Reason for action remains uncertain

Apple has lifted a limit on cellular downloads on the iPhone, testing shows. All files previously had to be under 10MB in order to be transferred over an EDGE or 3G connection. The measure is believed to have been a way of avoiding customer complaints about interrupted downloads, as well as appeasing phone carriers tasked with supporting the necessary bandwidth.

The filesize limit is now doubled to 20MB, though why Apple would change it is unclear. The company may have come to think that carriers like AT&T can handle the network traffic, even with the intense demand in cities like New York City and San Francisco. AT&T recently approved the use of 3G streaming in SlingPlayer Mobile, despite intense bandwidth consumption.

Apple may alternately want to allow greater breathing room for the iPad, whose apps may be significantly larger than their iPhone and iPod counterparts. The raised cap could also simply be a reevaluation of current policy, which already prevents mobile downloads of many apps, podcasts and music tracks. Warnings urge users to switch to a local connection to download oversized material.

by MacNN Staff