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

Browse Apple's US website today and you may be surprised to see your favorite video game character drop in and make an unexpected appearance. Characters including the likes of Sonic, Frogger, and little LEGO people have invaded Apple's homepage to promote Apple Arcade, the company's subscription gaming service. Launched in September 2019, ‌Apple Arcade‌ is a premium subscription service...

The final week of January began with the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the original iPad, followed by well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasting several new Apple products that he expects to launch in the first half of 2020. Other top stories included leaked images of Powerbeats4 earphones, SIM-free iPhones becoming eligible for interest-free financing with Apple Card Monthly...

Pioneer has long been one of the biggest names in aftermarket car audio, and the company's lineup of NEX receivers offers a terrific option for adding CarPlay and other enhanced functionality to older cars or entry-level models that lack some of the latest technology. Pioneer's 2019 NEX lineup includes models at a range of price points offering varying feature sets. Several months ago, Pioneer ...

"Secret Oops!" by Italian developer MixedBag is this week's addition to Apple Arcade across the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. When a new threat arises and briefcases start to disappear all over the world, the S.P.Y. Agency sends Special Agent Charles to investigate. To help Charles accomplish his mission, players are tasked with interacting with the virtual world remotely and disabling...

Apple is closing in on a series order for a musical comedy starring "Saturday Night Live" cast member Cecily Strong, reports Deadline. Photo by Marion Curtis/StarPix/Shutterstock Written by Despicable Me duo Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of...

MacRumors has partnered with U.K.-based company Harber London to provide a discount for our readers on Harber London's best Apple accessories. For anyone who hasn't heard of them before, Harber London crafts handmade leather products with simple, clean designs that include iPad and MacBook cases, wallets, travel organizers, Apple Watch bands, and backpacks. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate...

This Sunday, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV, and today the NFL announced that each performance will be made available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other platforms shortly after the game (via Billboard). This will include videos of each performance organized into a "visual album." Users will also be able to purchase the...

Mazda this week announced that its new 2020 MX-5 Miata comes with factory-installed CarPlay and Android Auto. The new Miata features a seven-inch touchscreen display with dual USB ports. CarPlay can be accessed through Mazda Connect once an iPhone is connected to the infotainment system with a Lightning cable. Now available in over 500 vehicle models, CarPlay‌ provides convenient access ...

Nest thermostat owners are getting a new feature that can detect irregular heating and cooling patters and notify the user about which part of the system likely needs attention. Starting today, Google is rolling out heating and cooling system (HVAC) alerts, and says it's also testing out the ability to help customers connect with a professional who can help, starting in select cities. Based ...

Carmi Zlotnik, president of programming at Starz, has signed an exclusive executive producer deal with Apple, reports Deadline. Zlotnik's deal comes a few days after he announced his departure from Starz, and he will begin working with Apple next month. During his time at Starz, Zlotnik oversaw the production and development of shows that include "Outlander," "American Gods," "Vida," "Black...

Apple plans to make its HomePod speaker available in India in the near future, according to an updated ‌HomePod‌ section on the Apple India website. The news of the ‌HomePod‌'s upcoming launch follows the release of the 13.3.1 software for HomePod, which included support for Indian English Siri voices. The ‌HomePod‌ will be priced at ₹19,900 in India, which is equivalent to $279 in...

In a notable standalone sale that appeared this morning, MacMall is offering the Space Gray 11-inch 64GB iPad Pro with cellular support at $799.00, down from $949.00. MacMall offers free two-day shipping and free returns, and as of writing the iPad Pro is in stock and ready to ship. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacMall. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive...

Best Buy has a new 24-hour flash sale that began this morning, with prices matching the lowest-ever deals on AirPods, iPad, and more. This sale will end tonight, January 29 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and the deals are only available to purchase online. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...

Further cementing its status as Nintendo's most successful mobile game to date, Fire Emblem Heroes has led Nintendo's race to the billion-dollar revenue mark on mobile (via Sensor Tower). The game's $656 million in player spending, which includes players on both iOS and Android, has accounted for 61 percent of Nintendo's over $1 billion in mobile revenue. The next two highest-grossing...

Apple will be opening an online Apple Store in India to start official online sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more in the country starting in the third quarter of 2020, reports TechCrunch. The news comes courtesy of a "source familiar with the matter," and Apple's online store rollout is taking a "little longer than previously expected." Apple originally wanted to begin online sales in the...

During the question and answer section of today's earnings call for the first fiscal quarter of 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked when he felt that people would feel the first impact of AR on their lives. Cook said that AR is exciting to him because there are AR uses for consumer applications and enterprise applications, which is a rarity. There are consumer applications and there are...

Apple's services category, which includes iTunes, the App Store, the Mac App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more, has become a significant revenue driver for Apple. In the first fiscal quarter of 2019, Apple's services segment brought in $12.7 billion, up from $10.9 billion in the year-ago quarter, marking growth of 17 percent. Every geographic saw...

In today's earnings release where Apple reported record numbers due to the strength of iPhone sales, wearables, and services, Apple said that it now has 1.5 billion active devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the milestone was hit over the holiday period, and serves as a "powerful testament to the satisfaction, engagement and loyalty of our customers -- and a great driver of our growth across ...