The past two days have been dominated by the announcement that Spotify is coming to the iPhone. Hopefully. It all depends on Apple, and whether they’ll let it through.
Let’s assume, for the sake of example (and hope), that Apple do indeed allow Spotify into the app store. Will users even be allowed to use it? Like the AT&T deal in the States, the iPhone is tied to a single network in the UK: O2.
Tucked away in the O2 terms and conditions, if you can be bothered to look, is this bombshell:
You may not use your SIM Card:
- in, or connected to, any other device including modems;
- to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content, enable Voice over Internet (Voip), P2P or file sharing; or
- in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other O2 customers.
We’ve all been talking about whether Apple will allow it, but will O2? I’ve been in touch – hopefully we can find out.
9 Comments
O2 already allow users to stream audio with Last.fm and video with YouTube on the iPhone, I can’t see why they wouldn’t allow Spotify if they’re already allowing things that go against their T&Cs.
Apple has allowed numerous music streaming services on to the app store before. I use Radiobox, and then there’s Last.FM’s app.
I think the issue here is that Spotify will allow you to sideload playlists for offline viewing. Something that would render your iPod a bit surplus.
Crazy, I thought this was the idea of 3G. We keep getting told of the wonders of mobile broadband only it would seem to only exist as look but don’t touch.
Good luck guys
well seeing as O2 doesn’t ban or stop existing apps from VoIP companies and lets users stream from Internet radio stations, I’d expect this is more a case of its terms and conditions being outdated. And of course, according to those clauses, you are not allowed to use YouTube – one of the pre-installed apps on the O2 iPhone.
Still, you can never really predict how an operator will respond to competition
Presumably, though, syncing an offline playlist is fine?
Therefore, you can detect network type and only allow syncing when on 3G, but streaming + syncing otherwise.
You’d think so. Wonder if we’ll end up with Apple saying syncing is forbidden, while o2 says streaming is forbidden?!
Well there’s an offline mode that allows you to download playlists when connected to WiFi, so I can’t imagine Spotify getting a headache over this issue.
I’m no great fan of Apple or O2, but I hope your spot is just a technicality that’ll be overlooked… AT&T might have some Apple juice, but O2 perhaps don’t have the same clout to influence Apple’s app approval proccess.
Thanks for the link btw. Enjoying the site