iPad Updates: Can They Do Without iTunes?
That’s the question many of us are asking after Apple has moved a step closer to declaring the major changes that it has made to its iOS software. It’s this software that is used for both iPhones and iPads; hence naturally millions of users world over are keeping an eye on any bit of news regarding this. And according to recent reports there are talks of iPad Updates being sent to different devices directly, without having to go through the present process of downloading them to iTunes first. Will it work, time will tell.
The reason there’s some speculation and doubt about this piece of news is the fact that to carry iPad Updates over the air, Apple would have to get into deals with carriers all over the world. It would be necessary if Apple intends to push some heavy updates over mobile networks that can often be fragile and weak. And it would be interesting to see how that works out although Apple does have another option of letting users download updates from Wi-Fi networks. And given that some updates can run up to a few hundred megabytes, it would make practical sense.
Apple might find it a task to get into deals with carriers and convince them to let users download updates as unmetered downloads. Otherwise users will find their monthly plans going haywire only for downloads. 3G seems to be already flooded with music and app downloads; hence it doesn’t seem like Apple will think 3G when it comes to iPad updates. So can users get their updates without resorting to downloads from iTunes? If Apple manages to strike a brilliant deal with one of the carriers or uses Wi-Fi networks, why not? It has pulled out many tricks out of its bag in the past.