Apple has announced that iOS 9 is the fastest adopted software update ever, with more than 50% of active devices running the latest version as measured by the App Store on September 19.
“Customer response to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been incredibly positive, we can't wait to get our most advanced iPhones ever into customers’ hands starting this Friday,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iOS 9 is also off to an amazing start, on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other software release in Apple’s history.”
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller says that iOS 9 is on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other iOS version ever released. He also said that response to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been "incredibly positive," but no specific sales figures were disclosed.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch on September 25 in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K. Last week, Apple said pre-orders for the new iPhones are "on pace to beat" last year's record-breaking 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch weekend.
The next MacBook Pro is not expected until 2016 with the release of the Skylake processors. $1,699 represents the largest discount on the current generation 15" MacBook Pro that we've seen, and expires at the end of Monday, September 21st.
Samsung is planning to follow in Apple's footsteps by launching its own Galaxy smartphone leasing program in the U.S. over the coming months, according to Forbes.
The South Korean electronics giant is planning to launch a program for leasing its Galaxy phones in the U.S. market, similar to the one Apple announced just weeks ago, according to an industry executive with knowledge of Samsung’s plans. Samsung may be launching this leasing program in the next several months, although that timeline may accelerate, the executive said.
The report does not offer any other details about Samsung's plans for the rumored smartphone leasing program, but the move would make sense as the wireless industry moves away from subsidized pricing and two-year contracts in favor of monthly installment plans and financing programs for payments.
Apple introduced the iPhone Upgrade Program alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus earlier this month, enabling customers to upgrade to a new iPhone every year with AppleCare+ warranty coverage included. Eligible customers who sign up for the program will have the full cost of their new iPhone broken down into 24 equal payments of around $30 to $45 per month depending on the model, plus a premium for AppleCare+.
After the first 12 monthly payments, the customer gains the option to trade in their iPhone for a new one and enter into a new 24 month installment plan to pay it off. The final cost of an entry-level 16GB iPhone 6s with AppleCare+ purchased through the iPhone Upgrade Program is $777.84, which is ultimately the same price as purchasing a 16GB iPhone 6s ($649) and AppleCare+ ($129) outright -- but with less due upfront.
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile also offer their own carrier financing plans for iPhones and Galaxy smartphones, each breaking down the full price of the device into equal monthly payments.
Apple debuted a brand new Apple Music ad during the Emmys tonight. The ad features actresses Taraji P. Henson and Kerry Washington hanging out and enjoying Apple Music with singer Mary J. Blige. The ad has a focus on Apple Music's playlists.
The ad, which was directed by Selma director Ava Duvernay, features Washington, Blige and Henson hanging out at a home and remembering mixtapes before Blige interrupts them to tell them about Apple Music playlists, which she compares to mixtapes.
Washington goes a step further and says that Apple's curated playlists are like having a boyfriend creating you a mixtape. The rest of the ad features the three having fun listening to the curated playlists before revealing the $9.99 monthly subscription cost to sign up for Apple Music.
In early August, Apple launched a worldwide advertising campaign featuring billboards and posters. Shortly after that, they debuted three artist-focused ads highlighting the Apple Music's ability to introduce people to new artists and music. Additionally, Apple released a two-part ad featuring The Weeknd during the MTV VMAs.
Earlier this week, Chinese developers disclosed new iOS malware called XcodeGhost on microblogging service Sina Weibo. U.S. cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks has since publisheddetails about the malware.
MacRumors has created a FAQ so you can learn more about XcodeGhost and how to keep your iOS devices protected.
What is XcodeGhost? XcodeGhost is a new iOS malware arising from a malicious version of Xcode, Apple's official tool for developing iOS and OS X apps.
How is XcodeGhost distributed? A malicious version of Xcode was uploaded to Chinese cloud file sharing service Baidu and downloaded by some iOS developers in China.
Chinese developers then unknowingly compiled iOS apps using the modified Xcode IDE and distributed those infected apps through the App Store.
Those apps then managed to pass through Apple's code review process, enabling iOS users to install or update the infected apps on their devices.
Which devices are affected? iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models running an iOS version compatible with any of the infected apps. The malware affects both stock and jailbroken devices.
Which apps are affected? Palo Alto Networks has shared a full list of over 50 infected iOS apps, including WeChat, NetEase Cloud Music, WinZip, Didi Chuxing, Railway 12306, China Unicom Mobile Office and Tonghuashun.
How many users are affected? XcodeGhost potentially affects more than 500 million iOS users, primarily because messaging app WeChat is very popular in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
Which unofficial versions of Xcode are affected? All unofficial versions between Xcode 6.1 and Xcode 6.4.
How does XcodeGhost put my iOS devices at risk? iOS apps infected with XcodeGhost malware can and do collect information about devices and then encrypt and upload that data to command and control (C2) servers run by attackers through the HTTP protocol. The system and app information that can be collected includes:
Current time
Current infected app’s name
The app’s bundle identifier
Current device’s name and type
Current system’s language and country
Current device’s UUID
Network type
Palo Alto Networks also discovered that infected iOS apps can receive commands from the attacker through the C2 server to perform the following actions:
Prompt a fake alert dialog to phish user credentials;
Hijack opening specific URLs based on their scheme, which could allow for exploitation of vulnerabilities in the iOS system or other iOS apps;
Read and write data in the user’s clipboard, which could be used to read the user’s password if that password is copied from a password management tool.
Can XcodeGhost affect users outside of China? Yes. Some of the iOS apps infected with XcodeGhost malware are available on the App Store in countries outside of China. CamCard, for example, is a popular business card reader and scanner app available in the United States and several other countries, while WeChat is a popular messaging app in the Asia-Pacific region.
Why would some Chinese developers download Xcode from Baidu? Xcode is a large file that can take a long time to download from Apple's servers in China, leading some developers to download Xcode from unofficial sources.
How are Apple and Chinese developers dealing with XcodeGhost? Palo Alto Networks claims that it is cooperating with Apple on the issue, while multiple developers have updated their apps to remove the malware.
Apple has since issued the following statement to Reuters:
"We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software. We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps."
How do I protect myself against XcodeGhost? iOS users should immediately uninstall any infected iOS app listed here on their devices, or update to a newer version that has removed the malware. Resetting your iCloud password, and any other passwords inputted on your iOS device, is also strongly recommended as a precautionary measure.
Developers should install official versions of Xcode 7 or Xcode 7.1 beta from Apple's website for free and avoid downloading the software from unofficial sources.
Just days after iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders began shifting to "Preparing for Shipment" status on the Apple Online Store, several customers in the United States and abroad have received notice that the smartphones are now shipping from China for estimated delivery on September 25.
iPhone 6s Plus from Apple scheduled for September 25 delivery via UPS
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders have been shipped by both Apple and carriers such as Verizon and T-Mobile. Most devices are scheduled for overnight shipping next Thursday, meaning that customers should begin receiving their new iPhones on Friday morning, the same day the smartphones launch in twelve countries.
iPhone 6s from Verizon scheduled for overnight shipping on September 24
Apple requires that couriers such as UPS and FedEx in the United States hold iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus deliveries until September 25, but in years past some lucky customers have received their device slightly earlier. Meanwhile, New York City and Philadelphia residents could face delays due to Pope Francis visiting next week.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders began on September 12 at 12:01 AM Pacific in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Most iPhone 6s Plus and Rose Gold models are now estimated to ship in 3-4 weeks or later.
There still remains the option of standing in line at an Apple Store for a chance to purchase a specific iPhone model on launch day, but expect long lines at most locations. The new iPhones go on sale September 25 at 8:00 AM local time on a first come, first served basis for customers without reservations.
After being closed since June for a complete overhaul, Apple today re-opened its Infinite Loop Campus Store in Cupertino, California. The store is located on its famous campus, and it is the only Apple Store that sells Apple-branded products like t-shirts, notebooks, and coffee mugs in addition to standard Apple Store fare like MacBooks and iPhones.
Hundreds of people visited the new store today, waiting in long lines to get inside to see the new design. Apple employees were on hand to give out umbrellas to block out the sun and water to beat the 90 degree heat. Customers who waited in line received a free shirt that plays on the Apple Watch and Apple Music, reading just " Shirt."
Before it was redesigned, the campus store only sold items like T-shirts and coffee mugs, but after the revamp, it is a full Apple Store that lacks only a Genius Bar for device repairs. The store now sells iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, Beats headphones, and related accessories like cases and bands, but it does not offer third-party accessories.
All available products are widely spaced out to place focus on each individual item, and as employees at the store opening pointed out, this is the first Apple Store in the U.S. to sport this particular internal design.
While Apple has cut down on the number of Apple-branded swag products that are offered at the store, the company is selling a selection of notebooks, coffee mugs, water bottles, and pens that are designed to match its MacBook lineup in shades of Silver, Space Gray, and Gold.
Apple's Infinite Loop Store will be open to the public from Monday to Friday, and going forward, the store will also be open on Saturdays, something that's new for this particular location.
While many customers around the world anticipate receiving their brand new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus when the smartphones launch on September 25, pre-order deliveries in areas of New York City and Philadelphia could be delayed as Pope Francis prepares to visit both of those cities next week.
Pope Francis visit could delay iPhone 6s deliveries in NYC and Philadelphia
UPS, a courier service that frequently delivers Apple pre-orders, has posted a temporary service notice on its website that states no pickups and deliveries will be available in the following ZIP code areas of NYC and Philadelphia this Thursday-Friday and Friday-Saturday respectively due to security measures.
Affected ZIP Code Areas
New York City: 10001, 10007, 10017, 10021, 10022, 10023, 10029
The affected areas in New York City are all in Manhattan, including parts of Chelsea, Civic Center, East Harlem, Midtown, Tribeca and the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Pope Francis will be making appearances in those areas at St. Patrick's Cathedral, United Nations headquarters, 9/11 Museum, Central Park, Madison Square Garden and elsewhere next Thursday and Friday.
The affected areas in Philadelphia include parts of Bella Vista, Callowhill, Center City, Devil's Pocket, Fairmount, Grays Ferry, Logan Square, Mantua, Northern Liberties, Passyunk Square, Pennsport, Point Breeze, Poplar, Powelton Village, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Southwark, Spring Garden, Spruce Hill, University City, Washington Square West, West Philadelphia and West Powelton.
UPS typically offers the option of personal pickup at a holding facility, so there remains a possibility that some New York City and Philadelphia residents will be able to receive their iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus deliveries on launch day. For others, however, it may mean waiting until Monday to get that shiny new iPhone.
FedEx and USPS have since confirmed they will be following similar security procedures.
Update: A UPS spokesperson told MacRumors that it has been in communication with customers ahead of the Pope's visit.
UPS has been in communication with customers ahead of time about the impacts of the Pope’s visit through handouts, placards on drop boxes and phone, personal and email contact.
This is very typical for large events like this where there is a lot of security requirements and limitations. UPS has worked through these types of events on multiple occasions. For those ZIP codes that are affected, other alternatives include routing deliveries through UPS My Choice to another location.
Note: Due to the nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple has posted several job listings today for an upcoming retail store in Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China. The store is looking to fill Specialist, Creative, Genius, Store Leader and Manager positions, in addition to hiring for the Apple Store Leader Program and multiple business-related positions.
Chinese-language newspaper Macao Dailyreported in June that Apple is planning to open a flagship store in Macau, which is located across from Hong Kong, but the news went largely uncovered by mainstream media. At the time, the report claimed that Apple had not finalized a location for the upcoming store.
Apple celebrated the grand opening of its newly designed Apple Store in Brussels today with much fanfare, ranging from CEO Tim Cook tweeting to long lineups and media forming around the entrance prior to the doors opening. The store is the first located in Belgium at Avenue de la Toison d'Or in a busy shopping area.
The new Apple Store is the first to feature a next-generation Jony Ive-inspired design with large and virtually seamless curved glass panels on the facade, light boxes extending the length of the ceiling, indoor trees, touch-sensitive sequoia wood tables, new wooden shelves for Beats headphones and other accessories, and a massive digital screen at the back of the store for product marketing.
Apple blog One More Thing was on hand for the Apple Store grand opening in Brussels today and recorded some exciting footage as the doors opened. As with many other grand openings, the day started with a countdown among the hundreds of people lined up outside the store, at which point the doors opened and customers were cheered on by retail employees as they entered.
Apple recently shared a new video that highlights the work of several comic artists in Brussels, which is known for its tradition of comic art, to celebrate the grand opening. The store is open on Monday-Saturday between 10 AM and 7 PM local time and offers a Genius Bar, Workshops and other regular services.
Apple has updated its regional websites for Austria, Denmark and Ireland to announce the Apple Watch will be available on September 25.
Apple Watch models with prices were also added to the Apple Store app in Norway and Poland, but no release dates have been listed in either country.
Austria - Apple Watch Sport: €399 to €449 - Apple Watch: €649 to €1,249 - Apple Watch Edition: €11,000 to €18,000
Denmark - Apple Watch Sport: 3.099,00 kr. to 3.499,00 kr. - Apple Watch: 4.999,00 kr. to 9.699,00 kr. - Apple Watch Edition: 85.000,00 kr. to 140.000,00 kr.
Ireland - Apple Watch Sport: €429 to €479 - Apple Watch: €679 to €1,279 - Apple Watch Edition: €11,300 to €18,500
MacRumors previously reported the Apple Watch was expected to launch in Austria, Denmark and India this month, leaving India as the sole country of the three that has yet to announce an Apple Watch release date.
Austria, Denmark and Ireland will be part of the fifth Apple Watch launch wave:
April 24: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, U.K. and U.S.
June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan
As developers get their hands on Apple TV, they've started experimenting with its new operating system tvOS, testing new kinds of apps and finding tidbits that haven't been discovered yet. Developer James Addyman, for instance, has created an emulator for the new Apple TV called Provenance.
Provenance is an iOS front end that allows support for multiple emulators. Currently, it supports emulators for Sega's Genesis, Master System, Mega CD and Game Gear and Nintendo's NES, SNES, Gameboy and Gameboy Advance.
While Provenance is still being developed and it's unlikely the app will make it into the Apple TV's App Store, other developers can test Provenance as Addyman continues work on it. Addyman says certain issues still need to be corrected, including determining when the Apple TV will erase its local content and how to properly map old Sega and Nintendo gamepad functions to the Siri Remote. Addyman began developing Provenance last week within the tvOS simulator.
Mirroring Addyman's concerns about mapping old Nintendo and Sega gamepad functions to the Siri Remote, developer Steve Troughton-Smith points out how many inputs can actually be used for playing games.
So the gamepad situation is even more dire: you have dpad, accelerometer, and one button. They *really* need to revert that gamepad decision
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) September 18, 2015
While the touchpad can be clicked, acting as a "second button", it can't be clicked easily while being used to control movement. This could make game development difficult, as games have to be able to be played on the Siri Remote.
Troughton-Smith has also been revealing Apple TV tidbits as he explores the dev kit. For instance, when a user picks up the new Siri Remote it senses it's being held and automatically wakes up the screen before a button is pressed. IR is used to control a TV's volume with the Siri Remote and your TV remote can be used to control the Apple TV.
Additionally, the existing Apple TV IR remotes also work with the new Apple TV. This includes the silver aluminum remote that ships with current Apple TVs and the original white plastic Apple TV remote. While they don't allow you to access Siri, they do allow you to navigate around the Apple TV's interface.
Finally, with Apple TV dev kits in the hands of developers, some have made their way onto sites like eBay and Craigslist for sale for up to $1,000.
The new Apple TV will be available in October and come in two variations: a 32 GB version for $149 and a 64 GB version for $199.
The Nomad Pod, with its built-in battery, is one of a small selection of Apple Watch stands able to offer functionality beyond simply holding the Apple Watch charger in a more accessible position. Priced at $60, the Pod is a compact, modern-looking Apple Watch stand that's small enough to fit in a backpack or bag and able to keep the Apple Watch's battery full when traveling away from the grid for a few days.
I've been testing the Pod for several weeks now to see how it stacks up against other Apple Watch docking options on the market, both as a travel companion and as a stand at home on my desk.
Setup and Design
The circular Pod is made up of two pieces: a plastic and aluminum base that holds the Apple Watch charger and cord in place, and an aluminum faceplate that snaps on over the base to hide the cord from view. The Pod is made from brushed aluminum in Silver or Space Gray that matches Apple's MacBook, iPhone, and iPad lineups, and its minimal design will let it fit into almost any decor.
Size wise, the Pod fits into the palm of a hand and is quite similar to a hockey puck both in diameter and thickness. It can potentially fit in a generously sized pants pocket or a jacket pocket, but its thickness and round shape makes that less than comfortable. At one side, there's a micro-USB port to charge the Pod itself, a button that activates the Pod's charging function, and a 4-LED indicator for displaying battery life. It also ships with a Nomad-branded micro-USB cable.
Now that the iPad mini 4 is out, the iPad mini 3, which is basically an iPad mini 2 with Touch ID, has been discontinued by Apple. That means retailers have begun dropping prices on iPad mini 3 models that remain in stock, so it may be possible to get a good deal on an iPad mini 3 if you need to save a few bucks.
Prices are finally dropping on the Retina MacBook, five months after it first launched. Discounts are up to $150, so it's a good time to pick up one of Apple's ultra slim notebooks.
As always, we've also hunted down some great accessory deals and outlined a list of apps and games that are currently on sale.
Amazon is also offering some discounts. The 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in gold is available for $425, while the 64GB version is available for $533. The 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $432.99, while the 64GB version is available for $537.98. The 128GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in Space Gray is available for $627.83.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with OWC to give away the Envoy Pro mini, a desktop class solid state drive that fits into a keychain-sized enclosure. The Envoy Pro mini measures in at 3.7 inches by 0.94 inches by 0.44 inches, but houses a 120GB or 240GB SSD.
Despite being able to fit comfortably in a pocket, the Envoy Pro mini is nearly twice as fast as the average thumb drive, reaching sustained speeds up to 427MB/s, so it's excellent for tasks regular thumb drives can't achieve, like quickly transferring large files.
The Envoy Pro mini, which is available directly from OWC, is priced at $117.99 for the 120GB version or $184.99 for the 240GB version, but one MacRumors reader will have a chance to get the 120GB version for free.
To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner.
You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
The contest will run from today (September 18) at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time on September 25. The winner will be chosen randomly on September 25 and will be contacted by email. The winner have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address. The prizes will be shipped to the winner for free.
Apple has published a new support document on its website that outlines a fix for users experiencing an unresponsive "Slide to Upgrade" screen after updating to iOS 9 (via iPhoneHacks).
Apple recommends restoring your device from an iTunes backup to resolve the problem.
1. Connect your iOS device to your computer and open iTunes. 2. Select your device. If you don't see it listed, force restart your device by pressing and holding both the Sleep/Wake and Home button for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo. 3. If you made an iTunes backup of your device before updating to iOS 9, restore your device from that backup. If not, you need to make a backup of your device in iTunes, then restore from that backup.
Apple released iOS 9 on Wednesday for iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later and the fifth-generation iPod touch or later.
Ahead of the September 25 launch of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the new devices are beginning to show up in shipping warehouses as Apple prepares to deliver them to pre-order customers around the world. With more people having access to the devices before launch, there are bound to be a few image leaks, and today, some photos of both the outer packaging of the iPhone 6s and the rose gold iPhone have surfaced.
Spanish site iPhoneros [Google Translate] says its photos of the packaging came from a source in China. In one of the images, the packaging for all four iPhone 6s colors is depicted, each with a different siamese fighting fish, matching previous leaked packaging photos. The side of the box has the iPhone 6s name, and there's an Apple logo at the top.
The Rose Gold iPhone 6s box appears to have an orange fish, while the Silver iPhone 6s has a blue fish. The fish on the Gold iPhone 6s box is blue and gold, while the Space Gray iPhone 6s packaging has a red fish.
Chinese site Feng [Google Translate] has also shared a series of photos depicting both the packaging and the Rose Gold iPhone 6s. Of note on the Rose Gold iPhone is the small "S" on the back of the device, a marker that has not been seen on previous S generation phones. This was clearly depicted in press images of the device taken at the September 9 media event, but may have gone unnoticed by some.
With the S identifier at the back of the phone, it will be easier to distinguish one of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices from the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.
The fish that are depicted on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus packaging will be available as motion-based wallpapers on the new devices, along with motion wallpapers depicting different colored smoke. The new dynamic wallpapers are exclusive to the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus and are unavailable on older devices.
Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be available beginning on September 25, and some customers who pre-ordered have already begun having their cards charged and are seeing their order statuses shift from "Processing" to "Preparing for shipment." Earlier this week, order status changes were limited to customers outside of the U.S., but in the last day, even customers in the United States have begun seeing some movement.
Apple continues to move toward retiring its One to One training program aimed at Mac customers, with the company's online store checkout process no longer offering the program as an add-on option for Mac purchases as of today.
Current online store checkout process for Macs with no mention of One to One
Today's change comes a few weeks after MacRumorsinitially reported rumors of One to One's impending demise and later confirmed meetings with retail staff to announce the change. The program will officially be discontinued on September 28, although with today's change it's clear the company is looking to halt new signups as much as possible ahead of that date.
Previous checkout options with both AppleCare and One to One offered
Priced at $99 per year and valid for up to three years following the purchase of a new Mac, Apple's One to One program offered to teach customers unfamiliar with the company's products everything from basic setup to more specialized sessions on apps like GarageBand and Final Cut Pro.
Apple will continue to offer free workshops and training in its stores, but with the more advanced paid One to One option being discontinued, it could offer an opportunity for resellers to promote their own similar programs.
Apple has announced that iOS 9 is the fastest adopted software update ever, with more than 50% of active devices running the latest version as measured by the App Store on September 19.
Samsung is planning to follow in Apple's footsteps by launching its own Galaxy smartphone leasing program in the U.S. over the coming months, according to 
Earlier this week, Chinese developers disclosed new iOS malware called XcodeGhost on microblogging service 
Apple has posted 
Apple has published a new 
