With little fanfare, Apple has doubled the 10MB 3G download cap for iPhones to 20MB. Apple hasn’t offered any official reasoning regarding the change, but it’s likely that it is in preparation for the launch of the iPad.
The 10MB cap has been an annoyance for some time, since it prevents iPhone users from grabbing large files and applications when away from a Wi-Fi connection. Doubling the cap will help somewhat, but it’s still not enough to download a typical podcast episode. The move also hints at the potential size for future downloadable iPad media, like graphics-rich eBooks and the upcoming tablet version of the New York Times.
It makes me wonder how publishers are going to break up iPad content in general. When it comes to the NYT, 20MB isn’t enough if the paper plans to include video with the tablet version. Perhaps there may be an option to download the paper section by section, or a way to download the text and graphics content without bandwidth hogs like video and audio.
Apple needs to give publishers the tools to make these sorts of decisions. Kindle users are used to having unlimited access to content over that device’s built-in 3G connection without worrying about download limits. iPad users who spring for 3G access will surely want a similar trouble-free experience.
[Screenshot via Wired]
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