Operating system supporting cost aware applications

A computer-readable storage memory having instructions stored therein for causing a computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

• receiving an indication that an update for an application is available for download;
• determining, based on a size of the update relative to a user configured threshold, that the update is to be downloaded over a first network;
• and
• in response to determining that the update is to be downloaded over the first network, downloading the update over the first network.

A method of updating an application installed on a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication of an availability of an update to the application that is installed on the mobile computing device;
• determining whether a size of the update exceeds a user configured threshold;
• and
• selectively obtaining the update to the application based on the determination of whether the size of the update exceeds the threshold, including:
• obtaining the update over a first network if the size of the update to the application does not exceed the threshold;
• and
• deferring the update until another network becomes available if the size of the update exceeds the threshold.

A mobile computing device, comprising:

• at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one process are respectively configured to store and execute instructions including instructions for causing the mobile computing device to:
• receive a user selection of a threshold size for application updates to be downloaded over a first network;
• determine that an update for an application on the mobile computing device is available;
• receive information indicative of a size of the update;
• based on comparison of the information indicative of the size of the update to the threshold size, determining whether to download the update over the first network or to defer the download of the update until another network becomes available;
• and
• download the update over a first network or defer the download of the update until another network becomes available.