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

Apple has begun commercial production on the iPhone 6s in India as of last week, according to a new report by The Economic Times, following local manufacturing for the iPhone SE that kicked off in India last year. Production on the 6s started at the Wistron facility in Bangalore, and the model was chosen due to its "sales potential," two senior industry executives reportedly said. Due to the ...

Most recent Android owners who switch to the iPhone ecosystem tend to opt for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, according to a new report sent to MacRumors today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. The data was gathered during the fiscal quarter that ended March 31, 2018 and is based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. Apple customers who purchased an iPhone during that time. In a given quarter, ...

Apple today announced that its free Schoolwork app, introduced at its education event in Chicago in March, is now available for teachers. Schoolwork enables teachers to share assignments and announcements with students, track student progress, tailor instructions to student needs, collaborate one-on-one with students, provide instant feedback, and more.Schoolwork makes it easy to create and...

In the latest company rankings, Brand Finance has detailed the 500 Most Valuable Brands in the United States for 2018 [PDF], with Apple earning 2nd place this year and not moving spots from last year. A lot has shifted around the company, however, with Google dropping from 1st place last year to 3rd place this year, and Amazon rising from 3rd to become Brand Finance's #1 most valuable U.S. brand...

The BBC is releasing a new free mobile app today called BBC Sounds, which brings together the broadcaster's extensive library of live and on-demand radio, music, and podcasts within a single audio player interface. The BBC says the app has been designed to learn from the user's listening habits and introduce them to shows and podcasts that they might not otherwise know about, as Dan...

The Wi-Fi Alliance has officially started certifying WPA3, the next-generation security standard for wireless networking devices (via Engadget). The new protocol addresses a number of potential vulnerabilities that exist in WPA2 for both personal and enterprise networking environments. Amongst the enhancements, WPA3-Personal includes a more robust password-based authentication system that...

Apple today released the first public beta of iOS 12 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, enabling users who aren't signed up for the Apple Developer Program to test the software update ahead of its official release in the fall. While iOS 12 introduces several new features, it is designed to work on all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models that can run iOS 11, and the company...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12 update to its public beta testing group, giving non-developers a chance to try out the new software ahead of its fall public release. The first beta of tvOS 12 available to public beta testers corresponds with the second tvOS 12 update made available to developers. Developers have had access to tvOS 12 since June 4, when Apple introduced ...

CBS and the NFL today announced an extended streaming agreement that will see all NFL on CBS games available on the CBS All Access streaming video service through 2022. The entire 2018 NFL on CBS season will be available to all CBS All Access subscribers, on set-top boxes and, for the first time, mobile devices. That means customers who subscribe to CBS All Access can watch NFL games on...

Microsoft is testing built-in Adblock Plus integration in its mobile Edge browser available for both iOS and Android devices, reports The Verge. With built-in Adblock Plus functionality, Edge browser users on iOS will not need to download a separate ad blocking app, which may attract more users to Microsoft's browser. Adblock Plus can be enabled in Microsoft Edge's settings, with no add-on app ...

T-Mobile this morning announced the launch of T-Mobile FamilyMode, a new feature that is designed to let parents monitor and control what their kids are doing on their internet-connected devices. T-Mobile FamilyMode service is available via a FamilyMode app and can also be used with an add-on device called the FamilyMode Home Base, which is designed to connect to a home's Wi-Fi system to...

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.3.2 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the second watchOS 4.3.2 beta and a month after releasing watchOS 4.3.1, a minor bug fix update that addressed a startup issue. Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple...

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.4.1 update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the third tvOS 11.4.1 beta and one month after releasing tvOS 11.4, an update that introduced support for AirPlay 2. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 11.4.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the...

Monument Valley 2 creators Ustwo Games today posted a new story on Medium (via The Verge) that highlights the first-year numbers and growth of the popular mobile sequel. Although there are numerous points of data to look at, one notable standout is that Monument Valley 2 earned $10.4 million in the one year period that began on June 5, 2017 (the game's launch day) through June 4, 2018. In...

Three years ago, Lutron was one of the first vendors to venture into the HomeKit ecosystem with its Caséta Wireless lighting controls, which include plug-in lamp dimmers, wall-mounted dimmer switches, and remotes, all coordinated through a wireless "Smart Bridge" that plugs into your internet router. The Caséta system has been such a mainstay in the HomeKit world that Apple is still selling...

Facebook is working on its own in-house time usage insight dashboard, following in the footsteps of Apple's iOS 12 keynote at WWDC, which included the announcement of a "Screen Time" digital health feature. Discovered by Jane Manchun Wong (via TechCrunch), "Your Time on Facebook" shows a list of of how long you've spent on the Facebook app over the last week. This includes the average time you ...

Apple Maps now includes transit information for Estonia and the city of Rome, Italy, enabling users in the areas to navigate with public transportation. In Rome, transit data covers the city's public metro lines, buses, and tram routes, as well as the local Trenitalia network which includes the Leonardo Express that connects Roma Termini station and Roma Fiumicino airport in Lazio....

Reddit has announced the rollout of its customizable News tab feature to most users of its iOS app. After limited alpha testing of the tab over the last few weeks, Reddit says it has acted on feedback and introduced enough improvements for the next beta phase of testing to reach a wider audience. The News tab appears to the left of the Home and Popular tabs, and brings together content from...