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Google sneaks in back door, slips YouTube onto iPhone 5

All iOS devices are invited to the ball

Google has released its own YouTube app for the iPhone and iPad, preempting Apple's decision not to support Google's dancing cat collection on its new iDevice, and updating what has been a lamentable experience.

Previous iDevices have included an Apple-developed YouTube client, with limited functionality, but Apple's falling out with the Googleplex prompted it to halt development for the world's biggest jukebox. Now Google has developed its own iOS YouTube client, a considerable improvement on Apple's lacklustre efforts, and now faces the task of convincing millions of Apple fans to download it.

The new app adds a Channel Guide, and links to Facebook and Twitter, and Google+ for those who want to share, but not too much. In common with all YouTube apps, it won't play copy-protected content – so iDevice users are still locked out of that. Android users, on the other hand, can still fire up a browser which supports YouTube DRM (Opera, for example).

Apple's forthcoming device, which is generating the usual frenzied hype, won't have a Google Maps client either - Cupertino having decided to develop its own alternative.

There's no alternative to YouTube, iTunes is hardly comparable, so iPhone users will have to download Google's client or just find something better to do than watch cats falling on pianos. ®

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