Rumour: iPhone getting remote iTunes streaming?

Apple may be working on a software update allowing iPhone and iPod touch users to remotely access their home computer’s iTunes library when out and about. A new patent filing suggests that rather than actually moving whole digital music files onto a portable device, future versions of iTunes could sync across only tiny metadata files containing just the basic info of each song, video and photo - allowing a user’s entire library to be viewed on the device.

Of course the files themselves aren’t on the device, so when the user accesses a particular tune or movie clip, the iPhone or iPod would use Wi-Fi or 3G to retrieve it from his or her home computer (which of course would have to be switched on and connected to the Internet).

Sounds good to us, although we don’t expect to see it become a reality until connections are fast enough to allow near-instant access of these remote files - after all, nobody wants to sit around twiddling their thumbs while the song they’ve just selected slooooowly downloads to their iPod.

Apple (via AppleInsider)

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