iPhone Hardware Accessories Can Trigger App Download Prompt

We already knew that iPhone accessories could be controlled by apps thanks to iPhone OS 3.x, but what we didn't know is what happens when said accessory is plugged in without the corresponding app installed.  According to iLounge, accessories are able to trigger an app download prompt, making the process as simple and painless as possible.

When connecting such an accessory to an iPhone or iPod touch for the first time, an alert box labeled “Application Not Installed” appears, informing users that the accessory requires an application which is not currently installed, and asking if they would like to install the application from the App Store.  Upon acceptance, the iPhone or iPod touch then takes users to a new “For This Accessory” page on the App Store, with a direct link to the necessary app’s listing, from which they can download and install the application.

As iLounge notes, there is little doubt that this new feature was introduced as part of iPhone OS 3.0, but accessories utilizing the feature are only now becoming available.  So, Griffin's iTrip is merely the first example of what's to come. [Image via iLounge]

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