Several weeks ago Netflix, an American a company that offers online streaming and online flat rate DVD and Blu-ray Disc rental-by-mail, released its new iPhone app that is designed to allow subscribed users to stream TV episodes and movies directly to their iPhone or iPod Touch at no additional cost. The announcement of the new Netflix app spiked the organization’s shares by 2% and Google searches were trending towards “Netflix Android” with many Droid users wondering when Netflix would release an app for their phones. Netflix releasing an app only for iPhone can be seen as a good marketing strategy as it makes the services that much more enticing to non-Apple users. If and when Netflix decides to expand their application to Droids and other smartphones, users will no doubt be chomping at the bit to download it. Another bonus is that since Netflix is a subscription based service, people may be more willing to sign-up purely to use the services on their smartphones despite the fact that the user interface design might be a challenge for older users in comparison to the larger home PC screens.
The Netflix app user interface will allow members to organize their materials by personal preferences, genres, new arrivals and individual instant queues. Members will also be able to access their Netflix content from both 3G and Wi-Fi networks, though Wi-Fi will provide faster and more reliable streaming and downloads. So after you have finished downloading music, checking email, and Facebook stalking, you can always watch a movie on your iPhone—if you even have the time left.
