Netflix has released its much anticipated Netflix for iPhone and iPod touch. It has delivered on the promise it made back during Apple’s WWDC that Netflix for iPhone would be released this summer, unlike some other companies who claim they will have something but blow way past their own deadline.
Netflix has taken a route with the Netflix app that could potentially make it a bit more difficult for other streaming companies to compete on the iOS platform. The Netflix app allows you to add and delete items to your queue, but does not allow you to actually move them around like you can do with the iPad version. I’m not sure if this was a move to preserve their 3rd party application developers or just due to time limitations.
The application also allows you to search for new items to watch and add to your queue. When adding to your queue it only allows two options, adding to the bottom or adding to the top. I feel as though this is a limitation with their API and not the application since all the 3rd party applications that I have looked at also have this same behavior. It would be useful to add the ability to put an item into a specific spot in the queue.
As with the iPad, the application just works. The videos are good quality, as long as the source is good quality. I have yet to find an instant streaming item that will not play on iOS. I have tested both the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4, and they both look amazing. Obviously though, the iPhone 4 screen does look crisper, but both are very watchable.
If you have access to Netflix, the iPhone and iPod touch version is good for watching videos on-the-go. You can definitely watch the videos over 3G and they look just as good as the Wi-Fi version. If you already have the iPad version, it is a simple app update since the Netflix app is now universal. If you do not have the app, just head over to app store and download your free copy and get watching your instant queue.
