First Look Video of iCloud.com Beta

happyicloudApple launched its iCloud.com beta tonight. The beta is intended for developers to test their iCloud syncing functionality, though there has been some confusion about who exactly had access. Early on, it seemed that Apple inadvertently allowed access to more than just developers, but we now hear that Apple has started shutting out these non-developer users.

iCloud is Apple's upcoming syncing and storage service for both iOS 5 and OS X Lion. iCloud (the service) stores your music, photos, apps, calendars, documents and keeps it in sync across multiple devices. iCloud.com (the website) represents Apple's MobileMe website replacement that gives users online access to their Calendar, Email, Address Book, Find My Phone and iWork data. The entire interface borrows heavily from iOS and Lion and incorporates many nice graphical flourishes and animations.

This quick walkthrough video by helpfulmactips2010 shows the different pieces in place:


Apple has also revealed the pricing for additional iCloud storage. iCloud comes with 5GB of free storage, and the additional pricing is as follows:

• 10GB Additional, $20/year
• 20GB Additional, $40/year
• 50GB Additional, $100/year

Apple has said that purchased music, apps, and books, as well as Photo Stream, don’t count against your free 5GB storage.

Much more about iCloud should be revealed as the launch nears. Apple has promised that iCloud will launch this fall alongside iOS 5. OS X Lion will also need an update to fully support iCloud.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

viperGTS Avatar
179 months ago


I'm finding it hard to care, I'm not paying apples prices for music. Amazon and the used record stores have helped me accumulate my 110 gb's of music. My iPod video does a very good job of playing that music. Call me old school but I dont feel like paying at least 100 bucks a year to store my music hat I already own and have stored in three places.
Ok, first of all:
It costs $25 a year, not $100, to store your music in iCloud. Stop being so ignorant.
Secondly, if you have 3 places to put your music, then that's all good. iTunes Match isn't for you. Its meant to make your music iCloud compatible. If you don't find the service to fufill your needs, don't complain about it. No one said you had to get it. :rolleyes:
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nuckinfutz Avatar
179 months ago
Gotta love how so many are willing to jump on the "convienence" of paying apple to rent 100 gigs of space when 2TB can be had for that price, forever minus the convienence.
Huh? iCloud is a sync tool that leverages storage. We all know we can buy local storage cheaper but that's not going to keep our data in sync now.

I think people are getting confused. iCloud's focus is on sync and using cloud storage to cache metadata and handle conflicts. It's not there to put up your entire music library or porn collection.


This would have been great a couple of years ago. Today I use gMail, Google Calendar+Contacts, and Spotify.
Which is essentially saying I use crappy web apps because they are free.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cinch Avatar
179 months ago
Only with OSX Lion

If iCloud works only with OSX Lion, then I'll stick with Dropbox for now. Wirelessly syncing photos and music at night while my phone is charging is enough for me.

Still using my MacBook 1st generation (Core Duo) for 5+ years, and running Snow Leopard just fine!:D
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wayfarer Avatar
179 months ago
Oh glorious day.

Happy mac is BACK!



Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
monaarts Avatar
179 months ago
I think music match for $25/year will prove to be a dud. With wireless syncing, do you really need music match? I think with the 5GB free iCloud service, Apple will give Dropbox, Google and others some competition. I think the vast majority of us will take advantage of this free service and only a small percentage of us will pay for the service, and with competitions heating up, you never know what service will be free in the future, especially when Google is involved!

I am planning on paying the $25/yr for 3 reasons. #1, it is more clean with all the correct information and cover art for all the music. #2, it is an upgraded sound for most of my library. #3, if I ever happen to lose all of my music from my mac I can just legally download it all from iTunes again! (HUUUGE plus in my opinion!)


- Joe
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DavidLeblond Avatar
179 months ago
WOW, revolutionary!

It looks just like MobilMe with out the things I liked best, Photo Gallery, and Idisk!

If people didn't like MM why in the hell would they go for this, probably because they will be forced to.

Kind of sucks, Apple giveth and Apple taketh away.

Uh because it's free?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)