UPDATE: We’ve snagged the first official peep at the Spotify iPhone app. Get a look at the first screenshots of it in action and see what the future of mobile music looks like!
The spiffy Spotify iPhone app has finally broken cover, and looks simply astounding. It’s set to revolutionise the way iPhone owners listen to music on the go, but here are ten things you might not know about the hottest iPhone app yet.
It’s a premium app, for premium people
Oh, come on! You didn’t think Spotify was going to give this beauty away did you?! The app itself might be free, but you’ll have to be a Spotify premium member to actually use it. Of course, there are a range of pricing options including day passes that start at 99p for all the music you can cram into your ears.
Album artwork can control lists
Forget boring lists. The Spotify iPhone app lets you flick through album artwork when playing a list or listening to a track from search results. Just swipe across the iPhone’s screen, and the Spotify app will skip to the next track in the list.
It’ll be available before Android
Spotify Android app is still in development, while the iPhone version has streaked ahead and is now entangled in Apple’s approval process. We’ve caught sight of the Spotify Android app before, and it looks just as swish as the iPhone version, but for now it’s lagging behind Apple’s device.
Video: See the Spotify iPhone app in action
Offline access is super-smart
Spotify can cache playlists so you can still listen to music even while offline. However, you can switch to Offline Mode even if your iPhone actually has a web connection. Spotify says it’ll let people without unlimited data tariffs cache up songs while at home, then head out the door and continue listening without impacting their mobile bill. All you need to do is tell the Spotify iPhone app which playlists you want to be available offline.
Last.fm left out
The desktop version of Spotify lets you scribble tracks to Last.fm, building up your profile and bulking up your listening history. However, that function has been left out of the first version of the Spotify iPhone app.
iPod touch support confirmed
The Spotify iPhone app isn’t limited to the iPhone, it’ll also work on the iPod touch! Fire it up as usual and it’ll let you stream music using Wi-Fi. If you want to take those songs on the road with you, just switch to offline mode and the Spotify app will suck them out of the iPod touch’s memory instead.
3G streaming is go!
Unlike some apps (Skype, Slingplayer, we’re looking at you) the Spotify iPhone app is designed to work with 3G connections. That means you can stream songs regardless of Wi-Fi connections, and keep listening pretty much anywhere.
Auto-resume included
If you quit the app, it’ll remember which track you were listening to, and where you were when you quit. Great news for anyone working their way through epic prog rock albums, or maybe audiobooks such as Free, by Chris Anderson.
That syncing feeling
Your Spotify account automatically keeps the desktop app and the iPhone app in sync. That means when you build a playlist on the go it’ll be waiting on your desktop when you get home. Likewise, if you build a playlist at home, it’ll instantly be waiting in your pocket.
It’s available worldwide! Sort of…
Spotify is releasing the Spotify iPhone app in all countries that can currently use the desktop app. That means you’re in luck if you’re in the UK, or across Europe but it’s bad news for America, where Spotify has yet to launch, and which won’t see the iPhone app at all.
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