Consumers, techies and music fans alike follow the moves of Apple Corporation with eager anticipation and receive them with either celebration or consternation. The strong-running company, father to such technological advancements as the Macintosh and the iPod, has managed to parlay its resources into further and further simplification and miniaturization of hardware and software, on platforms such as the new Mac computers and the iPhone.
The Apple iPhone has long been a popular phone model, released to heavy anticipation and demand from fans of both cell phones and portable music. Marketed as the best of both worlds in a light, convenient handheld, the iPhone has since become even more sought-after and beloved for its versatility and sound quality. Going beyond the simple offerings of text messaging and voice calls, it offers video voice calls, a camera, a sophisticated MP3 player in the Apple tradition and a wide variety of mobile musical content. With an easily-understood, user-friendly interface and a handy touch screen that simply presents the many functions it offers, this Internet-connected, GSM-enabled multimedia smartphone has become a favorite of techies and average citizens alike.
Recently, Apple diversified its iPhone mobile music offerings with a new streaming music application from Europe-based streaming media company Spotify. This development has been followed by fans of Apple and the iPhone, considering the new program may be seen to compete with Apple’s own iTunes service.
Opened to the public in October 2008, the UK-based, advertising-supported Spotify music service allows users to stream music to their computers at no charge. While the company’s DRM prevents users from saving the music for use outside the Spotify application, users are allowed to purchase the music separately via media partners. This propriety peer-to-peer music streaming service has also become available by invitation in Sweden, Finland, France, Norway and Spain, and remains free as supported by the advertising connection, although users have the option to pay a fee to remove the ads from their service.
The countries receiving Spotify service will have the new iPhone offering made available to them “soon”, according to Spotify spokesman Jim Butcher. A PC-based equivalent for the US is projected to be forthcoming, hopefully in 2010, although Spotify currently has no plans to offer the service on phones in the US at this time.
Spotify’s considerable surface similarities to Apple’s own iTunes service – from its very purpose and function to its user interface – have raised questions about why Apple is considering its addition to the iPhone service and application lineup. Apple typically denies applications for iPhone applications due to the potential for duplicating functionality already found offered by the iPhone – Podcaster’s is one such service reportedly turned down due to the iPhone’s existing podcast functionality – and as such a degree of controversy has surrounded the approval process from the beginning. A case in point: Apple, along with Google and AT&T, has been asked to explain how and why the Google Voice application was denied for the iPhone recently. Apple’s response was that the Google Voice application is still under review, and that Apple’s concerns about it mostly have to do with how Google Voice replaces the existing mobile phone functionality with an interface of its own.
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