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

Instagram recently tested a new way for users to browse their feeds, with a feed that scrolled horizontally instead of one that scrolled vertically. This test hit enough users around the world to get "Instagram Update" and "#NewInstagram" trending on Twitter (via The Independent), but Matt Navarra has confirmed that it was just a test that was meant for a "very small" group of individuals....

During the month of November, its first month of availability, the iPhone XR accounted for an estimated 32 percent of U.S. iPhone sales, according to new sales data shared today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Comparatively, the iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple's more expensive iPhones, were responsible for 35 percent of sales combined. The iPhone XR sold similarly to the iPhone X ...

App Store & iTunes gift cards have been a popular tech-themed stocking stuffer for years. If you unwrapped one today, we have eight ideas for what to buy across the App Store, iTunes, Apple Books, and beyond in 2018. Start with Apple's instructions for redeeming App Store & iTunes gift cards. 1. Apple Music subscription App Store & iTunes gift cards can be used to fund an Apple Music...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Choetech to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's new PowerDual 5-coil Qi wireless chargers, capable of charging two devices at one time. The PowerDual is a flat, oblong-shaped pad that is equipped with five overlapping wireless coils inside. It is big enough to accommodate two smartphones at once, and because of the...

Apple has extended and expanded its 10 to 15 percent bonus offer when adding funds directly to an Apple ID account. The offer was initially available in the U.S. only and set to expire December 20, but the bonus is now available through December 24 in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, according to Thrifter. The bonus can be applied once on up to $200 in...

Google Lens can now recognize over a billion items in the world around us, the search engine giant announced this week. That's four times as many things that the AI-powered feature could identify when it was first launched last year, thanks partly to a huge number of Google Shopping products which have been added to its knowledge base. While its optical character recognition engine has...

We're in the final stretch to Christmas, with just four more days until December 25. To help out with any last-minute holiday shopping, PayPal on eBay today has a new offer on App Store and iTunes gift cards (e-delivery), and it's one of the best discounts on the cards we've seen in a while: you can get the $100 iTunes gift card for just $80 while supplies last. The Family Stone and more ...

AT&T's live TV streaming service DirecTV Now officially supports Apple's latest iPad Pro models, thanks to an update to the iOS app that was pushed out on Thursday. After installing the update, owners of this year's 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will be able to watch shows on the service in fullscreen mode minus any letterboxing, which blighted previous versions of the DirecTV Now...

Multiple reports are coming in that Instagram has lost support for iPhone XR and XS Max screen resolutions in the latest update to its iOS app. The issue has been highlighted on Reddit and Twitter after Instagram users updated to the latest version (75.0), which was pushed to the App Store on Wednesday. Instagram v74.0 (left) versus v75.0 (Image via @Wsig) The resulting effect is that the ...

In late 2017, T-Mobile announced plans for a "disruptive" internet TV service, set to launch at some point in 2018. T-Mobile isn't going to make that release date, however, with the rollout pushed back until 2019. According to Bloomberg, T-Mobile is delaying its TV service because the "project proved much more complex than expected." T-Mobile executives faced the difficult choice of either...

Transit directions for Apple Maps have recently expanded to Belgium, Manila in the Philippines, Switzerland, Wyoming, and Iowa, Apple confirmed today in an update to its Feature Availability page for iOS. In these locations, Apple Maps users can get directions using the transit options available in their states or countries. Apple actually implemented transit directions in these locales over...

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.1.3 update to developers, a little over a week after seeding the first beta and nearly two weeks after releasing watchOS 5.1.2. Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -->...

Some 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that were originally released in 2017 appear to be suffering from a display issue that causes a bright spot to appear right above the Home button on affected models. The issue was outlined on the MacRumors forums, with complaints first popping up back in April 2018. MacRumors reader marmiteturkey explains the problem: I have an approx 1in spot on...

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.2 update to developers for testing purposes, a little over one week after seeding the first tvOS 12.1.2 beta. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.1.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. tvOS updates have historically been minor...

Amazon and B&H Photo today have discounts on a few new Apple products from 2018, including the 9.7-inch iPad and MacBook Air. In many instances, these are the lowest-ever prices on each device, and some retailers like B&H Photo are providing further discounts thanks to clippable coupons on each product page. At Amazon, you can buy the 2018 9.7-inch iPad for up to $100 off in multiple...

A few months ago, the 2019 Lexus ES became the first vehicle from Toyota's luxury brand to add support for CarPlay, built on top of the brand's Enform 2.0 infotainment system, and Lexus now has a half dozen 2019 models announced with CarPlay support. I've had a chance to spend some time with a Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury hybrid model that includes a number of technology features, so here's a...

The Catalyst Waterproof AirPods Case, designed to protect your AirPods case from liquids, is now available from the Apple online store and Apple retail locations. Priced at $29.95, the Catalyst Case is made from a soft, durable silicone material that keeps water and dust out and protects the AirPods from drops and bumps. The silicone material, which comes in black, white, and a special...

Following the release of iOS 12.1.1 on December 5 and iOS 12.1.2 on December 17, Apple has stopped signing iOS 12.1, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers. iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 12.1.1 or 12.1.2 will no longer be able to downgrade to iOS 12.1. iOS 12.1.1, available for all iOS devices, introduced expanded eSIM support, a...