What Is iCloud?

iCloud isn't Apple's first online storage service. MobileMe was iCloud's long-standing predecessor, offering synchronization services for an annual subscription fee. MobileMe's primary purpose was to keep certain files synchronized between multiple devices. This included e-mail, contacts, calendars, browser bookmarks, photo galleries, and Apple iWeb and iDisk services. Though MobileMe was tailor-made for Apple products, it also gave users the option to synchronize data from non-Apple computers.

Apple revamped MobileMe and merged its offerings into the iCloud service. iCloud not only replaces MobileMe, but it also adds features, flexibility, and free service for up to 5 GB of storage space. In addition, digital products you purchase through Apple's iTunes Store are available from your iCloud account without counting against that free 5 GB. Later, we'll take a closer look at iCloud's features and pricing and how they compare to other cloud storage products.

Like its MobileMe predecessor, iCloud's biggest advantage is that it's integrated into Apple software. That makes iCloud your most convenient cloud storage option if all your computers and mobile devices are Apple products. Apps you use in both macOS and Apple iOS can connect to your iCloud space and automatically store your data there, including your contacts list and photo gallery.

Now that you know what iCloud is, let's take a closer look at its features and costs, and how it keeps your data both safe and readily accessible.

iCloud's features give you access to your data, from important contacts to fun photos, anywhere you're connected to the Internet. You can authorize up to 10 devices to access and use iCloud with your Apple ID. This is a leap beyond the iTunes Store authorization, which is limited to five devices. Plus, iCloud authorization extends beyond iTunes to touch all apps capable of connecting and using iCloud from that device. Developers program each app to connect to and use iCloud content in its own way, so check an app's help pages to find out whether and how it can use iCloud. If you're one of those developers, check out how your app creations can use the iCloud application programming interfaces (APIs) as described at the Apple developer site.

Besides its options for apps to connect to and use the service, iCloud features unlimited free storage for anything you purchase through the iTunes Store. This means that any music, movies, TV shows, books, or apps you purchase from iTunes don't count against your free 5 GB of iCloud storage space. In addition, each iTunes purchase is instantly available for download to any of your iCloud-authorized devices, as long as the songs are available from the iTunes store. In short, buy it once, access it everywhere. This even applies to purchases you made under the same Apple ID long before iCloud existed, provided they're still available in the iTunes Store.

It's possible that 5 GB is enough for storing your non-iTunes files in iCloud, such as documents and photos. However, Apple also realizes that you might want more space, and you can purchase subscription-based upgrades to fill that need. As of this writing, Apple is offering the following subscription options for increasing your iCloud storage space:

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the iCloud service is how you can use it to back up and restore data on your Apple iOS devices. iCloud is capable of taking daily backups of your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch when it's connected to the Internet using WiFi. These aren't full backups, which would include all the data stored on each device. Instead, these are partial iCloud backups that store only the data you've changed on the device. The following are the types of data that iCloud can back up from your iOS device:

In addition to simplifying the backup process, the iCloud service makes quick work out of restoring an Apple iOS device from the iCloud backup. You'll probably want to restore your device any time you lose important data, reset or replace the device, or upgrade to new hardware.

We've looked at the features Apple iCloud has to offer. Next, let's see what challenges iCloud faces and how it stacks up to its competition in the cloud storage market.

Many of iCloud's challenges are the same as those faced by other cloud service providers. Users are limited to using software specially designed to access that particular cloud. Though iCloud is available anywhere you can access the Internet, it still requires some sort of front-end application to manage the connection between you and your data.

iCloud also faces the same Internet access challenges as other cloud player products. One way Apple has addressed this is by limiting the iCloud software so that certain interactions can only occur when using a WiFi Internet connection. This means your device won't eat up a limited 3G wireless data plan just for regularly scheduled synchronization tasks.

One unique challenge for iCloud started in a courtroom rather than a computer. Within days of Apple's June 2011 announcement naming the iCloud product, an Arizona voice-over-IP (VoIP) provider filed a lawsuit. The firm, iCloud Communications, had owned the right to its company name since 2005. Apple had filed eleven trademark applications for the iCloud name and brand and purchased a matching domain from Swedish company Xcerion. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, iCloud Communications didn't register the iCloud brand itself, leaving it up for grabs. The Arizona company dropped the lawsuit.

Since iCloud isn't the only cloud storage service out there, how does it stack up to its competition? Here's a quick look at some other cloud storage services and how they compare to iCloud:

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