The seemingly eternal wait for the BBC iPlayer to land on the Apple iPhone and iPad could be over within a month according to today's reports.

The apps which were announced over a year ago, and eventually green-lighted by the BBC Trust around six months ago have been long awaited by those iPad owners who cited the promised iPad app as a reason for splashing out on Apple's tablet.

Now, according to PaidContentUK, the apps will be available from the App Store by the end of February, coinciding with the date that project head, the Beeb's Future Media and Technology director Erik Huggers leaves to take on a job at Intel. The news will come as a relief to mobile viewers who have struggled with accessing the content through their Safari browser on Apple devices.

In terms of functionality, well not a lot is known at present. The apps are likely to have social networking features heavily integrated with an interface similar to the user-friendly offering already provided by the excellent iPlayer website. Whether it'll boast exactly the same line-up and availability of content is also unknown.

However, the frustration continues for Android owners with the Corporation showing no signs of spreading the service to Google's mobile operating system. With extensive cutbacks taking hold across the BBC's digital operations, it's unlikely we'll be seeing an announcement any time soon.

The BBC recently revealed a record 145 million requests for content throughout the month of December and 4 per cent of those came through mobile offerings.

The iPlayer app for iOS devices is likely to only be available to UK viewers, with the Beeb thought to be planning a worldwide subscription-based iPlayer service later this year.

Link: PaidContentUK