3G mobile phones are headed for some major changes with developments currently underway.
The development of 3g mobile phones technology continues unabated. The recent iOS update for the iPlayer app brought iPhone support and 3G streaming
For instance, the growth of mobile and tablet iPlayer viewing has been sharp in 2011. In October, 16.5m programmes were watched on these devices, up 129% year-on-year.
The key factor in this growth was the launch of native iPlayer apps for iPad and Android in February 2011. Previously, the catch-up TV service had been available as a mobile website.
Figures released by the BBC when it launched the iPhone version earlier in December claimed the existing app had been downloaded 1.5m times on iPad and 1.2m times on Android.
The 500,000 new-user iOS installs since indicates that iPlayer is now well past the 3m mark for downloads in the UK alone – BBC Worldwide’s separate global version is available elsewhere in the world.
The iPlayer’s Android app has not yet been updated with the 3G streaming feature. Danker says it’s coming, but that there are a few performance issues to iron out before the app is ready for release. Even so, launching the original iPlayer app simultaneously on iOS and Android in February was a reflection of the BBC’s public service remit.