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

Samsung has released a new commercial for its Galaxy S II smartphone, stepping up its direct assault on the iPhone by mocking dedicated iPhone fans who wait for hours in long lines for the launch of the latest model despite it looking identical to the previous one. The ad plays on the excitement of iPhone fans waiting to get their hands on a new model who are then distracted by seeing...

Apple has posted a new iPad 2 TV ad on their YouTube page. The new ad is titled "Love":For some it's a lifelong passion, for others, it's something discovered yesterday. We all have things that speak to us. They drive us to get up early and stay up late. Getting lost in the things we love has never felt quite like this.As always, Apple appeals to iPad usage and emotional response over...

Macerkopf.de follows up their original iOS 5.0.2 report and now says the 5.0.2 update won't be coming this week, as originally reported. According to the German site, ongoing issues with memory leaks are going to require further testing. The site had originally claimed 5.0.2 would be coming this week to address battery bugs that persist in iOS 5. ...

Apple has frequently promoted how much money has been paid out to developers selling apps via the App Store. The latest pronouncement was during the iPhone 4S introduction when Scott Forstall announced that Apple had paid out three billion dollars for app sales. The point Fostall is making when sharing these totals is that developing for iOS is more profitable for developers than other...

The Financial Times' web app has drawn more than 1 million readers since June, growing by 300,000 readers since late September. However, the raw numbers don't tell the whole story. In its press release about breaking the 1 million mark, the FT staff built an infographic with data from its mobile website. 20 percent of FT page views are from mobile devices, and 15 percent of its digital...

Apple today pushed out a new 4.4.3 software update for the Apple TV, although the company has yet to specify what improvements are included in the update. The new release, which arrives as Build 9A4051, comes on the heels of a series of releases last month that started with version 4.4 to include support for iCloud's Photo Stream feature as well as several other additions but which required...

RazorianFly points to a Tweet from developer John Heaton revealing strings within the iOS code making reference to iChat-related services such as Jabber and AIM that are not currently supported directly by Apple on iOS. Speculation has naturally turned to the possibility that Apple is working on an application to integrate full iChat capabilities into iOS, although that may be something of a ...

VolumeSnap has returned to the excellent iOS photography app Camera+. Last year, developer TapTapTap released an update to its Camera+ application with a small hack -- users could press the volume-up button to take a picture, instead of needing to press a soft-button on the screen. This was considered an unauthorized hack and Apple banned the app until TapTapTap removed the feature. Apple...

Stanford University is offering the iOS 5 edition of its well-regarded iPhone and iPad application development course free on iTunes U. Instructor Paul Hegarty attributes the course popularity to the appeal of Apple products and the instant gratification of creating apps for mobile devices. "There's something about developing for the iOS platform that's really exciting and fun because it runs...

When friends ask famed photographer Annie Leibovitz what camera they should buy, she suggests the iPhone. Appearing on NBC's new Rock Center news program, Leibovitz suggested the iPhone because it is "the snapshot camera of today", saying it is "accessible and easy". It appears Leibovitz is a firm believer in the theory that the best camera in the world is the one you have with...

As noted by Google, the company's native Gmail app for iOS has returned to the App Store. The app debuted two weeks ago, but was quickly pulled after a bug breaking notifications was discovered as soon as users began installing the app.Two weeks ago, we introduced our Gmail app for iOS. Unfortunately it contained a bug which broke notifications and displayed an error message, so we removed it...

Minecraft, the block-building phenomenon, arrives on the iPhone and iPad for all iOS users tonight. TouchArcade reports that initial impressions on its forums "seem positive, although some have noted disappointment with how limited the game feels compared to the 'full' version. There's no online play, for instance, only local WiFi, and your portable Minecraft worlds are devoid of both animals...

Netflix today released an updated app for Android tablets, namely the just launched Kindle Fire and the new Barnes and Noble Nook, and says the update will be coming to the iPad in the next few weeks. The new design is much more immersive and provides greater focus on the growing number of titles in the Netflix catalog. In fact, the new interface displays twice as many movies and TV shows as...

As noted by MacStories, Apple has sent out an email informing developers that it will be shutting down the iTunes Connect portal for the App Store over the Christmas holiday as it has the past several years. This year's shutdown will extend from December 22nd through 29th, two days longer than in past years.We strongly recommend that you do not schedule pricing changes through the interval...

As noticed by 9to5Mac, both Amazon and Best Buy have dropped their prices on the Apple TV by $10 to $89.99. Interestingly, Amazon has also added a "2010" designation to its Apple TV title, leading to speculation that the retailers may be making room for a potential update to the device. Third-party retailers are, however, usually not particularly accurate sources of information on new...

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and NTT DoCoMo are still in discussions over a potential agreement to bring the iPhone to Japan's largest carrier. The carrier is concerned, however, over Apple's unwillingness to allow DoCoMo to install its own applications such as its popular e-wallet and mail services on the device. NTT DoCoMo is also concerned over Apple's unit volume commitment...

Amazon's first color tablet, the Kindle Fire, began shipping today following its September introduction. The Fire, the top-of-the-line Kindle tablet, has reportedly given some potential iPad purchasers second thoughts as the Fire is some $300 cheaper than the least-expensive iPad. Image via Wired - NYTimes - "It is designed almost exclusively for consuming stuff, particularly material you...

As noted by The Next Web, the iPhone 4S appears set to launch in India on November 25th, marking yet another milestone in Apple's fast-moving rollout of the new device. Both Aircel and Airtel appear to be participating in the November 25th launch, with Aircel having already provided public confirmation of the debut.Aircel first posted a teaser on its official Facebook page announcing that the...