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

In the ongoing feud between Apple and Qualcomm, the latter company today has brought four of Apple's main iPhone and iPad suppliers into the legal battle by filing a breach of contract complaint against Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron, and Compal. Qualcomm has sued the four manufacturers for "breaching their license agreements" by failing to pay royalties on the use of Qualcomm's technology in the ...

The U.S. Senate has approved popular encrypted messaging app Signal for official use by staffers in the chamber, it was revealed yesterday (via ZDNet). The news came in a letter sent on Tuesday by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), known to be a staunch privacy advocate, in which he underlined his belief that "backdoor-free" encryption should be embraced by the state at all levels rather than something ...

After months of reports that suggested Apple was gearing up to begin iPhone production within India as a way to boost its presence in the country, a report by The Wall Street Journal today has confirmed the first ever iPhone assembly trial run completed in India earlier this month. As it was previously reported, assembler Wistron handled the iPhone production trial run, specifically focusing on...

Drone maker DJI this week announced the launch of a new Apple TV app, which is designed to allow users to watch aerial content and 4K videos captured from around the world using DJI drones. "We've made flying and capturing aerial footage easy with our drones, and now with the DJI Smart TV App, creators will have more ways to share their work with the world. This is really an opportunity for...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing watchOS 3.2.2, a minor bug fix update. Registered developers can download the watchOS 3.2.3 update through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update. To install the beta, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 10.2.1, a minor update that introduced unspecified bug fixes and security improvements. tvOS 10.2.2 is designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV. Registered developers can download the update by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and...

Beats by Dre has released a new BE HEARD ad featuring NBA all-stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and James Harden. The 30-second spot shows each player listening to the song Seven Nation Army by American rock duo The White Stripes while warming up with Apple's popular Beats Solo3 and Powerbeats3 headphones. It's possible the ad could be played during the remainder of the 201...

A new update to the popular GIF-finding service Giphy this week has introduced Apple's Live Photo support into the iOS app, letting users convert any GIF they want into a Live Photo (via Mac4Ever). This allows users to more easily see what is a GIF in their camera roll, since GIFs saved as images still don't move when looked at in Photos. Giphy said the main point of the new update is to allow...

Instagram today introduced even more Snapchat-like features in the latest version of its app, including face filters, a customizable hashtag sticker, a "rewind" playback option for videos, and an eraser brush. Just like Snapchat, the face filters allow users to add bunny ears, glasses, tiaras, and other virtual objects to their selfies. There are eight filters to choose from after tapping...

Apple Pay could arrive in Italy as soon as tomorrow, according to Italian tech blog MacPost.it. The imminent launch of Apple's mobile payment system in Italy has been rumored for several weeks now, but the website claims to have spoken to three different sources from the retail and banking sector who independently confirmed that Apple Pay is set to go live on Wednesday throughout the country. ...

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 3.2 to watchOS 3.2.2. The watchOS 3.2.2 update comes more than one month after the release of watchOS 3.2, an update that introduced Theater Mode. watchOS 3.2.2 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must ...

Apple today released a new update for tvOS, the operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 10.2.1 over one month after the release of tvOS 10.2, an update that introduced scrolling improvements. The tvOS 10.2.1 update can be downloaded on the fourth-generation Apple TV using the Settings app. Go to System --> Software Update to install. For those who have...

After opening up a self-driving car program to the public in Phoenix, Arizona last month, Alphabet-owned Waymo has now officially partnered with ride-hailing app Lyft (via The New York Times). The two will work together in order "to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream" by launching various pilot projects and helping one another to develop products for the mass market. Like...

Google is planning to launch its smart AI helper Google Assistant on iOS sometime "soon" as its own standalone app, according to sources speaking to Android Police. The rumor is swirling ahead of Google's annual I/O Conference, which will run this week from May 17 to May 19 in California. According to the sources, the specifics of Google's plans for Assistant on iOS remain unclear as of now,...

Philips today announced a new line of fixtures and table lamps for its Philips Hue White Ambience bulbs, which are specifically designed to provide users with various hues of white light that can be dimmed or brightened throughout the day. Like with all Philips Hue products, the new fixtures and lamps will be HomeKit-compatible, allowing users to control the lights with an iPhone, iPad, or Siri. ...

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data in Adelaide, Australia, enabling iPhone users in the city to navigate with public transportation, primarily including Adelaide Metro buses and commuter trains. Apple Maps gained a Transit tab in iOS 9. The feature lags several years behind Google Maps, but Apple's public transportation support is exhaustive, mapping all station...

Licensing for MP3, the digital audio coding format that Apple used for music downloads on the original iPod, has officially ended. The announcement comes from The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (via NPR). The Fraunhofer Institute owns the patent rights related to selling encoders and decoders of the format to developers, and recently announced that its "mp3 licensing program for ...

Following the release of mobile games Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and the upcoming Animal Crossing iPhone app, Nintendo's next big franchise coming to smartphones will be The Legend of Zelda, according to sources speaking with The Wall Street Journal. The sources said that Animal Crossing will hit mobile devices sometime "in the latter half of 2017," and a smartphone version of T...