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

Two and a half months after Apple announced the completion of its Shazam acquisition, the music recognition iOS app is now completely ad-free [Direct Link]. Previously, Shazam would present users with various border advertisements throughout the app, similar to most other ad-supported iOS apps, but as long as you are on version 12.5.1 you will no longer see any ads in Shazam. The app still...

To go with the new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, Apple designed a second-generation Apple Pencil. In addition to doing away with the Lightning connector thanks to a new built-in magnetic charging method, the Apple Pencil 2 also supports tap gestures. Tap gestures can be used to do things like swap between a drawing tool and an eraser in a sketching app, which is a super handy way to...

Apple's newest iPad Pro models, available in 11 and 12.9 inches, are the first iPads not to feature a Home button. On traditional iPads, you press on the volume button and the home button to take a screenshot. On the new iPad Pro models, taking a screenshot is just as easy, but the gesture is a bit different. To capture a screenshot, press on the power button located at the top of the device...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Speck to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone case bundle for the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, X, or 8/8 Plus that comes with a Presidio Stay Clear case, a Presidio Pro case, and two of Speck's GrabTabs. Speck makes a range of Presidio cases for the iPhone, all with varying designs and levels of protection. The Presidio Pro, priced from $40 ...

Best Buy today kicked off a new three-day sale that will last all weekend and end on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. CT. The sale is full of great last-minute gift ideas for the holidays, and Best Buy still promises free shipping on everything all season. Orders for most items placed before 10:30 a.m. CT on December 20 will arrive before Christmas Eve. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these...

Apple is reportedly looking to shift production of older iPhones to Taiwanese supplier Pegatron in an effort to avoid losing billions in revenue as a result of its patent dispute with Qualcomm. Earlier this week, Qualcomm was granted an import ban on the iPhone 6s through iPhone X in China after the court found those devices violated two Qualcomm patents. However, according to documents ...

Commonwealth Bank (CBA) today announced that next month it will become the second of Australia's "Big Four" banks to support Apple Pay, ceding to customer demand after a multi-year dispute with Apple over fees and access to the NFC chip in iPhones. CBA is the largest retail bank in Australia and has long been a notable holdout from Apple Pay. Angus Sullivan, Group Executive of Retail Banking...

Apple today updated its online store to indicate that free next-business-day delivery is now available on most in-stock items ordered by Friday, December 21 at 3:00 p.m. local time in the United States. Apple routinely offers free and faster shipping during the holiday season, along with an extended return policy. For eligible products purchased between November 14, 2018 and December 25,...

Signify updated the Philips Hue iOS app to version 3.11.0 this week, introducing the ability for users to select a customized bulb status after a power outage (via Reddit). Previously for Philips Hue owners, when the power would go out and then come back on, all of their connected Hue bulbs and fixtures would immediately turn back on, even if they were off before the power outage. Now,...

Apple today expanded its "Holiday Savings with Apple Pay" promotion to seven additional stores through December 19. Below we've listed every website and app and their special offers. Of course, to get the offers you'll need to checkout using Apple Pay with a supported debit or credit card, and these offers are available in the United States only. Websites Abercrombie & Fitch - $10 off...

Apple TV dashboard app DayView has received its first major update and a couple of much-requested features, courtesy of developer and former Apple intern Punya Chatterjee. For anyone unfamiliar with DayView, the app has similarities to the Today View on iPhone, in that it displays widgets that hook into useful online platforms and personal services, providing at-a-glance information in a...

Ubiquiti Networks' consumer technology brand, Ubiquiti Labs, began making a name for itself in late 2016 with the launch of the AmpliFi HD Wi-Fi Mesh Router. Similar to other mesh systems, the AmpliFi HD comes with a centralized router and two "MeshPoints" that provide blanket Wi-Fi coverage throughout a home, but Ubiquiti Labs' device is unique thanks to its circular, full-color touchscreen on...

Popular to-do list iOS app Things today has been updated to version 3.8, which introduces full support for a new Dark Mode. Specifically, users will be able to chose between three appearances for Things 3 on iPhone and iPad: Light, Dark, and Black. These appearances can be set manually in settings, or users can choose to automatically switch between them based on the brightness of their iOS...

Giphy today announced an update for its iOS app, bringing its GIF-sharing keyboard extension to any app that supports multimedia, including Mail, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and more. The update also introduces a "Sticker Maker" feature exclusive to iPhone X, XS, XS Max, and XR devices that have Apple's TrueDepth Camera system (via Engadget). Sticker Maker allows iPhone X owners to turn...

Satechi today announced that its new USB-C hub for the 2018 iPad Pro is now available for purchase for $59.99 on the accessory maker's website and Amazon. Designed for the new iPad Pro with a USB-C port, the hub features a HDMI output, one USB-C port with Power Delivery, one USB-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, enabling the tablet to be connected to a wide variety of peripherals, such as...

In October, a report by Bloomberg claimed that spies working for the Chinese government had inserted microchips on Supermicro server motherboards to spy on customers, which Bloomberg reported as affecting Apple and nearly 30 companies in total. Today, the outside investigations firm hired by Supermicro reported its findings, confirming that there is no evidence of any malicious hardware in...

Two of Apple's largest suppliers have reported healthy jumps in monthly revenue, suggesting fears of weak iPhone demand may be overblown (via Bloomberg). Asian firms TSMC and Foxconn (Hon Hai) both posted a 5.6 percent rise in November sales, reversing a recent trend of Apple suppliers reducing production or revenue outlooks to reflect lowering demand for Apple's smartphones. Foxconn...

Google today announced that it is expediting the closure of its Google+ social platform, which was previously set to end in August 2019 and will now be shut down in April 2019. The company explained that it's doing this because of a discovery that 52.5 million users were impacted by a software update in November that contained a bug affecting Google+ API. The bug appears to be connected to ...