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

Alongside iOS 10, tvOS 10, and watchOS 3, Apple today officially released Swift Playgrounds, a new app aimed at teaching both children and adults how to code through simple interactive coding exercises. It's meant to make learning to code "easy and fun" for everyone. First announced in June at WWDC, Swift Playgrounds is meant for beginners who have no experience with coding, and it will be...

Third-party accessory company Mophie today announced the "Power Capsule," a new carrying case with a built-in battery that's aimed at recharging wireless headphones. Mophie's new accessory is well-timed, following Apple's move to Lightning-connected headphones in the iPhone 7 and the slowly growing adoption of wireless solutions, including Apple's own AirPods, which include their own charging...

Twelve South today announced the launch of a revamped HiRise, its popular stand for the iPhone and the iPad. The HiRise 2 features an all new design with with a smaller overall footprint but a heavier overall body, so it's better able to hold up larger devices like the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Due to its small size, it's not recommended for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but it works with all other...

Apple opened pre-orders for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last Friday at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, and T-Mobile has now revealed that the smartphones shattered all of the carrier's previous iPhone pre-order records. T-Mobile said pre-orders from Friday through Monday were up nearly 4x compared to the iPhone 6 series two years ago. T-Mobile also announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus set a...

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data for the U.S. cities of Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, enabling iPhone users in the areas to navigate using public transportation, including buses or light rail. Transit routing options in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area include Port Authority of Allegheny County buses and light rail, while directions for Central Ohio...

Amazon appears to be readying a cheaper version of its popular Echo Dot speaker, if a tweet that showed up briefly on the company's Twitter account this morning is anything to go by. The voice-controlled smart speaker that houses Amazon's personal assistant Alexa was announced back in March, costing $89.99, and is a smaller, palm-sized expansion to the company's flagship Echo product that...

When Apple announced its wireless AirPods last week to compensate for the lack of a headphone jack on the iPhone 7, some observers commented on the "inevitability" of misplacing or flat-out losing one of the earbuds, which cost $159 a pair. California-based accessory company Spigen thinks it has a solution to that dilemma in the form of the AirPods Strap (patent pending), currently available...

Nintendo today released its promised Super Mario Run sticker pack designed for the Messages App Store, offering Nintendo fans a selection of high-quality Super Mario stickers to share. The Super Mario Run sticker pack can be downloaded on an iOS device, but it is not listed in the dedicated Messages App Store nor can it be installed on a device running an iOS 10 beta or the iOS 10 golden...

Twitter's planned update that will make additional characters available for tweets is coming on September 19, reports The Verge. As was announced in May, Twitter will stop counting Twitter handles, photos, GIFs, polls, and other media content within the 140-character limit allowed for each tweet, leaving more room for text. All @names, such as @MacRumors, will no longer count towards the...

Google today announced the launch of Cardboard Camera for iOS, which lets users "capture 3D 360-degree virtual reality photos" without the need for technical VR equipment. Photos taken with the app are three-dimensional panoramas in which users can tap and drag to look around "in all directions," with sound recording the moment the photo is taken that plays back each time the image is revisited. ...

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom today announced that the company is "taking the next step" to protect its users from online abuse with the wide launch of a new comment moderation feature in the photography-focused social network app. Referred to as a "keyword moderation tool," the feature will let each user type in words they find to be offensive, effectively hiding any mention of them in the comment ...

Samsung has urged customers to stop using its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones immediately and return them for exchange as soon as possible, after more reports of the handsets catching fire emerged. "We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7's and exchange them as soon as possible," said Koh Dong-jin, Samsung's mobile president. "We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be...

In its 2.13 update yesterday, mobile payments app Square Cash introduced the "Cash Virtual Card" into its iOS app, letting users create a virtual Visa debit card that lets them spend their Square Cash anywhere that accepts Visa online (via Recode). Square Cash users can check out at retailers like Amazon, for example, and simply enter the card number for their virtual card during the check out ...

While the original Apple Watch has a 2-meter charging cable in the box, Apple says new Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1 models come with a shorter 1-meter charging cable in the box. Apple continues to sell a 2-meter Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable for $39 online and in stores, while extra 1-meter cables remain available as a standalone purchase for $29 in the United States. Apple Watch ...

As one of the more high-profile wireless headphone companies in recent months, Bragi is already looking to position its two products -- The Dash and the just-announced The Headphone -- as strong competitors to Apple's just-announced AirPods. In a FaceBook post this morning, Bragi shared a chart which lists how The Dash and The Headphone (particularly The Dash) compare favorably to AirPods in...

Just hours after Apple Watch Series 2 pre-orders became available, shipping estimates for most 38mm and 42mm models have slipped to 2-3 weeks in the U.S. for new orders placed through Apple's online store. Apple Watch Nike+ models are expected to ship in late October, while the new 42mm ceramic Apple Watch Edition ships in 5-7 weeks. Apple Watch Series 1 models remain available for September...

One of the first major surprises out of Apple's September 7 event was the appearance of game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and the announcement of an all-new Mario game for iOS called Super Mario Run. In the game, players will help Mario navigate various worlds by tapping on the screen to help the plumber jump, dodge, and slide past obstacles and enemies until they reach the flag pole at the end of...

Google has integrated the technology from its Motion Stills app into Google Photos for iOS, enabling users of the latter to benefit from the Live Photos stabilization feature without having to download another app. Google's Motion Stills feature uses advanced stabilization and rendering to further manipulate Apple's Live Photos – pictures taken on supporting iPhones with a second and a half...