MacRumors

Apple Music has now surpassed Spotify's subscriber count in the United States, according to an industry source who spoke to Digital Music News.

The anonymous source, said to be a major U.S.-based distributor, is said to have shared a report with the website detailing the subscriber tallies of several streaming music services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and Sirius XM.

Among primarily on-demand music streaming services, the report says both Apple Music and Spotify have more than 20 million subscribers in the U.S., with Apple now "a hair ahead" with "20 million plus" members. The exact figure was reportedly withheld on request of the source to protect confidentiality.

In February, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was gaining U.S. subscribers at a higher rate than Spotify. Apple’s US-based subscriber growth rate was believed to be 5 percent in the U.S., compared to Spotify’s 2 percent. Based on those figures, the report predicted Apple Music would surpass its biggest rival in the summer.

Apple's growth was said to be due in part by the increasing numbers of devices in consumers' hands. Since the WSJ report, Apple has also released its HomePod speaker, which includes features specific to Apple Music.

Apple's service recently surpassed its single-day streaming record, with Drake's fifth album, Scorpion, notching up over 170 million streams in its first 24 hours of availability. Spotify was unable to keep up with its rival's streaming figures for the album, despite Apple Music having around 120 million fewer subscribers than Spotify, suggesting Apple won via stronger user engagement.

In May, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple Music had over 50 million users worldwide on either paid subscriptions or free trials. However, that figure still put Apple Music some ways off Spotify, which said it had 75 million paying subscribers as of March 31. Spotify has a much larger total of at least 170 million active users due to the free, ad-supported tier that it offers.

Apple Music has been a major contributor to the continued growth of Apple's services category, which brought in $9.1 billion revenue in the second fiscal quarter of 2018, an increase of 31 percent on a year-over-year basis. Other service-related revenue includes App Store and iTunes Store sales, paid iCloud storage, licensing, and more.

Continuing on with its World Cup-themed content, Apple this evening uploaded three new soccer-related videos in its popular "Shot on iPhone" series to its YouTube channel, showcasing iPhone-captured content from Australia, Japan, and Berlengas Island, off the coast of Portugal.

The first video, "The Heart of Australia," features Aboriginal girls playing soccer, while the second video, "The 'Wa' of Soccer," features a group of monks playing a soccer match in Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto, Japan.

The Heart of Australia. Finding happiness through soccer, Aboriginal girls embrace the sport to create new opportunities for themselves. We get a glimpse inside their cultural heritage and how the community preserves and celebrates its identity.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, the Ntaria people of the Arrernte nation and their elders past and present. We acknowledge the land on which we gather, Arrernte country.

The 'Wa' of Soccer. A soccer match is an embodiment of life's struggles in 90 minutes. A group of monks play to connect with the local community, keep fit, and respect the 'wa' -- the peaceful unity and conformity within a social group.

The third video highlights the Berlengas Island Cup, where two rival Portuguese soccer teams (Baleal vs. Peniche) travel the Berlengas Islands to play a game on neutral territory.

Berlengas Island Cup 2018. Rival teams refuse to play on the other's pitch. They agree to play on neutral territory, the Berlengas islands off the Atlantic coast of Portugal, seven miles from the mainland. The Berlengas Island Cup 2018 hosts Baleal vs. Peniche. It's a historic match to decide who is champion of the sea and soccer pitch.

All three videos, like other photos and videos in the "Shot on iPhone" series, were captured using an iPhone, though Apple does not specify which of its iPhones was used to make each video.

Apple has been running its "Shot on iPhone" campaign in various forms since the launch of the iPhone 6, relaunching it each year for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and most recently, the iPhone X. Apple's "Shot on iPhone" content spans videos, photos shared on various social networks, billboards, and more.

Apple today introduced a beta version of the Siri Shortcuts app that's been designed for iOS 12, which developers can request access to through the Developer Center.

The Shortcuts beta is being handled through TestFlight, with a "Request" option for access available after logging in to the Developer Center. After clicking the button to request access, Apple says selected users will be notified shortly via email if they're permitted access.

Siri Shortcuts is based on the Workflow app that Apple purchased in 2017, allowing users to create multi-step shortcuts using third-party apps, which can then be activated using a Siri voice command.

So, for example, you can create a shortcut to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you're on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single "I'm going home" Siri command.

Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with third-party apps able to expose a series of quick actions to Siri that can be incorporated into Shortcut recipes.

When iOS 12 was introduced, Apple said a Shortcuts app would be available in the fall, but it wasn't clear if a beta version would be available. Right now, in the iOS 12 beta, a limited number of Shortcuts can be created within the Siri section of the Settings app, but the Shortcuts app will be required for full functionality.

According to Apple, the initial beta of Shortcuts will have limited actions, no iCloud syncing, and some missing actions. Shortcuts are also not able to open apps when run from Siri when a device is locked.

Testers who have Workflow installed will see their workflows migrated to shortcuts after installing the beta.

It's not clear if Apple will also release a beta version of the Shortcuts app for public beta testers, but this first iteration is limited to developers.

Ahead of the App Store's upcoming 10th anniversary on Tuesday, July 10, Apple today shared some App Store history, exploring significant App Store milestones and sharing testimonials from Apple execs, app developers, and more on how the App Store put mobile businesses first, transformed gaming, improved accessibility, bolstered health, revolutionized education, and changed lives.

The App Store launched on July 10, 2008 with a total of 500 apps, which Apple says ignited a "cultural, social, and economic phenomenon" that has, over the past decade, created a place for iOS users of all ages to get the best apps. From Phil Schiller, Apple marketing chief:

"In its first decade, the App Store has surpassed all of our wildest expectations -- from the innovative apps that developers have dreamed up, to the way customers have made apps part of their daily lives -- and this is just the beginning. We could not be more proud of what developers have created and what the next 10 years have in store."

Many of the apps available on the first day of the App Store's launch can still be purchased today, including MLB at Bat, The New York Times, eBay, Travelocity, Tap Tap Revenge, and more. Early App Store developers Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckynova, who created Temple Run, said the App Store changed their lives.

"The App Store and iPhone changed our lives. Our first game, Imangi, launched the day the App Store opened. Fast forward 10 years, and we've created over 10 games, including Temple Run, which has been downloaded over a BILLION times. Our studio has grown from the two of us to a team of 35. None of this would have been possible without the App Store."

Cutting edge technology, explains Apple, has allowed developers and start-ups to create apps that take advantage of Apple Pay, GPS, location services, and more to create "billion dollar businesses" that started with the App Store. Games, too, have become an important part of the App Store. Nintendo director Shigeru Miyamoto said the App Store allows the company to share Nintendo games with new audiences.

"We are very happy that we are able to deliver Super Mario Run, a new Super Mario experience that could be played with just one hand on iPhone, to hundreds of millions of consumers because of the App Store. The App Store allows us to share the joy of Nintendo games with many new audiences, and we will continue striving to provide unique and new game experiences to App Store customers."

Apple also changed gaming and apps with the in-app purchase, allowing people to unlock different functionality and try apps before purchasing. That expanded to subscription apps in 2011, and as of now, 28,000 apps offer subscription options.

The iPad came in 2010, along with apps designed for the larger screen. There are a total of 1.3 million apps created just for the iPad available today, ranging from Lightroom and Microsoft Office 365 to Procreate. Procreate founder James Cuda says the digital art creation app "simply would not be possible without the App Store."

ARKit and augmented reality apps came in 2017, turning iOS into the biggest AR platform in the world. There are more than 3,000 AR apps available on the App Store, and improvements coming in iOS 12, such as multi-person support and persistent experiences, will lead to even better AR apps.

As of June 2018, developers have earned more than $100 billion from the App Store. There are more than 20 million third-party developers registered for the App Store, and more than 500 million customers visit it on iPhone and iPad each week.

Apple in 2017 entirely overhauled the App Store, splitting games and apps into two categories and focusing more heavily on app discovery through Today tab stories, editor's picks, and more. Apple says that hundreds of Today stories have been read by more than 1 million people.

Check out Apple's full App Store tribute in the company's newsroom to see all of the different testimonials from app developers.

Apple today seeded the second public beta of iOS 12 to public beta testers, giving non-developers a chance to test the software ahead of its upcoming fall release. The second iOS 12 public beta, which comes one week after the first public beta, corresponds to the third developer beta released on Tuesday.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 12 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an iOS device.

Those who want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. Before installing a beta, make sure to create a full encrypted iTunes backup or an iCloud backup and be sure to install iOS 12 on a secondary device because beta software is not always stable and can include bugs.

The new iOS 12 beta includes a rebuilt Maps app with a new Apple-designed Maps engine that's available in the San Francisco Bay Area at the current time. While limited to the San Francisco area at this time, the features will roll out to Northern California in the fall before expanding to additional locations across the United States in late 2018 and 2019.

The revamped Maps app displays foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately, and it brings improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction, and more.

Today's update also includes a new interface for the Voice Memos app on iPad, a relocated Share My Location setting, options to clear all notifications on iPad with a long press, and the removal of the haptic feedback buzzing that occurred whenever an iPhone 6s or later was unlocked with the Touch ID Home button.

iOS 12 introduces Group FaceTime, local multiplayer shared AR experiences, new Animoji, and a Memoji feature that's designed to let you create a personalized Animoji that looks just like you.

Animoji, stickers, text, and more can be used in FaceTime and the Messages app, and there's a new Screen Time feature to help customers understand and manage the amount of time they're spending on their iOS devices. There are options to limit app time and Screen Time also includes comprehensive parental control tools.

New Do Not Disturb features make it easier to manage notifications, as do interactive notification options and notification grouping.

Siri has been improved in iOS 12 with Siri Shortcuts, a feature designed to allow let to work with third-party apps, and Siri is also smarter and able to provide info on motorsports, food, and celebrities. Later in the year, Apple will launch a Shortcuts app so you can create your own shortcuts.

Under-the-hood improvements to iOS 12 will make everyday tasks on the iPhone and iPad faster and more responsive, with the camera launching up to 70 percent faster and the keyboard showing up to 50 percent faster.

iOS 12 will be available to developers and public beta testers as a beta for the next two months to allow Apple to work out bugs and other issues ahead of a fall launch alongside new iPhones.

Class action lawsuits continue to mount against Apple over the iPhone Slowdown saga.

For those unaware, late last year, Apple admitted that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down.

Apple views this as a feature intended to provide the best user experience possible, and make iPhones last as long as possible, but it wasn't very transparent about the changes, leading some customers to believe that Apple is purposefully slowing down older iPhones as a form of planned obsolescence.

In an apology letter to customers over its lack of communication, Apple emphatically denied that it would ever "do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades."

Not everyone believes Apple, however, as a group of 78 customers from multiple states have jointly filed a class action lawsuit against Apple this week, accusing the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhones to force customers to upgrade to a newer iPhone, calling it "one of the largest consumer frauds in history."

The full complaint is exhaustive, as most court documents are, but the gist of it is that Apple allegedly committed fraud by secretly slowing down older iPhones as part of a money-making scheme. Through these actions, Apple is accused of violating California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act and other laws.

An excerpt from the complaint, filed in a U.S. district court in San Jose on Monday and obtained by MacRumors:

While Plaintiffs and the class need not attribute any motive behind Apple's intentional degradation of the Devices, it is evident that Apple continued to do so for the simple reason most frauds are committed: money.

Although technically complex in part, the scheme was logical and simple: The Devices were designed defectively, and Apple released software updates to conceal the Defects, all the while exacerbating the effects of the Defects—principally decreased performance—so that Device users had no choice but to purchase new batteries or upgrade their Devices, resulting in additional payments to Apple and a sustained (albeit forced) customer base.

Apple's VP of marketing Greg Joswiak recently denied this theory, calling it "about the craziest thinking in the world."

Which is about the craziest thinking in the world, where I give you a shitty experience so you go buy our new product. But, to your point, there's been so much that people forgot about how great software updates are. First of all, we have a 95 percent customer satisfaction rate with iOS 11… it's great. We have delivered through the years amazing features, from the App Store to iMessage."

The plaintiffs, who reside all across the United States, are aiming to become the representatives of the proposed class, including all users of the iPhone 5 and newer and various iPad models, including the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini.

It's unclear why the complaint includes the iPhone 5-5s and iPads, which are not affected by the performance management, according to Apple.

This case, along with over 60 others, will likely be heard by the Honorable Judge Edward J. Davila, after the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered all iPhone slowdown lawsuits to be consolidated as one large class action in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, where he presides.

Apple has already taken a few courses of action beyond apologizing, including reducing the price of battery replacements to $29 for iPhone 6 and newer through the end of 2018, and offering a $50 credit to all customers who paid for an out-of warranty battery replacement for an iPhone 6 or later in 2017.

Moreover, in iOS 11.3, Apple introduced a new Battery Health feature in beta to track an iPhone's battery and performance status.

When users first install iOS 11.3 or later, all performance management features that might have been enabled are automatically disabled. If an unexpected shutdown occurs, however, the performance management is turned back on and must be disabled manually thereafter—although Apple doesn't recommend it.

If you are experiencing issues with or have questions about your iPhone battery, contact Apple Support. Also read our guide on how to get an iPhone's battery replaced at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Belkin today is launching the first power bank with Lightning input to be officially certified under Apple's MFi licensing program, assuring that the product meets Apple's standards for quality and compatibility. Belkin's BOOST↑­CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector, priced at $59.99, offers 10,000 mAh of charging power and is recharged over a Lightning connector using either a USB-to-Lightning cable or a compatible Lightning dock sold separately.

On the output side, the Power Bank 10K with Lightning includes a pair of USB-A ports, one at 2.4A for faster charging of iPhones and iPads and one at 1A for slower charging. A button-activated set of four LEDs on the top of the Power Bank shows the current charge level, and the button also lets you toggle between charging input and output modes if needed.

While power banks most commonly use micro-USB for charging input and a few are shifting over to USB-C, Lightning offers the benefit of needing only a single cable to both charge the battery pack and use the battery pack to charge your phone. If you've got a Lightning dock on your desk, you may also be able to use that to recharge the power bank, although it is significantly thicker than an iPhone so not all docks will be able to accommodate the power bank.

The Power Bank 10K measures about 6 inches long, around 2.75 inches wide, and a little under 0.75 inches thick, so it's slightly smaller but substantially thicker than a Plus-sized iPhone. It weighs a little over 8 ounces, about 25 percent more than a Plus-sized iPhone.

In my testing, the power bank worked well, efficiently charging an iPhone connected to the 2.4A USB port. It also appeared to be able to maintain rated charging speeds with devices connected to both USB ports simultaneously. Recharging the power bank took three hours or so when connected to an iPad charger.

Beyond standard power banks, the launch of the first MFi-certified Lightning battery may also bode well for future similar accessories from other manufacturers, including the possibility of iPhone battery cases with Lightning input, a product family long requested by users.

Belkin's $59.99 BOOST↑­CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector will be available in black or white and is available for pre-order starting today through Belkin. It should begin shipping around the beginning of August.

For peace of mind, the BOOST↑­CHARGE Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector includes Belkin's $2500 Connected Equipment Warranty, offering protection for any equipment damaged by power spikes or surges while properly connected to the power bank.

Note: Belkin provided a sample of the Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector to MacRumors free of charge for the coverage purposes. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Belkin and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article.

While we're still two months away from Apple's widely rumored trio of 2018 iPhones, the rumor mill is already looking ahead to next year.

Much of the early discussion has centered upon the rear-facing camera on 2019 iPhones, with multiple reports claiming it will be a triple-lens array with advanced 3D sensing for augmented reality capabilities.

Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News says as much in a pair of reports today, claiming that the rear-facing camera on 2019 iPhones will feature "more advanced" sensing than the front-facing TrueDepth system on the current iPhone X, with a triple-lens setup capable of stereoscopic imaging.

With stereoscopic imaging, two of the sensors would be able to capture images of a single object from different angles. A triangulation method would then be used to obtain the distance between the iPhone and the object.

The third lens would also likely enable 3x optical zoom on an iPhone for the first time, enabling users to magnify the image in the viewfinder by up to three times without a blurry reduction in quality like digital zoom.

Bloomberg News last year reported that Apple aims to include rear-facing 3D sensing capabilities in its 2019 iPhones. At the time, Apple was said to be evaluating a time-of-flight approach that calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a 3D image of the environment.

While the exact implementation remains to be seen, it's clear that the rear camera could play a big role in the augmented reality capabilities of future iPhones. Last year, Apple released ARKit, a framework that enables developers to incorporate augmented reality into their apps on iOS 11 and later.

At WWDC 2018 last month, Apple previewed ARKit 2, with shared experiences like multiplayer games, persistent augmented reality, extended support for image detection and tracking, and more.

Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn will assemble the majority of Apple's widely rumored trio of new iPhones expected to launch in 2018, according to the Taipei Times, citing research from Fubon Securities.

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai, will reportedly assemble all of the second-generation iPhone X, 90 percent of the so-called iPhone X Plus, and 75 percent of an all-new, lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone.

Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron is said to fulfill the remaining orders:

Hon Hai has been selected to assemble the bulk of the new iPhones, including all of the premium 5.8-inch OLED model and 90 percent of the 6.5-inch OLED phones, as well as 75 percent of the 6.1-inch LCD model, with the remainder given to Pegatron, the report said.

Wistron, another Taiwanese manufacturer, will not assemble any of the new 2018 iPhones, according to the report.

Fubon Securities predicts that the 6.1-inch iPhone will be priced around $799 in the United States, and use nearly all of the same materials as the iPhone 8 Plus, at an estimated cost of $275 to Apple.

Last month, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said all three new iPhones will be both announced and made available to order this September. In a previous research note, he indicated that Apple has resolved the manufacturing challenges that resulted in the iPhone X's delayed launch and supply shortage.

Apple is widely rumored to release a trio of new iPhones in 2018, including a second-generation iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed the iPhone X Plus, and an all-new 6.1-inch model with some iPhone X features, but not all, at a lower price point of around $600 to $700 in the United States.

While the current iPhone X is limited to Space Gray and Silver, well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes at least two of the new iPhone models in the 2018 lineup will be available in additional colors.

In a research note with TF Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the second-generation iPhone X will be available in Black, White, and Gold, while the 6.1-inch model is said to come in a wide array of colors, including red, blue, orange, gray, and white. An excerpt from the note follows.

We expect the demands for the new 6.5" OLED iPhone will be better than iPhone X because of similar or lower price but with larger display, dual-sim dual-standby (DSDS), and three possible casing colors (black, white, and gold).

The new 6.1" LCD iPhone is expected to boost better-replacement demands than iPhone 8/8s did due to being equipped with full-screen, Face ID, selling price lower than $700 USD, DSDS and five possible casing colors (grey, white, blue, red, and orange).

The current iPhone X was already expected to come in gold, but Kuo previously said Apple faced manufacturing challenges with the color, likely related to difficulties anodizing the stainless steel frame to be gold.

We know that Apple did at least prototype a gold iPhone X, as seen in regulatory photos it was required to submit to the FCC prior to the device launching last year. The photos were filed in September 2017, but weren't visible until April 2018, when Apple's confidentiality period expired.

It's reasonable to assume that Apple has figured out how to mass produce the iPhone X in gold, so there is little reason to doubt this rumor.

In terms of the lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone, it also makes sense that it could be available in a rainbow of colors like one of its lower-priced siblings of the past, the plastic-backed iPhone 5c. The red finish would likely be part of the (PRODUCT)RED initiative supporting the elimination of HIV/AIDS.

Kuo has a respectable track record in terms of outlining Apple's future plans. This is his third Apple-focused research note with TF Securities, where he began working earlier this year after a long stint at KGI Securities.

Update: Steve Hemmerstoffer, who runs the Twitter account OnLeaks, claims Apple is also currently prototyping 2018 iPhones with yellow and pink finishes. He also says the "black" that Kuo refers to is likely Space Gray: