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

Apple tablet sales may have been lower this past quarter than analysts expected, but usage of the tablet remains strong. According to a recent Chitika Insights report, the iPad accounted for more than three quarters of all U.S. and Canadian tablet-based Web traffic in April. Chitika derived this traffic data by sampling tens of millions U.S. and Canadian tablet online impressions across its ad...

Countless details on the development of the original iPhone have been shared by various Apple employees in several different publications, but a new story on the creation of the phone's first web browser has surfaced courtesy of Francisco Tolmasky, an early iPhone engineer who interviewed with The New York Times. Tolmasky joined Apple when he was just 20 years old, working under Steve Jobs to...

Facebook today announced that it is acquiring mobile fitness app developer ProtoGeo Oy, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Helsinki-based company was founded in January 2012 and launched its first and only app, Moves [iTunes] one year later. The fitness tracking app debuted first for the iPhone and was made available for Android in August of 2013. It is popular, accruing 4 million downloads...

As noted by Billboard, the Beats Music app [iTunes] for the iPhone climbed to the top of the iOS Music charts on Wednesday, amid grumblings that the streaming music service is struggling to attract customers. Founded by music producer Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, Beats Music launched its streaming music service earlier this year, entering a crowded market that is dominated by Pandora,...

Back in September, Opera Software released its Coast WebKit-based browser for the iPad and now the company is debuting a new version of the browser designed for Apple's iPhones. Like the iPad version of the app, Opera Coast for iPhone has been optimized for the touchscreen. Initiating a search is as simple as pulling down on the home screen, which brings up an input interface with an...

Prong, the company behind the iPhone case with a built-in plug for easy charging, today announced an expansion to its product line up, debuting the Prong PWR case. Like its existing PocketPlug combo cases, the PWR case includes an integrated plug for charging the iPhone, but it also comes equipped with a 1500 mAh detachable backup battery that can be used to charge the iPhone when it is away...

During Apple's earnings call today, Apple shared new details on the state of the iPad, including information on sales expectations, the launch of Microsoft Office for the device, the education market, and the use of the tablet compared to competitors. While the company's 16.35 million in iPad sales fell short of analyst expectations, Apple notes that sales came in at the high end of its...

During its financial results call covering the first calendar quarter and second fiscal quarter of 2014, Apple shared details on the success of its iTunes Store, which has become an increasingly important revenue source for the company in recent years, mainly due to the popularity of the App Store. Last quarter, Apple's customers spent a total of $5.2 billion on iTunes purchases, up 24...

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal following the release of Apple's financial results for the most recent quarter, CEO Tim Cook stated that the company's stock was "undervalued" and that the expansion of the share buyback program "shows how much confidence [Apple] has in the future of the company." Apple announced an increase of its capital return program to $130 billion, from an...

According to Chinese and Taiwanese media sources, Apple again is contracting with Catcher Technology to supply metal casings for the company's future smartphones, including the rumored iPhone 6. First noticed by GforGames, these reports were published this week in the Taipei Times and The China Post. Most notably, Catcher is predicted to supply Apple with 10.5 million iPhone 6 casings and...

Popular messaging service Viber today updated its iOS app to version 4.2, bringing a redesigned user interface for iOS 7 in addition to various new features. The app now includes multiple media sharing that allows users to send multiple photos and videos at once, in addition to the ability to block users and send longer video messages. A cross platform typing indicator has also been added. ...

Following a concept that showed off a possible look at the iPhone 6 based on recent leaked info, French website Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] and graphic designer Martin Hajek have once again teamed up to showcase renders for an "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6c", which are based off of Apple's current iPhones and alleged iPhone 6 design drawings posted by Japanese magazine MacFan. The...

Logitech today announced a new version of its Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover for the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display, offering a new design that includes a flexible multi-angle slot that allows the iPad to be adjusted to different viewing angles. The Logitech Ultrathin improves the flexibility and design of its predecessor with an even thinner and lighter keyboard...

Nike is said to be trimming its Fuelband team as the company moves its efforts away from hardware in order to focus on its NikeFuel and Nike+ software. What is next for Nike for may be a partnership with Apple to produce a Nike fitness app that could pair with Apple's iWatch hardware, theorizes GigaOm.If Nike exits the physical wearable market, as now seems likely, Apple will be the primary...

Apple today was awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via AppleInsider) that describes technology to partially disable a phone when the user is driving. The patent details several different lockout mechanisms that block functions like texting and SMS in order to reduce distracted driving. U.S. Patent No. 8,706,143 describes two main methods to block select iPhone...

Apple is expected to introduce a large-screened iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch model arriving this fall and a 5.5-inch version debuting early next year. Though this large iPhone may cannibalize iPad mini sales, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster does not believe this shift in sales will have a net effect on Apple, reports CNET. In a Monday note to investors, Munster argues that many iPhone owners ...

Beats has updated its Beats Music streaming music app with in-app subscriptions, Facebook friend search, an offline mode and more. The move allows users to subscribe to the Beats Music service via their iTunes account. What's New in Version 1.0.7 You asked for it, and we listened! Some highlights in this release include: - In-app subscription and account management via your iTunes account ...

Facebook has updated its news creation and curation app Paper with birthdays, events, group updates, photo comments and much more, filling in the app with features from the "main" Facebook app that users have requested since its debut. Thanks again for your feedback on Paper. We've been working to build features you've asked for, and we're excited to share version 1.1. Here's the scoop: -...