[Update 12/12: after the publishing of this review the price of Tunes Remote for iPhone and iPad was reduced to $0.99.]
Tunes Remote ($1.99 for the iPhone; the iPad version is a separate $1.99) offers all the functionality of Apple’s free Remote app, but in reverse. That is to say that Tunes Remote allows you to turn any of your iOS devices (or even your computer) to into a music remote for your iPhone, iPod, or iPad.
SETUP
There are only two things you need to worry about in setup: deciding on a 5-digit key for pairing your remote device to your playback device, and 20 seconds for your iOS device to initialize its music library. After that you’ll be able to log into the iOS device whose music library you want to control. It’s that simple.
CONTROLS
I haven’t tested the remote control on the iPad, but I found the interface on the iPhone and Mac satisfactory. Both feature playlist, album, album art, and search support, although the Mac client is strangely missing an artist view and the ability to toggle shuffle and repeat. There isn’t a native client for Windows or Linux, but there is a free Java app to provide support for those operating systems.
USAGE
If you have an old iOS device that’s simply collecting dust somewhere, Tunes Remote is a great way to put your ex-gadget to good use. The app provides the functionality that iOS devices should have in the first place: the ability to control device playback wirelessly, but with a full set of controls — not just prev/next track and pause/play.
Actually, Tunes Remote reminds me a lot of Bowtie ($0.99 – review), but for its full playback controls, and the fact that you can still control playback on the device itself. In other words, if I load up Tunes Remote on my 3GS, I’ll have the option of controlling playback through other Tunes Remote clients, or simply by using Tunes Remote on the 3GS itself.
There are times where I’ll initially control playback on the 3GS from my Mac, but later find myself in the kitchen (right beside the iPhone dock) and want to switch to a different song or artist, and Tunes Remote earns points here for simply making a lot of sense in real world scenarios.
VOLUME ON iPOD DOCKS
There are two ways to hook an iOS device up to a set of speakers: via the 3.5mm port or the 30-pin connector. The former is basically like hooking your device up to a set of earphones, while the latter usually charges the device and takes over the volume controls.
It’s a relatively minor thing overall, but Tunes Remote’s volume slider seems to be tied directly to the iOS system volume, so just be aware that when using a dock, the volume slider within your Tunes Remote will be useless 🙂
NO MULTITASKING
However, one area in which Tunes Remote disappoints is multitasking. If you’re using the app in Remote mode, you’re just fine, but Tunes mode (which is what you use on the main playback device) is another story altogether. Whenever you exit Tunes mode all the devices in Remote mode will have to be manually re-paired (which is just a bit of a pain).
The developer actually got back to me on this point and said “the other way around actually is a problem (keeping the Tunes part alive) as TCP connections are killed of pretty quickly.”
In short: this isn’t a dealbreaker, but definitely a bit of a bummer, and one of the unfortunate limitations of iOS so far.
CONCLUSION
If you own an iPhone speaker dock of any sort, or find yourself hooking your iOS device to any sort of boombox (or boom oblong), you likely want a few more options than the basic previous, next, and play buttons on most physical iPod remotes. For $2.00, Tunes Remote addresses all the shortcomings of traditional dock setups, and may even give you a reason to dig up one of your retired iOS devices.
—
Tunes Remote was provided by De Voorkant for review on iSource. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
TAGS:
