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Apple Ups 3G Download Limit To 50 MB

On the heels of their big new iPad unveiling party, Apple has officially raised the size limit on apps downloaded via data network (3G, and now 4G LTE). Before, users could only download an app over 3...
Apple Ups 3G Download Limit To 50 MB
Written by Josh Wolford
  • On the heels of their big new iPad unveiling party, Apple has officially raised the size limit on apps downloaded via data network (3G, and now 4G LTE). Before, users could only download an app over 3G if it was under 20MB. If it exceeded that size, users would see a message that ever iOS’er is quite used to: “This item is over 20MB – You must connect to a Wi-Fi network or use iTunes on your computer to download it.”

    Now, that limit has been raised to 50MB, as first spotted by AppAdvice. This new limit now applies to all types of media – music, videos, and apps.

    The reason for this change most certainly has to do with the new iPad that was announced earlier this afternoon. It sports a super high-def Retina display with a 2048×1536 resolution. That means that Apple has crammed 3.1 million pixels into its 9.7-inch screen.

    This upgrade was reported to be a problem for over-the-air app downloads, as many files now had to be larger to support both the new Retina display as well as the older, less-capable displays. This meant that too many apps would cross that 20MB threshold and thus only be available for download via wireless.

    The new iPad will not only have the retina display, but will come with 4G LTE as well. It will hits stores on March 16th and will start at $499.

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