Amazon recently released Cloud Drive for iOS, a mobile app for the iOS platform that serves as the counterpart to the Cloud Drive app for Android that was released in June. Previously, iOS users had access to an Amazon app that enabled access to Amazon Photos, which were automatically uploaded to the Amazon Cloud. With the release of Cloud Drive for IOS, however, iOS users can read files within the Amazon Cloud Drive, including the preview of spreadsheets and presentations. The app allows users to share files via a link or email attachment and post the file to social media applications. Importantly, users cannot upload files to the Amazon Cloud using either the Android or iOS app, which renders the app bereft of crucial functionality in comparison to competing mobile apps from the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive. The lack of Cloud Drive app functionality is surprising for Amazon, which historically has differentiated itself by way of the richness of the pre-configured features within its cloud-based product line. As such, the app illustrates the immaturity of Cloud Drive within the larger portfolio of cloud-based storage platforms and raises questions about the depth of Amazon’s commitment to Cloud Drive, even though the industry can reasonably can expect significant enhancements to both the Android and Apple mobile apps in forthcoming months.
Cloud Computing Today 