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!
good point anon. i work at a development firm and we’ve decided not to release anything on iphone just yet. The ‘rules’ they enforce restrict the freedom of the developer and only alow us to make applications apples way. the app store is great for deployment but it should not be the only supported app delivery mechanism…. it is severely handcuffing developer imaginations.
At&t is doing this because it is the only network that offers the iphone in north america…. Such cowards
Sent via BlackBerry.
I do not beleive this. I find it hard to beleive that it won’t have at least a WIFI version of the Sling App.
We will wait and see. I think BGR got this one wrong.
a good reason why stay with WM
ATT Sucks, everyone knows it, but we have to use them… they know it… Bold already has the slingplayer… It is just a bunch of BS!!!!
ATT’s netork is the worst!!! drop calls EVERY day in Dallas…
So, if this “anonymous tipster” turns out to be wrong, do you all stop bashing AT&T? You people get your panties all in a bunch and trash everyone and everything over someone that provides a tip and doesn’t have the balls to attach a name to it. Oh, and by the way, streaming video/tv is against the AT&T AUP. You know, that stuff with all the words that you iPhoney users aren’t bright enough to read …
Ahhh AT&T, every time I start to think that the drawbacks to my 800W are too much you do things like this to remind me why it is still the best choice. It may not be perfect but Sprint, Palm and Microsoft could care less what I install on it.
I understand AT&T position. They can make enough money off of the iPhone without Sling so why sign up for the extra costs that won’t be made up in additional subscribers.
People will complain, see the comments here, but at the end of the day won’t leave their iPhone because of Sling.
I am curious if the poor man’s Sling, Hava, will face similar rejection.
Pat really? Please provide a link to this. AT&T on 4/3 did update their AUS to prohibit streaming video/tv but then removed that on 4/4.
So please provide a currrent link on AT&T’s website showing what you said. Thanks.
Woooooo gotta love NOT being an iphone owner! Man I feel good about myself!
the only reason i bought the iphone on 3/9/09 was because both sling and att had told me that it was to come out by end of march.
now my 30 day trial is up and no slingplayer? thats BS. If verizon could handle the sling on their network than att should be able to as well. I don’t hear people using the sling on other networks crying about their bandwith. I HATE ATT. MAYBE YOU SHOULD SEND A SPY OVER TO VERIZON AND FIND OUT HOW THEY DO IT, THIS WAY EVERYBODY’S HAPPY.
Also, using slingplayer only on wifi only be pointless to me because i having had the sling mobile for almost 3 years now mostly use it on broadband while food shopping or dining out or anywhere i may be w/o being restricted to wifi which is hardly available when i want to use my sling.
This is the perfect example of why most people won’t pay for this kind of news.
Repeat the rumor, with no idea whether it’s true or not, then just slap an update on the end that contradicts any reason to have run it in the first place, but it’s still there, generating misunderstanding and false assumptions.
This is not news, and that’s certainly not worth paying for someone to shovel out such poorly researched pieces. People have to stop thinking they have to be first out with a story, damn the accuracy.
If this is true, it really sours my view of AT&T. I’m very tempted to get rid of AT&T because of the recent moronic decisions they have made.
Why can’t we get unlimited data, that we can use as we wish for what we wish without someone else telling us what we can and can’t do with it.
This is a free fucking country. If I pay for it, I will do with it as I fucking damn well please. If you want to stop me, you are welcome to walk on to my property and knock on my door and attempt to FORCE me to follow your moronic and insipid rules. And I have the right to SHOOT YOU WHERE YOU STAND! Castle Doctrine, BABY!
^MadMike, you make me giggle. If you take a look at that contract you signed, you’ll notice that those “moronic and insipid rules” are exactly what you signed up for. Under that contract, we’re lucky AT&T lets us do anything with our devices at all!
That said, vote with your wallet. Switch to a carrier and a device that better reflects your ideals to get what you want. No matter what way you can find to manipulate AT&T’s system, if you’re sending them money, they’re still raping you.
Im not sure what the problem is with this issue if or potential customers want the slingbox for the iphone than by all means give it to them .
I already use slingplayer mobile for my windows 6.1 device and before that I had windows mobile’03 and they both work great on verizon mobile broadband. I only bought this iphone because i was told it was coming to iphone by april ‘09. This phone was purchased on 3/9/09 and slingmedia said it was “coming any day now” but, rumor has it that it was rejected by the app store!
I hope that is not true, because I love the iphone and would hate to have to give it up, but I dont need 2 phones ’cause I was giving my wife my verizon phone as soon as slingplayer was available on the iphone. TOO BAD AT&T HAS EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THIS WONDERFUL PHONE. If the iphone were available on other networks, sales would go through the roof as AT&T has limited the potential of this device because their 3g network is not as capable as say verizon to handle the bandwith of the impending load if the slingbox was used.
I’d say to AT&T “If you cannot allow the implementation of apps that require larger amounts of bandwith within a reasonable portion (lets say the same as verizon)than you breach the contract as to the exclusiveness of only having iphone on AT&T, in that, these limitations may affect the ability to compete and diminish the growth potential of this product due to your unwillingness to provide service that should be considered standard in the industry.”
I also sent this to apple’s feedback page
I already dumped the slingbox for their stupid policy of not supporting older hardware. I moved to a HAVA and am waiting for their player for iphone to come out. If AT&T and Apple do this, I am done with both. This has got to be the best experience I’ve had with a device, and the absolute worse experience I’ve had in terms of network support and price from a wireless carrier. I will go back to Sprint as soon as I can. The Palm Pre is starting to look really good now.
Well, while $ling has some downtime, maybe they could rebuild their application to work on legacy $ling hardware. This way, I can stop having to always type $ling with dollar sign.
@jonnybruha: contracts are like toilet paper. Because that’s about all they are good for. A substantial amount of all consumer “contractual agreements” are just wishful thinking and if ever tested, they will likely fail.
With that said, NO carrier in the US (or the world for that matter) will overtly allow you to do anything you want.
Just like AT&T’s faux pas with the “no user initiated redirection of video or tv” on its terms that was removed less than a week later. Legally, they can’t tell us what we can and can’t do on their network unless it’s already illegal. For instance, they can say “No child porn.” and that’s fine, because that’s an illicit activity. They can even say “No illegal p2p file sharing activity.”
But it’s improper for them to make the rules as stringent as they are, and if they ever flex that muscle and drop accounts, if they were sued, it would NOT stand up in court.
They are overstepping their bounds in hopes that people won’t fight the issue.
Hopefully the FCC will step in soon, and exact Net Neutrality.
This is unacceptable! I just retired my classic Sling for a SlingSolo just for the iPhone app! I hope AT&T loses the right to keep the exclusive on the iPhone, once it’s over, I’m gone!
Dookie.
???
I AM THIS() CLOSE TO LEAVING ATT IM PISED OFF
MY FRIEND HAS A SUCKY ATT PHONE THAT GETS LIVE TV PROVIDED BY ATT AND SLING BUT ME WITH THE MOST ADVANCED PHONE ON HE NETWORK NO LUCK..
Hello
I think underlying all the rumours, speculation, complaining and belly aching is this:
-both Apple and Sling have done a horrible communications job. Apple in a more general sense about it’s policies and process of reviewing and approving apps. Sling by extention of Apple’s poor communications has also done a horrible job of communication including info on the app and it’s half baked exchange program.I will assume at this point the carriers don’t have a “direct” imapact. This will be judged once the appis released.
These problems should exist in business period. The end result is pissed off potential customers.
If you look at Dataviz and it’s office program development for the iPhone-they may be slow but they have communicated progress and reported on it.
Very simple.
Anyone happy about the LTE iPhone comming to Verizon in 2010? There really is one going to be made for Verizon, and not on CDMA but LTE. I work for Verizon (up with the big dogs in NJ).
You guys are jumping the gun here.
I JUST SPOKE WITH JAY TANNENBAUM, of SlingMedia and asked him about the status. I informed him that a source had told us that the application had been denied. He said that that was incorrect and they expect it to be released very soon.
CHECK YOUR SOURCES BEFORE BASHING AND ASSUMING THE WORST.
Peace
what area of dc do you live in cause my signal is always strong?