MacRumors

With Apple said to unveil its long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro in November, many assumed that both the iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 would see refreshes as well. However, a new report from Economic Daily News [Translation] (via Macotakara [Translation]) says that no new iPad Air will be revealed.

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While the iPad Air 2 may not see a refresh, the iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro will see introductions. Liaoxian Li, investment advisor at Fubon Hardware, tells Economic Daily News that Apple may want the attention on the new iPad Pro and thus will let its main assembly plant for iPads, Foxconn, focus on the Pro to maximize deployment capacity. Li believes a new iPad Air might not be released until 2016. Economic Daily News has a mixed track record on rumors and the accuracy of this particular analyst isn't known.

Additionally, the report claims that the new iPad mini might be the last one as the Apple wants to focus on the two larger iPads in the future. Many people were disappointed with the iPad mini update in 2014, which essentially added Touch ID to the existing iPad mini 2. The next iPad mini will likely be more of an upgrade, with a rumored rear shell featuring iPad Air 2 design elements already making the rounds.

While it's possible Apple won't upgrade the iPad Air 2 this year, the company has been constraining supplies of the iPad Air to third-party retailers, suggesting the iPad Air 2 would become the lower-cost option as an iPad Air 3 slots into Apple's tablet lineup. However, it's possible Apple introduces an iPad Air 3 with minimal additions, as it did with the iPad mini 3.

Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad Pro, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Outside of a one-month hiatus in January 2015, Apple has offered a wide range of songs through its weekly "Free on iTunes" program since April 2004, but for the last two weeks, the company has released no free tracks. The last free iTunes release was on June 30, 2015, as tracked by MacRumors forum volunteers, coinciding with the launch of Apple Music in over 100 countries.

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Apple has since removed the "Free on iTunes" graphic from the iTunes Store homepage, and set prices on songs that were kept free even after their weekly promotions ended, leading to speculation that free songs may no longer be offered now that unlimited streaming is available through Apple Music for a fixed monthly price. Apple Music costs $9.99 per month after a free three-month trial period.

It would not be entirely surprising if Apple shuttered the program, whether temporarily or permanently, but no official announcement has been made. A link to the "Free on iTunes" section remains accessible on the righthand side of the iTunes Store, where Apple continues to offer other free content, including movies, TV shows, apps, books and podcasts, in the United States.

Thanks to MacRumors forum members Doctor Q and JamesMike!

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Chevron has kicked off an Apple Pay pilot program in the Bay Area that allows customers to use Apple Pay to pay for their gasoline directly at the pump, according to the company's Twitter account. Apple Pay can currently be used at a Chevron location in San Ramon, with a second location in Cupertino becoming available in the near future.

Chevron first announced plans to expand its use of Apple Pay to gas pumps in late 2014, but company did not have a clear timeline for the rollout of Apple Pay at the pump. Following the pilot program testing, it's likely Chevron will expand Apple Pay to other locations across the United States.

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Though support for Apple Pay at the pump is just now rolling out, Chevron was listed as an early Apple Pay partner. The payments service is supported at Chevron and Texaco gas stations, but can only be used at the in-store cash register, a considerably less convenient option than paying right at the pump.

Apple Pay, which recently expanded to the United Kingdom, has been adopted at more than 700,000 locations across the United States. Dozens of major retailers support the payments service, with more retailers adding Apple Pay payment options each month.

Ahead of the launch of Apple Music, Taylor Swift made headlines when she wrote a scathing open letter to Apple, criticizing its decision not to pay artists for their work during its three-month free trial. Her letter, combined with pushback from indie labels, led Apple to reverse course and opt to pay artists during the three months that customers can listen for free.

Record label exec Scott Borchetta, who serves as the head of Big Machine Records and signed Swift when she was 14, recently spoke at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference and shared some backstory on the negotiations that eventually led Swift to write the letter. According to Borchetta, he'd been in talks with Apple and told the company that his label couldn't support no compensation during the three-month free trial, but wasn't making headway.

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Borchetta hadn't spoken to Swift about the negotiations and was caught unawares by her letter, which she didn't clear with her record label. He wasn't angry, though, because her post, as we know, caused Apple to change its policy and made negotiations easier.

"She literally texted me and said, 'Don't be mad,' with the link," Borchetta said. "She was in Europe. I responded and said, 'You don't have any idea how good your timing is right now.'"

A day after Swift's letter, Borchetta had a conference call with Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue, where they capitulated and agreed to the demands of both Swift and many other artists who had been resisting signing on with Apple Music due to the free trial.

Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber's manager, was also at the Fortune event and said that Swift's letter gave Apple the push the industry needed to secure a better deal. "Everyone was fighting that fight," he said. "Taylor pushed it over the edge. She made them aware it wasn't just the executives. Sometimes it's good to hear the artists saying it."

Shortly after Apple changed its policy, the company secured a deal with Swift and signed deals with thousands of indie labels a week ahead of Apple Music's launch. Apple Music became the first and only streaming music service to offer Swift's most recent album, 1989.

Apple is cautious with its Apple Watch and doesn't market the device as waterproof, instead giving it a water resistance rating of IPX7. Apple says it's fine to wear the watch in the rain or while washing your hands, but the company doesn't recommend submerging the device.

Many Apple Watch owners have tested Apple's water resistance claims, coming to the conclusion that the Apple Watch is more water resistant than Apple claims. It's survived submersion in a bucket, laps in a pool, lengthy swim tests, and even a 10m dive with no damage.

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Image via Craig Hockenberry

iOS developer Craig Hockenberry of Iconfactory has followed up each of those tests with a thorough look at the Apple Watch's ability to function in water, which he's compiled into a detailed report that's well worth a read.

Hockenberry wears his Apple Watch while swimming in both pools and the ocean with no discernible damage. Because other reports have already proven the Apple Watch can function in water, Hockenberry goes deeper and looks at how well the watch works while it's in water, how it can be used while swimming, how accurate the data tracking is for water-based activities like swimming, and how to keep the Apple Watch in good condition after using it in salt water and chlorine.

The Apple Watch's capacitive touch screen doesn't work while the device is under water, nor does Force Touch. This is a problem when using the Workout app, as it can't be accessed in the water, and occasionally, water can activate a swipe on the display, swapping from the timer to the calorie view. A workout can only be started before getting into the water and ended after getting out, leading to some inaccuracies.

You have to start the workout before getting in the water and stop after you've gotten a chance to dry off.

For an ocean swim, this screws up your timing: you don't really start swimming until after you get beyond the surf break. If there's heavy surf, this can take several minutes. Workout data is being collected while you're standing and waiting for waves to clear.

Hockenberry postulates that Apple recommends customers don't use the Apple Watch in water "because of the erratic behavior it causes" when the screen is wet, rather than out of concern for how well it holds up in water. As he suggests, it's possible water activity tracking will improve upon the release of WatchOS 2 if native swimming apps are allowed, but it is not clear if Apple will approve swimming apps as they encourage users to wear the Apple Watch in a way that Apple does not support.

Hockenberry's full, detailed report on how the Apple Watch functions in water can be read over at his site, Furbo.org.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Apple today seeded the first beta of iOS 8.4.1 to registered developers for testing purposes, just two weeks after releasing iOS 8.4 with the new Apple Music service to the public. With iOS 9 already in the works and on track for a fall release, iOS 8.4.1 will likely be the last significant update to iOS 8.

Today's beta, build number 12H304, can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center.

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It is not yet clear what changes will be introduced with iOS 8.4.1, but as with past betas, it's likely to include bug fixes, performance enhancements, and minor tweaks to the operating system. We'll update this post with any new features or tweaks that are found within the new update.

iOS 8.4.1 follows on the heels of iOS 8.4, which introduced an entirely revamped Music app along with the new Apple Music service and the Beats 1 radio station. Aside from music updates, iOS 8.4 included only minor changes to iOS 8.

Related Forum: iOS 8

os_x_yosemite_round_iconApple today seeded the first beta of OS X 10.10.5 to developers, two weeks after releasing OS X 10.10.4 to the public. Coming just a few months ahead of the public release of OS X 10.11 El Capitan, OS X 10.10.5 may be one of the last significant updates to Yosemite.

The new beta, build number 14F6a, can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center.

It is not yet clear what's new in the OS X 10.10.5 beta, but like 10.10.4 and earlier betas, it likely includes bug fixes and performance enhancements.

OS X 10.10.4, the current version of OS X Yosemite, introduced multiple bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements, including the removal of the problematic Discoveryd process.

Related Forum: OS X Yosemite

Irish software development studio Probendi is suing Apple in a Milan court for using its "iWatch" trademark in Europe as part of a Google AdWords campaign, reports Bloomberg. Apple has been paying for sponsored links on Google in an attempt to redirect users that search for "iWatch" to the Apple Watch website, in order to avoid missing out on customers that search for the wrong product name.

“Apple has systematically used iWatch wording on Google search engine in order to direct customers to its own website, advertising Apple Watch,” says a tribunal filing obtained by Bloomberg. “Apple never replied to our requests and objections, while Google said they are not responsible for links.”

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"iWatch" was a commonly used name to refer to Apple's much-rumored smartwatch before it was released, however the device was ultimately named the Apple Watch. Apple filed for "iWatch" trademarks in Japan, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey and other countries, but Probendi has owned the trademark in Europe since 2008 for its health and safety communication software.

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Google's AdWords trademark policy states that it "will investigate and may enforce certain restrictions on the use of that trademark in AdWords text ads," but the company has yet to take any action against Apple. As of writing, searching for "iWatch" on Google in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and multiple other European countries still displays Apple Watch sponsored text ads.

Probendi originally planned to capitalize on Apple's announcement of the Apple Watch last year by using its "iWatch" trademark in Europe to launch its own Android smartwatch, but company director Daniele Di Salvo now says the project is “in standby.”

A hearing in the iWatch case is scheduled for November 11.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

T-Mobile today announced an addition to its Un-carrier line of customer perks with a new family plan aimed at providing each member of the family with 10GB of 4G LTE data per person. The base plan includes the first two family members with 10GB each at $100, and additional members coming in at $20 per person, with every line getting the usual unlimited data, talk, text, and all the normal Un-carrier perks.

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Users who are interested in signing up or switching before Labor Day can get the fourth member's line free if they sign up before the holiday, on September 7. So a four-person family can each get 10GB of data for $120 -- or $30 a person -- while the promotion runs.

T-Mobile compares its plan to something similar offered by Verizon, which sees its base plan requiring families to share 10GB of data each month at a price of $140. To get something more along the lines of T-Mobile's new plan, users would have to upgrade to about $360 per month on Verizon's model.

“It’s no surprise Verizon’s spent what looks to be over $100 million in just two months promoting an $80 data plan with 10GB everyone has to share. The catch is, it’s not actually an $80 plan. You can’t actually use any of that data until you pay additional ‘line access’ fees for data you’ve already bought,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile.

“So, when they say $80, they actually charge a family of four at least $140. And that’s to share 10GB. Leave it to Verizon to push a plan that gives you a pile of data you can’t use unless you fork over more in hidden fees.”

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The new family plan will launch alongside the recent announcement that customers taking advantage of the Un-carrier's "Simple Choice" plans can send and receive unlimited phone calls, text messages and use 4G LTE data in Canada and Mexico at no additional cost. T-Mobile notes that every family under the Simple Choice model can choose to switch to the Un-carrier's new family plan beginning tomorrow, July 15.

Apple's discussions with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox for its much-rumored streaming TV service are gaining momentum, according to the New York Post. The report claims that Apple has enlisted networks to negotiate with local TV stations on their behalf, and the networks are said to be close to securing those rights with affiliate groups such as Tribune and Sinclair.

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Networks are reportedly telling affiliates that they will be able to share the revenue generated from Apple's streaming TV service if they offer their feeds on the platform. The inclusion of local TV stations is important for the success of Apple's cable-cutter service, expected to launch in the fall for devices including iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. The service is speculated to cost between $10 and $40 per month.

At CBS, executives are talking to affiliates about conducting Apple negotiations on their behalf, one TV source confirmed.

At Fox, the network “has the ability to negotiate with Apple [for affiliates], or it will have it very soon,” a second executive added.

Disney and CBS will likely be among the first networks to reach a deal with Apple for its à-la-carte streaming TV service, according to the report, although some sticking points remain in the negotiations. Cable channels such as Discovery and ESPN are also expected to be included in the subscription-based service, which is rumored to include a skinny bundle of around 25 channels.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

pixelmatorPixelmator for the iPhone and iPad was today updated to version 2.0.2, adding the first major new features since the app expanded to the iPhone in May. The 2.0.2 update brings Dynamic Touch, a new feature for all of the app's Retouch tools.

With Dynamic Touch, users can adjust the stroke size of Retouch tools without needing to open up the brush settings menu for faster image corrections. Dynamic Touch detects the surface area of the finger that's in contact with the screen and changes the brush size accordingly. If you paint with just the tip of your finger, the brush will be thinner, while painting with a full finger on the screen will make the brush thicker.

Today's update brings the Pixelmator for Mac repair tool algorithm to iOS, which makes removing unwanted images from a photograph or image quicker and more precise. According to the app's release notes, the repair tool is up to five times faster.

"There are numerous ways to repair any area of an image, so we did a lot of testing on a Mac Pro to optimize the algorithm of our Repair tool," said Simonas Bastys, the lead developer of the Pixelmator Team. "We analyzed millions of possible ways to repair areas of various complexity, and then compared the speed and quality ratio of each final result. After six months of testing, we derived a repairing algorithm that gives stunning quality with incredible speed every single time. Pixelmator for iOS now takes advantage of the same algorithm."

In addition to the above mentioned features, Pixelmator is also gaining an improved Pixelmator Photo Editing extension for editing directly within Apple's Photos app, and the Pixelmator team is also introducing both an iOS Guide Book and a selection of tutorials that will help iPhone users get the most out of the photo editing app.

Pixelmator for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

TiVo today is announcing an update to its iOS app that adds AirPlay support to allow users to stream content to the Apple TV. The feature builds on previous support for streaming content to an iOS device from a TiVo box, and the TiVo app now makes it easy to watch content recorded on a TiVo box on any TV in the house with an Apple TV connected.

TiVo Inc., a global leader in next-generation television services, has announced that for the first time TiVo users can access their content on TV via a third party consumer electronics device, giving entertainment junkies an amazing multiscreen experience. TiVo users can now stream their recorded shows to Apple TV via AirPlay. TiVo users have yet another way to watch their favorite shows, on another screen, wherever they are.

The feature works with TiVo's latest Roamio Pro and Roamio Plus boxes, which provide up to 3,000 hours of recording time and have built in Wi-Fi and MoCA support to enable easy streaming from the set-top box to other devices. Streaming from a basic Roamio or Premiere box requires a separate TiVo Stream auxiliary box to enable mobile streaming.

By turning on AirPlay Mirroring to an Apple TV from Control Center on the user's iOS device, content from the TiVo box can be streamed to the device and on to any Apple TV-equipped television on the local Wi-Fi network, replacing some of the functionality of the company's TiVo Mini box.

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We've had a few days to test out the new feature and have found it relatively easy to use. Following a one-time setup for streaming from the box to the iOS device, users simply need to turn on AirPlay to their desired Apple TV, navigate to My Shows in the TV app to find the show they wish to stream, and select the option to watch the show on their iPhone.

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Tags: AirPlay, TiVo

Barclays Apple Pay UKBarclays today announced that it will support Apple Pay for debit and credit cards in the United Kingdom in the future, confirming a MacRumors report that claimed the bank expected "imminent" support of the mobile payments service.

Apple Pay officially launched in the U.K. earlier today and can be used at more than 250,000 locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A full list of retail shops and apps that accept Apple Pay can be found on Apple's website.

Apple has also updated its Apple Pay participating banks list in the U.K. and moved First Direct and HSBC to the "coming soon" section. First Direct has confirmed on Twitter that Apple Pay will be "available later in July," while HSBC tweeted that it will be "launching Apple Pay by the end of this month." It was expected that the banks would support Apple Pay in the U.K. at launch today.

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The full list of U.K. financial institutions that currently support Apple Pay per Apple's website includes American Express, MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. The banks listed under coming soon include Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank and TSB. As of today's announcement, Barclays should be added to that list soon as well.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

facebook-messenger-logoThus far, virtual personal assistants like Siri, Google Now and Cortana have been part of an effort to differentiate mobile platforms like iOS and Android. Facebook, however, is working on bringing virtual personal assistants to its Messenger app and the web, according to The Information.

Facebook's offering, which is codenamed "Moneypenny" after the assistant character in the James Bond franchise, will allow users to ask real people for help to research and purchase products and services. Moneypenny will be able to help users with other tasks, but it's unclear what those tasks could be. It's also unknown when Moneypenny could launch.

In recent months Facebook has been working on turning Messenger into a platform, opening up the service to third-party iOS app integration and allowing developers to build apps for the service. Additionally, Facebook previewed the ability for users to be able to message businesses directly to receive updates and shipping confirmations about their online orders as well as the ability to ask free-form questions about orders from within the app.

Facebook Messenger is available for free on the App Store [Direct Link]

Over the past several days, banks and merchants in the United Kingdom have been gearing up for the launch of Apple Pay, and as of today, Apple's payments service will be officially available for use in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Apple Pay works at participating retail stores and within apps that accept it. Because it requires NFC, it is only available for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users, and Apple Watch users who have an iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, or 6 Plus. In-app Apple Pay purchases can be made with an iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus.

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According to Apple's UK Apple Pay site, banks and credit card companies that are participating in the Apple Pay launch include American Express, First Direct, HSBC, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, and Ulster Bank. Additional banks like Barclays, MBNA, TSB, and more are expected to add support in the future. Customers who have cards from participating banks will be able to add them to Passbook and use the Apple Pay service later today.

More than 250,000 locations in the United Kingdom support Apple Pay as of today, ranging from fast food places like KFC and McDonald's to shops like Boots, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose. A full list of retail shops and apps that accept Apple Pay can be found on Apple's website.

Apple Pay has been available in the United States since last October and today's UK Apple Pay launch marks its first expansion. Apple is also rumored to be working on expanding the payments service to several other countries, including China and Canada.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Insider inventory constraint information from major retailer Target hints at some possible end of life timelines for various products like the iPod, iPad mini 2, and iPad Air, many of which may be discontinued in the near future following the launch of new products.

According to a screenshot of an internal inventory system shared by a Target employee, all models of the iPod are currently constrained by Apple ahead of a rumored update that could come as soon as tomorrow.

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Images of unreleased iPod touches, nanos, and shuffles were first discovered hidden within iTunes 12.2, and a rumor has suggested the iPod touch could receive a processor upgrade and new color options while the nano and the shuffle might be available in new colorways.

As for the iPad mini 2 and the iPad Air, replenishment of existing stock is currently constrained, with Target aiming to have 1 color in stock at each of its stores. Dwindling in-store stock suggests Apple could be planning to discontinue the iPad mini 2 and the iPad Air following the release of new models, which is expected to happen in the fall.

The iPad mini 2 and the iPad Air may be replaced by the iPad mini 3 and the iPad Air 2 as lower-cost older-generation models following the launch of a third-generation iPad Air and a fourth-generation iPad mini. We haven't heard much on what a third-generation iPad Air might offer, but an A9 processor and Force Touch are solid guesses.

A fourth-generation iPad mini has been rumored to be in the works, with an iPad Air-style redesign that eliminates the mute switch and introduces larger speaker holes. An updated iPad mini would also likely incorporate a much-improved processor, more RAM, and possibly Force Touch.

It is not clear when Apple plans to introduce new iPad mini and iPad Air models, but Target's guess of fall 2015 is a safe bet. For the last several years, Apple has updated its iPad lineup in October or November, and that's when we're likely to see new iPads in 2015. This year's iPad update may include an all new model, the much-rumored larger-screened iPad Pro.

Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad mini
Related Forums: iPad, iPod touch and iPod

newitunes122logoApple today released iTunes 12.2.1, a minor update that introduces some much needed bug fixes for iTunes Match and other features introduced with Apple Music. Apple Music was first released two weeks ago, but included several major bugs with iTunes Match that caused the deletion of entire music libraries and other issues, such as an inability to sign up for Apple Music for former iTunes Match subscribers.

The iTunes 12.2.1 update is available immediately from the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

- Fixes an issue for iTunes Match where iTunes incorrectly changed some songs from Matched to Apple Music.
- Provides a way to correct a library problem affecting former iTunes Match subscribers.
- Includes minor bug fixes and improvements for Beats 1.

Today's update fixes the iTunes Match issue that caused iTunes to incorrectly label songs from Matched to Apple Music and it will allow several former iTunes Match subscribers who were unable to sign up for Apple Music to get the service for the first time. In addition, it also includes bug fixes for the Beats 1 radio station, which is built into Apple Music.

iTunes 12.2, first released two weeks ago alongside iOS 8.4 and OS X 10.10.4 Yosemite, is the second major update to iTunes 12 and the version of iTunes that includes support for the Apple Music service. Apple Music lets iTunes listeners get access to on-demand music, create playlists, and more, plus it includes the Beats 1 radio station and Apple Music Connect, Apple's artist-centric social network.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

A new report out over the weekend by Canaccord Genuity estimates that Apple has recorded a 92 percent share of the world's entire smartphone market in the first quarter of 2015, which is up from 65 percent a year earlier. The company managed to do so on less than 20 percent of actual smartphone sales, which the Wall Street Journal accounts to the company's "ability to command much higher prices for its phones."

Behind Apple was Samsung with a total of 15 percent of the smartphone market, with the two combining to tally up for more than 100 percent of the industry's profits, "because other makers broke even or lost money, in Canaccord’s calculations." In the early days of the iPhone, Canaccord estimates that Nokia was holding two-thirds of the smartphone industry's profits, but by 2012, Apple and Samsung shared the industry's profits at a nearly exact 50/50 split.

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“The dominance of Apple is something that is very hard to overcome,” said Denny Strigl, former chief operating officer of Verizon Communications Inc. “Apple has to stumble somehow or another, and I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Canaccord contributes Apple's bigger-than-ever market dominance to a combination of increased iPhone sales and higher prices for the bigger-screened iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus released last year. A year before, an iPhone sold at an average of $624 -- compared to $185 for Android-running smartphones -- according to data collected by Strategy Analytics. By the end of 2015's first quarter, Apple had sold 43 percent more iPhones than the year before and at a higher price of about $659 thanks to the bigger screened models.

Apple's dominance doesn't seem to be slowing down as we move closer to the launch of the next generation of iPhone, with the company reportedly ordering a record-breaking amount of units for the so-called "iPhone 6s" launch later this year. Its rivals won't be threatening to take any of its market share at the moment, either, with companies like HTC and Samsung reporting quarterly losses and "disappointing profits" and Microsoft just last week laying off 7,800 employees, primarily in its smartphone business.

Related Forum: iPhone