Apple to launch standalone podcast app with iOS 6
Apple is said to be prepping a full-on, standalone app just for podcasts
Apple will launch a brand new, standalone podcast app with iOS 6, according to a new report Friday. Podcasts will reportedly be removed from the iTunes mobile app and given their own standalone app, similar to the iBooks mobile application.
The news comes by way of a reliable source who indicated that the recent disappearance of podcasts from the newest iTunes mobile app is a sign that podcass will be removed permanently from iTunes as a whole. The move will reportedly start with iTunes on mobile devices and will spread to desktop versions of iTunes in the coming months.
As a brief refresher for those who don’t know, podcasts are pre-recorded video and audio programs that you can listen to via iTunes or other podcast apps. There are thousands of types that cover hundreds of different topics including technology, cooking, and astronomy, amongst other things.
So just what features will this new podcast app sport? At this point, there isn’t much to go on, but the source claims the podcast app will offer iPhone users a completely revamped podcast listening experience. It will supposedly let users discover, download and play podcasts as well as live internet stream.
While we obviously can’t verify the report, AllThingsD has been right many times in the past, so this report is likely spot on. Apple’s upcoming app should in many ways resemble something like Pocket Casts when and if it launches. As someone who listens to quite a few podcasts, this is really what I’m hoping for.
Overall, the whole podcast syncing and streaming process could use some simplifying, so I hope Apple can pull it off. It really depends on how they do it though, so we’ll just have to see.
When reached for comment regarding the possible podcast app, Apple characteristically declined to comment. With the fall just a few months away, though, we’ll find out more soon I hope.
Source: Engadget
In: Smartphone · Tagged with: Apple, launch, podcast, standalone