Details on Intel's upcoming 15-watt 6200U - 6600U Skylake processor lineup were shared today by Fanless Tech, giving us a look at what we can expect from the processors that will likely be used in Apple's next MacBook Air update.
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The 2.3GHz i5-6200U and the 2.4GHz i5-6300U chips are appropriate for the lower-end MacBook Air models, while the 2.5GHz i7-6500U and the 2.6GHz i7-6600U would be used in the higher-end MacBook Air models. All four chips include Intel HD 520 graphics. With Skylake, Intel has opted to simplify its graphics naming scheme, adopting 3-digit numbers instead of 4-digit numbers.
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It is not clear when Intel plans to release the Skylake chips appropriate for the MacBook Air, but with full specs now available, it seems launch is imminent, perhaps planned for next week's Intel Developer Forum.
According to the information available, 28-watt chips appropriate for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will not be launching until 2016. Launch dates are equally unclear for the rest of the Skylake lineup, as today's leak only covers chips that would be used in the MacBook Air.
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Intel's Skylake processors are expected to offer a 10 to 20 percent boost in CPU performance over Broadwell, plus lower power consumption and improved Intel HD integrated graphics performance. Better energy efficiency will also lead to up to 30 percent longer battery life.
As of today, some users in the MacRumors forums who are running iOS 9 noticed a different message when attempting to activate the feature, and just hours later, WiFi calling began working for a limited number of AT&T subscribers.
When attempting to activate WiFi calling in the Settings app, users who have access to the feature are receiving a welcome screen, a disclaimer, and a notice that WiFi calling has been activated and should be available within a few minutes. During the setup period, users are required to enter an address that emergency services will visit as a caller's location cannot be determined from a WiFi call.
Following a short waiting period, WiFi calling becomes ready for use with the "Wi-Fi calling on This iPhone" option toggled on. While a few of our readers have had success getting the WiFi calling feature working, several other users do not have access, suggesting AT&T may be testing the feature in a limited number of areas ahead of launch.
WiFi calling was first introduced with iOS 8, and shortly after the feature debuted, AT&T announced plans to support it. The company has not made any further announcements, but it is likely an official launch will come after iOS 9 is released to the public in September. An AT&T employee who is also a MacRumors reader says that his store has not received word on an upcoming launch, so official word on further availability of WiFi calling may still be a few weeks off.
WiFi calling is a feature that lets calls be placed over a wireless connection when cellular connectivity is poor. It is similar in function to Apple's own FaceTime audio feature, and has thus far been limited to T-Mobile and Sprint users.
The smartphone market is largely dominated by Android and iOS, dividing smartphone users into two camps: those who stick with the Android operating system and those who use Apple's iPhones.
Major players in the smartphone market like Apple, Google, and Samsung all aim to lure "switchers" with dedicated websites and tools for switching platforms, but new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners [PDF] suggests getting loyal smartphone users to change operating systems is a tough task.
Over the course of the last two years, from 3Q 2013 to 2Q 2015, CIRP has learned that Android and Apple have both retained users at approximately the same rate, with Google having a slight edge. When choosing a new phone, 82 percent of Android users stuck with Android, and 78 percent of iOS users chose to continue using an iPhone.
The data also suggests that Apple users switched over to Android at a slightly higher rate. 20 percent of new Android users previously had an iPhone, while 16 percent of new iOS users previously had an Android device. Customers purchasing their first smartphone were more likely to choose Android devices, with 62 percent of first time buyers picking Android and 24 percent of picking iOS.
"The dynamic between Apple iOS and Google Android is not well-understood," said Josh Lowitz, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. "Even the basic loyalty rate, the measure of how each operating system retains its own users, is not widely known. Conventional wisdom says the Apple 'ecosystem' promotes loyalty, while Android readily gives up users to iOS. Our analysis has a more nuanced view on operating system selection, and indicates Android user loyalty has caught up and even exceeds that of iOS."
Among customers who switched to a new mobile carrier at the same time as switching smartphones, the numbers were in Android's favor. 79 percent of Android users stuck with Android, while only 51 percent of iPhone users who swapped carriers chose an iPhone.
According to CIRP, switching from Android to iOS is more common when customers switch to AT&T or Verizon, while switching from iOS to Android is associated with a switch to T-Mobile or Sprint. CIRP attributes the high number of iPhone to Android switchers to T-Mobile and Sprint's "aggressive contracts and pricing."
Apple often talks about the number of users switching from Android to iOS during its earnings calls and events, but Android vendors, like Google and Samsung, rarely mention the number of customers who switch from iOS to Android, so it often seems like Android customers are switching at a higher rate. CIRP's data, however, suggests the retainment rates and switching rates between iOS and Android are close, with customers largely remaining loyal to their platform of choice.
During the company's last earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was seeing its highest switcher rate from Android that it had "ever measured."
CIRP's data was gathered from quarterly surveys of 4,000 U.S. subjects that activated a mobile phone from July 2013 to July 2015.
Apple aims to take on Google Now with the addition of several new intuitive features on iOS 9 for iPhone and iPad, including Proactive Suggestions, which provides contextually-aware recommendations for music, email, reminders, calendar events and more based on apps that you frequently open and the time of the day.
With iOS 9 currently available in beta, ahead of a public release in September, several readers have shared their real-world experiences with Proactive Suggestions within the MacRumors discussion forums, providing a closer look at the new-and-improved assistant that will be available to all users next month.
Music and Maps
When you connect your iPhone to your car via Bluetooth, iOS 9 can automatically make suggestions for you based on your common tasks while driving. For example, if you often listen to music while driving, it is likely that playback controls or a suggested playlist will be displayed on the Lock screen.
While recent rumors have claimed that Apple has ditched plans to release the so-called "iPhone 6c" until at least the second quarter of 2016, noted mobile phone leaker Evan Blass believes that the 4-inch budget smartphone could still be released alongside the "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" later this year.
Blass, who has accurately leaked several images and details about unreleased smartphones on Twitter (@evleaks) in the past, recently tweeted that it "sounds like iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 6c will all arrive concurrently," suggesting that Apple could release three new smartphones at its annual iPhone event in September.
Sounds like iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 6c will all arrive concurrently.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 11, 2015
Blass is better known for leaking Android-based smartphones from handset makers such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola and Huawei, and Apple's release date plans for the so-called "iPhone 6c" appear to be in flux, so his latest prediction should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt and have been shared for discussion purposes only.
@WhatTheBit Ha, I wouldn't say never. Plans really do change, and I don't always hear about it.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 11, 2015
"iPhone 6c" release date rumors have widely varied, ranging from the "second half of 2015" to "2016" and "Q2 2016." The much-rumored smartphone is expected to be a long-awaited successor to the plastic "iPhone 5c" budget handset that Apple released in 2013, and could feature new 14/16nm FinFET chips from TSMC and Samsung for improved performance and lower power consumption.
Password management app LastPass [Direct Link] today announced that new users joining the service will be able to sign up for free without having to pay for a LastPass Premium or Enterprise subscription on mobile devices. Those users who get started on iOS, Android, or Windows will be able to use the service and even sync passwords amongst other smartphones for free.
Now, if you get started with LastPass on your Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone, you’ll have completely free access from your smartphone, and can even sync across smartphones for free. The same is true for tablets, if that’s where you get started.
We want to ensure that LastPass is accessible for all users, including mobile-only users who need help managing their passwords and apps. Wherever you get started, you can use LastPass on that device, and any others of the same device type – desktops, smartphones, or tablets – for free!
The company even promises that wherever a user gets started -- be it on desktop, mobile, or a tablet -- they will be able to use and sync LastPass on that device and any device of the same type. Users who then want a more robust experience, and be able to migrate from mobile to tablet to desktop, will need to sign up for a LastPass Premium subscription for $12 per year.
Before it had a dedicated Mac app, the service was a web-only password management tool which has now grown to include features like quick search, secure logins, and automatic password change. LastPass promises that existing users can expect to continue using the service "without any changes" to their current experience. New users interested in testing out the desktop version can sign up for a 14-day free trial of the LastPass service on the Mac app [Direct Link].
Rite Aid today announced that its 4,600 stores across the United States will begin accepting Apple Pay and Google Wallet starting August 15, nearly one year after the drugstore chain and CVS infamously disabled support for the iPhone-based mobile payments service nationwide. Rite Aid will also support Google's forthcoming Android Pay service when available.
Rite Aid and CVS spurred a controversy last year after disabling Apple Pay and Google Wallet as payment methods last year, likely because both are members of the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) consortium, which has its own mobile payments service called CurrentC. MCX launched in August 2012 with a three-year exclusivity period for all members, which ends this month.
“Increasingly, consumers are actively seeking out and incorporating mobile technology into many facets of their life, including their shopping and purchasing decisions,” said Ken Martindale, CEO of Rite Aid stores and president of Rite Aid Corporation. “By accepting mobile payments, we’re able to offer Rite Aid customers an easy and convenient checkout process, which we know is important to them. Investing in mobile technologies is just one piece of Rite Aid’s evolving digital strategy and we will continue to explore, test and implement innovative technologies that will help us to better serve our valued customers.”
Apple responded to the Rite Aid-CVS situation last year by stating that Apple Pay feedback from customers and retailers was "overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic" at the time, and the mobile payments service is now available at over 750,000 locations in the United States and United Kingdom. Other MCX members that remain without Apple Pay support include Walmart, Target and Lowe's.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is among a group of high-profile investors in Nebia, a San Francisco-based startup that has created a water-efficient shower head, according to The New York Times. Nebia is a self-installed shower system that atomizes water into millions of droplets to create 10 times more surface area than a regular shower for up to 70% less water consumption than a traditional shower head.
Nebia Shower was recently introduced on crowdfunding website Kickstarter and has quickly reached its $100,000 funding goal, with over $130,000 in pledges and counting to be paid out to the six-person company on September 11. The shower head is available for a pledge between $269 and $299 and will retail for $399 once released.
According to the Kickstarter page, Nebia has tested its shower head with students, employees and customers at Equinox Gyms, Google, Apple and Stanford University. Apple noted that Cook's funding towards the Nebia was a personal investment, but declined to comment further on the matter. Other investors include Michael Birch, Y Combinator and the Schmidt Family Foundation.
Despite the immense popularity of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, a recent KGI prediction estimates that Apple may sell somewhere between 65 and 75 million of the so-called "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" in Q4 2015, pointing towards a strong possibility of zero or negative growth year-over-year for the smartphone line.
According to Apple Daily [Google Translate] (via GforGames), the report states that the two biggest factors for the predicted performance plateau or decline of this year's iPhone lies in weak sales for China and public ambivalence towards Force Touch as a flagship feature of the "S" generation.
The analyst quoted by the Taiwanese media says there are two main factors that could contribute to these results. First of all, compared to last year, smartphone sales in China have declined along with the spending power, and as you should all know, China is the largest smartphone market in the world.
Secondly, the analyst says that another big reason that could contribute to the iPhone 6s duo yielding zero or negative growth is Force Touch. More to the point, the technology itself should not slow down the market performance, but because Force Touch is supposed to be one of iPhone 6s’ main new driving feature and due to the fact that the public hasn’t been wowed by FT on the Watch and the new MacBook, the inclusion of Force Touch on the upcoming iPhone flagship might not attract as many customers as Apple might hope.
Apple still has high hopes for China, remaining bullish on the country as becoming its "largest market in the future," spurring the company to factor in Chinese consumer tastes as major influences for the design of its products worldwide. If KGI's estimates become true, it would indeed come under Apple's results from earlier in the year, which the company reported to be 74.5 million iPhones sold total.
Although not a complete confirmation of the rumor, the KGI report also suggests that Apple recently reduced its manufacturing orders for the iPhone 6s by a total of 1 percent, pointing towards the possibility of a lower yield on this year's generation of iPhone. The most recent news on the "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" described the way Force Touch may work on iOS, hinted at a stronger shell to avoid another "Bendgate" scandal, and pointed to a late-August ramp-up for mass production ahead of the predicted September reveal.
Update 7:45 AM: MacRumors has obtained a copy of Kuo's note outlining his thoughts on China and Force Touch.
Weaker-than-last-year China consumption a concern for new iPhone shipments momentum. China was the primary growth driver for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus shipments in 3Q14-2Q15. Demand from China could be weakened YoY in 2015 due to the stock market correction there, leaving shipments momentum of the 2015 new iPhone models in doubt.
No killer application created by Force Touch as yet. Force Touch has already been used in Apple Watch and MacBook without prompting strongly positive market feedback. We are, therefore, not certain whether it can provide sufficient appeal to shore up shipments momentum of the new iPhone models to be launched this year, though we are positive on its potential contribution to the Apple user experience in the long run.
Kuo notes Force Touch players in Apple's supply chain will see a strong boost regardless of iPhone 6s sales numbers, given it's an entirely new business for these companies, but the effect on the rest of Apple's supply chain partners remains to be seen.
iOS remained the top platform for smartphone activations in the second quarter, despite its overall market share falling from 70% to 64%, according to Good Technology's twelfth quarterly Q2 Mobility Index Report. Android trailed behind with 32% market share during the quarter, up from 26% last quarter, while Windows rose to 3% market share to finish a distant third place.
iOS retains the top spot in the enterprise tablet market, but Android is closing the gap
iOS saw its market share drop from 81% to 64% in the tablet market, a sharp decline from the iPad's previous 80% to 90% dominance in the enterprise, while Android grew from 15% to 25% during the second quarter. Windows rose from 4% to 11%, a notable increase given that Microsoft's operating system represented just 1% market share two quarters ago.
iOS continued to lead in regulated industries, including the public sector (79%), education (76%), healthcare (70%), insurance (65%) and financial services (63%). Meanwhile, Android moved ahead of iOS in the high-tech sector with 53% of device activations and also experienced growth in the energy (48%) and manufacturing (42%) sectors.
Good Technology's data is based on monthly activations among all its global customers that had at least five activated devices during the second quarter. The full-length Mobility Index Report Q2 2015 offers detailed insight on app, platform and device preferences among enterprise users.
If you were tricked into buying MacKeeper, you may be able to get your money refunded. MacKeeper, for those unfamiliar, is Mac software that purports to optimize a Mac and keep it secure from viruses and malware, advertising claims that it has not been able to live up to.
As shared by Macworld, following a class action lawsuit that accused MacKeeper developer ZeoBIT of deceptive advertising and false claims, a proposed settlement of $2 million has been established to provide to customers who bought MacKeeper and would like a refund.
Customers who purchased MacKeeper before July 8, 2015 can file a claim to request a full refund of the purchase price. Customers must submit a claim form before November 30, 2015 to become a part of the class action settlement. More than 500,000 people have purchased MacKeeper, paying prices up to $39.95, and buyers will be contacted via email about the settlement.
Because of its aggressive marketing tactics, often appearing in intrusive pop-up and pop-under ads, MacKeeper has earned a negative reputation with most Mac users, who believe it's little more than bloatware.
As part of the $2 million settlement earmarked for refunds, ZeoBIT will not need to admit any fault in regards to claims of deceptive advertising and making false claims about the software's capabilities. MacKeeper is no longer ZeoBIT property, having been sold to Kromtech in April of 2013.
Rumors have all but confirmed the upcoming iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus will include Force Touch, allowing the device to distinguish between a light tap and a deeper press to enable a wide range of new gestures.
Force Touch has been built into the Apple Watch and the trackpads of the Retina MacBook and the newest Retina MacBook Pros, adding a whole new dimension to the way the devices are controlled. On the Apple Watch, Force Touch is used within apps to access different settings, and on the Mac, it can do things like previewing links in Safari, and accelerating rewind/fast forward speed in iMovie.
Force Touch on the iPhone will work similarly to the way that it works on the existing devices that offer Force Touch, but there are some differences, according to information an inside source shared with 9to5Mac. Force Touch on the iPhone is said to be used primarily for "shortcut actions," letting users perform tasks within apps more quickly.
In Maps, for example, using Force Touch on a point of interest will cause turn-by-turn directions to start up immediately, while force pressing on a song in the Music app will bring up a menu to save it to a playlist. Force pressing on certain apps on the Home Screen could open directly to specific sections of the app.
Another feature in testing, according to one source, are shortcuts that appear after Force Touching an app icon on the Home screen. For example, if a user deep presses on the Phone app icon, he could choose to shortcut directly to the Voicemail tab. This could also apply to deep pressing the News app icon and being taken directly to either the Favorites or For You tabs.
Aside from Force Touch, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus will feature an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM, a revamped camera system with a 12-megapixel camera, improved Touch ID, and a chassis made of a new material with reinforcements at the weak points that previously caused some iPhones to bend. Rumors suggest the addition of Force Touch and the new reinforcements will cause the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to be 0.2mm thicker, a change that will be hardly noticeable to most users.
Following the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last September, some users began experiencing issues with the larger-sized smartphones bending in their pockets after normal day-to-day usage. The issue -- informally known as "Bendgate" -- became widespread after a video test revealed it does not take much force to cause a slight curvature in the device.
iPhone 6 Plus bend test by Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy
Apple later commented that an iPhone 6 Plus bending under normal use is "extremely rare," adding that it had received only nine complaints from customers about the issue at the time. The company said the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a "precision engineered unibody enclosure" constructed from 6000 series anodized aluminum and "stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations" on the devices.
Nevertheless, it appears that Apple engineers have tweaked the design of the so-called "iPhone 6s" by strengthening the weak points of the smartphone's rear shell. A new YouTube video shared by Unbox Therapy shows that the areas around the Home and volume buttons on the "iPhone 6s" appear to be notably thicker -- 1.9mm versus 1.14mm -- suggesting that Apple's next iPhones could be less susceptible to bending under normal usage.
Interestingly, the video shows that the "iPhone 6s" rear shell is also slightly lighter, despite having a thicker shell at certain weak points. The purported "iPhone 6s" rear shell weighs in at 25 grams, compared to 27 grams for the iPhone 6 rear shell, suggesting that Apple could be using a new material such as the rumored 7000 Series anodized aluminum for its next-generation smartphones.
MacManiack, a reseller of iPhone, iPad, and Mac parts and accessories, has shared a new video that compares a purported "iPhone 6s" display with an existing iPhone 6 display. The side-by-side comparison reveals that the displays are very similar overall, with identical dimensions and the same placement of the FaceTime camera and proximity sensor, but the front panels do have some notable differences.
The alleged "iPhone 6s" display has a new connector in the top-left corner that supports multiple rumors claiming the next-generation smartphone will be equipped with pressure-sensitive Force Touch technology. The "iPhone 6s" display also has slightly redesigned flex connectors, Touch ID is integrated in the LCD and digitizer connector, and the protective plate on the back of the LCD is glued in place.
As the launch of the so-called "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" inches closer, multiple components for the upcoming smartphones have leaked from within the supply chain. Chinese phone repair company GeekBar shared three photos of an identical looking "iPhone 6s" display assembly last week, while photos of the device's purported rear shell, logic board, battery, and more parts have also surfaced.
American Express today announced that the company is the first to introduce corporate credit card support with Apple Pay. The new addition will let customers pay at locations and within apps that support the contactless payments service with an eligible American Express corporate credit card.
“Businesses today are going digital, and American Express is at the forefront of digital innovation, helping companies to streamline their payments systems and simplify their processes,” said Greg Keeley, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Payments, American Express. “We continue to invest and expand digital offerings for our corporate customers in ways that maximize security and enhance the user experience.”
All corporate cards that will work with Apple Pay include: American Express Corporate Green Card; American Express Corporate Gold Card; American Express Corporate Platinum Card; American Express Corporate Centurion Card; American Express/Business Extra Corporate Card; and the American Express Corporate Defined Expense Program Corporate Card. Apple Pay has been expanding ever since its launch last October, with more retailers and financial institutions debuting support for the service as time goes on.
The upcoming iPad mini 4 will be the smallest the line-up has seen, equivalent to a miniaturized version of the iPad Air 2, according to a new design render video shared by uSwitch and Nowhereelse.fr's OnLeaks channel. The render gives the iPad mini 4 a thickness of 6.1mm, the same as the iPad Air 2, and less than the current 7.5mm thickness of the iPad mini 3.
The design render video backs up a part of a previous rumor that claimed the next iPad mini would adopt the slimmer form factor of the current line-up of iPad Air models, alongside the Air's 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and a fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating. Today's report gives no news on the iPad mini 4's internal upgrades, nor its camera or display changes, but Apple will undoubtedly aim to make the new generation of mini a bit more substantial than the simple addition of Touch ID that was introduced with last year's model.
Apple is expected to reveal the new line-up of iPads at the next major company keynote, rumored as of now to be taking place on September 9. Alongside the iPad mini and iPad Air, the company is likely to showcase the so-called "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" at the event, and possibly even finally reveal the next-generation Apple TV set-top box.
Now that you've been testing out Apple Music for about a month, you've probably come across some questions about what else you can do with the streaming music service. We sure have.
If you are a fan of Beats 1 but don't want to use up your data listening to Zane Lowe's voice on your commute to work everyday, you can download the playlist from your favorite deejays and listen to their chosen tunes offline for as long as you wish.
You can't listen to Beats 1 live in offline mode, but you can access playlists from a deejay's previous radio show similar to the way you would access cable movies and television shows on-demand.
Step 1: Find a Deejay
The first thing you will need to do is find the deejay playlist you wish to listen to. If you want to find out whom Elton John is listening to, or think Julie Adenuga plays the songs you want to hear, you can find their Beats 1 playlists on their Apple Connect pages by performing a quick search in iTunes while in the Radio tab.
The search will usually turn up "X on Beats 1" where X is the name of the deejay. Select that result to see a list of the deejay's playlists. Tracks will be listed by date, so you can easily find the most recent radio show, or even start from the beginning.
The European Commission has failed to find evidence that Apple conspired with record labels to put a stop to free music streaming services, reports Re/code, citing sources with knowledge of the investigation.
The European Commission spoke with multiple digital music services and record labels, but was not able to find evidence of illegal activity, putting an end to the probe. Investigators' "files will remain open," however, as Spotify continues with licensing talks with major labels.
European regulators began scrutinizing Apple's discussions with record labels in April, over concerns Apple would use its influence to persuade music companies to put an end to free ad-supported music services such as Spotify. Apple Music, unlike Spotify, does not offer a free listening tier.
Rumors later suggested Apple was indeed leveraging its power in the music industry to push record labels to stop offering licensing options for freemium music tiers, leading to investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, both of which are ongoing.
According to Re/code's sources, while the European Commission has found no evidence of collusion between Apple and record labels, it has also launched a separate investigation into Apple's App Store policies concerning competing music services.
Separately, the EU has asked Spotify and other music streaming services for information pertaining to Apple's mobile App Store, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Regulators are seeking information on the restrictions Apple places on apps offered through the store.
Apple's App Store policies are also currently being looked at by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, due to the 30 percent fee the company collects on app and subscription revenue. The FTC is concerned that Apple's fee and its policies, such as a ban on links to outside stores, are illegal under antitrust law.
