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

Today at its special event, Apple has announced that iOS 8 would be released on September 17 as a free download, just two days before the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus release. The new version on iOS will be available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, the 5th generation iPod touch, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina...

Samsung's Belgian division is having some fun with the hype surrounding Apple's press event and using this occasion to support a worthy cause. According to the division's website, the company will buy a pear for each tweet about an apple. Samsung will distribute the pears free of charge tomorrow at the Brussels-North railway station. This #aPearForAnApple promotion is one of several...

On the eve of Apple's September 9 special event, the Financial Times has released a new look at how Apple is impacting the wearable market despite not having officially announced its first wearable product. Specifically, the paper cites Forrester Research, who notes Apple could sell 10 million iWatches in its first year, which would make it the best-selling wrist-based wearable ever. Forrester ...

With Apple's September 2014 media event kicking off Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, some users are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until Apple posts the recorded video of the event so as to experience it without already knowing the outcome. For those individuals, we've posted this news story, which will be updated with the link to the presentation once...

As Apple prepares to launch its new iPhone 6, the iPhone 5 remains the company's most popular model in use, claims Localytics in a report that examines both mobile and web app analytics data from over 100 million iOS devices for the month of August 2014. According to the report, the iPhone 5 has 27 percent market share, edging out the year-old iPhone 5s, which has 25 percent. The now free on...

One of the new mapping features included in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite is Flyover city tours, which leverages the existing Flyover imagery to provide users with an automated aerial tour of landmarks in a given city. When the feature first appeared early in the iOS 8 beta testing process, only a handful of cities were supported, and while the number of available tours remains small, Apple has added...

AppleCare+ for iPad, iPhone, and iPod is set to debut in Australia in the near future, perhaps ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 in the country. According to a tipster who spoke to MacRumors, Apple Store employees in Australia are currently receiving training on the service. AppleCare+ for iPhone originally launched in the U.S. in 2011, offering two years of extended warranty protection...

Earlier this year, Apple acquired Burstly, the company behind the popular TestFlight service for managing beta testing of iOS apps, and at WWDC in June Apple announced it would be relaunching TestFlight with iOS 8 as an integrated service for developers and testers. With the redesigned iTunes Connect web portal launching yesterday, the service is now including references to TestFlight and the...

Apple late yesterday rolled out its overhauled iTunes Connect web portal with a new visual design and improved features to help developers manage the sales and marketing of their apps, books and other media. Apple first introduced the new iTunes Connect at WWDC 2014 and is rolling out the interface ahead of the expected fall launch of iOS 8. The web-based tool has an iOS 7-inspired flat...

Ahead of the iPhone 6's launch, Adam Satariano of BloombergBusinessweek has shared some details on Apple's early field failure analysis (EFFA) program, designed to solve potential iPhone issues quickly and efficiently. The EFFA Program, which is run by Apple's AppleCare team, has been in place since the late 1990s. As outlined by Satariano, shortly after any iPhone release, the EFFA program...

One of Apple's suppliers is once again being accused of labor violations, with both Green America and China Labor Watch claiming a Catcher factory in Suqian, China has endangered the health and safety of its workers. Catcher is responsible for producing casings for many of Apple's products, including its MacBooks and iPads. According to the report [PDF], Catcher has failed to provide adequate...

Angry Birds Stella, the latest entry in Rovio's highly successful Angry Birds series, today launched for iOS devices. The game puts players in the role of lead character Stella and five of her bird friends as they protect their home of Golden Island from piggies through more than 120 playable levels. Notable gameplay features include a new tap-to-hold mechanic to target attacks and the...

After pulling its HERE maps app due to incompatibilities with iOS 7, Nokia is headed back to Apple's mobile platform with a new offline maps application that'll compete with Google Maps and Apple Maps. The app is in the final stages of development and expected to land before the end of the year, reports the Wall Street Journal. Nokia's previous version of HERE Maps for iOS Nokia is...

Chinese carrier China Mobile has begun taking preorders for the upcoming iPhone 6 ahead of the device's official launch, reports China Daily. Available at China Mobile Beijing, the preorder campaign appears to be aimed at drumming up interest for Apple's new devices. On a website, China Mobile Beijing allows users to choose between the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, but the carrier does not offer...

Microsoft today updated its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint iPad apps to allow users to purchase a monthly subscription to Office 365 directly in the apps. Previously, customers were able to purchase a yearly subscription for Office 365 Home within the apps for $99.99, but it's now possible to buy a monthly subscription for Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home via in-app purchase. As we...

Apple has posted a new page on its developer website (via Cult of Mac) outlining reasons why it rejects apps from the App Store, giving tips on how to better prepare an app for a review. The page also gives the top ten reasons for app rejections during the 7-day period ending last week:Top 10 reasons for app rejections during the 7‑day period ending August 28, 2014. 14%: More information...

Apple has posted its final lineup for this year's iTunes Festival in London, which starts tonight and now includes acts such as Placido Domingo, SBTRKT, Friend Within, Kate Simko & London Electronic Orchestra, Imelda May and The Mirror Trap. Deadmau5 will headline tonight's list of opening acts as Placido Domingo will close the show on September 30. Apple previously announced two separate exp...

As of today, both new customers and existing AT&T subscribers who activate a new line with a smartphone using AT&T's Next upgrade program will get a $100 bill credit. Whether you already have an AT&T account, or you're choosing AT&T for the first time, it's easy to receive a $100 bill credit: Purchase a new smartphone on AT&T Next. Activate a new qualified wireless line of service on your...