Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Bad Apple, iPhone, MobileMe, App Store, App Review
Streaming video from your iPhone? They crippled the app for that.
Qik [iTunes link] is an eagerly awaited free app for the iPhone. Most other video capable phones have a version of it. Qik allows, among other things, live streaming from your phone to the web. How could someone not want that capability? Early on, Qik offered a version for jailbroken phones that worked quite well.Well of course, we've learned that what can run on other smartphones may not necessarily make it to the iPhone, and predictably the App Store version has been crippled. You can record video, upload video (Wi-Fi only) but no streaming or uploading over the 3G network. In fact, you can't even live stream over WiFi.
I'm sure doing all this this violates the hastily revised terms of service from AT&T. It still grates that the phone that is helping to save AT&T financially has its users abused by having lesser services than other phones that are allowed on the same network.
Of course, if video streaming is forbidden, what about YouTube and MLB At Bat [iTunes link], that streams two live games a day? And what about the SlingPlayer app, that is allowed to stream across the cellular data network on other AT&T phones but only over Wi-Fi on the iPhone? I know, there are so many iPhones that it would swamp the inadequate AT&T network, but what did AT&T expect when they fought so hard to get the iPhone? Do they really think streaming by a few Slingbox users or Qik addicts will ever top the bandwidth stats of the baseball app?
Today Qik added this to its website: "We've submitted an update to the App Store which will have it working over 3G networks, too. We'll let you know as soon as that upgrade has been cleared. " I wouldn't hold my breath on that one, and it isn't clear if it's just for uploading or live streaming.
The Qik app works fine as far as it goes. I shot some video, and uploaded it to the Qik site after creating an account. The video was pretty compressed, but that's to be expected. It's a nice app, but without the main feature of live streaming it doesn't add much to what the iPhone 3GS can already do. The iPhone as-is allows you to send short videos via email, YouTube and MobileMe using the 3G network. Go figure.
The FCC is looking into all this, and the AT&T and Apple answers will be interesting. iPhone owners don't want to be treated like second class citizens, and as this farce continues that's what it is beginning to look like. If I could, I would require Apple and AT&T execs to take a look at the famous Apple 1984 commercial and decide if they are the one throwing the hammer, or if they are on the screen.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ryan said 8:15PM on 8-15-2009
I had qik on my jailbroken phone before I bought my 3GS. The compressed video that streamed live on my jailbroken phone looked like absolute crap. Uploading the video from my 3GS produces MUCH better results, and I much prefer it this way. It's ATT, they suck. If it's such an issue then people should stop bearing the dead horse jump ship and go buy some other phone. Get over it.
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Ryan Trevisol said 9:35PM on 8-15-2009
I am SO glad I skipped the 3GS upgrade. I'm eligible. But I'm not doing it. The LTE iPhone on Verizon will be so much better. I know Verizon isn't much better than AT&T as far as not being evil goes, but I think Verizon's hubris about their new LTE network will let Apple open the floodgates for bandwidth-"appreciative" apps. ;)
Randy said 8:10AM on 8-16-2009
@Ryan Trevisol,
I keep seeing comments like yours with increasing regularity. What makes you think that an iPhone on Verizon won't be every bit as gimped (or gimped in other ways) as the current at&t version?
Izzy said 11:03AM on 8-16-2009
I was under the impression that Verizon and AT&T were "starting" their 4G rollouts next year. I can assume that will mean the 10 biggest markets first and more in 2011. Can anyone verify/debunk this rumor?
Calexifan said 8:49PM on 8-15-2009
It's especially annoying that AT&T's rules affect the way the rest of us around the world get to use our iPhones as well.
I don't live in the United States, I never signed a contract with them -- yet AT&T is essentially preventing me from using apps such as Google Voice on my iPhone. Ridiculous.
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Beau said 10:12PM on 8-15-2009
Exactly! Here in Australia we're getting raped per MB, unlimited internet is something unheard of over here. So why can't we do whatever we want with our iPhones, seeing as we're paying per MB for our data? AT&T ruins it for everyone.
Kai Cherry said 9:53PM on 8-16-2009
STOP BLAMING ATT. IT IS APPLE. OK?!?! What part of this do you people NOT UNDERSTAND?!
You DO realize that the App Store has *built in* region controls to allow certain apps to be sold in certain stores...right?
You understand that AAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE is the sole administrator of the APP(le) STORE...RIGHT?!?!
YOU GET THAT ATT doesn't GIVE A DAMN about letting people run these SAME APPS on phones that combined, MASSIVELY OUTNUMBER the iPhone. YOU people DO understand this...don't you?
Talk about Stockholm Syndrome. I mean how much more OBVIOUS does it have to be?
Ugh.
The App Store will *never* be fixed at this rate, since everything that is wrong with it is *obviously the fault* of everyone but the SOLE ENTITY that CONTROLS it.
Alex said 9:15PM on 8-15-2009
The Chickens will soon come Home to Roost
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macserv said 9:22PM on 8-15-2009
Um, the iPhone in that screenshot *is* connected via Wi-Fi...
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Rafe H. said 9:30PM on 8-15-2009
It's not AT&T. It's Steve. Apps that do no work well, particularly when the technology is not quit ready, are not allowed in the App Store.
Simple-minded folk will instead think the iPhone does not work well.
Google Voice, Qik, SlingPlayer, and many other apps fall into this category.
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RikF said 2:52AM on 8-17-2009
So, you can explain the removal of previously approved google-voice apps when google's own was rejected how?
Darren Fleishman said 12:51PM on 8-17-2009
Just read the AT&T iPhone ToS. Included is the following:
"Use of iPhone 3G to access corporate email, company intranet sites, and/or other business applications requires an Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone."
What is that? If one sets up an iPhone 3G w/ Exchange to access my company's email, I technically need an Enterprise Data Plan? WTF?
I have a 2G iPhone, so this doesn't seem to apply to me, but it still seems ridiculous (although probably unenforceable).
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frank.lowney said 8:30AM on 8-16-2009
Could it be that Apple is more responsible for this than AT&T? Apple is introducing a new standard for streaming called HTTP Streaming (as contrasted with RTSP streaming). Safari on iPhone supports playback of HTTP Streaming already. Could it be that Apple is making app developers wait until initiating an HTTP stream from an iPhone has bee worked out fully? Snow Loopard Server will apparently support it but that's not out yet either.
Check out http://iphone.akamai.com using an iPhone or iPod touch to see HTTP streaming in action. If you don't use an iPhone or iPod touch you'll only see progressive (aka fast start) download.
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Kai Cherry said 9:53PM on 8-16-2009
LOL yeah that's it...Apple is making devs wait until their *downstream tech* that requires server-side hoop-jumping to work for apps that send data *out*.
Yes, sure, right that is what is going on.
Roberto said 10:15PM on 8-15-2009
Other smartphones keep looking increasingly more and more attractive.
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Chris Westergaard said 10:21PM on 8-15-2009
As a regular user of the MLB At Bat 2009 app, I can attest that not only can you stream 1-2 complimentary games per day, but if you subscribe on MLB.tv, you get access to watch every game.
However, the live video over 3G is not great quality. It gives you a little different experience than in game audio, but not by much. It isn't quite ready for prime time.
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Perspective said 10:52PM on 8-15-2009
All this crap about "abuse" is getting old. If you're dissatisfied with the service, cancel it, pay the ETF, and cite AT&T's issues as the reason. On the other hand, if you don't yet have an iPhone, and these things bother you, then just don't buy one. But seriously, don't buy a product you know is tied to AT&T, then complain about AT&T when they're just doing all the things we know AT&T is going to do.
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Dave said 7:07AM on 8-16-2009
Agreed, and I did half of that--I canceled the data portion of my AT&T account and put my 32 GB 3GS up on eBay. I'm hoping to sell it and pick up a iPod nano for my music needs, and bank the rest. While it was a cool phone with a lot of great features, I didn't use them enough to make it worth $30/month. The features I do use work better on the RAZR; namely, the speakerphone.
Luis said 2:09AM on 8-17-2009
@Dave
How did you cancel the data part of your phone package? There is no spot on the att website where you can detach the data from the phone plan. Also would this mean you could no longer use the WiFi? I never use the edge service on my 1G iPhone. I'm pretty much at home or near a WiFi signal. I would be able to save 30 bucks a month that I am throwing away!
Micah said 12:14AM on 8-16-2009
Sure lets all whine and cry about AT&T, but the reality is that all the apps streaming video to your phone (Youtube, MLB, etc.) look like crap. You don't have the bandwidth to stream anything worth watching. So what makes anyone think they would have be able to stream video from the phone that would be at a high enough quality to watch.
I am getting a little sick of the AT&T complaining. Nationwide it is no better or worse than any other carrier. I have lived in 3 different states in the last several years and had 2 different cell carriers. All suck equally as bad, so get over it. Either use your iPhone or go to another carrier and use another phone. Good luck with that.
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