Sling Mobile – Cutting Through The Rumors

Excited by Sling’s announcement that they had submitted SlingPlayer for iPhone to the App Store three weks ago I used a GC to Amazon to pick up a SlingPlayer Solo. Now, three weeks later, I love having a SlingPlayer to watch my den TV while in my study or out and about, but… stil no iSling.

Rumors have been circulating that it was canceled after AT&T stepped in and complained. Those rumors were, in part, fueled by AT&T releasing and recanting a new user agreement that specifically disallowed the use of apps such as SlingPlayer over their network. The rumors, being what they are on the net, quickly tuned from "Apple may reject…" to "Apple rejected…"

So what’s the truth? TUAW‘s Mel Martin to the "bold" step of actually contacting Sling and getting an answer directly from them. (I know,I know, who DO such a thing..)

Here’s what they told him…

Cathy Cook, a spokesperson for the company, says the app was submitted, and that Sling Media and Apple are in regular touch with each other. She says anything else people hear is rumor and conjecture. She added that Sling Media thinks the app is ‘solid and a great experience’ and they’d like nothing better than to have it in the App Store.

I dashed off another quick email to Ms. Cook asking if Apple had communicated any concerns about the app in the three weeks that it has been in limbo, but I haven’t receive a response to that question so far. She did mention in the first email that "We’ve been told that a two-to-three week wait is common. Some apps may take less time, but it’s important to remember that SlingPlayer is far more complex than a typical iPhone app. It makes sense it would take a little extra time to go through this process."

So SlingPlayer for iPhone is very much alive. We just have to wait a bit    alot  an unpredictable amount of time more,