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

Apple today gave the iTunes Movies storefront a small visual overhaul to coincide with the digital home release of The LEGO Batman Movie, which will debut on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 13. With the update, the iTunes Movies carousel has a collection of films on sale for a limited time, and with a LEGO-themed visual twist. These include previous DC universe movies like Batman Begins (HD $4.99), The...

After its first sports-related streams went live early last year, focusing on soccer and hockey, Facebook this week has made inroads into two new categories that will bring fans of eSports and baseball both live and on-demand content (via The Wall Street Journal). Facebook already had deals with five eSports teams who published live and on-demand videos to the platform, but this week the...

A new report on Friday added support to the claim that Apple is facing higher component costs for this year's highly anticipated OLED iPhone, which some analysts believe will carry a "premium" price tag compared to previous models. The 3D Touch module in the redesigned handset will cost 150 percent more than the equivalent parts in LCD-based iPhones, according to the Chinese-language Economic...

Encrypted messaging platform Telegram received a significant update today, bringing video messaging, bot payments, and other new features to the chat app. In version 4.0 of Telegram, users can activate video messaging with a tap of the mic icon to switch to camera mode, or tap and hold the icon to record a quick video clip. Swiping up while recording enables handsfree mode, which works with...

Music video hosting service Vevo today introduced a revamped Apple TV app that has been fully redesigned with a simpler interface that's easier to navigate and a new focus on personalization and curation, both of which Vevo hopes will draw in more users. Vevo's new design brings videos and playlists front and center, with the aim of providing an immersive video watching experience as soon as...

Platform game Eggggg - The Platform Puker has been named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, it is free to download for the first time since it was released in October. Described as a two-touch platform game about vomit, Eggggg features a main character, Gilbert, who has a severe allergy to eggs. Eating eggs makes Gilbert vomit, and the vomit mechanic is used to propel Gilbert through 21 ...

Facebook today revealed a new redesign coming to its standalone Facebook Messenger app for iOS and Android, with subtle UI changes that emphasize new features like games, while making it easier to see which friends are online and what notifications have been missed (via TechCrunch). The main UI addition is the introduction of three new tabs atop the app for messages, active friends, and...

The Microsoft-owned SwiftKey Keyboard app for iOS today received a major update, introducing a refreshed design, new animated themes, and support for 68 new languages, bringing the total number of languages supported to 106. SwiftKey's entire look and feel has been overhauled, with the Nickel Light and Nickel Dark themes gaining a new, cleaner design with flatter, wider keys and a simpler...

Following an announcement last December, accessory company Kanex today launched its GoPower Watch Stand for the Apple Watch. The Apple MFi-certified accessory includes an integrated charging puck that recharges and displays the Apple Watch, as well as an additional USB port on the back that can simultaneously charge an iPhone, iPad, or any other USB-compatible device. "The Apple Watch, as...

Pioneer today unveiled five new NEX in-dash multimedia receivers with CarPlay and Android Auto support, including the first-ever single-DIN model. The single-DIN AVH-3300NEX is a smaller, more universally sized receiver that can fit into many older and collectible cars. Unlike a double-DIN receiver, which has a built-in display, this single-DIN model features a 7-inch pop out, motorized...

Broadcasting company SiriusXM Satellite Radio is having "active discussions" about the potential acquisition of internet radio company Pandora, after previously showing interest in bidding for Pandora last year. After those talks stalled, The New York Post is now reporting that SiriusXM is reigniting its interest in Pandora, which would grant the company access to Pandora's online radio service...

Mobile game developer Jam City and creator Matt Groening have announced an all-new Futurama game is coming to iOS and Android early this summer, called Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow. The game is being developed with the show's original writers, animators, and cast members, and the new teaser trailer represents the first fully-animated Futurama content since it went off the air in 2013. Jam City ...

Amazon yesterday refreshed its low-cost tablet range and brought its Alexa voice assistant to Fire tablets in the U.K. for the first time. The new thinner and lighter $50/£50 Fire 7 boasts an improved 7-inch 1024x600 IPS screen with higher contrast and sharper text, up to 8 hours' battery life, and more storage than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the new $80/£80 Fire HD 8 features a larger 8-inch ...

The European Commission has fined Facebook $122 million for misleading regulators over its 2014 acquisition of WhatsApp. The announcement came on Thursday in a press release in which the Commission said that the social media company had provided "incorrect or misleading information" when it told regulators that it would be unable to link the profiles of users on WhatsApp and Facebook. However, ...

Starting today, Logitech's HomeKit-compatible programmable POP Smart Button can be purchased exclusively from Apple retail locations in the United States. The Logitech POP Smart Button is designed to allow any smart device in the home to be controlled through the push of a button, allowing things like lights to be activated without the need for a smartphone. Connected to a user's HomeKit...

Google today announced that there are now more than two billion monthly active Android devices in use around the world. By comparison, Apple announced it had surpassed 1 billion active iOS devices in January 2016, but it hasn't provided an updated count since then. Apple sells tens of millions of iOS devices each quarter, so it's reasonable to assume the total is above 1 billion, but...

Apple today seeded the first beta of iOS 10.3.3 to its public beta testing group, one day after providing the beta to developers and two days after releasing iOS 10.3.2, a minor bug fix update. Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the iOS 10.3.3 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper configuration profile on their iOS device. iOS...

Comcast and Philips Lighting today announced a partnership that will introduce integration of Philips Hue directly into Comcast's home security system, Xfinity Home. With the update, Xfinity Home users will be able to control Hue bulbs directly within Comcast's Xfinity Home app [Direct Link], as well as create "rules" that synchronize Hue bulbs with the security system. For example, users will ...