Submitted by Thomas Estilow on
Screenshots of the long-awaited Sirius XM iPhone app have surfaced in a shareholder meeting presentation. The title of the slide is "Launching Apple iPhone/iPod Touch and Smart Phone Applications," indicating that a release is on its way for multiple platforms.
The application follows Apple's rejection over two months ago of the uSirius StarPlayr. The same streaming Sirius XM radio stations available to subscribers on the web will be available on the iPhone.
The XM Sirius app screenshot shows category browsing tabs, channels, favorites and a shopping tab which observers are expecting will link to the iTunes Store for music purchases.
The Sirius XM iPhone application will be free, however a subscription is required to hear content. Rates will be an additional $3 for current Sirius XM subscribers, or $13 a month for new members starting a subscription.
Development of the uSirius StarPlayr app was part of the StreamSmart project, which planned to release StarPlayr on a variety of mobile and desktop computing platforms by 2010. The company developing uSirius StarPlayer, NiceMac, had hoped to distribute between one and two million copies of the iPhone app within a year of its release.It's possible the official Sirius XM application will be even more popular since the app is selling for free.
Comments
Sam replied on Permalink
Are you sure this application is being developed by NiceMac? Back in February, word came out that NiceMac had to shut down their development of this application because of the Sirius Terms of Service for Sirius Internet Radio that say “You may not re-skin, re-package, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble SIRIUS Internet Radio, or construct a media player or interface that accesses SIRIUS Internet Radio.”
I would like to verify that it is indeed NiceMac’s uSirius StarPlayr, because if it is true we will have a much better idea of what to expect when the application is officially released. NiceMac’s uSirius StarPlayr was working really well and was packed with wonderful features when Sirius shut them down, so I really hope it is them that Sirius has hired to develop the official Sirius XM application.
Thomas Estilow replied on Permalink
The article has been updated because we confused two separate Sirius XM streaming apps as one. The uSirius StarPlayr was actually rejected by Apple and the app featured above is being developed by Sirius XM. Thanks Sam.