iTunes 11 to Include Improved iCloud Integration and iOS 6 Support

9to5Mac claims to have some early details about Apple's next version of iTunes. iTunes 11 has been internally seeded and is said to include under-the-hood changes and early support for iOS 6, which has not yet been announced.

iclouditunes
The main focus seems to be on iCloud:

iTunes 11 includes an increased presence of iCloud integration. Perhaps the biggest testament to this is a dedicated iCloud settings panel within iTunes. This panel is a centralized, always accessible spot for users to control iCloud related features while in iTunes. These features include iTunes Match, iTunes in the Cloud, iCloud iOS device backups and more.

An increased focus around iCloud makes sense as Apple's Tim Cook has said that he doesn't view iCloud as short term product, but instead a long term strategy for the next 10 years. When asked about it at the Goldman Sachs Technology Conference, he responded:

I view iCloud not as something with a year or two product life -- it's a strategy for the next decade or more. It's truly profound.

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...

Top Rated Comments

slrandall Avatar
178 months ago
Eh ... I was really hoping for an overhaul (and SIMPLIFICATION) of iTunes.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sam Yikin Avatar
178 months ago
Seems like a natural evolution direction.

A good question is whether they'll be removing any of the 5+ year old broken legacy stuff from iTunes.

iTunes does have a lot of bloat, but I do think it's very cool that you can plug in a first gen iPod and it will still work just fine.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stevemiller Avatar
178 months ago
because doing more things is what itunes needs to do. :rolleyes:

edit: i re-read and noticed they primarily listed the music functions of icloud, so i guess those additions do make sense. i still wish they could move some of the more esoteric idevice functionality out of itunes though. like folding ios app management on your computer into the mac appstore software.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSRS Avatar
178 months ago
iTunes is one of the worst thing Apple has ever done.

The learning curve is super steep to most of the people, and many of them are scared away from using iPhone (i.e. jumped to the Android camp) solely because of iTunes.

Can you connect me to one person that got scared off an iPhone and got and Android phone because iTunes scared them off? That might be one of the most far fetched statements I've heard in a while. Have you used any of the three products you are comparing/contrasting?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Diode Avatar
178 months ago
Ugh. Still stupid my Mac has to be on to stream movies from iTunes.

Please allow home sharing from NAS's. That would solve a lot of people's problems.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gemütlichkeit Avatar
178 months ago
Eh ... I was really hoping for an overhaul (and SIMPLIFICATION) of iTunes.

Agreed, they really need to retool the application. It's gotta be their oldest, most used app out there.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)