MacRumors iPhone and iPad Blog: Apps, News, and Rumors

Apple today released watchOS 5.2.1, the sixth update to the watchOS 5 operating system that runs on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 5.2.1 comes more than a month after the release of watchOS 5.2, an update that added AirPods 2 support. watchOS 5.2.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update. To install the new...

Alongside the iOS 12.3 update that introduces a new TV app for the iPhone and the iPad, Apple has also debuted a new 12.3 software update designed for the HomePod. The new ‌HomePod‌ software will be installed automatically on the ‌HomePod‌ after you update to iOS 12.3, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to. ...

Amazon has kicked off the week with a new sale on Apple's iPad Pro from 2018, offering up to $200 off both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models. Deals start with the 64GB 11-inch iPad Pro at $749.00, down from $799.00, and also include numerous lowest-ever prices on 12.9-inch models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...

Google-owned mapping app Waze has been updated with support for Pandora music streaming, as revealed in a blog post on the Pandora website. The update means Pandora listeners on both iOS and Android can stream songs directly from within the Waze app using its embedded audio player, allowing drivers to navigate and listen to their music without leaving the app. The integration also works...

Procreate Pocket 3 was released today, bringing several new features to the iPhone version of the acclaimed iPad illustration app. This latest version aims to bring the full artistic power of Procreate from your iPad to your pocket, with an overhaul of the user interface allowing the introduction of ‌iPad‌ app-originating tools, without taking the focus away from the canvas. To this...

If you add your personal contact information to your iPhone or iPad, it allows Siri to carry out more complex queries and offer better suggestions, such as giving you directions home or reminding you about your scheduled meeting when you arrive at the office. For best results, you need to make sure your self-identifying contact card – called My Card in the Contacts app – includes...

Apple's Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS is available for $104.95 on Amazon right now, which is a $24 discount off of the standard $129 price tag. The discounted price is only available for the Smart Battery Case that comes in black, with the white and pink varieties still priced at $129. There are also no discounts on the version for the iPhone XS Max or the version for the iPhone XR,...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Eve to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of smart home products that includes the Eve Energy Strip, Eve Light Strip, and a Light Strip Extender. Eve's Energy Strip, priced at $99, is its newest product, offering up three HomeKit-connected outlets that can be controlled individually or all at once so you can make non-HomeKit products...

Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe and the Middle East, launching in Poland, Norway, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Iceland over the last year. Now, we have learned that the service will likely roll out in Hungary and Luxembourg in the near future. MacRumors has spotted the usual server-side changes that Apple makes shortly before...

Apple today launched a new Apple Pay promotion offering discounts from a number of different companies when making an in-app purchase using ‌Apple Pay‌ or on the web in some cases. The springtime discounts are available through most of May, from May 9 until May 22. Each app and its ‌Apple Pay‌ discount is listed below, though there may be some restrictions and exclusions in the fine print when ...

Expercom kicked off a new sale on the Apple Watch Series 3 today, discounting three models of the cellular version by as much as $150 off. The sale includes 38mm and 42mm versions of the Apple Watch Series 3, all in aluminum with Sport Loops, and each model supports cellular data. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a ...

Recently, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren put forward the idea to reverse certain tech mergers to promote healthy competition in the market, particularly including Facebook and Instagram. In an op-ed shared today by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, that topic is revisited (via The New York Times). According to Hughes, the Federal Trade Commission's "biggest mistake" was letting...

Nike today announced a new feature coming to its iOS app this summer, called "Nike Fit." Using augmented reality, you'll be able to scan your feet directly within the Nike mobile app to find the right shoe size to wear. Image via Engadget To use the feature, you'll navigate to a product page in the app, and next to the normal shoe size menu there will be a new option to measure your feet....

Feral Interactive today announced that Barbarian Invasion, the standalone expansion for the acclaimed historical strategy game ROME: Total War, is out now on iPhone. Originally developed by Creative Assembly and published by SEGA for Windows PC, Barbarian Invasion was previously brought to iPad by Feral. Barbarian Invasion takes place in 363AD during the height of the Roman Empire, when...

Eve, a company that makes HomeKit-enabled smart home products, launched its latest accessory, the Eve Energy Strip, in April. The Eve Energy Strip offers three HomeKit-connected outlets, each of which can be controlled independently through the Eve app, the Home app, and through Siri, so you can make standard home products and appliances smart. Design Design wise, the Eve Energy Strip...

The iTunes Store, App Store, Apple Books, and the Mac App Store are experiencing an outage, according to Apple's System Status page. Some customers may be unable to make purchases, which is in line with reports about downtime on Twitter. We've also heard complaints about Apple Music and other services, though Apple isn't listing problems outside of the App Stores. Apple's developer website...

Apple recently hired Lindsay Rothschild to Head of Creative Services for Apple Music's North American division (via Variety). Rothschild is joining Apple from Google, where she led songwriter and publisher relations for YouTube. The new ‌Apple Music‌ executive will be tasked with building and maintaining working relationships with artists in the songwriter community, as well as publishers....

The manufacturer of rigid-flex printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in Apple's AirPods 2 is ramping up production of the technology into early 2020 at least, despite rumors that Apple will launch two new AirPods models as early as this year with a different internal design. DigiTimes reports that Apple supplier Unitech Printed Circuit Board still sees the rigid-flex PCB combination as the...