Shortly after the launch of the iPad Pro, buyers began complaining about an issue that caused the iPad Pro to become unresponsive after charging, requiring a hard restart to restore functionality.
Apple has now responded to those complaints with a support document letting customers know it's looking into the problem and recommending the aforementioned hard restart as an interim fix.
To get back to using your iPad Pro, force restart it by pressing and holding both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for at least ten seconds, until you see the Apple logo.
Apple is aware of this issue and is investigating.
After being charged, affected iPad Pros appear to be completely frozen, unresponsive to touch and other interactions. The screen remains dark until a reset is performed. The issue appears to be quite widespread, with complaints on the Apple Support Communities, the MacRumors forums, and reddit.
Both 32 and 128GB (Wi-Fi and LTE) iPad Pro models on iOS 9.1 have been affected, and it is not clear if the problem is related to hardware or software. Software is a strong possibility, as iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users started seeing a similar issue with their smartphones randomly powering off and becoming unresponsive last month.
Apple released the iPad Pro last week as a direct competitor to Microsoft's new Surface Pro 4. The high-end tablets are primarily targeted at creative professionals, with the companion Apple Pencil and Surface Pen available as precise input tools to complement your finger.
iMore has shared a new video that compares sketching with the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro to the Surface Pen on Microsoft's new Surface Book, which has equivalent display technology as the Surface Pro 4.
Editor Serenity Caldwell found the Surface Pen to be "about as responsive" as the Apple Pencil, but said Microsoft's stylus pressure was slightly harder to control and had more trouble at writing small type.
The Verge has created a similar video that provides more of a high-level comparison of the iPad Pro vs. Surface Pro 4, while also touching upon the Apple Pencil and Surface Pen and showing some limited usage of each accessory.
Editor Jacob Kastrenakes called the Apple Pencil "one of the best" he has ever used, adding that the Surface Pen "can be a little less natural" but benefits from having a hardware eraser -- which the Apple Pencil doesn't have.
Kastrenakes said the Apple Pencil is "really responsive" and has "amazing palm rejection," and he offered similar accolades for the Surface Pen, although quality will vary from app to app on both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4.
Apple Pencil online orders began to see movement earlier this week, while Apple retail stores started receiving more reliable Apple Pencil shipments on Tuesday for in-store purchase. The accessory is available to ship in 4-5 weeks online.
iFixit has completed an Apple Pencil teardown, removing the outer plastic casing to reveal the pencil's inner metal cylinder. The teardown provides a closer look at several Apple Pencil components, including the antenna, battery, pencil nib, Lightning connector and miniature folded logic board.
Apple Pencil has two emitters in the tip that enable the iPad Pro to determine the pencil nib's angle and orientation relative to the display, and adjust the pen stroke accordingly, explains iFixit. iPad Pro has a digitizer that likely determines the distance from each emitter to the screen.
At the core of the Apple Pencil is a tiny 0.329 Wh lithium-ion rechargeable battery that holds just 5% of the charge of an iPhone 6s battery, next to a small cylindrical black and gold antenna. There is also a small ribbon cable that connects the Apple Pencil's battery with its Lightning connector for charging.
On the other side of the battery is the Apple Pencil's tiny folded logic board that weighs just one gram, yet houses more than five components, including an ST Microelectronics low-power 32-bit ARM-based Cortex-M3 microcontroller and Qualcomm Bluetooth 4.1 chip from Cambridge Silicon Radio.
- Red: ST Microelectronics STML151UCY6 Ultra-low-power 32-bit RISC ARM-based Cortex-M3 MCU - Orange: ST Microelectronics AS5C Y533 (also found in the 2015 Apple TV) - Yellow: L05286 QS4 VG Z SGP 528 - Green: EWX 01129 - Not shown: Cambridge Silicon Radio Qualcomm CSR1012A05 Bluetooth Smart IC
iFixit awarded the Apple Pencil its lowest repairability score of 1 out of 10. While the pen nib and cap can be replaced if worn out or lost, iFixit says you can't get inside the Apple Pencil without destroying the device. It says the 12-hour battery is not replaceable, giving the Apple Pencil a limited lifespan.
Apple is currently searching for an additional supplier of next year's rumored Apple Watch 2, according to a new report from supply chain sources (via DigiTimes). The company is speaking with Inventec, Wistron and Foxconn Electronics to join Quanta Computer in the manufacturing of the next generation of the Apple Watch. The report cites a "weaker than expected" profit return for Quanta in regards to the first generation Apple Watch, which is causing a few of the targeted manufacturers to voice concern about supporting the long-term investment in the future device.
Quanta has invested heavily in equipment for Apple Watch's manufacturing, but its profit return from the device has been weaker than expected. This is a concern for the ODMs that have been approached as a secondary supply partner, the paper added.
Also mentioned in the report is Apple's ordering of 4 million Apple Watch units for the fourth quarter of 2015, slightly down from the original 6 million planned in preparation for the holiday season since demand is "not as strong as expected." Still, the company expects sales for the wearable device to surpass 10 million units by the end of the year, before leading into the rumored launch period of the Apple Watch 2 sometime in the second quarter of 2016.
Today's news comes after Quanta Computer's chairman Barry Lam was reported to have commented on the impending manufacturing process of the Apple Watch 2, giving the device a launch window sometime late in Q2 2016 and higher volume shipments beginning in Q3. Little is known about the second generation Apple Watch, besides a few rumors that pointed to the possibility of a thinner device, integrated FaceTime camera, and a growing independence from the iPhone.
The Solo2 Wireless On-Ear Headphones, $299.95, were released in November 2014 as the first Beats product since Apple's acquisition of the company officially closed. Beats launched new Solo2 Wireless headphones in Gold, Silver and Space Gray, colors that match several Apple products, last April.
Beats urBeats In-Ear Headphones, $99.95, were first released long before Apple acquired the company in 2014.
Sprint today launched its LTE Plus network, which is available today in 77 major markets in the U.S. To celebrate, the carrier is announcing what its calling "the biggest wireless offer in U.S. history", offering 50 percent off of T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T rate plans. The offer runs from November 20 to January 7, 2016 and the pricing remains in place until January 8, 2018.
“We’ve made tremendous strides with our network because we know consumers want wireless service that provides consistent speed and reliability,” said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. “We are so confident that customers will have an amazing experience that we are encouraging them to give us a try with the biggest wireless offer in the history of our industry. Customers switching to Sprint will never need to look elsewhere. They will learn what our 58 million customers already know – Sprint offers the best value and an award-winning network.”
T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T customers who want to switch to the network will get Sprint plans that mirror their old plans, only for half the price. For example, a T-Mobile customer with four lines and 10 GB of data per line pays $180 per month at T-Mobile, but will only pay $90 at Sprint. An AT&T family who pays $100 for 15 GB data will get the same thing at Sprint for $50. Verizon customers paying $80 for 12 GB will get the same for $40. Verizon and AT&T customers will also get 50 percent off access fees.
The discounts are only available to consumer plans for Verizon's 1 GB, 3 GB, 6 GB, 12 GB, 18 GB, 20 GB and 25 GB shared data plans, T-Mobile's Simple Choice 2 GB, 6 GB and 10 GB plans and AT&T's 300 MB, 2 GB, 5 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB and 25 GB shared data plans. Specific carrier features like unlimited music and video, data rollover and cloud options do not carryover to Sprint.
Customers switching over to Sprint can also take advantage of iPhone Forever, Sprint's plan that allows customers to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. It's also a "worry-free" offer, with customers having 28 days to try out Sprint's service. If they're not happy, they can return it without incurring a restocking fee. Sprint will also pay any switching fees up to $650 per line with an American Express Reward Card after online registration and phone turn-in.
Sprint says its new LTE Plus network is faster than Verizon's and AT&T's networks, citing Nielsen Mobile Performance data. NMP uses crowdsourced data from Android users in 44 of the largest markets in the U.S., and it found that in 20 of the 44 markets, users downloading files over 5 MB did it fastest on Sprint. The carrier says the new network can reach up to 100 Mbps, includes stronger service with an extended 2.5 GHz signal and more reliable service with three bands of spectrum: 1.9 GHz for broad coverage, 800 MHz for indoor coverage and 2.5 GHz for faster speeds.
Current Sprint customers will get a free tablet with one year of free service while supplies last. Sprint says this offer is a $360 value.
Today at Inter BEE 2015 in Japan, CalDigit announced two new lines of USB Type-C docks, two new USB-C adapters and more. The new accessories give owners of USB-C computers like the new MacBook more flexibility in how they use their device.
CalDigit USB-C Dock
The USB-C Dock comes in five colors and features a silicon cover that CalDigit says adds a layer of protection to the dock's aluminum case. The dock includes 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Display Port, an Ethernet port, Audio in and out and AC power. The dock allows users to charge their computer while connecting all a user's devices at the same time.
The smaller USB-C mini Dock has 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a VGA port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Unlike the larger dock, the more portable version does not charge the computer at the same time. Instead, it draws power from the computer.
CalDigit also announced the FASTA-6GU3 Plus, a dual interface PCIe card that adds 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A and 2 eSATA ports to any Mac desktop computer. Finally, the company also announced USB-C to HDMI and USB-C to VGA adapters.
CalDigit USB-C mini Dock
All the new products are available for pre-order on CalDigit's website. The USB-C Dock has a special pre-order price of $149.99, but will retail for $159.99 and ship in February 2016. The mini Dock has a special pre-order price of $89.99, but will retail for $99.99 and ship in late January 2016. The FASTA-6Gu3 Plus also ships in January 2016 and will retail for $169.99. Both adapters will ship in December 2015, with the HDMI adapter retailing for $29.99 while the VGA adapter will retail for $24.99.
The Apple Pencil is an accessory that's unique to the iPad Pro and was built from the ground up alongside the tablet. It's aimed at creative professionals who need a more precise tool for sketching, drawing, writing, and other tasks where accuracy is imperative.
Pressure and positioning sensors built into the Apple Pencil let it detect a range of forces, enabling pressure sensitive writing and drawing. When used with the iPad Pro, the tablet scans the signal coming from the device more than 240 times per second, resulting in the low latency levels seen in the video.
Tilt sensors in the tip of the Apple Pencil determine the orientation and the angle of the hand holding it, so it's possible to do things like shading by using the side of the tip. Apple has designed the Apple Pencil to work alongside a finger, so it can be used simultaneously with touch gestures. It also has palm rejection technology, so you can rest your hand on the iPad Pro screen when drawing or writing.
There's a Lightning connector at the bottom of the Apple Pencil that's used for charging. It has a 12 hour battery life but can also charge enough for a half hour of use in 15 seconds, so it will never be non-functional in a pinch.
The Apple Pencil can be purchased from the online Apple Store for $99. Orders placed now won't arrive until December, so customers seeking an Apple Pencil may have better luck in retail Apple Stores.
Apple Pay has launched in Australia in partnership with American Express, expanding iPhone-based mobile payments to a fourth country following Canada earlier this week. The service can be used at Coles, Harvey Norman, Kmart, McDonald's, Starbucks, Woolworths and other select Australian stores that accept American Express and have NFC-equipped payment terminals.
American Express cardholders can add credit cards in the Wallet app on iOS 9.1 by tapping the "Add Credit or Debit Card" option. Apple Pay currently only works with cards issued directly by American Express, and not bank-issued cards like the CommBank Awards American Express or Westpac Altitude Black American Express cards.
Apple says Australian customers will "soon" be able to add store credit cards and loyalty cards to Wallet, and use them to make purchases and redeem rewards with Apple Pay. Kohl's became the first U.S. retailer to offer store-branded cards in Apple Pay last month, while Walgreens launched the first stateside Apple Pay loyalty rewards program a few weeks ago.
American Express is not as popular or widely accepted as MasterCard or Visa in Australia, but the partnership could place pressure on negotiations between Apple and Australian banks like Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac. No bank-issued debit and credit cards work with Apple Pay in Australia at this time.
Australia, like Canada and many European countries, has been well prepared for Apple Pay, as many retailers and businesses have the required contactless payments infrastructure in place. The country has also adopted Chip-and-PIN cards, and Apple Pay is a natural extension of that functionality.
Apple has slowly rolled out Apple Pay since announcing the service, starting with the U.S. in October 2014 and expanding to the U.K. last July. Beyond Australia and Canada, Apple is also partnering with American Express to bring Apple Pay to Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong next year.
Apple Pay recently gained support for Tesco Bank and TSB in the U.K. and over 90 new participating U.S. issuers. Yesterday, Apple confirmed that Apple Pay support is also coming to Domino's and Cinnabon in the U.S. by yearend and 2016 respectively. Starbucks, KFC and Chili's locations will adopt Apple Pay next year.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming update to tvOS, the new operating system that runs on the fourth-generation Apple TV. Today's beta comes just over one week after Apple seeded the second tvOS 9.1 beta and three weeks since the tvOS was released alongside the fourth-generation Apple TV.
The third tvOS beta is available as an over-the-air update to those who have installed the first two betas. Installing an initial tvOS beta is a more involved process than installing a beta update for iOS or OS X. The update requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes.
We don't yet know exactly what is included in the new version of tvOS, as most changes thus far appear to be under-the-hood updates. Apple's release notes for the update include references to networking and scrolling tweaks, and it's likely tvOS 9.1 will include fixes for bugs and issues that have been discovered in the software since the Apple TV's official launch. We will include any other external facing changes below.
tvOS 9.1 will mark the first significant update to tvOS and the second update to the operating system. The first tvOS update, tvOS 9.0.1, was released to the public on November 9.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9.2 to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the third iOS 9.2 beta and a full month after releasing iOS 9.1 to the public. As a .1 upgrade, iOS 9.2 will mark the second major update to iOS 9.
The fourth beta of iOS 9.2, build 13C5075, is available as an over-the-air update and through the Apple Developer Center. Public beta testers can download the update over the air. Apple has also released Xcode 7.2 beta 4.
Earlier betas of iOS 9.2 included changes to the Safari View Controller, which is what allows a pop-up Safari window to be used in third-party apps. In iOS 9.2, Safari View Controller supports third-party Action Extensions, letting apps like 1Password to be accessed in the Safari view of other apps like Tweetbot.
Safari View Controller has also been updated with the ability to long tap on the Reload button to reload content without content blockers and it now supports the request desktop site function. The second iOS 9.2 beta improved Safari View Controller further, introducing support for dismissing it with an edge swipe.
Along with improvements to Safari View Controller, iOS 9.2 also introduces Arabic support for Siri, support for AT&T's NumberSync Wi-Fi Calling feature and it includes bug fixes for iCloud Keychain, Apple Watch syncing and pairing, audio quality when streaming to stereo systems, and more.
Microsoft today launched an entirely revamped Bing search engine app for iOS, which it is hoping will reimagine search on the iPhone. The Bing app has a new design with a much cleaner interface and a series of quick action buttons that aim to cut down on the amount of typing a user needs to do to get relevant search results.
According to Microsoft, existing mobile search engines are a copycat of PC-based search engines - long lists of links - but the needs on mobile are much different. On a phone, people are looking for faster ways to get what they want while minimizing the number of interactions, an experience Microsoft is planning to deliver with Bing.
The main focal point of the app is a search button that launches a standard search for any topic, using either words, voice, or an image. This search interface includes popular search topics, like "restaurants near me," and it also includes links to search images, videos, or news, in addition to the web.
On the main Bing screen below the search button, there's a series of quick tap buttons that will bring up things people often search for. "Near Me," for example, displays a list of venues that are nearby, and additional buttons like "Dinner" or "Coffee" let users drill down further in the search results without ever having to type a word.
There are also quick links to bring up local restaurants, current movies, images, videos, and maps, while scrolling down will open up a list of breaking news stories. Microsoft has put a lot of thought into the Bing search engine, and its results cover everything a person might be looking for.
As an example, if you tap the Movie quick link on the home screen, it shows movies in theaters, but it also shows new movies that have been added to Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with popular movies on both services. Tapping on one of these movies brings up information like actors and movie reviews, along with a long list of relevant apps. From the search results, a movie like Nightcrawler can be opened in Netflix, purchased on iTunes, rented on Amazon, or opened in VUDU.
Microsoft has made deep linking a major focal point in its new Bing app, and app-based search results that open the relevant app are available for many different types of searches. For example, searching for a popular restaurant nearby and then tapping that result will include all relevant associated apps.
A search for a local Chipotle brings up a map, a phone number, and a list of associated apps. Yelp, Foursquare, and Zomato are offered up as apps where reviews are available, while AllMenu is listed as a way to view the menu and Apple Maps, Uber, Google Maps, and Lyft are provided as options for getting there. For a restaurant with food delivery, Bing might offer up the relevant app, or for a restaurant that takes reservations, Bing will provide something like OpenTable as an option.
A search for a television show might bring up an option to open it up directly in Netflix, while searching for a particular song includes app links to watch it in the YouTube app or buy it in iTunes. In addition to helping people find things faster, Microsoft is hoping its deep linking will aid users in app discovery, helping them find new ways to do things via apps.
The new Bing app also takes advantage of Microsoft's Knowledge and Action Graph, which incorporates 21 billion facts, five billion relationships between entities, and 18 billion actions to give users answers to common questions quickly. That's been coupled with extensive work on indexing apps to build the backbone for the new Bing mobile experience.
Bing can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple today released a Space Black color Link Bracelet Kit, which contains six additional stainless steel links for wrists that exceed 205mm. The six links extend the 42mm Apple Watch band by up to 40mm, for a maximum size of 245mm.
The new Space Black kit is available on the Apple Online Store for $49, the same price as the Silver Link Bracelet Kit released in August, despite the full Space Black Link Bracelet carrying a $100 premium over the Silver Link Bracelet.
The kit is estimated for delivery as early as Tuesday, November 24 with expedited shipping, or Friday, November 27 with standard shipping, in the United States. The kit is also available in Canada for $69 and the United Kingdom for £39.
Following a handful of leaked images yesterday, TechCrunch has confirmed that Apple has launched an official Apple Watch magnetic charging dock today for $79.
German blogger Benjamin Scholtysik managed to get his hands on the official dock from the Apple Store in Berlin, but the accessory does not appear to be on the Apple Online Store or stocked at Apple Retail Stores in the United States yet.
The dock cost €89 in the Berlin Apple Store and allows users to charge the Apple Watch both flat and in Nightstand mode. The accessory also comes with a 2M lightning cable that attaches to the base of the dock to provide charge to the magnetic adapter at its center. Scholtysik posted an unboxing and impressions video of the dock on his YouTube channel (via 9to5Mac), showcasing the packaging of the accessory and detailing the way it transforms from a flat orientation into Nightstand mode.
It remains unclear when the new first-party product will make its way to the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores in the U.S. and other countries. With the holiday shopping season kicking into high gear in just over a week, it makes sense for the company to add the accessory to its retail locations and online options in time for new Apple Watch owners this holiday.
Update: The Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock has appeared on Apple's website and is available for purchase right now for $79.00, with an estimated shipping date of Friday, November 20 at the fastest speed. Apple retail stores should be getting the new dock on the same day, according to the new page.
The Chicago Tribune has obtained an exclusive first look at Apple's planned new flagship store in Chicago, which will be placed alongside the Chicago River. The new store will "echo" legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style homes, which Wright pioneered near the city.
The store will be located near the historic Michigan Bridge and include a "grand flight of stairs" that will go from street-level to a walkway alongside the Chicago River's north bank. On the street-level side, the store will have an entry pavilion that's 14-feet high. Pedestrians entering from N. Michigan Avenue will have to proceed downward onto the sales floor via stairs or an elevator.
The new flagship will have glass walls with a thin, high-strength carbon fiber roof. The 20,000 square-foot store will replace a vacant food court, and an Apple spokesman confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that it wants to start construction next year. The Tribune notes that the new store could be a "boon for the neighborhood", shifting retail focus on Michigan Avenue further south and encouraging development of future architectural projects in the area.
The store is being headed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, Apple's frequent architectural partner and the firm in charge of its new Cupertino headquarters. Apple is scheduled to present a proposal on the new store to the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday, but a department spokesman told the Tribune that the presentation is a formality as the planning department has already approved the proposal. Additionally, Apple already has a deal in place with Zeller Realty Group, the owner of the territory the new Apple Store will reside on.
Apple's current flagship store in Chicago is the four-story North Michigan Avenue store, which it has occupied since 2003. According to the Tribune, the new flagship could give Apple greater visibility in the area and higher sales. More renderings of the new store can be seen at the Chicago Tribune'swebsite.
Apple has updated its system status page to reflect widespread issues affecting multiple Apple products and services since approximately 7:30 PM Pacific, including the App Store, Apple TV, iBooks Store, iTunes Match, iTunes Store, Mac App Store and Radio.
Many users are also unable to fully access or use the Apple website, Apple Online Store, Apple ID, Apple Music, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessage, Mail, TestFlight and several other Apple services, suggesting possible larger server or DNS issues.
Apple's standard response on its system status page says it is investigating and will provide a status update as more information becomes available.
Update 8:38 PM: Apple's system status page now indicates the issues have been resolved, and users are indeed reporting Apple's services are up and running once again.
Last week some users and developers experienced an issue that displayed a "damaged" error when attempting to open select apps from the Mac App Store, including popular apps like 1Password, Tweetbot and Byword. Today, Apple has sent an email to developers explaining what happened and how to fix their apps.
In the email, which developer Donald Southard Jr. shared on Twitter, Apple explains that the company issued a new security certificate for the Mac App Store in September in anticipation of the expiration of the old certificate. The new certificate used a stronger SHA-2 hashing algorithm instead of the old SHA-1 algorithm. Hashing algorithms are used by certificate authorities to sign security certificates.
However, two issues caused users to experience errors when starting up apps. The first issue, according to Apple, is that there was a caching issue with the Mac App Store that required users to restart their computers and re-authenticate with the Mac App Store to clear out the old cache. Apple says it's working on a fix for this in an upcoming OS X update. The other issue is that some apps were running an older version of OpenSSL that didn't support SHA-2. Apple says it replaced the SHA-2 certificate with a new SHA-1 certificate last Thursday night.
Finally, Apple says that "most of the issues are now resolved", but that some apps might still experience problems if the apps make "incorrect assumptions" about the Mac App Store's security certificates. Apple asks developers to make sure their code adheres to the Receipt Validation Programming Guide and to resubmit apps for expedited review if necessary. The AppleCare support team has also been briefed with the latest troubleshooting information for users.
As of today, Apple has launched an in-store pickup feature in Canada and Australia allowing customers in those countries to order and pay for devices online and pick them up in retail Apple Stores. Personal Pickup has long been available in the United States, but this is the first time it's expanded to additional countries.
MacRumors reported on the possible expansion of Personal Pickup in early November after receiving word Apple was training retail employees in Australia, France, Canada, the UK, and other countries. While Personal Pickup has currently only expanded to Canada and Australia it may roll out to additional countries in the near future.
Personal Pickup is available for a number of Apple products, from Macs and Apple TVs to the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. When an order is placed for an in-stock item for Personal Pickup, Apple employees get it ready to go and then send an email to a customer whenever it's ready. Out of stock items are able to be shipped to a store for Personal Pickup.
This week has been big for both Australia and Canada. Along with the availability of Personal Pickup, both Canada and Australia have also gained Apple Pay through a partnership with American Express. Apple Pay is available in Canada as of today and will be available in Australia on Thursday.
- Red: ST Microelectronics STML151UCY6 Ultra-low-power 32-bit RISC ARM-based Cortex-M3 MCU
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9.2 to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, just over one week after seeding the 
Apple today released a 
