Is The Currently Mac-Only AirDrop File-Sharing Tool Getting Dropped Onto iOS 7?
June 3, 2013
Is AirDrop, the Wi-Fi ad-hoc service that Apple debuted in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion a couple of years ago, finally coming to iOS?
According to 9to5Mac, that may very well be the case as Apple is reportedly testing versions of iOS 7 that feature the service.
AirDrop is currently built into OS X as a drag-and-drop file-sharing tool between Mac computers on a Wi-Fi ad hoc network. And it's said to be undergoing evaluation for its potential inclusion in the upcoming major redesign of iOS.
As reported by 9to5Mac:
Sources say that the AirDrop functionality is currently integrated into the standard iOS share menu. AirDrop will work between two iOS devices and potentially between an iOS device and a Mac. The feature will make it easier than ever to transfer, for example, a photograph or document from one person’s iPhone to another person’s iPad.If and when it gets dropped onto iOS, AirDrop will make for hassle-free file sharing not only between one's own iOS devices, in which case iCloud syncing works fine. Rather, it will also do the job for iOS devices belonging to different users. But as pointed out by 9to5Mac, AirDrop, like any other feature under beta testing, may not make it to the new version of iOS and may be pushed back for a later release instead. We'll know if AirDrop is indeed included in iOS 7 when Apple unveils the highly anticipated software update at next week's WWDC. Apple's upcoming developer conference is also expected to be the venue for the announcement of the so-called iRadio.