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

As more and more smartphones ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, the market for true wireless Bluetooth earphones has become increasingly flooded with numerous options for customers to buy. Apple has its own first-party earphones with the AirPods, which fit conveniently in the Apple ecosystem thanks to the W2 chip's simple device pairing and a straightforward charging solution with the included...

Woot today has Apple's 12-inch MacBook from Early 2016 (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $849.99, down from $1,299.99. While an older model, today's sale is $450 off the original price tag and $450 cheaper than the latest 12-inch MacBook models with similar specs. The MacBooks are available in Gold and Rose Gold. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make ...

Google today announced a new group planning feature for Google Maps on iOS and Android, which aims to make it easier for a group of friends to decide on a place to eat. To use the feature, open Google Maps and tap "Restaurants" on the Explore tab. Then long press on any location to add it to a shortlist, shown in a small floating bubble on the lower right side of the screen. Once you add a...

Google says it is willing to make changes to its new Chrome auto-login feature, following heavy criticism from privacy-conscious users. In previous versions of the browser, it was left up to the user whether they wanted to log in to Chrome while they used the app. However in Chrome 69, released earlier this month, if you sign in to a Google site like Google Search, Gmail, or YouTube, you...

Apple Pay is expected to be available in 60 percent of retail locations in the United States by the end of the year, Apple's VP of Apple Pay Jennifer Bailey told Fortune today in an interview at the company's Brainstorm Reinvent Conference. Since Apple Pay's 2014 introduction, Apple has worked to bring it to 24 countries around the world. Apple has to negotiate deals with each and every...

Rachio today announced that it has added HomeKit support to its Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller, allowing the device to work with Siri and other HomeKit accessories to control sprinklers. According to Rachio, its Smart Sprinkler Controller is the first sprinkler controller to offer HomeKit integration. The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller works with the Home app or through the...

About one year ago smart lock company August Home was acquired by Swedish lock manufacturer Assa Abloy, which also owns Yale and a few other lock brands. Today, Yale and August announced that they are teaming up for a new line of Keypad Smart Locks that combine Yale's secure lock hardware with August's app and cloud-based connected software. The "Assure Locks - Connected by August" will let...

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have left Facebook, explaining in a statement this week that they are taking some time off to "explore our curiosity and creativity again." According to people familiar with the matter speaking to Bloomberg, Systrom and Krieger are leaving due to growing tensions with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom at Instagram ...

Apple Watch apps rarely misbehave, but if one becomes non-responsive or fails to refresh data, sometimes force-quitting the app and relaunching it can solve the issue. Fortunately, it's a simple procedure. The following steps show you how it's done on Apple Watch models running watchOS 4 or later. Open the misbehaving app on your Apple Watch, either by tapping its complication or...

Apple is reportedly shifting around iPhone XR orders amongst its manufacturing partners to ensure production issues don't cause supply constraints when the smartphone officially launches late next month. According to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report, Pegatron has lost up to half of its original iPhone XR orders to Foxconn, following delayed shipments of some key components...

There are a few flash sales happening today, beginning with notable discounts on Apple's first-party iPad cases, which are one of the featured items in Best Buy's Daily Deals today only. Best Buy has the Smart Covers discounted by $10 to $15, starting at $39.99 for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and rising to $64.99 for the leather Smart Cover that fits the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Note: MacRumors is an...

Popular Google-owned mapping app Waze was today updated with support for CarPlay on devices running iOS 12. The iOS 12 update allows third-party mapping apps to be used with CarPlay for the first time, providing an alternative to the built-in Apple Maps app. With CarPlay support, iPhone users who prefer to use Waze for mapping purposes can do so through the CarPlay interface, something that...

Apple today released tvOS 12.0.1, a minor update for the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.0.1 comes just one week after Apple released tvOS 12, the latest version of tvOS. tvOS 12.0.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System -> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic...

SiriusXM today announced that it will acquire Pandora for $3.5 billion in an all-stock transaction, creating "the world's largest audio entertainment company," according to Pandora's press release on the news. The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the independent directors of Pandora and by the board of directors of SiriusXM, and is now expected to close in Q1 2019. The...

Apple and Salesforce today announced that the two companies have reached a strategic partnership in customer relationship management. Working with Apple, Salesforce has agreed to redesign its mobile app to take full advantage of iOS features like Face ID, Siri Shortcuts, 3D Touch, Apple Business Chat via iMessage, and more. The new app, slated for release by early 2019, will also better...

Apple CEO Tim Cook marked the launch of the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max this weekend by tweeting out a series of photos that were all taken by Apple users on the new line of iPhones. First was an image posted by photographer Erin Brooks, who captured her image using the iPhone XS and edited it in Adobe Lightroom on iOS. Photo via Erin Brooks Next was a photo shot on iPhone XS by Yuntao ...

Belkin today introduced its BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock for wirelessly charging an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. There is also a USB-A port for charging a third device like an iPad via Lightning cable. Belkin BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock The dock is compatible with the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, with wireless charging up to 7.5W, and all Apple Watch models at ...

Best Buy's one-day sale today is discounting a collection of Apple Watch Series 3 models (GPS + Cellular) that have been officially refurbished by Geek Squad. Prices for the aluminum models are as low as $299.25 in 38mm and $321.75 in 42mm, both hitting around $100 below the original prices of the smartwatches. You can check out the sale today by visiting Best Buy's Daily Deals page. Note:...