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

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.1.3 update to developers, four days after releasing the watchOS 5.1.2 update with new complications for the Infograph face and ECG functionality for Apple Watch Series 4 owners. Apple's release notes state that watchOS 5.1.3 "contains bug fixes and improvements," so this appears to be a minor update. Once the proper configuration ...

Apple this morning seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.2 update to developers for testing purposes, five days after releasing the tvOS 12.1.1 update. 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 in scale,...

Honda consistently ranks as a top five best-selling car brand in the United States, so it's worth taking a look at the company's Display Audio infotainment system and how well it works with CarPlay. Honda was one of the first car brands to support CarPlay, starting in late 2015 with the 2016 Accord, and the company has since expanded support across nearly its entire lineup. I had the...

Google today announced that its Google Maps app for iOS will be updated today with a new "For You" tab in over 40 countries. "For You" was first announced at Google I/O in May and was initially limited to Android. The feature is designed to "tell you what you need to know about the neighborhoods you care about," such as new restaurants opening nearby, trending spots, and more, based on...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Anki to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's adorable little Vector robots, which designed to be a personal robot companions that are fun for the whole family. Vector is an autonomous, cloud-connected robot that's eager to entertain, interact with you, and answer questions on a range of topics with the "Hey Vector" trigger...

Last year, accessory company Elago launched the W3 Charging Stand for Apple Watch, which turned Apple's modern wearable into a classic Macintosh. This week, Elago announced the latest iteration of its classic stand lineup, this one called the Elago W5 Stand, modeled after the original Nintendo Game Boy. The stand works with all Apple Watch models, is compatible with Nightstand Mode, and...

Cellular network operator O2 on Friday said its data networks had been restored after millions of smartphones across the UK and Japan were taken offline yesterday (via BBC). A statement on its website said the 4G network was finally working again, after having been affected from about 05:30 GMT on Thursday. Earlier, mobile network equipment supplier Ericsson said that an expired...

Bang & Olufsen over the past week has added AirPlay 2 support to more of its speakers, including the BeoPlay A9 and BeoPlay M5. BeoPlay M5 speaker in AirPlay Picker via Brad Thomas This follows the addition of AirPlay 2 to the BeoPlay M3, BeoSound 1 and 2, BeoSound Core, and BeoSound Shape earlier in November, to be followed by the BeoPlay A6, BeoSound Essence, and BeoSound 35 by the end of...

Following a demo earlier this year at WWDC, LEGO today launched the LEGO AR Playgrounds app for iPhone and iPad [Direct Link]. The app uses ARKit to place digital LEGO characters and blocks into real-world environments, and the digital creations can also interact with existing physical LEGO sets. There are various "playgrounds" within the app that users will be able to explore, the first...

Google this week announced that it is shutting down its messaging app Google Allo [iOS Direct Link], and incorporating many of its features into the Messages app on Android smartphones. Google Allo is an expanded messaging app that lets users send GIFs, text from their desktops, and use Smart Reply. Now, Google says to continue Messages' momentum it has decided to "stop supporting Allo to...

Best Buy today launched a new Apple savings event, marking down iPhones, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, iMacs, iPads, iPad Pros, and some HomeKit devices. There are numerous notable discounts in the sale that include all-time-low prices, so be sure to check out all of the savings in the list below and head to Best Buy before the event ends on December 8 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Note: MacRumors is an...

ConnectSense, one of the first companies to introduce a HomeKit-enabled smart plug, today announced the launch of the Smart Outlet 2, its second-generation HomeKit product. Like the first Smart Outlet from ConnectSense, the Smart Outlet 2 features two separately controlled outlets that replace a standard set of sockets along with a 2.4A USB port for charging iPhones and iPads. The Smart...

Apple today began the latest promotion for Apple Pay, this one themed around holiday shopping. During the event, you can gain access to special offers from 12 different online stores from December 6 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 and a compatible debit or credit card, ...

Apple today updated its Apple Store app for iOS devices with support for Siri Shortcuts, an iOS 12 feature. Siri Shortcuts for the Apple Store app can be used to create custom voice commands to check product availability or the status of a recent order you've placed. The Siri Shortcuts can be used without needing to open the Apple Store app, allowing users to get vital information in fewer...

Anker is keeping up the holiday sales today with an all-new Amazon Deal of the Day event that has discounts on the company's popular PowerPort and USB-C products. There are a few other Anker discounts that kicked off today as well that won't expire until the middle of December, and you can find more details about both sales in the lists below. December 5 Gold Box Flash Sale Note: MacRumors...

Apple today updated its websites for China and Hong Kong, confirming that the HomePod will be launching in both territories sometime early next year. Apple added support for Mainland China and Hong Kong in the HomePod software update released as part of iOS 12.1.1 today. Like other countries, users in China and Hong Kong will be able to buy HomePod in White and Space Gray. In China the...

Apple today released tvOS 12.1.1, the third update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.1.1 comes three weeks after the launch of tvOS 12.1 and two months after the September launch of tvOS 12. tvOS 12.1.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System -> Software Update. Apple TV...

Apple today began selling its 18W USB-C power adapter as a standalone product. The adapter is priced at $29 in the United States and $39 in Canada and is also available internationally with various plug types. This is the same power adapter bundled with the latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models released in November. When paired with a Lightning to USB-C cable, it can be used to fast...