The AppAdvice Week In Review

by Bryan M. Wolfe

September 9, 2012

Call it the drizzle before the storm. As Labor Day ended, Apple announced their own version of Christmas in September. As expected, Sept. 12 was scheduled as the day for Apple's fall event. Here are just a few of the stories we followed during the hectic week that was:

The stage is set

Leading up to the really big show, AppAdvice had you covered by reporting on all things Apple. First up: The original announcement Next: Your 2012 iPhone Trade-In Guide To get your juices flowing: Start Getting Excited: Apple Begins Yerba Buena iPhone Event Prep Other stories: Unlocked iPhone Displays Suggest T-Mobile Won't Carry The Sixth-Gen Handset, and New iPods Will Reportedly Be Introduced Along With The Next-Generation iPhone

No NFC

One of the features not likely to arrive on the next iPhone is near field communication, or NFC. Still, this doesn't mean Apple's soon-to-arrive app, Passbook won't function. Instead, the ticketing/payment app will be entirely software based. This means that Passbook will work on any iOS device dating back to the 2009 iPhone 3GS. In doing so, Apple hopes Passbook will make iOS apps related “to shopping and other retail transactions better, smarter, and more visible to users.” By the end of the week, Joe White reported that at least one airline was already getting ready for Passport. He stated:

One Australian airline – Virgin Australia – has already added Passbook support to its website, meaning iOS 6-equipped iDevice owners can store their boarding passes on their iPhone when purchasing tickets with the airline.

Amazon: Your Move, Apple

Think Amazon isn't committed to leaving their own mark on the tablet market? Think again. The largest online retailer on the planet announced the arrival of three new Kindle Fires - each priced so competitively that even Apple might have to blink. In my report, I suggested that Apple might be wise to lower the price of the iPad, and rethink their plans for the rumored iPad Mini. My main point: Apple doesn’t necessarily need to compete with Amazon on price to remain the tablet leader. Still, price will become much more important as new customers decide to jump into the tablet market which is still in its infancy. Therefore, some price adjustments might be necessary.

iTunes Music Streaming Nearing Launch

Pandora, and just about every other music service out there, could soon get some huge competition. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple could soon be getting into the streaming music business. Cupertino is said to be working on a custom radio service where customers can choose or create virtual “stations” based on their song or artist preferences. The unnamed service would likely work on iOS devices, and through a Web browser. My take: Apple would be wise to offer us something unique and exciting.

Recommending Reading

Wunderlist 2.0 To Arrive As Brand New App, As Wunderkit To Exit by yours truly looks at how 6Wunderkinder plans on reinventing themselves.

Zinio One-Ups Rival Magazine App Next Issue With New iPhone-Optimized Newsstand by Aldrin Calimlim explains Zinio's new focus.

ESPN Offering Angry Radio App Customers Full Refunds by yours truly proves that angry customers are sometimes listened to.

Apple Says It Didn’t Give Any UDIDs To The FBI by Brent Dirks offers Apple's response to the growing UDID problem.