MacRumors

YouTube today announced a new subscription streaming service, YouTube Music Key, which is currently in beta. The service offers up ad-free music on YouTube, along with background play and offline viewing.

Priced at $7.99 (discounted from $9.99), YouTube Music Key also includes a subscription to Google's Spotify competitor, Google Play Music (formerly Google Play All Access), which includes more than 30 million songs and will feature the ability to watch official YouTube videos directly within the app.

Some streaming music services, like Spotify, offer a limited number of music videos, but ad-free access to high-quality popular videos is a feature that will be unique to YouTube Music Key and its sister service, Google Play Music.

Alongside YouTube Music Key, the YouTube apps for iOS and Android and YouTube.com have been updated with a new section dedicated to music videos, which provides recommended mood-based playlists and features trending music. The new focus on music will also highlight full-length albums and artist pages.

YouTube Music Key is currently in beta, with access going to the company's "biggest music fans" first before seeing a wider worldwide launch. YouTube users who receive an invite to the Music Key beta will receive six months of access for free. Customers who sign up for Google Play Music will get immediate access to the YouTube Music Key beta.

The larger-screened iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus may have been less popular with Android switchers than analysts initially predicted, according to new data gathered by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

A survey revealed that fewer iPhone buyers came from the Google Android platform in 2014 compared to the number of buyers who switched from Android to an iPhone in 2013. In 2014, 12 percent of iPhone buyers reported formerly owning an Android phone, while 23 percent reported being former Android customers in 2013. The launch of the iPhone 5s also saw a higher number of customers coming from BlackBerry and Windows Devices.

"The vast majority of new iPhone buyers were already iPhone owners." said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Current iPhone owners accounted for over 80% of buyers after this launch, compared to less than 65% after the iPhone 5S and 5C launch in September 2013. Android owners accounted for a much smaller share of buyers immediately after this year's iPhone launch, and with smartphones so prevalent in the US, we also saw a smaller percentage of iPhone buyers moving from basic phones."

Former Android owners who were already accustomed to larger screens were more likely to buy the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus than iPhone owners who were upgrading to a new device. 31 percent of former Android owners chose the iPhone 6 Plus, while only 25 percent of existing iPhone owners opted for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus over the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

The data also shows that those who did switch from Android in 2014 tended to go for more expensive flagship iPhones. In September of 2014, 85 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, while only 52 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 5s in 2013.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, analysts suggested the larger screens of the two devices could cause a massive spike in upgrades and lure an unprecedented number of former Android users who desired bigger displays. In anticipation of a large number of Android switchers, Apple even launched a guide designed to walk Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone.

During Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple had seen a huge numbers of upgraders along with many first time buyers, including both customers who had never had a smartphone and switchers from Android. Cook also explained that demand was "far outstripping" supply, with no clear date for supply/demand balance in sight.

Though it appears that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not have been highly popular with Android switchers, it is important to note that CIRP gathered its data from just 300 Apple customers who purchased an iPhone in the 30 days following the device's September 19 launch. A survey encompassing 300 customers is a very small sample size relative to the number of people who have purchased one of Apple's new devices, a figure that had already hit 10 million during launch weekend.

It will be interesting to see if the balance between upgraders and Android switchers shifts over time, as it's possible that iPhone users already on Apple's timetable may be more inclined to upgrade their devices right away while Android users may be waiting for their contracts to expire.

New details have come to light regarding the iPad Air 2's graphics processing power since its launch last month, with a new report from AnandTech revealing the new tablet's graphics are even more powerful than previously thought.

Benchmarks and teardowns on the tablet revealed details on the inner workings of the iPad Air 2 in the days following its launch, but a new image of the A8X die provided to AnandTech reveals the layout of the Apple-designed chip. The die photo shows the A8X includes eight-core graphics, even larger than the 6-core GX6650 graphics from Imagination Technologies previously assumed to be in the chip.

To get right down to business then, the die shot confirms what we had begun suspecting: that A8X has an 8 cluster Series6XT configuration. All 8 GPU clusters are clearly visible, and perhaps unsurprisingly it looks a lot like the GPU layout of the GX6450. To put it in words, imagine A8’s GX6450 with another GX6450 placed right above it, and that would be the A8X’s 8 cluster GPU.

AnandTech was unable to share the source's actual image of the die, but Chipworks has just provided MacRumors with a similar image showing the eight graphics cores taking up a substantial portion of the A8X's die. The photo also shows the new triple-core CPU and a number of other features included on the chip.

Uncertainty over the A8X graphics stems from Imagination's public list of Series6XT graphics offerings, which tops out with the 6-core GX6650, but the new die photo reveals that Apple has employed a semi-custom design essentially pairing two quad-core packages on the chip to yield eight-core graphics.

Thanks to its licensing agreements with Imagination, Apple is free to modify the GPU designs developed by the graphics company, and Apple's position as a key investor in Imagination almost certainly gives it advance access to Imagination's pipeline, allowing such custom designs to be launched just nine months after Series6XT was announced.

Other gathered information includes details about the A8X's size and design. The die shot places the A8X at roughly 128mm2, only a bit larger than the 123 mm2 A6X used the last time Apple developed a custom "X" chip for the iPad. Compared to other models on the market, the A8X is a bit larger than NVIDIA’s 118mm2 GK107 GPU but also smaller than Intel’s 130mm2 2C+GT2 Haswell CPU. Design-wise, the A8X otherwise appears to have not drastically changed much from the A8, besides slight tweaks to make the eight-cluster design functional and the addition of a third CPU core.

Just yesterday, Imagination announced its next-generation Series7XT designs, and given the timing of this year's announcements and releases, the new graphics are likely to make their way into Apple's A9-series chips for inclusion in its 2015 iOS devices.

Apple may open a new retail store and corporate campus in downtown Los Angeles, according to a report in Downtown LA Examiner (via ifoAppleStore). The new location would be situated in the historic Broadway Trade Center, which opened in 1908 as Hamburger's Department Store and occupies almost a full city block. Apple's expansion in Los Angeles would be part of a 10-year-long "Bringing Back Broadway" initiative that has been working to revitalize the downtown district by attracting high-profile retailers and other businesses to the area.

According to the report's sources, Apple has signed a lease for "several hundred thousand" square feet of space in the Broadway building.

Rumors swirling are Apple Corp will have a campus in the building with multiple uses such as office space, residential, and retail. There is also talk of Apple opening up a branch for their recent 3 Billion dollar purchase of Beats By Dre, which is a critically acclaimed subscription streaming music service, which makes the popular Beats headphones, speakers and audio software.

The inclusion of a residential component for the project does not seem to make much sense for Apple, so the mention does draw some skepticism to the entire report.

The rumored campus wouldn't be Apple's first LA location, as the company already operates several retail stores in the Southern California city and its suburbs, and Beats has its main headquarters in nearby Culver City. Apple has been expanding both its retail and corporate presences, opening a number of new stores around the world as well as offices in Seattle, Boston and Cambridge, England.

Following the appearance of a regulatory filing last week, Beats Electronics today announced the launch of its new Solo2 Wireless on-ear headphones, the first product release since Apple's acquisition of Beats officially closed. The new headphones are a wireless version of the wired Solo2 headphones introduced the day after the Apple-Beats deal was announced.

Solo2 Wireless offers the same dynamic sound and streamlined design as Solo2, but with the added benefit of wireless capabilities. With its Bluetooth technology, Solo2 Wireless can move freely for up to 30 feet from your audio device. Take phone calls, skip songs, and change the volume using the “b” button and volume buttons on the ear cup. Its rechargeable battery allows you to enjoy up to 12 hours of wireless playback. Not charged? Not a problem. Just plug in the provided RemoteTalkTM cable and enjoy your music.

The new Solo2 Wireless headphones, which are available in red, black, white, and blue, will be available through Apple and other retailers later this month at a retail price of $299.95. The red version is a Verizon Wireless exclusive through the end of 2014.

Alongside the launch of the Solo2 Wireless headphones, Beats is also announcing new "Royal Edition" color options for the wired version of Solo2. The Royal Edition includes a "satin, iridescent finish" in Stone Grey, Hunter Green, Imperial Violet, Blush Rose, or Sapphire Blue, available later this month at the same $199.95 pricing as the original Solo2 headphones.

After seven and a half weeks of availability, Apple's mobile operating system is now installed on 56 percent of iOS devices, according to the latest data posted on Apple's App Store support page for developers.

iOS 8's installation numbers have increased approximately four percent over the past two weeks, which means iOS 8 adoption has jumped eight percent in the past month. During Apple's October 16 iPad event, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iOS 8 was installed on 48 percent of devices as of October 13. Before that, as of September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 percent of devices, indicating that adoption is steadily increasing after several weeks of stagnation.

The boost in iOS 8 adoption follows the October 20 release of iOS 8.1, which included several new features like Apple Pay that likely have enticed users to upgrade. Other desired features included SMS Forwarding, Instant Hotspot, iCloud Photo Library beta access and the return of the Camera Roll.

iOS 8's initial release was plagued by a number of bugs that may have scared some users away. All HealthKit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store prior to the launch of iOS 8 due to a major HealthKit bug. iOS 8.0.1, a fix to that issue, introduced new bugs that disabled cellular service and Touch ID for thousands of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users. iOS 8.0.2 was soon released, fixing the bugs of the previous release but introducing several other bugs. And finally, iOS 8.1 fixed many more issues with the previous updates, providing the most stable version of iOS 8 yet.

Nautilus, the company behind the Bowflex line of exercise equipment, today announced that its Bowflex Max Trainer models have gained HealthKit integration, making them one of the first fitness products to support Apple's new health initiative. Support will also be coming in the near future for the company's Nautilus 616 cardio product lineup.

With HealthKit integration, Bowflex users can now see their Bowflex workouts displayed in Apple's Health app, which is able to offer up dashboard data like calories burned, heart rate, time spent working out, and distance traveled. Data is acquired from the existing Bowflex Max Trainer app that transfers workout data from the exercise equipment using Bluetooth.

The Bowflex Max Trainer workout equipment, which starts at $999, is designed to burn more calories than competing treadmills and ellipticals, featuring 14-minute interval workouts. Nautilus's line of cardio equipment, which is gaining HealthKit support in the near future, includes a range of elliptical, treadmill, and upright and recumbent bikes.

"As one of the first fitness equipment companies to support Apple HealthKit, Nautilus, Inc. continues to lead the category by offering the latest health and fitness tools to help consumers achieve their fitness goals," said Rob Murdock, Vice President/General Manager of Nautilus, Inc. "Studies prove that digital connectivity and the ability to track progress play a critical role in keeping people motivated and engaged. We are dedicated to leveraging these tools and engaging consumers to better understand and manage their health and fitness."

Introduced alongside the iOS 8 Health app as part of a fitness and health-focused initiative, HealthKit is designed to tap into data from sensors within the iPhone and integrate with existing health and fitness apps and hardware. Information gathered from third-party apps like the Bowflex software is aggregated in the Health app to provide an overall picture of a person's activity levels.

HealthKit experienced a few hiccups when iOS 8 was first released, with Apple initially withholding HealthKit functionality from third-party apps due to a bug, but as of the iOS 8.0.2 update in September, HealthKit has been fully functional.

With HealthKit widely available to third-party developers, several fitness-related apps have begun to support the feature, including Pocket Yoga, 7 Minute Workout, CARROT Fit, and more. Several hardware products with accompanying apps have also gained HealthKit support, including the Jawbone UP and the Withings Smart Body Analyzer.

Just two days after introducing a tool allowing users to deregister their phone numbers from iMessage, a judge has ruled that Apple will face a federal lawsuit over the issue. Apple allegedly failed to notify consumers that leaving the iMessage system and switching to an Android phone would prevent them from receiving messages from other iPhone owners.

According to Reuters, Judge Lucy Koh has ruled that former iPhone customer Adrianne Moore's lawsuit, filed earlier this year, will be allowed to continue. Moore's lawsuit alleges that she ceased receiving messages after she switched to the Samsung Galaxy S5 from an iPhone 4, which interfered with her contract with Verizon Wireless. Moore is seeking both class-action status and unspecified damages from Apple.

In court documents, Apple argued that there's no law covering technology that "simply does not function as plaintiff subjectively believes it should," and that it did not claim iMessage and Messages would be able to recognize when iPhone users switched to non-iPhone devices.

In a Monday night decision, Koh said Moore deserved a chance to show Apple disrupted her wireless service contract and violated a California unfair competition law, by blocking messages meant for her.

"Plaintiff does not have to allege an absolute right to receive every text message in order to allege that Apple's intentional acts have caused an actual breach or disruption of the contractual relationship," Koh wrote.

An inability to receive messages after switching from an iPhone to an Android or Windows device is an issue that has affected many former iPhone users over the years. It occurs when iMessages sent from other iPhone owners are routed to a deactivated iPhone rather than being forwarded as a text message to an active smartphone.

Earlier this week, Apple introduced a tool that allows users to deregister their phone number from iMessage in order to prevent the issue from occurring. Prior to the launch of the web tool, there was no way for users to effectively remove themselves from the iMessage system.

Construction at Apple's spaceship is progressing at a rapid pace, with workers on site at the campus seven days a week. A new photo shared by the City of Cupertino suggests Apple is almost finished with the foundation of the structure and has begun construction on the actual circular-shaped building.

Back in October, the foundation was nearly done, so it is not surprising that construction has progressed to the actual structure itself. Though much of the construction is hidden behind privacy walls, Apple continues to have two enormous concrete mixers on site, as well as other heavy construction machinery.

Over the weekend, a YouTube user who has been capturing a series of videos of the Campus 2 site with a drone shared a new video, which depicts the walls that are going up now that the foundation is mostly complete.

The area around the campus continues to see heavy traffic at all times of the day due to ongoing roadwork, and several streets are seeing daily road closures as construction workers aim to complete necessary upgrades in a timely manner. Pruneridge Avenue has been permanently closed, and both Wolfe Road and Homestead Road are heavily congested.

According to Apple's project schedule, roadwork is expected to be completed by the end of 2014, while earthwork and the planting of trees will continue on until mid-2015. Full demolition is expected to end during the first quarter of 2015, while building construction is expected to last until the end of 2016.

Apple's completed campus will feature the iconic 2.8 million square foot ring-shaped main building, an underground parking facility capable of accommodating 2,400 cars, a 100,000 square foot fitness center, and a 120,000 square foot auditorium. A second phase of construction will see Apple building several additional satellite facilities for research and development.

Major retailers are gearing up for the upcoming holiday shopping season, which officially kicks off on the post-Thanksgiving shopping day of Black Friday. Following leaked Black Friday sales flyers from both Sam's Club and Target, Best Buy today published its door buster deals ahead of the November 28 shopping holiday.

Similar to Target, Best Buy is discounting all iPad Air 2 models, with prices starting at $399 for the 16GB WiFi-only version. While Target is offering a $140 gift card, Best Buy is offering a more straightforward but smaller $100 discount off the purchase price of the device. Best Buy also is slashing the price of the iPad mini 3 by $75, lowering the cost of Apple's latest tablet to $324.99 for the base 16GB WiFi model.

Customers looking for Mac hardware can save up to $200 on select MacBook Pro, Retina MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and non-retina iMac models. Other sale items include the 16GB iPhone 6, which is being sold for $100 with a new two-year customer agreement, the 5th generation iPod touch 16GB ($149), the Apple TV ($89), a $100 iTunes gift card ($85) and select third-party accessories.

Best Buy is opening its retail stores in the early morning hours on Black Friday, with times varying by region. Shoppers can visit Best Buy's Black Friday website to find the specific retail hours for their local stores. For additional Black Friday discounts, check out our Black Friday roundup, where we are aggregating published Black Friday deals on Apple products and related Apple accessories.

An Alibaba executive said today that the Chinese e-commerce company and Apple are currently in talks over a partnership to provide a payments solution for China, reports The Wall Street Journal. The comments were shared by Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai, who also noted that the partnership would focus on Apple's presence in China and that the details are still being worked out.

A partnership between both companies could potentially see Alibaba's Alipay electronic payments service integrate with Apple Pay to provide a comprehensive mobile payments solution for the Chinese market. The comments from Tsai come weeks after Alibaba founder Jack Ma noted that he was interesting in teaming up Apple in the payments sector.

Earlier this year, Alipay overtook PayPal to become the largest mobile payments platform in the world with an estimated $150 billion in transactions processed in 2013. Alibaba also noted that the service has 300 million registered users and 100 million mobile users. Integrating Alipay with Apple Pay would be the latest move by Apple to expand its presence in China, which has grown over the past few years. Last year, Apple struck a deal with country's biggest carrier China Mobile and has opened a number of new retail stores in populated areas like Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Apple is planning an aggressive expansion into the enterprise market, hiring a sales team focused on talking with key enterprise customers, reports Reuters. The sales team may also work alongside "a dozen or so" app developers.

Apple is said to have formed partnerships with several app development startups, including ServiceMax and PlanGrid, both of which build customized industry-specific apps. ServiceMax, for example, already has customers that could be valuable to Apple, including Procter & Gamble and DuPont. Apple is also pursing other relationships with similar corporate app developers, possibly for an initiative aimed at providing custom-made apps for corporate customers.

Apps developers and other sources familiar with Apple's plans who could not speak publicly provided additional details on how the iPhone maker is working behind the scenes.

The iPhone maker has worked closely with a group of startups, including ServiceMax and PlanGrid, that already specialize in selling apps to corporate America. The two people familiar with the plans, but who could not speak publicly about them, say Apple is already in talks with other mobile enterprise developers to bring them into a more formal partnership.

In addition to forming partnerships with app developers, Apple is also said to be sending sales teams to speak with the chief information officers of major companies, including Citigroup, which is already in talks to sign up for an enterprise package with Apple.

Earlier this year, Apple announced a major enterprise-focused partnership with IBM, with IBM selling iOS devices to its corporate customers and developing more than 100 industry-specific native apps that are built from the ground up for the iPhone and the iPad in six sectors: banking, government, insurance, retail, travel, transportation, and telecommunications. According to the most recent earnings call, IBM's first apps will be coming before the end of the year. Apple has also developed a special AppleCare for Enterprise, which includes on-site repairs handled by IBM.

Apple's major enterprise push may be an effort to boost flagging iPad sales by attracting a new market and introducing new use cases. iPad sales have been on the decline in recent months, and during its October earnings call, Apple announced sales were down for the third straight quarter in a row.

In late October, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage at the WSJ.D conference in Laguna Beach, California, where he commented on an array of topics including the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Apple TV, the discontinuation of the iPod classic, and more.

While we covered the content of interview at the time, The Wall Street Journal has today posted the full 30 minute video of Tim Cook's appearance at the conference, which is well worth watching in its entirety.

Some highlights of the video include an explanation of why the iPod classic was discontinued (it's impossible to get the parts), the impressive early success of Apple Pay, Cook's thoughts on the Mac and iPad, and some details on the Apple Watch, including hints on the device's battery life. "You're going to wind up charging it daily," said Cook.