Edible Apple

Some of the biggest iOS announcements Apple made last week have to do with cutting the proverbial cord. For the first time since the original iPod debuted in 2003, Apple’s portable devices can now be activated without first tethering it to a computer. More than that, iOS 5 will now enable over the air updates over wi-fi.

Not only is this convenient, but it will apparently help the mass of users who rarely if ever sync their iPhones once they get it up and running.

Writing for AgileBits, David Chartier writes:

A little birdie says that about 50 percent of Apple Store customers who need to get their iPhones swapped have never plugged them into iTunes after the initial activation and sync. This is a big reason, according to this birdie, for why Apple Store Geniuses are excited about iCloud.

That’s a shockingly low number, especially for a guy like me who has to sync at least a few times a week – gotta keep on those Podcasts after all.

And to be fair, it’s entirely possible that the subset of customers who need to get their iPhones swapped out are, on average, perhaps less tech savvy than the reset. Or maybe most people just don’t feel the need to ever sync or update their devices.

Either way, Apple’s new “PC Free” feature in iOS 5 will be a nice little upgrade for all those folks who are already living that PC Free lifestyle.