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Smartphones and Cell Phones

Matthew Miller
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Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch

By | August 26, 2010, 5:53am PDT

Summary: Netflix is an extremely popular application on the Apple iPad and now we see it being released for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can stream video over 3G and WiFi.

One of my most used applications on the Apple iPad is the Netflix streaming video player. I just read over on Boy Genius Report that Netflix is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. The official press release details the release today. The Netflix app (iTunes link) is free, but you will need a Netflix account (starting at just $8.99 per month) to stream video content. The great thing is that this account includes one physical DVD per month and unlimited streaming of movies.

With this Netflix app you can stream your live queue via WiFi and 3G. Video content includes both movies and TV shows and as Netflix gets more popular they are adding newer content too. You have full control over the streaming video too and can fast forward and rewind as you like. You can even start watching on your TV at home (through a device like the Xbox 360 or Roku) and then pick up right where you left off on your iPhone or iPod touch.

I won’t get a new iPhone because I am not going back to AT&T, but may take a look at the expected new iPod touch devices that should be announced next week. I personally would love to see Netflix for Android so I could enjoy my content on the EVO 4G with the cool kickstand.

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Topics

NetFlix Inc., Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, Apple iPod Touch, Web Site Development, Corporate Communications, Web Technology, Digital Video, Digital Music, Smart Phones, Digital Media, Internet, Marketing, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.

Disclosure

Matthew Miller

Matthew is a professional naval architect by day and a mobile gadget freak at all other times. He purchases his own devices and then sells them on eBay or Craigslist to buy more. Many other devices are sent for review on a 30-day loaner basis and then returned to the carrier or manufacturer. If any are provided as “long term loaner units” this will be clearly disclosed in his reviews.

Biography

Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller started using a mobile devices in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since. He is a co-host with GigaOM's Kevin Tofel on the MobileTechRoundup podcast and an author of three Wiley Companion series books. Matthew started using mobile devices with a US Robotics Pilot 1000 and has owned over 125 different devices running Palm, Linux, Symbian, Newton, BlackBerry, iOS, Android, webOS, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone operating systems. His current collection includes an HTC Radar 4G, Dell Venue Pro, Apple iPad 2, HTC Flyer, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nokia N9, Apple iPhone 4S, MacBook Pro, and many more, along with tons of accessories and classic devices like the Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 and Sony CLIE UX50. Matthew can be found on various discussion forums under the user name of "palmsolo".

Talkback Most Recent of 11 Talkback(s)

  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    Netflix has been actively hiring Android developers.
    It should be coming soon to Android, don't worry
    ZDNet Gravatar
    ekeefe41
    26th Aug 2010
  • Gotta throw that AT&T Jab in every time don't ya.
    We all know you don't like them and want to continue to spread the FUD their network is crap in the hope that people will think it is crap everywhere. For once I would like to see a ZDNet blogger report information leaving their personal bias and hate talk out of it.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bobiroc
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    I have it on my iPad and it works pretty well. Don't know why all these folks are down on AT&T. I've had it for years and never had many problems with the network or their customer service. Maybe it's just where I live. Didn't know this was available for the iPhone. Will try it and see.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Joe Dufflebag
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    @Joe Dufflebag

    Don't you know it is the cool thing to do when you are a blogger. Take something you don't like and may have had a problem or two with based on other factors. Then slam that product and make it seem like it is a wide spread problem affecting the entire universe.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bobiroc
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    @Joe Dufflebag - As with any hugely successful launch, there were some areas ATT couldn't keep up with extra bandwidth demand. I am in an area where Verizon is considered a stronger vendor, but my iPad has great connectivity. No complaints from me. When my BB contract is over, I'm likely to get an ATT iPhone.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    joetaxpayer
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    Don't you know it's the cool thing to do when you comment on a blogger's post. Take a post you don't like and may have had a problem or two with based on other factors. Then slam that blogger and make it seem like a wide spread problem affecting the entire blogosphere.

    happy
    ZDNet Gravatar
    vulcan666
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    @vulcan666

    Sorry, I guess I should have been more specific and said most of the ZDnet bloggers because lately most of them act that way. I meant it to be implied by my comment but I should have been more clear.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bobiroc
    26th Aug 2010
  • Netflix is "OK" on the Ipad, but far from perfect
    My complaints about Netflix on the Ipad:

    - Too slow - basically just a web site interface with a spinning graphic that appears after every action, and takes too long to complete.

    - Lots of stuff not available - half the stuff I want to watch is not available via the Ipad - you need to get a physical DVD sent in order to watch it.

    - Streaming is glitchy and sometimes unwatchable. It usually happens near the end of a show or movie you're watching, when all the sudden the show refuses to continue, and apparently the stream goes dead. You can pause/unpause a thousand times and it won't restart the stream no matter what. This totally destroys the experience and ruins the show/movie. Since streaming is the #1 most important thing the Netflix app does, don't you think they would work to make it near-perfect?!

    - Many "normal" things missing, like an inability to rate shows/movies. You can see ratings, but you can't create them.

    I'm disappointed by these faults, because they are fairly major, and I really, really wanted to like using Netflix on the Ipad.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Speednet
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    You absolutely need Netflix for Android. In case you don't have Google TV, you couldn't have this aspect of your life not spied on by Google. Make sure Google knows everything about you.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    jorjitop
    26th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    totally cool watched part of my first movie, no problem with 3g, though sometimes I will also watch movies that ripped by iFunia DVD ripper from DVDs or somewhere, this movies enjoying experence really sucked me.
    ok i still use another app to deal with my que
    BUT why now, they had this for a long time (by rumor)
    i think its strategic, that apple will be putting out a streaming system next week to compete

    why do the movie companies let netflix do a supscription service and not apple, is it to build up a defense to counter apple

    apple must be doing something BIG
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Janet99
    27th Aug 2010
  • RE: Netflix now available for the iPhone and iPod touch
    Netflix launched its iPhone and iPod touch client. The application, which has been available on the iPad for a few months and was announced in June, lets Netflix subscribers stream movies and T.V. shows from their "Instant Queue," down to their device. High Tech Gadgets - http://www.gizmos360.com/
    ZDNet Gravatar
    kristain77
    27th Aug 2010

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