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

Apple today informed developers that App Store price tiers, including in-app purchases, will be rising in Canada, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and South Africa within 72 hours (via The Next Web). In Canada, for example, Tier 1 pricing will increase to $1.39, a 20-cent rise over current $1.19 pricing. That means a $1 app on the U.S. App Store will now sell for $1.39 on the...

Popular real-time messaging app WhatsApp today announced that it will no longer be charging customers subscription fees after their first free year with the service. The company noted that the approach of giving users a free year with the app and then removing its features "hasn't worked well," since some customers didn't have credit or debit cards they could use to continue the service,...

Automatic has partnered with us for our next giveaway, graciously offering one Automatic Adapter that provides information about your car's status and performance and your driving habits via a companion app. The Automatic adapter was first announced in early 2013 with recent updates last year bringing a second-generation adapter with additional functionality and the release of an SDK and App...

A new program from Microsoft is encouraging Apple Watch users to switch over to the Microsoft Band 2 with a few tiers of trade-in initiatives (via Cult of Mac). The company is offering "as much as" $150 for the aluminum Apple Watch Sport, $200 for the stainless steel Apple Watch with a Sport band, and $250 for the Apple Watch with Milanese Loop. The Microsoft Band 2 itself costs $250, so the ...

Popular text-based adventure game Lifeline was named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, it's available to download for free for the first time since it launched in April of 2015. Lifeline is a text-based game that asks players to make life or death decisions to help navigate Taylor, the protagonist, through the storyline. Written by Dave Justus, the story walks players through the...

Night Shift, a major new feature iOS 9.3, is a display-based setting that lets you "warm up" an iPhone or iPad's screen at night to cut down on blue light exposure. Similar to f.lux on the Mac, Night Shift will automatically change the color temperature of an iOS device's display to reflect the time of day. With Night Shift, an iPhone or iPad screen will look bright white with a blue-based...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent filed by Apple last August, which detailed an Apple Watch band accessory that could double as a "protective cover" for the device itself when not on a user's wrist (via AppleInsider). Referred to as the "Magnetic wristband," the accessory would be similar in function to the Leather and Milanese Loop bands sold today but...

Popular password management service Dashlane today announced a major update, introducing Dashlane 4 for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. Dashlane 4 features a revamped design with a simplified, intuitive user interface that provides a consistent usage experience across multiple browsers and devices. Every part of the app, from the sign-in screen to the option to add a new credit card or ...

Many cases for the iPad Pro add a lot of unnecessary bulk, a problem the Oxford Leather Case from Pad & Quill solves through the clever use of adhesive. Featuring a simple book-style design that offers full front and back protection, the Oxford Leather iPad Pro Case uses a strong adhesive to hold the iPad Pro firmly in place while leaving it free to be used with the Smart Keyboard. Design...

Adult Swim Games last week announced a brand-new mobile game called Pocket Mortys, which launches on the App Store today. Based off of the network's hit show Rick and Morty, the game is set up as a parody of the popular Pokémon franchise and will set players up against a collection of alternate versions of Morty who are under the control of evil alien trainers. As described by our sister...

Online automotive news and information site Autoblog today announced its 2016 Technology of the Year Awards, naming Apple's CarPlay platform as the winner of the Technology of the Year award in the Feature category. According to Autoblog, its annual awards are designed to honor the best technology features in a vehicle along with the vehicle that showcases "the most transformative, integrated...

To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of Skype's video calling feature, Skype today announced plans to bring group video calling to mobile devices, including the iPhone and the iPad. As with group video calling on desktop devices, group video calling on mobile devices will be free. Group video calling has been available for free for Mac, PC, and Xbox One users since April of 2014. Prior...

Apple updated its vintage and obsolete products list today with the addition of some older Beats wired headphones and accessories, including select first- or second-generation Heartbeats, Mixr, Powerbeats, Pro, Solo, Solo HD, Studio and Tour models. One old wireless model was also obsoleted. Apple products on the vintage and obsolete list are no longer eligible for hardware service, with a...

The QardioBase is a Wi-Fi connected smart scale created by Qardio, the same company that produces the well-known medical-grade QardioArm blood pressure monitoring accessory. QardioBase, Qardio's second product, was first introduced at CES in January of 2015 and began shipping out to customers in the fall. Qardio's new scale includes features for measuring weight and analyzing body composition...

Apple has published an official master list of CarPlay vehicles available in the U.S. and other countries. The list contains over 100 new 2016 and 2017 models from 21 auto manufacturers, including Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Opel, Porsche, Peugeot, Seat, Škoda, Suzuki, Volkswagen and Volvo....

AT&T today announced the first new unlimited data plan possibility for its customers since the company removed the option over five years ago. Officially starting tomorrow, AT&T users who already have or decide to add AT&T DIRECTV or AT&T U-Verse onto their plan can choose to opt-in to an Unlimited Plan, "offering customers more data to use for watching video, playing games and surfing the web on ...

Edwin the Duck is an iPhone-connected rubber duckie that was first introduced to the world in 2014 via Kickstarter. The Kickstarter campaign failed to get enough interest and didn't reach its funding goal, but Edwin's creators, who had a vision of a better rubber duckie, didn't give up. Edwin was shown off at CES in January of 2015, made it into production, and began shipping later in 2015....

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Flir to give away a Flir FX Wi-Fi Home Monitoring Camera and a weatherproof housing accessory that lets the Flir FX be used outdoors. Positioned as a competitor to products like the Nest Cam and the Logi Circle, the Flir FX is a compact home surveillance camera that's useful for keeping an eye on what's going on at home when you're not there....