iLounge reveals a bit of discerning information that took a mysterious amount of time to surface. It turns out that the iPhone 4 shares the same limitations as the iPad and the Apple TV in regards to being unable to transfer rented movies back to your iTunes library.
The ability to move rentals had never been a problem before when renting on previous iPhone models. An excerpt from the iPhone iOS 4 User Guide briefly mentions the limitation on page 99, and it reads as such:
“On iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, you can transfer rented movies between iPhone and your computer. On iPhone 4, you can transfer rented movies between iPhone and your computer only if they were rented in iTunes on your computer. Movies rented on iPhone 4 cannot be transferred to a computer.”
This latest iPhone 4 restriction is added to the video output limitations (also prohibited on the iPad), which eliminates the possibility of HD content through a VGA Connector. Needless to say it doesn’t make much sense to rent high definition movies directly to your iPhone. The Retina Display is certainly stunning but still doesn’t equate the necessary 720p resolution to be recognized as HD.
Is anyone else surprised by the length of time it took to notice the lack of transferability from iPhone 4 to iTunes? Why would Apple allow this on previous iPhones and not the latest and greatest? Express your wisdom and fury in the limitless comment box below.