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

Xiaomi vice president Hugo Barra today announced that he will be leaving the Chinese smartphone maker next month. The former senior Android executive at Google said he will be returning to Silicon Valley in February after the Chinese New Year to reunite with friends and family. He described moving to Beijing, some "6,500 miles out of his comfort zone," as the "greatest and most challenging...

Apple has tapped manufacturer Wistron as the first major supplier in India for this year's iPhone 8, following multiple reports that the company has been looking into manufacturing its products locally in the country. According to a new report from DigiTimes, Wistron will become the first original equipment manufacturer for 2017 iPhones, while Foxconn and a collection of other suppliers are being ...

Apple is investigating multiple reports from iPhone owners of AirPods randomly disconnecting and reconnecting during calls, MacRumors has learned. A MacRumors forum thread and a long thread on Apple's Support Communities website have been generated by AirPods users who are regularly experiencing Bluetooth connection dropouts during phone calls, despite the fact that the wireless earphones...

Following the closure of the Apple Watch pop up shop at Selfridges department store in London earlier this month, the shop at Galeries Lafayette in Paris has apparently also shut down, as Apple has removed its entry from the company's list of retail stores. The closure of the Galeries Lafayette shop this month was rumored back in October, and it leaves the Isetan Shinjuku location in Tokyo as...

Well-known case maker LifeProof today unveiled a new version of its waterproof NUUD iPhone case for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The company put an emphasis on making a slimmer case while ensuring that it remained waterproof and drop proof (up to 6.6 feet), as well as dirt and snow proof. Like previous NUUD cases, the iPhone 7's screen is uncovered, providing direct display access "while...

Best Buy today has begun a two-day sale that includes discounts on a collection of Apple products, including the 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar, 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, iPhone 7, and iPad mini 2. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy and may earn commissions on purchases made through these links. Touch Bar MacBook Pro The retailer is...

The Federal Trade Commission recently filed a complaint against popular ride-hailing app Uber for posting inflated yearly wages on various job-seeking websites, which "enticed numerous consumers to become Uber drivers" under false pretenses, according to the FTC. Uber isn't fighting the allegations placed against it, and has instead this week quickly agreed to a settlement deal in the way of...

Apple recently removed its first-generation iPod nano replacement program from its support website, over five years after it started. MacRumors contacted a few Apple Authorized Service Providers that confirmed the program has indeed ended, and we were advised to contact Apple directly. Apple's support team initially informed us the program is no longer in place, but a senior AppleCare...

Apple and Amazon have agreed to cease all exclusivity obligations previously put in place between the two companies regarding the supply and distribution of audiobooks through iTunes and Audible (via Reuters). The partnership between the two companies previously incited a complaint from the German Publishers and Booksellers Association in 2015 centering around the potential for a monopoly in the...

Encrypted email provider ProtonMail has launched its own onion address, allowing users to access the service over the Tor anonymizing network (via TechCrunch). The Swiss-based email account provider, which has more than 2 million users, said the measure was aimed at defending against state-sponsored censorship, and pointed to recent moves around the world to block encrypted communications and...

Netflix added over a third more subscribers than expected in the last quarter of 2016, the streaming video service revealed yesterday. According to its latest Q4 letter to shareholders, Netflix signed up 7.1 million new subscribers worldwide, almost two million more than analysts expected, despite price raises during the quarter. The company put the boost down to the success of original shows ...

Lite-On Semiconductor is to provide integrated chip components for the next-generation "iPhone 8" that will support fast wireless charging, according to a new report out today. According to Chinese-language paper Commercial Times, the Taiwan-based maker of discrete and analog IC components will supply the bridge rectifiers necessary to maintain efficiency in wireless power transmission and...

Nintendo today officially announced Fire Emblem Heroes, its next planned mobile game launching on iOS and Android devices in the near future. Positioned as a tactical roleplaying game in the Fire Emblem universe, Fire Emblem Heroes will allow players to level up popular characters from the series and engage in strategic battles. According to Nintendo, the game features a new, original...

In December, Hulu announced a new feature for the streaming service that brought unique user profiles to families who share one account, with personalized profiles offering each user their own Watchlist, viewing history, and recommendations based on their favorite shows. Available at first only on Hulu.com, profiles are now available to all users who have Hulu on their iOS device, through the new ...

CBS this morning announced that its 24/7 sports radio channel, CBS Sports Radio, has now become a dedicated radio channel within Apple Music. Previously, users could listen to CBS Sports Radio on a variety of local radio channels, online, and on the Radio.com mobile app [Direct Link]. With its launch on Apple Music, users can now tune into the channel on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV,...

Popular delivery apps Postmates and DoorDash have announced a partnership with automated robot startup Starship Technologies, which will see a fleet of self-driving robots make courier deliveries for Postmates in Washington D.C., and food deliveries for DoorDash in Redwood City, California (via TechCrunch). The robots built by Starship are designed to travel among people walking on the...

Following in the footsteps of its parent company Chamberlain, LiftMaster today announced that all of its residential garage door openers can be upgraded to work with HomeKit using the new MyQ Home Bridge starting in April. HomeKit compatibility will enable users to open, close, or check the status of their garage door, and turn MyQ-connected lights on or off, using the MyQ Connected Home app ...

Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn is planning to build a new facility next to the iPhone maker's upcoming research and development center in Shenzhen, China, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The report cites an unnamed source who claims the facility will enable Foxconn to "better help Apple create prototypes of new products in this new campus," set to open in 2017. Apple's own facility in ...