Finding My iPhone for free
When I commented on the possibility that some MobileMe services could go free, I didn’t think it would be Find My iPhone.
But you can now find, message and remote wipe any device running iOS 4.2 or above – for free. You can only set this free service up with an iPhone 4, iPad or 4th gen iPod touch, but after this you can enable it for older iOS devices as well, as Lifehacker points out.
It’s a “nice to have for free” feature, although I’m not sure it will draw in more paid users to MobileMe, if that is Apple’s intention.
But how long will Apple keep the remaining MobileMe services as paid, when other smartphone users get email and sync services thrown in gratis?
Yes, I know you can use Google for free email and sync, but I’m thinking Apple can add to the ease of use: buy device, create iTunes account, have email, sync and app/music/tv purchasing all set up. That it what Apple are good at, isn’t it?
Are some MobileMe services to go free?
MacRumors is reporting that some MobileMe services may be made free, based on text found in the iOS 4.2.1 beta firmware.
The evidence comes in the form of a new private framework known as AppleAccounts.framework that includes a series of device-specific error messages referring to free MobileMe accounts.
This would be a great move by Apple. Offering some or all of these for free will be a welcome service for iOS and Mac owners, and tie those users further in to the Apple ecosystem.
I currently use Google for email, and syncing calendar and address book data. While Gmail is flawless, I often encounter errors syncing calendars from iCal, and Address Book fields do not always map correctly to Google Contacts.
So I wonder what Apple will offer for free? Even if it’s just syncing Contact and Calendars, I’ll be happy. The other services you get with MobileMe are syncing Safari bookmarks and Notes, Photo Galleries, Find My iPhone and iDisk. And don’t forget email.
A final thought: what if *all* those services go free, and the paid MobileMe allows you to wirelessly sync music and video?
Comparing Google Sync and MobileMe
Google’s over-the-air synchronisation tool – Google Mobile Sync – launched this week, enabling sync between your Google account and your mobile phone. Here’s a quick comparison to Apple’s OTA sync service, MobileMe.
