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Home > News > Apple > Personal Thoughts

December 14th, 2009, 09:48 GMT · By

'Not Supported on This iPhone'

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Nathan Peterson's Bluetooth Photo Share app “realizes” it's unable to satisfy your needs
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Don’t you just hate it when you come across an interesting (looking) app, download it, wait for it to be installed, and realize it’s not compatible with your iPhone / iPod? I know I do. A good example is Mr.Nathan Peterson’s Bluetooth Photo Share application, which, according to its maker, is compatible with every iPhone rolled out by Apple. Actually, it’s not.

Going by the app’s description, Bluetooth Photo Share (which, otherwise, should be a very handy application) works with first-generation iPhones. The requirements specifically call for "iPhone and iPod touch (2nd generation)," as well as OS 3.0. Knowing I was good for these specs, I went on and installed good-old Nathan Peterson's app on my first-generation iPhone (running OS 3.0.1).

When I tried to connect to another device via Bluetooth, it displayed the following message: "Not Supported on this iPhone." There’s a screenshot just above this paragraph depicting the particularly frustrating moment from my experience with the app. Click on it for a larger view.

Now, I’m not a developer or anything like that, but how do you craft an app knowing it’s not going to be supported on the first Apple iPhone, yet still allow it to run on that particular device model? The app basically rubs it in your face that Apple has been so ignorant as to not include Bluetooth file transfer as a standard. Even worse, how do you, as a developer, simply forget to mention this "slight" compatibility issue in your app’s description?

I would really like to say that developers should just try to be fair, or more careful, and post the restraints their apps come with, so that people like me don't waste any time downloading an app and testing it just to see it doesn't work.

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Nathan Peterson and Edwin Calo’s Bluetooth Photo share app featured in the iTunes App Store - inaccurate application requirements highlighted

I think I’ve stressed this just about enough, but I really don’t understand why Bluetooth Photo Share was not set to recognize the device type before the user attempted to show off their new handy app that allegedly allowed the iPhone to share photos with other phones. Now I'm not even sure who I'm more upset with - this developer, or Apple.

Anyway, as I was posting my negative review of the app (hitting the keys as hard as my fingers could endure), I also noticed that developers Nathan Peterson and Edwin Calo had a Bluetooth Fart app approved in the App Store. They describe it as the perfect tool to break the ice when you’re on a date. Indeed, there’s nothing better than breaking wind over an expensive bottle of Chardonnay. This should really ensure the continuity of our species, don’t you agree?

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Ana on 14 Dec 2009, 12:22 UTC reply to this comment

i imagine it was an annoying experience for you but for me it was very funny reading your post!


Comment #2 by: bb on 15 Dec 2009, 02:41 UTC reply to this comment

Obviously, the poor Apple App reviewers are so overworked now that they don't even have time to check out the developer's compatibility claims.


Comment #3 by: Eric on 30 Dec 2009, 04:06 UTC reply to this comment

Hi Filip,
I was not going to comment but it looks like your frustration is because you are confuse by the Generation iPhone terms by the Apple Requirement list.

When they talk about support by iPhone 2Generation or Later that actually mean iPhone 3G and later..
So all the bluetooth applications are supported by iPhone 2Generation or later meaning iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS..

You can see that here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iPhone_and_iPod_Touch_models

So First Generation is the one that is not supported and very likely the one you are facing problems with. I had this problem in the past so I imagine that's what you are seeing... I check their app and they actually mention in their description that it support iphone 3G and later only... ;-)

Comment #3.1 by: Filip Truta on 30 Dec 2009, 09:12 GMT

Eric, thanks for your input. You said "I check their app and they actually mention in their description that it support iphone 3G and later only... ;-)"

I'm sorry, I wish that was the case, but even after my post, they still have a confusing requirements list.

If you look carefully, it says "compatible with iPhone and iPod touch (2nd generation)", leaving many customers thinking the "2nd generation" account applies only to the iPod touch, whereas the developer should have mentioned "3G" and/or 2nd gen in brackets next to iPhone as well. Plus, second generation means iPhone 3G and the 2nd gen iPod touch, whereas the iPhone 3GS is supported (the iTunes imagery stands as evidence) - and that's a third-generation device.

So, the second generation thing does apply to both devices (iPhone and iPod touch), but I only found this out by wasting time downloading and installing the app on my first-gen iPhone (I even wasted some time restarting the device; many developers advise users to do so after installing an app).

I was hoping more readers would agree, but I can accept that your opinion also makes sense.

Bottom line is that those requirements are still not explicit enough.


Comment #4 by: Madrid on 05 Apr 2011, 06:31 UTC reply to this comment

Heh, I got this as well, but how do you delete the app

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