Following the release of iOS 7 (
Review), the new iteration of Apple's mobile operating system, the Cupertino giant has also increased the download limit for apps and other content on cellular data (3G/ EDGE/ LTE).
Specifically, Apple has doubled the size of apps and content that users can download when they're not connected to a Wi-Fi network, increasing it to 100MB from the present cap of 50MB.
While Apple did not make a formal announcement about the move, you'll now be able to download content more than 50MB while being connected to a cellular data network. However, if you try downloading an app or other content that's more than 100MB, you'll get a message saying that it will not download until you connect to Wi-Fi.
Previously, this limit was 20MB, till Apple increased it to 50MB in March 2012.
It looks like the move stems from the trend of the size of apps increasing considerably over the period of time, especially after most Apple devices started coming with a high-resolution Retina display. The cap might have also been due to network constraints and perhaps the 100MB limit has been implemented after consulting operators, who have more bandwidth to offer as networks get updated.
It will allow users to update and download large apps on the move without waiting for Wi-Fi connectivity.
It's worth pointing out that Apple had
introduced Delta updates with iOS 6 following which app updates featured only the content that had changed between versions of the app, to reduce download size of updates.
The limit also applies to content such as music, videos and books downloaded through Apple's iTunes and iBooks stores. So, if you want to download a single video which is less than 100MB, you'll be able to do so even when you're on a cellular data network.