So Apple is letting Bitcoin back in.

[ChuckStrawberry]

I'd imagine nearly no one is buying Android phones because you can get a Bitcoin app for them.

No, they're buying Android phones for just about every other reason (approx 80% marketshare according to IDC [1])

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-v-android-market-share-2014-5

[Intaryna]

I'd imagine nearly no one is buying Android phones because you can get a Bitcoin app for them.

No, they're buying Android phones for just about every other reason (approx 80% marketshare according to IDC [1])

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-v-android-market-share-2014-5

Most of the "reasons" being money. Android phones are mostly sold to the "unwashed masses" who just want a cheap phone and get some low/medium spec Android phone with their contract. You cannot really compare something sold in 200 models and 50 price points to something sold in 5 models and 5 price points. It will be like saying people buy more Toyotas than Mercedes. Well, of course they do.

Here's another data point: this 80% of marketshare is reversed when considering profits.

[DhaniBoy]

Maybe they realized that Bitcoin users who are serious about carrying cryptocurrencies around on a tablet were going to switch to Android. The Blockchain app is back in their store. http://www.wired.com/2014/07/blockchain-back/?mbid=social_fb

i think Apple is realize that bitcoin is become a financial solution for every people in the world, so they make bitcoin app in their store back again, bitcoin will become unity of the world currency ...

[Mobius]

This is a great thing! I really do prefer Apple over Android and Windows phones! I think it is easier to use. People with Android phones always have tons of extensions showing them their CPU usage and memory footprint. I don't want to take care of those things if I'm using my freaking phone. It should just work and be fast and simple!

I think a lot of people prefer the iPhone to an Android. The iPhone is generally safer to use as anyone can create and public an app for Android phones (and there is no vetting process for the apps). As a result there are a large number of apps that contain malware that will steal data and do other harm. There are almost no (if not none) similar apps for the iPhone.

[TheGalacticHacker]

This is a great thing! I really do prefer Apple over Android and Windows phones! I think it is easier to use. People with Android phones always have tons of extensions showing them their CPU usage and memory footprint. I don't want to take care of those things if I'm using my freaking phone. It should just work and be fast and simple!

I think a lot of people prefer the iPhone to an Android. The iPhone is generally safer to use as anyone can create and public an app for Android phones (and there is no vetting process for the apps). As a result there are a large number of apps that contain malware that will steal data and do other harm. There are almost no (if not none) similar apps for the iPhone.

Sure. Continue believing that.


Funny you should mention speed. I have a Nexus 5 and a Nexus 7 running Android L, and they both out-speed iThingies..

[BSIG]

Good to hear it , using the old blockchain app for now. 

I heard of Bither and another wallet app, bitwallet.

[TRYpolar]

Good to hear it , using the old blockchain app for now. 

I heard of Bither and another wallet app, bitwallet.

The new blockchain.info app for the iPhone is more secure. It forces you to setup a pin that you must enter anytime you open the app. So if someone were to steal your phone they will not be able to steal your BTC.

[troleybüs]

Apple saw that they need Bitcoin. They should be in the competition. I'm Android user but this is good news.

[BSIG]

Trypolar,

I didn't know of it, I'll check it.

Does it allow for frugal miner fee when sending coins?

Thanks.

[jaberwock]

(Reuters) - China has prohibited government agencies from purchasing Apple Inc hardware products due to security concerns, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing government officials familiar with the matter.

You can say many things about the chinese's government behavior related to internet, but not that they are dumb.

For me is good that Apple wants by its own will stay away from Bitcoin

[Light]

Funny you should mention speed. I have a Nexus 5 and a Nexus 7 running Android L, and they both out-speed iThingies..

Well Apple has a tendency to skimp on the hardware and just make the OS and the phone itself look slick. You have to admit they do a good job on their marketing gimmick getting a diehard fanbase who will wait all morning for hours in a queue to give them money. Although I own Apple products, I dislike them a lot simply for their shitty value and the fact they've swindled the market.

[Cenenigo]

I'd imagine nearly no one is buying Android phones because you can get a Bitcoin app for them.

No, they're buying Android phones for just about every other reason (approx 80% marketshare according to IDC [1])

[1] http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-v-android-market-share-2014-5

On the other hand there's a large portion of android users that really aren't participants in its app economy. At this point the value the iOS market presents to developers equals Android and the cost and hassle of developing for iOS is significantly less. Android winds up being a haven for techies who want to run task managers and antivirus on their phones, people who religiously hate Apple and people who want to spend as little as possible on a smartphone.

[Jubettarr]

Be warned, the security of this app is not great. It stores your Blockchain.info password and your app's PIN in plaintext on your phone, retrievable over USB. It also stores an encrypted copy of your Bitcoin wallet right next to the plaintext password (which can be used to decrypt the wallet). I haven't checked, but I imagine these files might be included in iTunes backups of the device too.

The sandbox keeps it safe from other apps, but you are 100% insecure on a jailbroken device.

They did add a new PIN lock to the app, but again this is not used to encrypt your private key and is only a UI lock.

That does sound pretty poor. However, if the app stores its data in /Documents and you have a lock on your phone (preferably complex passphrase / touch ID) then the app's data should be encrypted on your device.

Didn't the recent "scandal" about those usb "backdoor" services show that this isn't good enough; you need to set those explicit NSFileProtectionComplete attributes?

The usb "backdoor" applies only to computers you have specifically authorized by unlocking the phone and tapping "trust this computer." If you can unlock the phone, you could just transfer yourself the contents of the bitcoin wallet anyway.

[666uazan]

Be warned, the security of this app is not great. It stores your Blockchain.info password and your app's PIN in plaintext on your phone, retrievable over USB. It also stores an encrypted copy of your Bitcoin wallet right next to the plaintext password (which can be used to decrypt the wallet). I haven't checked, but I imagine these files might be included in iTunes backups of the device too.

The sandbox keeps it safe from other apps, but you are 100% insecure on a jailbroken device.

They did add a new PIN lock to the app, but again this is not used to encrypt your private key and is only a UI lock.

That does sound pretty poor. However, if the app stores its data in /Documents and you have a lock on your phone (preferably complex passphrase / touch ID) then the app's data should be encrypted on your device.

Didn't the recent "scandal" about those usb "backdoor" services show that this isn't good enough; you need to set those explicit NSFileProtectionComplete attributes?

The usb "backdoor" applies only to computers you have specifically authorized by unlocking the phone and tapping "trust this computer." If you can unlock the phone, you could just transfer yourself the contents of the bitcoin wallet anyway.

Well, if you have access to an unlockable phone, this would get you access to the Blockchain app's data despite the app's PIN lock

[Dawnbreaker]

Maybe they realized that Bitcoin users who are serious about carrying cryptocurrencies around on a tablet were going to switch to Android. The Blockchain app is back in their store. http://www.wired.com/2014/07/blockchain-back/?mbid=social_fb

Wow wow wow, slow it down, ghost of Steve Jobs!

[Riniaiokl]

Perhaps this time they didn't blatantly violate Apple's rules by including major functionality that was completely hidden until enabled on the server, and not turning that on until after review. Apple wants to review the app users are going to see.
Previous discussion from back when that happened: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7194085

That may be the case, but did any of the banned Bitcoin apps actually try to do IAP? How would Bitcoin IAP work, given the lack of inter-app communication in iOS?

It's probably more a case of IAP being the only sanctioned way to pay for digital services inside apps, with bitcoin transactions being a way to bypass the entire 30% cut that Apple takes for IAPs.

[Tenarlty]

Perhaps this time they didn't blatantly violate Apple's rules by including major functionality that was completely hidden until enabled on the server, and not turning that on until after review. Apple wants to review the app users are going to see.
Previous discussion from back when that happened: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7194085

That may be the case, but did any of the banned Bitcoin apps actually try to do IAP? How would Bitcoin IAP work, given the lack of inter-app communication in iOS?

It's probably more a case of IAP being the only sanctioned way to pay for digital services inside apps, with bitcoin transactions being a way to bypass the entire 30% cut that Apple takes for IAPs.

No more than credit cards, PayPal, etc. are. Both methods would result in your app being rejected, so Apple has nothing to fear there.

[Jacobit]

It is a slight joke with exaggeration.

[Mobius]

Be warned, the security of this app is not great. It stores your Blockchain.info password and your app's PIN in plaintext on your phone, retrievable over USB. It also stores an encrypted copy of your Bitcoin wallet right next to the plaintext password (which can be used to decrypt the wallet). I haven't checked, but I imagine these files might be included in iTunes backups of the device too.

The sandbox keeps it safe from other apps, but you are 100% insecure on a jailbroken device.

They did add a new PIN lock to the app, but again this is not used to encrypt your private key and is only a UI lock.

That does sound pretty poor. However, if the app stores its data in /Documents and you have a lock on your phone (preferably complex passphrase / touch ID) then the app's data should be encrypted on your device.

Didn't the recent "scandal" about those usb "backdoor" services show that this isn't good enough; you need to set those explicit NSFileProtectionComplete attributes?

The usb "backdoor" applies only to computers you have specifically authorized by unlocking the phone and tapping "trust this computer." If you can unlock the phone, you could just transfer yourself the contents of the bitcoin wallet anyway.

You would still have some amount of time to access your blockchain wallet and transfer it to another, safe BTC address while someone who has stolen your phone tries to figure out the code to unlock your phone and get your phone to "trust" their computer.

[kerimk2]

I've already left apple for this sole reason. I have now realised how much better android is, although it is extremely insecure, as one bad apk downloaded means all your wallet passwords would be stolen and used. Thats why I don't keep any more than 0.01 on my phone wallet at any time. I use xapo.com's vault for long-term storage.