SlingPlayer for iPhone rejected at AT&T’s request?
Some feared it might happen, others thought it would pass with flying colors, but unfortunately we’ve got a tip that tries to shed some light on the situation. This was from an anonymous tipster and we’re posting it for information sake. We’ve already reached out to Sling Media PR, so in the meantime, while we wait, here’s what we’ve been told:
The application (SlingPlayer for iPhone) conformed to every single Apple guideline for applications and user interfaces, etc. The reason it was denied (actually denied today if our tipster is to be believed) was because of an executive decision on Apple’s end. AT&T had asked that the app be rejected due to worries about bandwidth consumption (this doesn’t make too much sense given that other devices has been using SlingPlayer Mobile for a long time…).
What do you guys think? We’ll update this when we hear more!
UPDATE: Sling says that they “have had no word from Apple.” Yay!
Just blown away by some of the comments.
” i’d rather have a less “cool” WinMo device on verizon and be able to do what i wish with it.”
Wow. Just wow. You are talking about the same feature-crippling Verizon we’ve all come to know and love now, right?
I’ve been on the WinMo side of the fence, and to do anything worthwhile with it involved a trip to xda-devs. To me, it’s a wash with jailbreaking on the iPhone.
Does everyone forget that Verizon could have HAD the iPhone but opted not to because they couldn’t CONTROL it enough? Everyone assumes the grass would be greener but jeeeeez… nothing Verizon has EVER done would support that. Yes, they have the best network… BECAUSE they leverage so much control over it. I’d bet you a million Schrute-bucks that if they had the potential for such a high number of Sling installs on their hardware in a short timeframe that Big Red wouldn’t let it fly.
Now, that all said, I’d love for AT&T to a) have a network that can handle that kind of usage and b) open the pipes for all. But unfortunately I do see their logic. If 2 people using Sling Player might affect 98 other voice/data users… yeah, they better be careful. They have enough problems in major cities as it is without streaming video in the mix.
If they reject it, I might just switch my service to that $99 plan from Sprint and get a phone that will work with my Sling box. Ive had phones that I had used before on AT&T network and it wasn’t a problem. I think we need to start a petition so that Apple does not extend their contract with AT&T, Then we would have the option to use the iphone on other network.
Am i surprised? Of course not, the ATT network is already overloaded… My friends couldn’t even get texts out last week in Dallas. Imagine a sling app running…
Americas Fastest Network at it’s finest.
This is totally due to ATT protecting mobile TV which will probably become available with the next version of the iPhone, or perhaps 3.0.
This is not going to help their negotiating position with respect to 2011.
heh, you guys are foolish if you think this wouldn’t happen on any other carrier.
Once again, AT&T just loves butt rapping you guys, and it seems that most of you take it with a smile month after month.
Good luck with that, and have fun circle-jerking each other to deal with the pain…
I wouldn’t be surprised. Apple seems pretty slow in adding slingplayer to the app store. Also, if Sling got the reject letter, it would be to their benefit not to inform anyone that the Apple app axe fell upon there necks. I mean, as long as all of those iphone and ipod touch users believe that the app has a possibility to be approved the Slings will continue to fly of retail shelfs.
VERIZON is the best freakin Phone call making provider in America!! I mean on the Planet!!!
Come on the bashing and the shit talking. To think that to cut down on bandwidth Verizon, who are the first to limit aircard usage and apply overages, would not do this is insane.
And remember that not everyone gets bad service with AT&T for everyone else. Verizon isn’t great everywhere in the country and Sprint and T-Mobile defiantly aren’t.
Everyone has the, “My friend Tito dropped call call yesterday” or “last Tuesday at 3:05 pm my phone lost coverage for 5 mins”, on every carrier.
this is exactly the kind of thing that has me excited to switch to the Palm Pre and Sprint the day it comes out! i hope Sling is working on a webOS version right now!
No official word from either company and you people are getting riled because Slingplayer might get rejected. Unrestricted, it might be a bandwidth hog. The iPhone has a pretty large screen and there are a heck of a lot of iPhones in use in major cities. It’s possible there might be a problem. Why should a few SlingPlayer uses grab all the bandwidth at the expense of the average user? SlingPlayer could be built with some low-resolution video allowed, but would anyone be happy with that. If the network isn’t robust enough, then SlingPlayer will not be allowed except on WiFi. That’s it. First and foremost the network is meant to be used to make and receive TELEPHONE calls. If it can’t do that then the network is basically useless.
But why beef about it before an official announcement. Probably nothing been decided as of yet. Rumors don’t mean a thing.
this post is crap “reporting.” non-reporting really. i talked directly with the Sling staff at MacWorld in January, asking about this, who said then specifically that it would be wifi only unless AT&T allowed it via 3G too, but they did not know if they would and maybe not.
so BoyGenius, before you whip up a frenzy get your facts straight. them’s the facts.
should AT&T allow it like other phones? sure. how much does it matter? not much. if i am going to watch TV for a while – news, sports, my favorite shows, whatever – i’ll want to be in one comfy place – my hotel room, a coffee shop, etc. – where wifi is available anyway. not walking down the sidewalk or driving my car.
I love how people always assume the worst.
Folks, AT&T and every other iPhone carrier is suffering under the strain of the data traffic. iPhone is responsible for a very disproportionate use of the data network. In France, Orange throttles the network speed automatically when it sees an iPhone. So the fear of Sling comes from the usage pattern of iPhone owners, which is distinctly different from other phone owners. The comment that they would allow it on WiFi may well be the resolution. Until we have WiMax or LTE, consider this kind of decision the norm, not the exception. 3G capacity is a significant limitation now that the devices are getting good like the iPhone.
I wouldn’t be surprised. Apple seems pretty slow in adding slingplayer to the app store. Also, if Sling got the reject letter, it would be to their benefit not to inform anyone that the Apple app axe fell upon there necks. I mean, as long as all of those iphone and ipod touch users believe that the app has a possibility to be approved the Slings will continue to fly of retail shelfs.
Here is another article saying, “Despite the fact that the Sling folks are saying that they don’t have a final word from Apple yet on acceptance of the SlingPlayer for iPhone, our sources suggest that the decision has been made and Sling is, in fact, buying time to see how they want to spin the rejection of the SlingPlayer for iPhone.”
LINK: http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13192&Itemid=1
Hrm if this is indeed true,I will seriously considering swapping back to Sprint when the Pre is released. I pay a set amount of money per month,to be able to use the web etc.Yeah im on the “unlimited plan”with a 5GB soft cap(?)..Ive had my Sling mobile on about 2 phones up till December when I got my iPhone. The months that I did have my WinMo phones running Sling…I never came close to a 5GB cap.Aside from restricting sites like Adult things etc,AT&T should have little to no say in how I use that data up to 5GB,then zing me afterwards if im a repeat offender.
Yeah I love the phone,and yeah I have no problems with the service (well not enough to make me want to rant about it),but this is the ONLY app that I have been waiting for.If this is indeed true…AT&T lost a customer ($96/month)and Sprint will regain another.
Apple and AT&T should cancel their exclusivity agreement so all these iPhones aren’t crashing their network constantly!
I have full 3G reception at my house on my Tilt and e71, but my brother with his iPhone barely gets 3G, calls dont connect, and gets dropped calls all the time but i do get way more dropped calls then say 6-8 months ago.
iPhags go home,
leave our network alone!!
The reason Apple rehected at ATT’s request is because Sling is owned by Charlie Ergan.
Charlie and ATT are no longer friends and ATT doesn’t want to help Charlie’s revenue in anyway
Lol @ first comment.
Japans 5G network>>>Any U.S Carrier.
;D
@fone_fanatic
I would have loved it if the iPhone would have been a CDMA phone.Its the only reason I..and im sure alot of other people went to AT&T.They obviously needed this phone to enlarge their customer base as im sure it was dwindling before this product.I do see alot of people complain about their service etc,but im not one of em.Yeah ive had my fair share of issues (lost/dropped calls,no data and so on),but ive had those same issues with other carriers also…it happens.
So calling iPhone owners iPhags,is alittle out of line considering if it wasnt for them,yeah you may have less load on ya network,,but ya probably would be far behind the worst ranked carrier atm.So think about it that way.They helped (and no not solely) AT&T become the juggernaut that they are
Once again, AT&T just loves butt rapping you guys, and it seems that most of you take it with a smile month after month.
Good luck with that, and have fun circle-jerking each other to deal with the pain…
It’s ironic that only days after Apple had their 3.0 beta announcement when they also announced that “…98% of iPhone software gets reviewed and approved usually within 48 hours” – and yet it’s been nearly 2 weeks since Sling announced their app had been submitted for approval and yet we’ve not had any official announcement either positive or negative.
Even though I’m anxious to be able to use my Sling boxes while on the road either in 3G and/or WiFi, I would be happy enough to be able to start using it as a WiFi only app and then hope ATT will concede to our gripes and allow 3G access also.
This is really bad. I have been waiting for SlingPlayer for a while for BlackBerry, and boy, does it work great. Now I have an iPhone 3G, and knew the app had been submitted to Apple and now this…
Alright, I’m gonna TETHER my ASS OFF using both phones.
I hope AT&T will reverse its decision. I don’t even feel bad for fucking them over every month anymore. HAHA
Oh yea, and I’ll jailbreak every phone and get PDANet for tethering.
This would have been SWEET for iPhone 3G owners like myself. I’ve owned SlingBoxes for years now, and you know, there went a LOT of time, effort, and money into developing and beta testing SlingPlayer for iPhone 3G.
At least, let us use WiFi. (so that we may hack the 3G part ourselves haha)
All you people hating on AT&T have it all wrong – If the blocked app rumor is true, yes it sucks that AT&T even has a say. But what sucks more is that APPLE has a say.
I don’t see RIM, Microsoft, Nokia, LG or whoever else telling you what apps you can and cannot install. Apple is a closed platform, you are not free to do with your phone what you want – and you should not buy it because of this.
Slingplayer is released on a number of other platforms, you can just download it and install it. You don’t need anyones permission. If you could not install applications on your MAC or PC without first asking Apples permission would you stand for this? Hell no – why stand for it on your phone?