MacRumors

Apple devices accounted for just under half of new mobile device activations during the holiday season, according to a new report released today by mobile analytics firm Flurry. 49.1 percent of all new devices activated were Apple devices, and while that number is slightly down from last year's 51.3 percent, Apple still dominated all other mobile device companies.

Samsung devices, for example, were responsible for 19.8 percent of all device activations, while Nokia devices made up 2 percent and Xiaomi devices made up 1.5 percent of all device activations.

Larger-screened "phablets" like Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus were especially popular during the 2015 holiday season compared to prior years, representing 27 percent of new device activations. That's up from 4 percent in 2013 and 13 percent in 2014. Full-sized tablets have gone down in popularity, making up only 9 percent of new device activations in 2015.

Medium-sized iPhones like the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 were still the most popular Apple devices over the holiday period at 65 percent, followed by full-sized tablets, phablets, and smaller tablets like the iPad mini. Comparatively, only 35 percent of Android devices activated were medium-sized smartphones, while 50 percent were phablets.

Apple's phablet was introduced in September 2014, and in less than a year and a half has commanded 12% share of all Apple devices activated during Christmas week. This appears to be coming at the expense of medium phones and small tablets as more users opt for the size in between the iPhone and iPad Mini. You'll note we did not break out a "Large Tablet" category for the new iPad Pro. These are grouped into "Full-Size Tablets" and represented less than 1% of device activations.

As for app downloads, Christmas day saw customers downloading 2.2x as many apps as the average day in December across multiple platforms including the Apple App Store and Android's Google Play.

To gather its data, Flurry measured smart device activations and app downloads from the more than 780,000 apps it tracks. Data was collected from December 19 to December 25.

Apple filed trademark applications for the word marks B2, B3, B4, and B5 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November, including the matching marks Beats Two, Beats Three, Beats Four, and Beats Five, as spotted by French website Consomac [Google Translate]. The applications are currently pending review.

All four trademark applications are assigned to "Beats Electronics, LLC," have the same logo that Apple uses for its Beats 1 radio station, and are listed under broadcasting- and streaming music-related categories, indicating that Apple could be planning an expansion of its Beats radio network in the future.

Goods and Services: broadcasting and transmission of voice, data, images, music, audio, video, multimedia, television, and radio by means of telecommunications networks; broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of telecommunications networks; matching users for the transfer of music, audio, video, and multimedia by means of telecommunications networks; providing access to websites, databases, electronic bulletin boards, on-line forums, directories, music, and video and audio programs

Apple's licensing terms with record labels reportedly give the company permission to create up to five additional radio stations like Beats 1 without needing to negotiate new terms. Apple could potentially launch additional Beats stations around the world, adding DJs in other countries or launching stations with a specific focus or genre.

MacRumors previously discovered that Apple has registered domains such as beats2.com.cn, beats2.hk, and beats4.com.ru in various countries around the world. Beats 1 is broadcast worldwide, but in the future, Apple may wish to offer stations that cater to different languages and musical preferences around the world.

Beats 1 is broadcast in over 100 countries and has been on air since Apple Music launched on June 30. Apple's 24/7 live global radio station, anchored by renowned DJs Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden and Julie Adenuga, provides a mix of the latest music, guest interviews and more. Beats 1 can be streamed through Apple Music and iTunes.

Hyundai has confirmed that CarPlay will launch in the 2016 Sonata in the first quarter of next year, per the Detroit Free Press. The carmaker will reportedly sell an SD card with new software to get the system for an undisclosed price.

The report does not specify if CarPlay will be available in 2016 Sonata models sold outside of the United States, or if Apple's in-dash software will be backwards compatible with the 2015 Sonata. The carmaker has not yet outlined plans to bring CarPlay to the rest of its vehicle lineup.

In April 2014, Hyundai announced that CarPlay would be available in the Sonata beginning in the 2015 model year, but it failed to deliver on that promise. CarPlay is only now beginning to experience wider U.S. adoption in 2016 vehicles from General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda and other automakers, as either a standard feature or entertainment package upgrade.

CarPlay provides hands-free or eyes-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps including Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio, CBS Radio and MLB At Bat. The platform uses Siri and interfaces with your vehicle's knobs, dials and buttons for safer access to common iPhone features. The software is compatible with iPhone 5 or later running iOS 8 or above.

OpenEmu, an open source retro and arcade game emulator for OS X, has been updated to version 2.0.1 with support for 16 additional gaming systems, including Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation 1 and PSP, ColecoVision, Intellivision and others listed below.

OpenEmu 2.0.1 also features a redesigned user interface, real-time gameplay rewinding, save states and screenshots organizers, automap support for SteelSeries Nimbus and Stratus XL controllers, performance improvements, bug fixes and other changes.

New Gaming Systems Supported

OpenEmu was designed specifically for OS X with an iTunes-like design that lists ROMs in a unified card-style menu organized by gaming system. The emulator offers full save state support, allowing multiple ROMs to be played at once, and it also provides OpenGL scaling, multithreaded playback, a homebrew collection of over 80 games, gamepad support and more.

OpenEmu 1.0 launched in December 2013 with support for several 16-bit systems, including the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, NeoGeo Pocket, NES, Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. The emulator also supports multiple controllers, including Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox controllers and virtually any generic HID compliant USB or Bluetooth gamepad.

OpenEmu 2.0.1 is a free download and requires a Mac running OS X 10.11 or later.

YouTube this morning provided a statement to The Wall Street Journal criticizing T-Mobile's recently introduced Binge On program and accusing T-Mobile of throttling all video and not just the video of its Binge On partners.

Launched in November, Binge On is a T-Mobile video service that allows T-Mobile subscribers to watch video from content partners without it counting against customer data plans. The catch is that it uses a proprietary data compression algorithm to stream the video in 480p. While Binge On can be disabled, using the feature requires partner video to be watched in 480p, which T-Mobile calls "DVD quality."

T-Mobile has 24 partners for Binge On, including Netflix, HBO, Sling TV, and more, but YouTube has not signed up to participate. Despite the fact that YouTube is not partnering with T-Mobile, the company says its video streams are still being downgraded to 480p quality, a problem YouTube would like fixed.

YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., said T-Mobile is effectively throttling, or degrading, its traffic. "Reducing data charges can be good for users, but it doesn't justify throttling all video services, especially without explicit user consent," a YouTube spokesman said.

The Internet Association also backed up YouTube's claim, stating that T-Mobile's Binge On service "appears to involve the throttling of all video traffic, across all data plans, regardless of network congestion."

T-Mobile did not address YouTube's complaints when questioned by The Wall Street Journal, instead giving a blanket statement about Binge On. Customers love "free streaming video that never hits their data bucket" and "the quality of their video experience and the complete control they have."

The United States Federal Communications Commission is looking into Binge On along with free data services from AT&T and Comcast. While there is no formal inquiry at this time, the FCC has asked the three companies to answer some questions about their free data practices. YouTube's accusations could further spark the FCC's interest, especially as some consumer advocates believe that programs like Binge On violate net neutrality rules.

U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh has dismissed [PDF] a lawsuit against Apple over a long-standing issue that prevented some former iPhone owners who switched to Android smartphones from receiving text messages from other iOS users, as reported by Business Insider.

Koh originally ruled against granting the lawsuit class-action status, because it was not clear enough that all Android smartphone switchers were actually affected by the issue, but a trio of plaintiffs Adam Backhaut, Bouakhay Joy Backhaut and Kenneth Morris persisted with their case.

The three alleged that they switched from iPhones to Android phones in 2012. After that, texts sent to them from other iPhone users were not delivered. They were probably stuck in Apple's iMessage system, which was notoriously unreliable at delivering texts to Android phones until late 2014, when Apple introduced a fix for the bug. That constitutes a violation of the Federal Wire Tap Act, the three claim. Apple denied the allegations.

Apple launched a web tool in November 2014 for users to deregister their phone number from iMessage in the event they switched to a non-Apple device, and Koh ruled that Apple would face a federal lawsuit over the issue just two days later. As of Koh's ruling on Tuesday, however, all lawsuits against Apple related to the matter have come to a close with no punitive damages against the company.

The full music collection of The Beatles will be available on Apple Music and other music streaming services on Christmas Eve, according to a new report from Re/code. The report comes a week after a similar report from Billboard, which said that The Beatles were coming to a streaming service on Christmas Eve but did not specify which one.

The world’s most famous band will finally be available on streaming music services, starting this Thursday, Christmas Eve. And they’ll be available very, very widely: Industry sources say that the Fab Four’s music will be on all of the obvious music services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Tidal, as well as some you might not expect, including Amazon’s Prime Music.

The only music service that won't have full access to The Beatles' catalog is Pandora, which doesn't do direct deals with music owners. However, Pandora does offer some access to select Beatles songs on its web radio service. Additionally, The Beatles' catalog will also be available on music services' free tiers, unlike artists like Taylor Swift.

The Beatles' catalog originally appeared on iTunes back in 2010, giving Apple exclusive rights to the digital distribution of the famous band's music until 2011. More recently, "The Beatles: +1" collection debuted on iTunes, packaged with remastered versions of hit songs and mini-movies made by the famous quartet.

Update: The Beatles have confirmed their music will be available on Apple Music and eight other streaming music services worldwide on December 24 at 12:01 a.m. local time.

Chinese cellular carrier China Mobile recently held an event discussing its upcoming plans for 2016, in which it hinted at an April 2016 release date for Apple's rumored 4-inch iPhone, reports MyDrivers [Google Translate] (via Gadgetz Arena).

An April 2016 release date for the device is in line with previous rumors that have suggested it will launch during the first months of 2016. Apple is rumored to be holding a March event where it will introduce a second-generation Apple Watch, and it's possible the 4-inch iPhone will also be unveiled at that time.

Today's report from MyDrivers refers to the 4-inch iPhone as the "iPhone 7c," but Apple is unlikely to use that nomenclature for a device that launches ahead of the "iPhone 7," the name most probable for the 2016 flagship iPhone coming in September. All previous rumors have instead referred to the 4-inch iPhone as the "iPhone 6c."

The iPhone 6c is rumored to feature an aluminum casing like the iPhone 5s, with at least two to three color options available and a 2.5D curved edge cover glass like the glass used on the iPhone 6 and later. It may also include the same A9 processor used in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, along with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1.

Apple has confirmed to Tech Insider that the notebook pictured behind Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell during the 60 Minutes special Inside Apple is the 12-inch MacBook released in April, debunking some users on Reddit and social media who speculated the notebook could be an ultra-thin MacBook Pro.

The chances of Apple leaving an unreleased MacBook in plain sight for a national TV program were slim to begin with, especially in a room full of Apple's top executives. In a later segment, Apple even covered desks in its secretive design studio so that cameras could not capture what the company is working on next.

The rumor mill is also abuzz after a fake "iPhone 7" leaked video circulated on social media this week. The sketchy video, spotted by French website Nowhereelse.fr, falsely depicts an alleged Foxconn employee handling a purported next-generation iPhone prototype that seemingly lacks a home button.

The staged video from "ViralVideoLab" shows a metallic device with an Apple logo, but it is noticeably thicker than the iPhone 6s and includes regulatory markings that are questionable for such an early prototype. The prototype more closely resembles an HTC One M9 with thin bezels along the top and bottom of the screen.

Foxconn has been the source of iPhone leaks in the past, including the iPhone 6 rear shell and dimensions, but it is unlikely Apple has provided the supplier with an assembled "iPhone 7" prototype over nine months ahead of its expected release. No other physical components for the next-generation iPhone have leaked to date.

In time for the holiday season, a number of paid apps and games for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch have been discounted on the App Store this week, including Alto's Adventure, Final Fantasy VII, Lara Croft GO, Launch Center Pro, PDF Expert 5, Scanner Pro, This War of Mine, Thomas Was Alone and more.

Apple's annual iTunes Connect winter shutdown takes place between December 22 and December 29, during which time the following features are unavailable: new app submissions, app updates, in-app purchase submissions and TestFlight submissions for external testing. All other features, and access to iTunes Connect, remain available.

Apps on Sale

There are dozens of other iOS apps discounted for the holidays beyond those listed above. Keep track on our sister website AppShopper.

Starting today, some Facebook users will be able to view Live Photos in their Facebook feeds using the Facebook for iOS app, reports TechCrunch. Introduced with the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, Live Photos are motion-enabled images that capture the moments just before and after a photo is taken.

Facebook plans to gradually roll out support for Live Photos, so while some Facebook app users will be able to post and view Live Photos as of this morning, others will not have access to Live Photos support until the beginning of 2016.

According to TechCrunch, uploading a Live Photo is done in the same way as uploading a regular photo, but there will be an option to choose whether to upload an image as a Live Photo or a regular photo during the uploading process. In a Facebook feed, Live Photos are denoted by a set of concentric circles and can be pressed to play.

You’ll have to tap that box manually with each Live Photo, and with good reason: once enabled on your iPhone, Live Photos are created with little to no thought on your part. It’s easy to forget the feature is even on. Add in the fact that Live Photos include 1.5 seconds of video and audio from before/after the instant you hit that shutter button, and it’s easy to imagine a scenario where you unwittingly capture something you… maybe don’t want to make public. By making it opt-in with each photo, there’s less of a chance you’ll accidentally upload stuff you forgot was even there.

While only the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can take live photos, all iOS devices running iOS 9 can view them in the Facebook app. All iPhones from the iPhone 4s on are capable of supporting iOS 9.

Facebook is the second major social network to implement support for Live Photos. Tumblr added support two weeks ago.

A newly opened Apple Museum in Prague is showing off the largest private collection of Apple products, housing Macs, iOS devices, and other Apple paraphernalia from 1976 to 2012. The museum opened its doors last Thursday, and an inside look has been shared on Imgur.

Located in a renovated historical building, the exterior windows of the Apple Museum are decorated with quotes from Steve Jobs, artistic product arrangements, and one popular quote of unknown origin.

Three apples changed the world. The first tempted Eve, the second inspired Newton, and the third was offered to the world half eaten by Steve Jobs.

Included is an Apple Lisa, which is one of 100,000 made, an Apple II, and several other older Mac and NeXT Computer products. One section displays a range of printers Apple produced, while another houses iterations of the PowerMac and iMac and a third includes different iBook, PowerBook, and MacBook models.

Little known Apple accessories like the Apple camera are on display, and there's an entire section dedicated to the complete iPod family, including the special edition Beatles box set sold in 2008 for $795. Each version of the iPhone and iPad, starting with the original 2007 and 2010 models, is also shown off on dedicated tables in order of release.

Miscellaneous products, papers, contracts, and other small odds and ends from Steve Jobs' time at Apple, NeXT Computer, and Pixar are available at the museum, as are mementos from his early life, including a high school yearbook. The full assortment of images is available on Imgur and is well worth checking out for those who won't be able to visit the museum in person.

According to the Prague Post, there are more than 12,000 meters of computer cabling installed in the museum, which students from the Czech Technical University helped assemble. Also on the site is a bistro that includes all raw vegan foods, in honor of Steve Jobs' preferred diet, and there's an interactive space for children.

Tickets for the Apple Museum are available from the Apple Museum website for 11 euros. The site also includes details about the creation of the museum, the history of Apple, and will offer a 3D tour, information on Steve Jobs' diet, and products to purchase in the future.

Ericsson announced today that it has reached a seven-year global patent cross licensing agreement with Apple for standard-essential technologies, including GSM, UMTS and LTE cellular standards, thereby settling all litigation between the two technology companies.

Apple will make an upfront payment to Ericsson and continue paying royalties on an ongoing basis. The terms of the agreement are confidential, but investment bank ABG Sundal Collier believes Apple could be charged around 0.5% of iPhone and iPad revenue, per Reuters.

The licensing agreement applies to several technology areas, including 5G development, video network traffic management and wireless network optimization, and grants certain other undisclosed patent rights. The deal ends all litigation before the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. District Courts and European courts.

"We are pleased with this new agreement with Apple, which clears the way for both companies to continue to focus on bringing new technology to the global market, and opens up for more joint business opportunities in the future," said Kasim Alfalahi, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson.

Apple originally filed suit against Ericsson in January 2015, arguing that it was demanding excessive royalties for patents not essential to LTE standards. Ericsson countersued in a Texas courtroom just hours later, seeking an estimated $250 to $750 million in annual royalties for Apple to continue licensing its patented wireless technologies. Apple declined to honor those demands.

Ericsson subsequently sued Apple again in February 2015 for allegedly infringing 41 wireless-related patents that it believed to be critical to the functionality of products such as the iPhone and iPad. At the time, Ericsson filed two complaints with the U.S. ITC in an effort to secure a U.S. sales ban on infringing products, in addition to filing seven complaints with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The U.S. ITC agreed to launch an investigation into the Apple-Ericsson patent infringement claims in March 2015, and Ericsson extended the lawsuit to Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in May 2015, but today's agreement precedes any courtroom rulings.

Ericsson is the world's largest provider of mobile network equipment and holds over 35,000 patents related to 2G, 3G and 4G wireless technologies. Ericsson's cellular technology patents are considered essential and are subject to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms (FRAND).

Apple's previous licensing deal with Ericsson signed in 2008 expired in January 2015.

60 Minutes on Sunday aired an Inside Apple special with correspondent Charlie Rose that included interviews with a number of Apple's senior executives alongside closer looks at Apple's secretive design studio, camera lab, mock next-generation Apple Store and under construction Campus 2 project.

Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed a wide range of topics with Rose, starting with the legacy of co-founder Steve Jobs. "This is Steve's company," said Cook. "This is still Steve's company. It was born that way, it's still that way. And so his spirit I think will always be the DNA of this company."

Rose then accompanied Apple design chief Jony Ive for a rare look inside Apple's secretive design studio, where a team of 22 designers work on the future of Apple products. Apple covered many of the desks to ensure Rose could not see what the company is working on next.

Ive explained how he prototyped the Apple Watch, beginning with a sketch of the watch casing transformed into a 3-dimensional electronic blueprint sent to a high-precision CNC machine for milling. The watch casing is then sanded and polished by hand by veteran craftsmen at Apple.

The design chief also reflected on the complex engineering process that was required to create Apple's new 12-inch MacBook, including working with Apple's head of hardware engineering Dan Riccio to create the custom-shaped terraced battery that fits inside the notebook's ultra-thin enclosure.

The segment revealed that Apple senior director Graham Townsend leads a team of 800 engineers and specialists working on the iPhone's camera. Townsend showed Rose a micro suspension system that stabilizes the camera when its owner's hand shakes, and explained how Apple engineers calibrate the camera.

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