Apple is starting production on its next-generation iPhones, reports Bloomberg, and the new models are equipped with Force Touch capabilities. Force Touch, first introduced with the Apple Watch, is a feature that's able to distinguish between a light tap and a harder press, enabling a range of new gestures.
The two new iPhones will retain the same 4.7 and 5.5-inch display sizes, with an exterior design that's largely unchanged. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested the addition of Force Touch could make the iPhone 0.2mm thicker, but it is unclear if that rumor is accurate.
Apple Inc. has started early production of new iPhone models with a feature called Force Touch, which senses how hard users are pressing down on a screen, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Its newest iPhones, in the same 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions as the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices, will have a similar exterior design, the people said. Volume manufacturing is scheduled to ramp up as soon as next month, they said.
Because the design of the new iPhones will remain the same, Bloomberg's sources believe final assembly will go smoothly, but caution that production volume could be impacted by the supply and yield of displays for the devices. Apple has been working to add Force Touch across its product lineup since unveiling the Apple Watch and has thus far incorporated the feature into the trackpads of the Retina MacBook and Retina MacBook Pro.
Apple is expected to debut its next-generation "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" in September. Other rumors about the device suggest it could include an improved camera, 7000 series aluminum, and a new rose gold color option.
iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan have been available to developers for two weeks now, giving us time to discover all of the little features in both operating systems that weren't discussed during the keynote event. We've created two videos that highlight some of the small but neat additions to iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, which you can watch below.
Apple's introduced a wide range of feature additions and minor tweaks in iOS 9 that make some very useful improvements to iOS. For example, there's now a Notification Center widget that displays the battery life of connected devices like the Apple Watch, and there's a search bar in the Settings app that lets you find a specific setting very quickly.
A "Back to App" feature lets you swap between apps quickly when you click a notification or a link, and some keyboard changes on the iPad make editing documents a whole lot easier.
OS X 10.11 El Capitan has fewer small feature additions, but there are some improvements worth pointing out. The famous rainbow wheel pointer or "beachball," which spins when a program is loading has brighter, more defined colors, and the cursor is now easier to find when waking a Mac from sleep. There's also a revamped Disk Utility window and a dedicated Find My Friends widget for the Notification Center.
If you want to see an overview of all of the features in the new operating systems, make sure to check out our roundups: iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Our dedicated iOS 9 and El Capitan forums are also an excellent resource for learning more about the software we'll all be using in the fall.
Casetify, a company that makes customizable iPhone, iPad, and MacBook cases, has also begun selling Apple Watch bands, which can be printed with any design. Available for both the 38 and 42mm Apple Watches and in two finishes, bands can be customized with photographs or artwork or ordered from Casetify's pre-designed artist collection.
Fit
Casetify's Apple Watch bands are made from polycarbonate and are closest in nature to the Apple Watch Sport bands. I've been wearing a 38mm Casetify Apple Watch band for just over a week and while it is comfortable, the material of the band is not as soft, flexible, or as thin as the fluoroelastomer the Apple Watch Sport bands are constructed from.
Bands come in two sizes, one for each watch. The 38mm band fits wrists sized 140 to 200mm, while the 42mm band fits wrists sized 150 to 210mm. The underside of each band is ridged, with the Casetify logo printed on each side.
At about an eighth of an inch thick, Casetify's bands seem to be approximately a third thicker than the Apple Watch Sport (there's maybe about a millimeter of difference between the two). That's not a huge thickness disparity, but it is noticeable when wearing the Casetify band after wearing a Sport band, especially on a small wrist.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with OneAdaptr to offer 12 MacRumors readers a chance to win a Twist Plus+ World Charging Station. Priced at $45, the Twist Plus is a very handy charging solution that lets you charge your Mac and multiple iOS devices at the same time.
Because it attaches to any MacBook Power Adapter by replacing the attached plug, it works with many different Mac models. Its included four USB ports can charge iOS devices at the same time, and it even works with Apple's newest devices, the Retina MacBook and the Apple Watch.
In addition to charging multiple Apple products at once, the Twist Plus comes with a selection of adapters for use around the world, making it a useful product for those who travel often. The adapters are all built-in so there's no need to carry extra accessories, and changing the adapter is done with a twist of the base. The Twist Plus' selection of adapters work in more than 150 countries.
Twist Plus World Charging Station not only allows for worldwide charging of MacBook, but also provides 4 ports, 4.0 Amp USB charging station for iPad/iPhone/Smartphone/Tablet. Once attached, simply twist to select the local plug, to power up to 5 devices simultaneously from a single outlet.
To enter to win one of the 12 Twist Plus+ World Charging Stations, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and is used solely for contact purposes. 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.
This contest will run from today (June 26) at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time through 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 3. The winner will be chosen randomly on July 3 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address or a new winner will be chosen.
With the Fourth of July approaching, Best Buy is offering some holiday discounts on Macs, dropping its prices on iMacs and on the 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB Retina MacBook Pro. There are a few minor deals on iPads as usual, but if you can hold out on purchasing, you might be able to get a better deal later this month.
We've rounded up some deals on Apple accessories, including several Apple Watch stands, and we've got list of apps and games that are on sale this week.
iPad Air 2
B&H Photo is offering a small discount on most of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $469 and the 64GB model is priced at $559. Prices vary somewhat by model, but there are slight discounts to be had.
Discounts for each model and and color vary, but most models are being offered at a lower price than you'll find at the Apple Store, and buying from B&H, you won't have to pay sales tax unless you're in New York.
Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you're looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.
There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We'll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.
Shoot 'em up game Star Drift is available for free, down from $2.99. Puzzle game Dwelp is available for free, down from $1.99. Fantasy Gamebook Adventures apps are all on sale for $0.99, down from $5.99: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Hitman GO is available for $1.99, down from $4.99. Arcade game Impossible Road is available for $0.99, down from $1.99. Photography app Manual is available for $0.99, down from $1.99. Endless runner Alto's Adventure is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.
Photo editing app Halftone 2 was named Apple's App of the Week, so it will be free to download until next Thursday when a new app is picked.
Apple Accessories
iPhone accessory maker Speck is offering 30 percent off site wide, cutting the prices on all of its products. The discount is applied at checkout.
Apple has been working to acquire the intellectual property assets of Charlottesville, Virginia-based biometric security firm Privaris, according to CNN. Privaris recently transferred 26 of its 31 patents to the iPhone maker, including 4 patents in December 2012 and dozens more in October 2014.
The patents are primarily related to fingerprint and touchscreen technology that could lead to Touch ID improvements on future devices. Last February, well-informed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors that the next iPhone will have an improved Touch ID with reduced errors.
"For example, one of Privaris' patents covers the ability to use a touchscreen and fingerprint reader at the same time. Another invention of Privaris' could allow you to open a door with your iPhone by scanning your fingerprint and holding your phone up to a reader, similar to how you pay for items with Apple Pay."
While the transferred patents have fueled acquisition rumors, the Privaris website has not been updated since 2010 and seemingly none of the company's senior executives or other employees have updated their LinkedIn profiles with positions at Apple.
Accordingly, it is more likely that Privaris has scaled down or went out of business and Apple has acquired the company's patent portfolio and other intellectual property. However, the possibility of an acquisition cannot be entirely ruled out.
Privaris, which reportedly raised $29 million in funding, developed a lineup of PlusID personal biometric devices to access computers, networks, websites, software, VPNs, secured printers and online apps.
The company has also offered several other products and services related to access control systems, fingerprint authentication, biometric computer security, biometric security software and access cards, all technologies that fall within the realm of Touch ID.
Update: MacRumors has heard Privaris essentially shut down roughly five years ago, so this certainly appears to be a patent portfolio purchase rather than a full acquisition of Privaris by Apple.
Disney today announced the launch of its own GIF app, called Disney GIF, that will act as a keyboard extension and allow users to share a huge back catalogue of Disney- and Pixar-themed GIFs in Message, email, and various social networks (via TechCrunch). With today's launch, the app includes over 200 GIFs, with the company promising more to be added as time goes by.
GIFs ready at launch include moments from films like Frozen, The Lion King, and the newly-released Pixar feature Inside Out. The app will also feature content from studios owned under the Disney corporate umbrella, with GIFs from movies like Star Wars and even ABC shows like Scandal and Once Upon a Time.
Perhaps taking a cue from the emotion-based Inside Out, the app lets users browse by emotional status, film, or see what's currently trending with users around the world. Although the app is free to download, anyone interested in more premium content from the popular film Frozen can put down $0.99 for one of two themed packs from the animated musical.
The move is an interesting one, especially considering the rejection of app developer Matt Cheetham's app GIF Finder earlier in the year, due to the fact that it "includes content or features that resemble various well-known, third-party marks, including Disney characters." Although the app's rejection was "largely due" to other entertainment properties, Disney's desire to be included in the meme- and GIF-generating world, and still own complete control over the output, makes the debut of Disney GIF more understandable.
Reserve Strap this week released the official design specifications of its battery-charging Apple Watch band accessory, confirming a shipping date for the $249.99 strap to be November 3, 2015. Since its debut in early March, the Reserve Strap has gone through two designiterations, with developers Lane Musgrave and John Arrow attempting to get the look -- and functionality -- just right.
The strap's finalized design comes in with a width of 25mm, a thickness of 3-9mm, and a total weight of 65g. The designers have also ditched the rubber and metallic combination design of the Reserve Strap's second iteration with a uniform Thermoset Elastomer Silicone band that's "as resistant to water as Apple Watch." Coming in both 38mm and 42mm casing sizes, the Reserve Strap promises to fit wrists ranging in size from 130mm to 210mm.
The original Reserve Strap design (left), with the second design (middle) and the final one (right)
The design wasn't the only aspect of the strap to be overhauled, however, with the strap's developers noting a 167 percent increase in battery life, compared to the original design's 125 percent boost. Essentially, if the Reserve Strap is fully charged (via included micro-USB cable), users can expect an additional 30 hours of battery life for their Apple Watch. So, as the company notes on its website, a fully-charged Apple Watch can now expect a grand total battery life of 48 hours if both devices are topped off.
The company goes into the specifics in the new blog post on what users can expect with a day-to-day usage of the Reserve Strap, detailed below. It should be mentioned that the strap's access to the Apple Watch accessory port requires users to first remove the cover to the hidden port before using the Reserve Strap, a process detailed by creators Musgrave and Arrow in a how-to video on their YouTube channel.
How Reserve Strap Works
1. Reserve Strap will connect to the Apple Watch similar to Apple bands. It will slide in laterally then you’ll then push forward a small switch underneath the band to engage the accessory port connection to secure the Reserve Strap on the Watch.
2. At your discretion simply press the power button once to initiate charging. You can use the Watch as normal while it charges.
3. Once top-off charging is complete after 60-75 minutes, press the power button again to save the rest of Reserve Strap for another time. Or if you decide to leave Reserve Strap on, Apple Watch will use the Strap’s power to keep the Apple Watch at 100% power until the Reserve Strap is depleted.
4. Reserve Strap uses a minimal LED indicator to let you know how much charge you have left. When you turn the charge on or plug it in, the LED will glow either red, yellow or green indicating a high, medium, or low charge.
5. Recharging the Reserve Strap and Apple Watch is incredibly easy. You can leave your Strap on the Watch and simply plug it in via micro USB. This will charge the Apple Watch and Reserve Strap at the same time!
The Reserve Strap, which the developers promise fully complies with the Apple Watch Band Design Guidelines and "doesn't violate either AppleCare warranty or Apple Terms & Conditions," can be pre-ordered for $249.99 today from the company's official website. The final design can be purchased in white, grey, or black, its creators noting that only those who pre-ordered are guaranteed a strap on the November 3 launch date.
Apple has updated the terms of its AppleCare+ Protection Plan for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch to cover batteries that retain less than 80% of their original capacity within the extended warranty period, whereas it previously covered batteries that retained less than 50% of their original capacity. The change applies to AppleCare+ purchased for iPhone, iPad, iPod and all Apple Watch models on April 10, 2015 or later.
Apple will replace defective batteries that do not live up to the 80% specification free of charge as long as the device is within its AppleCare+ coverage period. Otherwise, the iPhone maker charges $79 for out-of-warranty battery service for all Apple Watch batteries that retain less than 80% of their original capacity per Apple's diagnostic testing, plus a $6.95 shipping charge if required.
The new battery terms of AppleCare+ for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch:
"If during the Plan Term, you submit a valid claim by notifying Apple that (i) a defect in materials and workmanship has arisen in the Covered Equipment, or (ii) the capacity of the Covered Equipment’s battery to hold an electrical charge is less than eighty percent (80%) of its original specifications, Apple will either (A) repair the defect at no charge, using new parts or parts that are equivalent to new in performance and reliability, or (B) exchange the Covered Equipment, with a replacement product that is new or equivalent to new in performance and reliability."
AppleCare+ for iPhone, iPad and iPod
AppleCare+ for iPhone extends the smartphone's warranty coverage to two years from the original date of purchase and provides up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage for a $79 service charge each time. Without AppleCare+, iPhone customers are covered by a limited one-year warranty and 90 days of complimentary phone support.
AppleCare+ for iPad and iPod have the same terms and conditions, although the accidental damage service charges are $49 and $29 per incident respectively.
AppleCare+ for Apple Watch
Apple has designed the Apple Watch battery to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles, which gives the watch's battery a lifespan of about two-and-a-half to three years based on fully charging the wrist-worn device once per day. Apple Watch has all-day battery life of 18 hours on a single charge based on mixed usage, and lasts up to 72 hours in Power Reserve mode.
AppleCare+ extends an Apple Watch's warranty coverage to two years from the date of purchase for the Sport and Watch, and three years for Edition, and provides accidental damage coverage for up to two incidents. Without AppleCare+, purchases of the Apple Watch Sport and the stainless steel Apple Watch are covered by a limited one-year warranty and 90 days of complimentary phone support.
AppleCare+ costs $49, $59 and $1,500 for the Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition models respectively, while accidental damage coverage is subject to an additional service charge of $69 for Sport, $79 for Watch and $1,000 for Edition. Apple also sells AppleCare+ combo plans for Apple Watch and iPhone for $149 (Sport and iPhone), $169 (Watch and iPhone) and $1,600 (Edition and iPhone).
As the Apple Watch goes on sale in Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan today, Apple has quietly announced that The Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand will begin selling the wrist-worn device on July 17. As with other countries, the Apple Watch should be available through the Apple Store, Apple Online Store and possibly select Apple Authorized Resellers.
Apple has been slowly catching up on Apple Watch backorders dating back to the April pre-order window, with most models now shipping in 1-2 weeks or less on the Apple Online Store and in-store reservations now available. The 42mm Space Black Apple Watch with Link Bracelet remains one of the more difficult models to obtain, with an estimated 2-3 weeks delivery date on the Apple Online Store.
With iOS 9, Apple introduced a Low Power mode, designed to extend battery life when an iPhone's power is running low. According to the feature's description, Low Power mode works by reducing an iPhone's performance and cutting down on background activity.
Geekbench 3 has just been updated to work with iOS 9, letting us get a more detailed look at how Low Power mode works and how much it throttles an iPhone's CPU performance when activated.
Without Low Power mode activated, an iPhone 6 Plus scored 1606 on the single-core processor test and 2891 on the multi-core processor test. When Low Power mode was turned on, the same iPhone 6 Plus scored 1019 on the single-core test and 1751 on the multi-core test, suggesting there's a significant performance reduction when Low Power mode is enabled to save as much battery as possible.
Results were similar on an iPhone 5s, with performance reduced by about 40 percent. We saw single/multi-core scores of 1386/2511 without Low Power mode and scores of 816/1405 with Low Power mode turned on.
Low Power mode activates when an iPhone is at 10 or 20 percent battery level, providing a popup that lets users toggle it on quickly. It can also be turned on via the new Battery section of the Settings app. When it's turned on, in addition to lowering CPU speeds, Low Power mode also disables Mail Fetch, Background App Refresh, motion effects, and animated wallpapers.
Indicated by a yellow battery icon, by limiting performance and disabling battery draining features, Low Power mode can extend an iPhone's battery life by up to three hours. Other performance improvements in iOS 9 extend the iPhone's battery by an hour even when Low Power mode is not enabled.
iOS 9 is currently available to developers and will be released to the general public in the fall.
No matter how much research and testing goes into ensuring the Apple Watch runs smoothly with no problems, there's always a chance that you will have to perform a few IT-style actions in order to fix a minor issue with your device.
The best way to troubleshoot a problem on Apple Watch is to backup the data and restore it. We've got a guide for backing up your Apple Watch to your iPhone and then restoring data from a backup.
Backups include most data collection, like system settings, language, Mail, Calendar, Stocks, app-specific data, and health and fitness data (if you are using iCloud or an encrypted iTunes backup).
Backups do not include calibration data, synced playlists, credit and debit cards used for Apple Pay, and your Apple Watch passcode
Backup iPhone First
Before starting the process on your Apple Watch, it is a good idea to sync the data on your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes. When you do, any previously backed up Apple Watch data is included.
Unpair Apple Watch
The only way to force a backup on Apple Watch is to unpair it from your iPhone. Unfortunately, this is a time consuming process.
It appears some iPad users are seeing a bug in the iOS App Store that prevents them from being able to locate and download iPhone-only apps. When using an iPad to search for an app that's only available on the iPhone like Instagram or Snapchat, results do not list iPhone-only apps even when the "iPhone Only" filter is turned on.
For example, in a search for "Snapchat" on an iPad Air 2 with the "iPhone Only" option selected, the results that are displayed include only universal apps made by third-party companies. The actual Snapchat app does not come up in the results at all, preventing it from being installed on an iPad. A test for several other iPhone-only apps revealed the same search error.
It is not clear when this App Store search bug started, but we first saw an issue last night and a MacRumors reader alerted us to the problem this morning. It is also not clear if all users are experiencing the issue, but each of the iPads we tested failed to bring up the proper search results.
It's likely this is an error that Apple will fix shortly, and while iPhone only apps can't be downloaded via search, they're still available in the list of purchased apps. Installing an iPhone-only app on the iPad can be done by installing it on an iPhone first and then downloading it on the iPad from the purchased list. It's also possible to search for the app in Safari to get a direct link to it in the App Store.
Apple's newest OS X El Capitan beta, released on Tuesday, contains code that may hint at some upcoming Apple product updates. Shared by Pierre Dandumont (via 9to5Mac), the code references a Retina display with a 4096 x 2304 resolution, potentially referring to a future 21.5-inch Retina iMac with a 4K resolution.
There's also a mention of Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200, the graphics chipset that accompanies Intel's newest line of Broadwell processors. Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 and a Broadwell/Skylake processor could potentially be destined for a 4K 21.5-inch Retina iMac, but the chipset is also suitable for a number of notebooks. There's a further mention of AMD Radeon M380 - M395X graphics, which could be used in high-end iMac models.
Apple has updated its 27-inch iMac with a 5K Retina resolution, but the 21.5-inch iMac has thus far remained untouched as Apple has had to wait on appropriate chips for the machine. Apple's plans for the 21.5-inch iMac remain unclear, as Intel has only released two desktop-class Broadwell chips and does not plan to release additional desktop chips. For that reason, a 21.5-inch Retina iMac update could still be months off should Apple opt to wait for Broadwell's successor, Skylake.
In addition to pointing towards a potential 21.5-inch iMac upgrade, code in the latest El Capitan beta also hints at a revamped Remote with a multi-touch trackpad that supports scrolling, a dedicated Bluetooth chip, and audio support, potentially for Siri commands. Details on the remote, which will likely accompany the upcoming Apple TV, were first shared in May.
Apple will today launch a significant upgrade to its iTunes U, reports Re/code. The aim of the update is to improve the tools available for teachers to interact with students, incorporate educational apps in course materials, and manage homework assignments.
Following the update, students who use iPads in the classroom will be able to submit homework assignments directly from their tablets, complete with time stamps to make sure work is turned in on time. The change makes it easier for students to submit homework, but it also simplifies the grading process for teachers, with alerts whenever an assignment is received and tools for sending reminders to students who are failing to turn in their work.
Teachers will also be able to use popular third-party educational apps in their iTunes U course materials, and there are new discussion features that allow students and teachers to more easily interact and share ideas.
As Re/code points out, iTunes U has become an increasingly important tool for teachers who incorporate the iPad into their classrooms. Teachers can use the tool to create entire courses using digital textbooks, videos, and apps, with today's update enhancing the tool's capabilities even further.
Taylor Swift has decided to stream her most recent best-selling album "1989" on Apple Music when the music service launches on June 30 next week, just days after Apple reversed course and agreed to pay artists and rights holders on a per-stream basis during the free three-month trial period -- specifically, Apple will pay 0.2 cents for each song streamed during a customer's trial.
Swift says that she has not reached an exclusive deal with Apple Music like Pharrell Williams has for his upcoming single "Freedom" previewed at WWDC, noting that her decision was purely because it was "the first time it's felt right" for her to stream her album. "1989" and other Swift albums remain unavailable to stream through rival service and market leader Spotify.
After the events of this week, I've decided to put 1989 on Apple Music...and happily so.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 25, 2015
In case you're wondering if this is some exclusive deal like you've seen Apple do with other artists, it's not.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 25, 2015
This is simply the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 25, 2015
Swift originally vowed not to stream "1989" through Apple Music because of Apple's plans to not pay artists during the free trial period, although the iPhone maker quickly changed its mind after the pop artist published an open letter on her Tumblr blog that criticized the move on behalf of all indie artists. "We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation," wrote Swift.
Since changing course, Apple Music has signed over 20,000 indie labels through deals with licensing groups Beggars Group and Merlin earlier this week, and reversed a PR disaster in the process. "We think Apple Music provides artists with a business model that’s good for the long term and we look forward to its launch on June 30," said the music groups after reaching an agreement with Apple.
Apple Music was announced earlier this month as an all-in-one streaming music service, live global radio station and social platform for artists to connect with fans. The subscription-based service will be available for $9.99 per month after a three-month free trial for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC. Apple TV and Android versions of the service will be available in the fall.
T-Mobile today introduced a new Jump on Demand smartphone trade-in program that enables customers to upgrade their smartphone up to three times per year with no fees or waiting times. The new program provides customers with a new smartphone with $0 due at signing in return for 18 monthly payments alongside the standard cost of a service plan. The smartphone can then be upgraded up to 3 times in a 12-month period at no cost.
"With Jump! On Demand, you make payments on your phone for 18 months. After 18 months, you can simply turn in your phone with nothing more to pay, or upgrade to your next new phone and start a new plan, or make a final payment and keep your phone. If you keep your phone and make the final payment, the total of your payments will equal the retail price of the phone. In addition, customers can pay off their JUMP! On Demand plan at any time by paying the remaining payments in advance, and keep their phone without penalty."
Customers that cancel their T-Mobile wireless service in less than 18 months must pay the sum of their final monthly payments and return the working smartphone, or purchase the smartphone outright for a fee, such as $164 for the iPhone 6. Jump on Demand will be available for eligible devices at participating T-Mobile stores in the United States beginning Sunday, June 28.
NSFW Warning: Language may not be suitable for all audiences
T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus through Jump On Demand for just $15 and $19 per month respectively for a limited time, prices that are unmatched by competing carriers. T-Mobile customers interested in the deal can sign up to receive updates about Jump On Demand through the carrier's website.
News has been swirling around the impending launch of Apple's new streaming music service, Apple Music, for a few weeks now. This morning, it was revealed that rapper Eminem will be the first official guest interviewed by DJ Zane Lowe on the Beats 1 live 24/7 radio show, setting up for a launch next Tuesday, June 30. Today, thanks to an in-depth post from The New York Times, new details regarding the show's programming schedule and celebrity partners have been revealed.
Lowe envisions Beats 1 as a sort of social media platform for music, a place where users worldwide can flock to in search of new song discoveries and celebrity interviews and news, akin to platforms like Twitter and Instagram. To tackle such a task, Beats 1 will be broken down into one- and two-hour slots, sometimes hosted and produced by celebrities and musicians themselves.
“Everyone keeps going to their devices because of fear of missing out,” he said. “I’m constantly going on Instagram, Twitter, wondering what’s going on in my friends’ lives. What am I missing? I want that for radio. What’s on right now, right now, that I didn’t know I wanted to listen to?”
To keep Beats 1 sounding fresh around the world, the station will alternate one- and two-hour programming blocks by established broadcasters with those by musicians and celebrities, who will host and plan the shows themselves. Among the names on board: the teen actor Jaden Smith, the alternative singer St. Vincent, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and the British electronic duo Disclosure.
Small hints were given to the specificities of some of Beats 1's shows, including a Dr. Dre-hosted hour called "The Pharmacy," and a smash-up between eclectic oldies and modern classics hosted by Elton John, suitably titled "Elton John's Rocket Hour." Other celebrity partners with planned shows include Pharrell and Drake, the former with a planned exclusive single for the service and the latter publicly supporting Apple Music on stage at WWDC this year.
The original idea for Beats 1 came from musician -- and key designer of Apple Music -- Trent Reznor, who hoped to expand the window of each individual user's musical tastes, fearing a lack of discovery and creativity in the current landscape of digital downloads. Listening to Lowe's own BBC-hosted radio show led Reznor to eventually helping Apple form and create the idea of Apple Music, and specifically a worldwide "monoculture" of a radio show in Beats 1. “Part of the last three months has been desperately trying to come up with a new word that’s not radio,” Lowe mentioned to The New York Times. “We couldn’t do it.”
Apple Music has faced a few hurdles in the weeks leading up to its big debut, namely in the public criticism of its three-month free trial by musician Taylor Swift, followed immediately by the company's reversal on its no-royalties policy during that period. Those interested should check out The New York Times' full-length feature on Zane Lowe and his addition to Apple Music, which is just five days away from launch.
Apple has been working to acquire the intellectual property assets of Charlottesville, Virginia-based biometric security firm 
No matter how much research and testing goes into ensuring the Apple Watch runs smoothly with no problems, there's always a chance that you will have to perform a few IT-style actions in order to fix a minor issue with your device.
T-Mobile today 
