would still have to read up on the entry to convert to MP3.

[KevinDupuy]

There's no reason for Apple to come to the Android platform, and it serves little purpose if it does. Look at the G1, which includes the Amazon MP3 store, a DRM free music store! The same as iTunes, so what's Apple's incentive?

[schmegs]

@ MafiaPenguin<br /><br />You don't always have to convert to MP3... Yeah, MP3 will play on just about anything, but there are still quite a few players (especially newer ones in recent years) that will play the non-DRM'd AAC files that iTunes sells...

[sting7k]

Still with the 10MB limit? That will be really lame especially with songs now being twice the size they once were.

[D3vildog699]

Yeah but it taxes they 3G network... you should see the problems it caused

[bluelight421]

now all we need is 3G video downloads. and MMS, and copy/paste, and voice command, and stereo bluetooth. but 3G music, and DRM free music is good too : )

[ooprus]

You mean the iPhone STILL doesn't have MMS, copy/paste, and stereo bluetooth? My AT&#38;T Tilt has had those since when I bought it a year ago. And also it has laptop teathering, a micro-SD card, and was unlocked by ATT customer support 3 months after I bought it so I could use cheap SIM card in other countries. I guess the Apple charge twice as much (or have half the features) strategy is alive and well.

[thejokker]

thats fine that you dont like the iphone, but lets not get crazy and say that the iphone is twice as much with half the features. <br /><br />im glad you have a good phone, but to explain the iphone you need to explain the apps. they add a level of functionality that you would never expect from a phone.

[terminalblue]

@ thejoker...<br />really? the apps?<br /><br />so what, the apps are nothing. most of the apps are based on software you can use on windows mobile for free.<br />so before you brag about the apps, remember that apple isn't the first company to make software people can develop software for. and there is no oppressive app store to stifle any real innovation and sanitize free speech.

[jsh50]

I used to be sceptical of the entire iphone/app store/itunes hoopla and have remained staunchly a blackberry user (loved my bold). This was until my wife bought her iphone 3g. It made my BB looked last century. I agree with the other poster that the app stored extended the usability of the phone. Sure I can download apps to BB or Windows Mobile, but most of the software are crap, and now I only buy or download from a few trusted vendors (e.g., bbplay.com). However those vendors only have a limited selection of software that they publish. <br /> <br />Apple's app store, on the other hand, provides a nice uniform interface for ALL software available for iphone. And I haven't downloaded one that doesn't work well yet, even the free apps are cool. While it's not enough for me to ditch my BB because I write a lot of emails, but I do think the iphone is the best smart phone out there. Far superior and more fun to use than Windows Mobile too which I've played with quite a bit. <br /> <br />Regarding App Store being oppressive...well order and structure always come at a cost and I think in this case the benefits are well worth it.

[AllenKids]

@jsh50<br /><br />Sometimes certain people just don't get it, or refuse to acknowledge the reality. Seems the RDF works reversely for them.

[tojfs7931]

Without a subscription service this is pretty much useless.

[random truth]

Why?

[D3vildog699]

yeah? some people don't like subscription... i think its cool like the zune pass, keep ten songs? yeah sweet<br /><br />Some people just like the ITMS better.. personal choice. I'm glad we still have it.

[jahrends]

@terminalblue<br /><br />Sanitize free speech? I would love to hear how you think apple is doing this? I am pretty sure that your ramblings about free speech would give me a headache. Yours is by far the most ignorant rant I have seen yet thrown at apple. Do you even understand how free speech works. Go down to your local newspaper and demand they print what you want them to. I dare you to try and dictate to ANY company in the US to do what YOU want them to do. I wish that you people would just shut up. I can make this plain and simple for you. If you hate apple don't buy their products. <br /><br />I wonder if you have noticed that 50% of the people buying Macintosh computers are buying a Mac for the first time. You should understand that it indicates that people are switching from Windows and LINUX ( I switched from using LINUX as my base OS with windows in a VM for my MacBook Pro) to a Mac. How many people are switching from a Mac to a windows or linux box? I don't know of anyone that willingly uses windows once they switch to a Mac. I only use windows when I have no other choice. Apple products just work. <br /><br />I do agree that the bluetooth audio profiles need to be added to the iPhone. I also agree that cut, copy, paste is a necessary function that needs to be added. I am disappointed with apple for leaving these things out.

[SMB-IL]

Thank you!!<br /><br />It has become troll-like how these people come to comment sections like this just to trash Apple or to spout something out of left field like this "sanitize free speech" thing.<br /><br />I've been in IT for 25 years and am not what one might term a "MacHead" or an "Apple Kool-aid drinker", but after switching at home to a Mac in 2004, I would NEVER consider going back to Windows. Apple has some problems, but as said earlier, their products just work.<br /><br />I remain convinced that people trashing Apple are people that either 1) have never really used an Apple product, 2) are looking for any attention they can get or 3) are just stupid.

[SofaKingUgly]

This would be perfect if I could find a song with Shazam and then buy it in iTunes.

[moretroops]

You can. Step 1: Identify the song with Shazam. Step 2: But the song on itunes. Step 3: ****. <br /><br />Kidding! That was fun though.

[SofaKingUgly]

This would be perfect if I could find a song with Shazam and then buy it in iTunes.

[sarb2008]

dtunes anyone. Cydia