Although we still don't know when Apple will flip the switch on iCloud, the company finally announced a media event for its new iPhone next week, which likely means the fateful day is just around the corner -- so here's a recap on everything we know about it so far.
Tuesday, October 4 at 10am PST, the world will finally discover what Apple has up its sleeve with the next iPhone after the fifth-generation device was shifted out of its usual June timeframe and wiped out the traditional September music event. One thing is for sure: iCloud will be a big part of the festivities, but what do we really know about the service?
What Will I Get with iCloud?
Coupled with iOS 5, iCloud will make life a whole lot easier by syncing content between all of your devices with little effort from the user. The free iCloud service is made up of five components:
iTunes in the Cloud: Any music you've purchased through iTunes will always be available from any device, whenever and wherever you want it -- assuming you have an internet connection, of course, which applies to almost all iCloud functionality. Purchased music, apps, books and TV shows don't count against your 5GB free storage, but will of course take up space on whatever device you choose to download them to.
Photo Stream: Take a photo on one device and it magically appears on your others, without syncing or sharing. iCloud will store your last 1,000 photos, with new photos tucked away in the cloud for 30 days so you'll have plenty of time to connect via Wi-Fi and sync them back to your computer. Photo Stream images also don't count against the free 5GB of storage offered by iCloud.
Documents in the Cloud: Start a new iWork document on your iPhone and it will magically appear on your other devices, with changes pushed back and forth to whatever device you're using. These documents are stored in your 5GB of free storage, and third-party developers will also be able to tap into the feature.
Apps, Books and Backup: iOS 4.3.3 users have already gotten a taste of having their App Store and iBookstore purchases available at all times, but iCloud will add backup and restore for your photos and video in the Camera Roll, device settings, app data, home screen and app organization, text and MMS messages and ringtones so users can restore a device -- or even buy a new one -- and get up to speed via Wi-Fi, no computer syncing required. Apps and books don't count against your 5GB of free storage, but everything else listed here will.
Contacts, Calendar and Mail: Last but not least, these key features carried over from MobileMe will continue to be offered in iCloud, with their respective data backed up as part of the 5GB free storage for each user.
How Much Will It Cost?
Apple says iCloud will be free for iOS 5 and OS X Lion users -- which seems to hint there may be some sort of cost to use it on older software, assuming it's even possible (see below).
Each user will get 5GB of storage free, with the option to buy 10GB ($20 per year), 20GB ($40 per year) or 50GB ($100 per year) should you require it. Sure, there will be some who complain about these prices, but Apple argues that average users won't need more than 5GB anyway, and these plans are still a bargain compared to the $99 per year MobileMe users had to shell out for 20GB of storage.
Do I Need To Buy A New Device?
According to the fine print on Apple's iCloud page, you'll need a device capable of running iOS 5 in order to take advantage of all that cloud-based goodness. That means a minimum of iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third or fourth generation iPod touch or any iPad -- and presumably, whatever new device(s) Cupertino chooses to unveil next week.
On the computer side, a Mac running OS X Lion or PC running Windows Vista or 7 will be required, although there are indications Apple might provide an iCloud preference pane for at least Mac OS X Snow Leopard -- but if you haven't yet upgraded to Lion, this might be a good time to do take the plunge.
I'm A MobileMe User, How Will I Get iCloud?
Judging from developer experiences posted online, MobileMe users will be able to transition their accounts to iCloud when it's available, presumably via iCloud.com, a web portal similar to the one currently used by members at me.com. The new website will also give users web access to iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Find My iPhone.
Apple says active MobileMe accounts will move over to iCloud just fine, and you'll even keep your existing me.com or mac.com email address -- including the ability to add, delete or change email aliases, which will be available for MobileMe members that move to iCloud. Further details will be revealed when iCloud is ready for launch.
Does All of My MobileMe Stuff Come Along For The Ride?
Not quite. Apple has already publicly stated that iWeb publishing, Gallery and iDisk will be put out to pasture on June 30, 2012, but MobileMe users can continue to use these services until that time, even after transitioning their accounts to iCloud. iCloud will continue to offer the key sync features of MobileMe, including Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Find My iPhone and Back to My Mac, adding the iCloud-specific features outlined earlier.
Sadly, the arrival of iCloud will sound the death knell for several unloved .Mac/MobileMe features. After you move your account to iCloud, you'll no longer be able to sync Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items and System Preferences -- but should you choose to hold off on the iCloud transfer until MobileMe gasps its last breath on June 30, 2012, these functions will continue to work just fine until then.
What Happens To MobileMe On June 30, 2012?
That's the date Apple has targeted the service to go "swimming with the fishes," as it were. Data not pulled from published iWeb sites, Gallery albums and iDisk will presumably get wiped off the map, never to be seen again.
Newly appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook claims the company is listening to user complaints about these lost services and may consider adding them back over time -- but we'd suggest you follow the company's links above and make sure any critical data is off of these services prior to June 30, just to be safe.
How Does iTunes Match Fit Into iCloud?
Music fans are quite eager about iTunes Match, the "one last thing" Steve Jobs introduced at WWDC 2011, which developers have been putting through its paces. Although it's part of iCloud, iTunes Match requires an annual fee of $24.99, which sets it apart from the rest of the features.
So what does it do? iTunes Match allows Apple to "scan and match" your music library, then upload anything it can't identify so you'll always have all of your songs available from every device you own -- assuming you keep paying the annual fee, that is. Even better, matched tracks are downloaded from Apple's servers in pristine 256Kbps "iTunes Plus" quality, regardless of where (or how) you originally got them.
Of course, this service only works if iTunes has the tracks in question, but with more than 18 million possible tracks available, the chances are pretty good -- but if your music tastes lean toward the obscure, iTunes Match may not be a good match for you. (Get it?)
So When and How Can I Get iCloud?
No one knows for sure as yet, but there are at least a couple of moving parts involved. For OS X Lion users, an update to 10.7.2 will likely be required to install the preference pane necessary for syncing data. Developers have already been hard at work squashing bugs on this update and preparing their own third-party apps to be compatible with it.
Likewise, updates will also be necessary for iPhoto (to sync with Photo Stream), Apple TV (ditto), iTunes 10.5 and even iWork for iOS, not to mention iOS 5 itself, which is likely to hit the streets a day or two before the next iPhone is in stores, if history is any indication. There will likely even be an update to Safari for syncing Reading List items between the Mac and iOS, and let's not forget a new Windows component for our PC-loving friends as well.
Stay tuned to MacLife.com to find out when iCloud is available and ready for the masses -- or you can head over to Apple's website and sign up to be notified when it launches. But just between us, we'll probably let you know before they will...
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