MacRumors

Apple is now accepting orders for the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro through its online storefront and through the Apple Store app. Orders are available in first wave launch countries including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands, and the US.

All of the major U.S. carriers, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile are accepting orders for the iPhone SE. Most carriers will start accepting orders at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, but T-Mobile will not accept orders until 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Big box retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target will sell both the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but it is not clear if the stores will offer orders on 3/24.

There have been no rumors pointing towards supply constraints, and as the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro both use components from earlier devices, we expect supplies to be plentiful and readily available. Ordering as soon as possible is still recommended, however, especially when it comes to accessories like the Smart Keyboard. With the launch of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the Smart Keyboard was in short supply.

The iPhone SE is available in Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold, in 16 and 64GB capacities. Pricing starts at $399 for an outright purchase of the 16GB model, while the 64GB model costs $499. Customers can purchase the device on a payment plan with 24 monthly payments as low as $13.30 through a carrier or $0 down through a two-year contract.

Through Apple's own Upgrade Program, monthly payments on the iPhone SE can be as low as $10 for 24 months with the trade-in of an iPhone 5s. Older devices can also be traded in with Apple offering $12/month payments with the trade in of an iPhone 5 or 5c and $14/month payments with the trade in of an iPhone 4 or 4s.

Apple's 9.7-inch iPad Pro is available in Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold, a color that hasn't been offered in an iPad before. It is available in 32, 128, and 256GB capacities for $599, $749, and $899, respectively. Wi-Fi + Cellular models in the same capacities are available for an additional $130.

For details on the capabilities and features of the two new devices, make sure to take a look at our iPhone SE and iPad Pro roundups.

Deliveries for iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro orders placed today will start next Thursday, on March 31. That is also the date when the two products will be available in Apple retail stores.

Apple has taken its online storefront down in order to prepare for the launch of iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro orders, which will likely begin at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time or 3:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, March 24. Orders will be available on Apple's site, through the Apple Store app, and through carrier websites.

Apple will accept orders for the two devices in first wave launch countries that include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands, and the US.

The iPhone SE is available in 16 and 64GB capacities in the United States, with pricing that starts at $399 for an outright purchase. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is available in 32, 128, and 256GB capacities with prices that start at $599. Both Wi-Fi and Cellular models are available.

Supplies of the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro are likely to be adequate and we do not expect the devices to sell out. Nevertheless, customers planning to purchase should do so right away just in case.

Deliveries on orders placed today are expected to begin on March 31, which is also the day when the two devices will be available for in-store purchase.

Apple is planning to expand Apple Pay to allow iOS users to make purchases from websites later this year, reports Re/code. With the change, Apple Pay will be available to customers who visit websites and make purchases using the Safari browser on iPads and iPhones.

Currently, Apple Pay can be used to make purchases in brick and mortar stores and in third-party apps that support the service. Expanding Apple Pay to the Safari browser will alleviate the need for customers to download a store's app to make a payment with Apple Pay, resulting in a payment service that is more convenient and more closely resembles services like PayPal.

Apple is also said to be considering making Apple Pay available on Macs, but it is not clear how that would work without a fingerprint sensor.

The service will be available to shoppers using the Safari browser on models of iPhones and iPads that possess Apple's TouchID fingerprint technology, these people said. Apple has also considered making the service available on Apple laptops and desktops, too, though it's not clear if the company will launch that capability.

As when using Apple Pay to make a payment in an app, customers who make a purchase from mobile Safari will be able to do so without entering an address or a payment method, as that information is provided by Apple Pay and authenticated through a fingerprint.

Apple is said to be telling partner websites that the new Apple Pay feature will be available before the holiday shopping season, and Re/code believes an announcement could potentially happen at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple Pay is now available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and China, and it is expanding to additional countries later this year. Other rumors for the future of Apple Pay include a potential person-to-person payment feature that mimics Square Cash or Venmo.

MacRumors has been receiving a growing number of complaints from customers who are unable to log into iMessage and FaceTime after updating to OS X 10.11.4, which was released to the public on Monday. There are threads covering the issue on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support Communities, along with user complaints on various social media networks.

The majority of the complaints are coming from users who did a fresh install of OS X, requiring them to log into the FaceTime and iMessage services. When attempting to sign in, an error pops up or nothing happens after entering an Apple ID and password, as seen in the video below. Customers who have recently purchased a new Mac also appear to be affected, and while most customers with login problems seem to be running OS X 10.11.4, there are also reports from those using earlier versions of OS X.

Apple support has been advising users to try logging out of iCloud and disabling two-factor authentication, but these fixes have not worked for most users. Apple's system status page is not listing any outages, but it appears there may be a problem with the iMessage and FaceTime activation servers. One customer who purchased a new Mac was told that Apple's engineering team is aware of the issue and is working on a fix.

Yesterday I bought a new 15-inch macbook pro from the Apple store. Out of the box, 10.11.1, computer would not sign in to my iCloud account with my Apple ID. So I skipped this part of the initial setup. Managed to sign in to iCloud in system preferences, and managed to see my Notes, Reminders, Safari bookmarks. But I have the same problem: I cannot sign in to Messages or FaceTime.

Today, after a couple of hours talking to Apple on the phone last night, I returned to the store to see if there was a fix, or whether the problem was specific to that machine. For an unrelated reason, I wanted to switch models: from the 15-inch to the 13-inch.

So I got a new 13-inch macbook pro this morning and decided to set it up in store. Same issue. I had a lengthy chat with one of the Apple Geniuses who could not figure this out. He did his best, but he could only give vague answers to my questions. He said it seems like an Apple server issue that "engineering" is aware of and are hoping to fix.

Affected customers have been unable to log in since first upgrading to OS X 10.11.4, and so far, there is no reliable fix available to solve the problem. Not all customers who did a clean install of OS X 10.11.4 or who purchased a new Mac are affected, and it is not clear if there is a pattern between users who are experiencing problems.

Two days after Apple's "Let Us Loop You In" event that saw the debut of the iPhone SE, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and new Apple Watch bands, Apple has posted the full video of its presentation on its YouTube channel. The same video is also available on Apple's event website.

Apple's "Let Us Loop You In" event was shorter than most of its past events, lasting just over an hour. The video kicks off with a look at Apple's environmental efforts, ResearchKit, and a message from Tim Cook about the company's ongoing struggle with the FBI.

Apple then delves into the debut of new Apple Watch bands before moving on to the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, both of which will be available for order starting tomorrow, March 24.

Apple will be hosting at least two more events in 2016, including its annual Worldwide Developers Conference that typically takes place in June and a fall event where it is expected to debut new flagship iPhones.

An updated 12-inch Retina MacBook may be launching before the end of April, according to information discovered in Apple's System Image Utility feature and in the OS X Server application by a source that shared details with 9to5Mac.

System Image Utility lists the existing early 2015 Retina MacBook and an early 2016 Retina MacBook, which has yet to be released. Given that it's earmarked as an "early" 2016 device, the next-generation Retina MacBook should be coming soon, as Apple refers to "early" for devices that launch during the first four months of the year. The same 12-inch early 2016 MacBook is listed the OS X Server application.

The Retina MacBook first launched in April of 2015, so an April 2016 update at the one year mark makes sense. A refresh will likely be minor, leaving the overall design unchanged but introducing upgraded internals, such as one of Intel's Skylake chips.

Skylake chips appropriate for the Retina MacBook have been available since the later months of 2015. The new Core M Skylake processors offer 10 hours of battery life and 10 to 20 percent faster CPU performance compared to the Core M Broadwell processors used in the first-generation Retina MacBook, along with 40 percent faster graphics performance.

There are no mentions of new Retina MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models in OS X Server or System Image Utility, and it continues to remain unclear when exactly we might see refreshes for those machines.

A rumor yesterday suggested Apple is working on "ultra-thin" 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks, but it is not known if those machines are in the MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air family. Apple is said to be targeting a June or July launch date for the mystery MacBooks, which lines up with a potential debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

Update: Additional investigation of OS X 10.11.4 by Pike's Universum has led to details on the low-power Skylake processors Apple will likely use in the 2016 12-inch MacBooks, which are in line with expectations.

References to the Core m3-6Y30, Core m5-6Y54, and Core m7-6Y75 have been found.

The low-end Core m3-6Y30 succeeds the Core M-5Y31 and will likely be used in the entry-level 12-inch MacBook, which Apple sells for $1,299. The middle tier Core m5-6Y54 replaces the Core M-5Y51 and is likely to be used in the higher-end 12-inch MacBook Apple sells for $1,599, while the high-end Core m7-6Y75 replaces the Core M-5Y71, the chip used in high-end 12-inch MacBook custom configurations.

A number of new CarPlay-enabled vehicles are making their North American debuts ahead of the 2016 New York International Auto Show this week, including models from Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, and Volkswagen.

Chevrolet kickstarted the announcements last week when it introduced the 2017 Sonic as the first subcompact vehicle with CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. General Motors also introduced the 2017 Chevrolet Trax with CarPlay support last month. Both vehicles will reach dealerships by fall 2016.

Honda followed suit this week with the debut of its 2017 Civic Hatchback, available in fall 2016, and U.S. spec Clarity Fuel Cell Sedan, launching by the end of this year, both of which feature CarPlay and Android Auto. Honda already offers CarPlay in the 2016 Accord, 2016 Civic, and 2017 Ridgeline.

Hyundai today unveiled its 2017 Ioniq electric vehicle with CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, while its subsidiary Kia debuted the 2017 Cadenza with matching support for both in-dash software platforms. Hyundai did not provide a launch date for the Ioniq, while the new Cadenza will go on sale in late 2016.

New York's auto show marks the arrival of Subaru's first CarPlay vehicle in the all-new 2017 Impreza, while Volkswagen's U.S. version of the 2017 Golf Alltrack also features CarPlay and Android Auto. The new Golf model goes on sale in fall 2016, while no launch date was provided yet for the Impreza.

CarPlay is available in over 100 vehicle models worldwide from over two dozen automakers, providing hands-free or eyes-free access to common iPhone apps such as Maps, Messages, Music, Phone, and Podcasts. Apple keeps a periodically updated list of available models on its website.

Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite is helping the FBI in its attempt to unlock the iPhone at the center of the San Bernardino shooter investigation.

That's according to a story filed by Reuters this morning, based on a report in Wednesday's copy of Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. If the software company succeeds then the FBI will no longer need the help of Apple, the report claimed, citing unnamed industry sources.

According to its website, Cellebrite offers "mobile forensics solutions" which "give access to and unlock the intelligence of mobile data sources to extend investigative capabilities, accelerate investigations, unify investigative teams and produce solid evidence".

Apple and the U.S. government have been embroiled in a heated public battle that started when a court ordered Apple to help the FBI unlock the iPhone 5c of terrorist Syed Farook. Unlocking the iPhone would require Apple to build a new version of iOS that bypasses iPhone passcode restrictions and provides the FBI with a way to enter passcodes electronically, something Apple has staunchly refused to do.

On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department convinced the court overseeing its ongoing battle with Apple to postpone a hearing scheduled to take place March 22. The DoJ said new leads had been discovered that could provide it with a way to unlock the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook without involving Apple.

Various commentators on the case have cast doubt on the FBI's original claim that it had exhausted all avenues in its attempt to unlock Farook's iPhone and a number of ideas have been floated in the media by security experts. The most likely attack was set out in a March 7 blog post by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which directly called into question the FBI's initial assertion that it had no means of extracting the iPhone's data.

The process described by UCLA technology fellow Daniel Kahn Gillmor uses a technique called NAND mirroring to copy the portion of the phone's memory that counts the number of passcode attempts entered. By continually restoring the copy, the FBI could thereby circumvent the limit on the number of passcode guesses that can be made before the device is rendered permanently inaccessible.

Another, more risky – not to mention laborious – method is an invasive microchip attack known as "de-capping". This involves removing and de-capsulating the phone's memory chip, carefully drilling down into it using a focused ion beam to expose the portion of the chip containing the target data (in this case, the iPhone's unique ID and passkey algorithm) and then probing it, micron by micron, to extract the information.

The latter could then be used in an off-device "brute-force" attack on the passcode that would be able to try all possible combinations without running up against the iPhone's guess limit.

The judge involved in the high-profile California case has agreed to vacate the March 22 hearing and requested that the government provide an update on its progress by April 5. The motion requiring Apple to help the FBI lock the iPhone was suspended.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, Apple said it would insist on obtaining details about the exploit the FBI plans to use should the government keep the case going. If the case is dropped, Apple will not be able to ask for that information.

Update 8:13 AM: As noted by Twitter user @zenalbatross, the FBI signed a $15,000 contract with Cellebrite on Monday.

Note: Due to the political 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.

AT&T first introduced Wi-Fi calling in October of 2015, allowing customers to place calls over Wi-Fi in instances where a cellular connection is poor. At launch, AT&T's Wi-Fi calling feature could only be used within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but as of this week, Wi-Fi calls can also be made from other countries.

Starting this afternoon, and following the iOS 9.3 update, AT&T began sending text messages to customers notifying them of the change. When traveling abroad, a call placed to the United States or received from the United States using Wi-Fi calling will incur no long distance charges, a feature that should be highly useful to AT&T customers who are visiting another country and calling home.

As long as a U.S. number is calling another U.S. number using Wi-Fi calling, there will be no charge, regardless of physical location. Calling an international number from a U.S. phone with Wi-Fi calling will continue to incur standard international call charges.

In a domestic coverage area, Wi-Fi calling is enabled whenever wireless network coverage is weak or unavailable. When outside of a domestic coverage area, Wi-Fi calling is now turned on whenever a phone connects to a Wi-Fi network. AT&T's Wi-Fi calling website has been updated with new text to reflect the updated capabilities.

Use Wi-Fi Calling to talk and text over an active Wi-Fi connection. Wi-Fi Calling lets you talk and text from indoor locations where it's hard even for a strong cellular signal to reach. Wi-Fi Calling can be used in the Domestic Coverage Area (U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands) and from most international countries.

The new international Wi-Fi calling feature is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and newly introduced iPhone SE, so long as iOS 9.3 is installed.

AT&T is also notifying customers about a change to NumberSync, which now allows devices linked to an iPhone to make or receive calls over an AT&T cellular connection, something that wasn't previously possible.

The NumberSync feature allows AT&T users to make calls and send text messages using their phone number from a device like an iPad or Mac even when their iPhone is turned off or in another location. Previously, devices had to be connected to Wi-Fi to use the feature, but starting today, a cellular iPad or other device with a cellular connection can use it to make NumberSync calls when a connected iPhone is unavailable.

Last November, a malicious app called InstaAgent was caught storing the usernames and passwords of Instagram users, sending them to a suspicious remote server. After the app's activities came to light, Apple removed it from the App Store, but it now appears Turker Bayram, the developer behind the app has managed to get two new apps approved by Apple, (and Google) both of which are stealing Instagram account info.

Peppersoft developer David L-R, who discovered the insidious password-sniffing feature in the first InstaAgent app, last week wrote a post outlining new password stealing apps created by Bayram. Called "Who Cares With Me - InstaDetector" and "InstaCare - Who Cares With Me," the apps are available on Android and iOS devices.

The original InstaAgent app attracted Instagram users by promising to track the people who visited their Instagram account, and the two new apps make similar promises. Both apps say they display a list of users who interact most often with an Instagram account, asking users to log in with an Instagram username and password.

David L-R investigated Bayram's new apps and discovered a suspicious HTTPS packet, leading him to uncover a complex encryption process used to covertly send usernames and passwords to a third-party server and hide the evidence. He found both the Android and iOS versions of the app send Instagram account information to unknown servers.

As I had a closer look to the iOS app I found out that the app steals the Instagram password & username to send it encrypted to "unknown" servers. The "password-stealing" algorithm and the encryption seems to be the same as in "InstaCare - Who cares with me?" a new iOS app from the "InstaAgent" developer, which malicious behaviour I discovered a few days ago. A working PoC (Proof of concept for the iOS version) can be found here.

Multiple reviews on the iOS App Store claim that after using the malicious Instagram apps, their accounts were compromised with spam photos advertising the app that were uploaded to their feeds. As with InstaAgent, the apps show up prominently in the Top Charts in some countries, though not in the United States.

Bayram's ability to get multiple new apps approved by Apple after having been found guilty of harvesting Instagram account information speaks towards the glaring issues in Apple's app review policies. It is unclear how a developer who was caught operating a malicious app was able to get additional apps past Apple's radar.

There are dozens if not hundreds of low-quality third-party apps that promise to provide Instagram users with followers and other perks, which should be avoided to avoid having account information stolen. Instagram cautions against installing third-party apps that don't follow its Community Guidelines and says such apps are "likely attempts to use your account in an inappropriate way."

(Thanks, Şizofrenik!)