At its WWDC keynote today, Apple announced that it would open Siri up to third-party developers with a public API, allowing users to use Apple's personal assistant AI to summon third-party services and apps hands free.
Siri now supports a multitude of app types, including popular third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat. Like with iMessage, Siri can be used to send texts to contact by uttering voice commands like "WeChat Kevin and tell him I'll be late." Siri can also be used for payment apps, VoIP apps and ride-hailing apps like Uber or Lyft.
The public API for Siri will be available for developers in the iOS 10 preview today, and will be available for users when iOS 10 launches in the fall.
At its WWDC keynote today, Apple confirmed that Siri would be coming to the Mac with macOS Sierra. Siri's icon will sit in the top menu bar next to the Notification Center toggle.
Siri can handle context-sensitive searches for things such as files, allowing users to search for files they worked on in the last week or just the files an individual co-worker sent a user. Siri for Mac, which can also work while a user is in a full-screen app, can search the web. Siri's web searches can also be pinned to the Notification Center.
Like Siri for iOS, Siri for Mac can also be used to bring up music, send text messages and open apps. Siri can also be used in conjunction with other new macOS Sierra features, like the updated Continuity and Apple Pay.
Apple today announced that Apple Pay will be coming to Safari on the newly-unveiled macOS Sierra platform. When shopping online on participating websites, users will be able to click a "Pay with Apple Pay" button and authenticate a purchase through an iPhone and even an Apple Watch.
Users love to shop online using their Macs and with macOS the shopping experience in Safari is now even better. Apple Pay on the web makes it easy to make secure and private purchases when shopping on participating websites. You no longer need to share credit or debit card numbers with an online merchant and actual card numbers are not stored on your device, nor on Apple servers.
During its keynote presentation, Apple said that many merchants have already agreed to include Apple Pay on the web, with more expected to launch down the line. From a security angle, Apple promised that Apple Pay on macOS is as strong and encrypted as it is on mobile, thanks to the fact that you no longer have to store credit or debit card information in a browser.
Today at its WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled the updated Remote app for the fourth-generation Apple TV and tvOS. The new app mirrors the functionality of the Siri Remote.
Noting that its customers wanted an updated version of the Remote app, Apple SVP Eddy Cue said the new app allows users to use their iPhones to play games. The app also allows users to use Siri to command their Apple TV as well as input text via their iPhone's keyboard.
Like previous Remote apps, the new Remote app will also allow users to control the content on the Apple TV, fast forwarding, pausing, playing and rewinding whatever they're watching.
Apple has today announced a new mindfulness-based health app for the Apple Watch called 'Breathe'.
Breathe is designed to help users alleviate everyday stresses by coaching them through timed breathing sessions, which can be launched from the watch face and set up in advance with reminders.
Breathing sessions can be set to last between one and five minutes using the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch, and the app provides summaries of each session including the user's recorded heart rate throughout.
The Breathe app is part of WatchOS 3, which will be released as a free upgrade this fall.
Today at it's WWDC keynote, Apple announced a brand new feature for watchOS 3 called SOS. The emergency call feature works similar to LifeAlert, allowing a user to easily call emergency services when they need it quickly and easily.
A user just has to press and hold the side button underneath the Digital Crown, and the emergency call will countdown from three. The Watch will then automatically call 911, or the equivalent for the country the user is in. The call will go through the paired iPhone, but it'll also be able to call directly from the Apple Watch if the Watch is on a Wi-Fi network.
SOS will also send your location to your emergency contacts, alerting them that you're in need of help. The Watch itself can also display a user's MedicalID, easily displaying a user's name, age, date-of-birth, medical conditions and other medical information.
Nissan recently announced that the all-new 2017 Maxima, available now at dealerships worldwide, is its first vehicle with CarPlay support. Apple's dashboard software is included with the Maxima Platinum trim package, which is available for a suggested price of $39,990 in the United States.
CarPlay is included as part of NissanConnect, a proprietary system with a wide range of features: automatic collision notification, remote start via smartphone, emergency calling, a stolen vehicle locator, satellite radio, a hands-free text messaging assistant, and more. The 2017 Maxima has an 8-inch touchscreen display.
Meanwhile, leaked price listings shared on discussion forum Bimmerpost reveal that BMW's first CarPlay vehicles will also be launching in North America and Europe this year, including 2017 M3, M4, X5 M, and X6 M models (via 9to5Mac). The documents show that CarPlay will be a $300 feature for U.S. models.
BMW and Nissan join a long list of automakers that offer CarPlay, including Acura, Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Lamborghini, Lincoln, Opel, Porsche, Peugeot, Seat, Škoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Volvo, and others.
Meanwhile, two of the largest CarPlay holdouts remaining include Mazda and Toyota.
At today's WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled iOS 10, the latest version of its mobile operating system that will launch in the fall. Apple's list of new features for iOS 10 is extensive, focusing on revamping established apps (like Messages, Photos, and Apple Music), introducing new aspects of the user interface, and doubling down on privacy.
One of the more notable updates in iOS 10 centers around Messages. Apple hopes the handful of new Message features in iOS 10 will bring more "personal and expressive" ways to communicate with friends and family, with a roster of new text message abilities including text balloon animations, invisible ink, enlarged emoji, and handwritten notes.
“iOS 10 is our biggest release ever, with delightful new ways to express yourself in Messages, a native app for Home automation, and beautifully redesigned apps for Music, Maps, and News that are more intuitive and more powerful, making everything you love about your iPhone and iPad even better,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “iOS 10 adds Siri intelligence into QuickType and Photos, automates your home with the new Home app and opens up Siri, Maps, Phone and Messages to developers — while increasing security and privacy with powerful technologies like Differential Privacy.”
On the lock and home screen side of things, Apple debuted a new "rich notifications" system that lets users get more information from various apps without unlocking their iPhone. The update will also introduce a "clear all" feature for Notification Center notifications, and a way to access the iPhone's camera and widgets by sliding left or right, respectively, from the lock screen.
All of this will be even easier to glance at thanks to an Apple Watch-like "Raise to Wake" ability that wakes up the iPhone whenever users raise their device to eye level. Those users on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will also benefit from deeper integration of 3D Touch with the new rich notifications, which will let interacting with apps be "even easier." Notes will be getting a new collaborative project feature and Live Photos will be able to go through an editing process in iOS 10.
The second phase of iOS 10's new features focus on adding new abilities into Apple's already well-known apps. The first is a new "Memories" tab in the Photos app that will intelligently draw out specific photos -- thanks to facial recognition and geo filters -- to dynamically group together family vacations and special memories. The app will also now create slideshows with the photos and videos users take within each album, without the need for intensive editing software.
Maps is getting a redesign in iOS 10 as well, featuring larger buttons and typefaces, with Apple saying that the new look makes it "simpler and even more intuitive to use." The app has also been made more intelligent, scanning your calendar or assessing your routine and delivering directions proactively. Once a route is planned, the updated Maps app can search the route for gas stations, restaurants and more, even telling you how long a pit stop would affect your trip. Finally, Apple Maps is now open to third-party extensions, allowing you to make a restaurant reservation via OpenTable within Maps or calling a ride from service like Uber.
Next, Apple Music will get its long-rumored significant redesign in iOS 10, which is shared with an updated version of Apple News. Apple says the new design language allows the content of the apps to "become the hero," making it even simpler for users to find the music or news they want. The Library, For You, Browse and Radio tabs in Apple Music have all been revamped with the new design language, and Apple has added a Search tab to make it easier to search for new music. Apple Music has also gained support for lyrics.
Meanwhile, the redesigned News app features a revamped For You section that's broken down into sections that include trending news and specialized topics that users have indicated interest in. In addition, the news-centric app has gained support for subscriptions for select publications like The Wall Street Journal.
The Cupertino company also debuted a new Home app that allows users to easily manage and control all of their HomeKit devices in one place. The app allows users to either manage their accessories individually or by grouping them together in "scenes." Scenes allow users to affect all of the devices with a single command.
iOS 10 will also include a public API for Siri, allowing developers to plug into Apple's personal assistant. Users will now be able to use Siri to make VoIP calls, send messages through messaging apps like WhatsApp and hail cabs from services like Uber. Additionally, iOS 10 will include smaller updates like Split View within Safari for iPad and a new Bedtime Alarm mode in the Clock app that allows users to set a regular sleep schedule and reminders for bedtime.
Lastly, Apple has debuted a new privacy feature for iOS called Differential Privacy, which allows Apple to discover user habits to improve AI features without compromising privacy.
Starting with iOS 10, Apple is using technology called Differential Privacy to help discover the usage patterns of a large number of users without compromising individual privacy. In iOS 10, this technology will help improve QuickType and emoji suggestions, Spotlight® deep link suggestions and Lookup Hints in Notes.
The developer preview of iOS 10 is available today, and a public beta program will begin in July. Users interested in the public beta can sign up for information at beta.Apple.com. iOS 10 will be available in the fall for free for iPhone 5 and later and all iPad Pro and Air models. The fourth-generation iPad and the iPad mini 2 and later will also support iOS 10.
Apple used its WWDC 2016 keynote on Monday to unveil macOS 'Sierra', the successor to its OS X 10.11 El Capitan operating system for the Mac, promising window tab support across multiple apps, copy and paste between devices, Siri integration, and more.
The announcement of a change in naming convention also means that Apple now has a consistent naming structure across all its software platforms: iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.
Apart from Siri's introduction to the Mac desktop, Apple focused on a handful of new Continuity-themed features exclusive to macOS Sierra, one being the ability to access files on the desktop and in the Documents folder on any Mac, iOS device, or even a PC.
Sierra will allow users to access these files on an iPhone and iPad via the iCloud Drive app, through iCloud.com, or using the iCloud for Windows app. And if a user logs into a second Mac, their files will be automatically available on the Desktop and in the Documents folder, exactly where they were saved.
Another Continuity feature coming with macOS is 'Universal Clipboard', which enhances the traditional copy and paste functionality by enabling users to automatically copy text, photos, and more from an iPhone or iPad, and instantly paste them on a Mac.
In addition, a new security feature in macOS Sierra called 'Auto Unlock' allows Apple Watch wearers to gain access to their locked Mac simply by walking into its vicinity, whereby they become automatically logged into the desktop.
Apple is also extending the tabs feature in Safari to all apps that support multiple windows, including Maps, Mail, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and TextEdit, as well as compatible third-party apps.
For example, tabs in Maps will mean users can browse multiple locations without losing their place, while tabs in Pages should allow users to copy and paste between Pages in fullscreen mode, or jump between multiple email drafts in Mail.
Sierra also brings the Picture-in-Picture feature found in iOS 9.3 to the Mac, making it possible to float video from Safari or iTunes in a window on the desktop while working on something else. Video windows will be resizable, draggable, and able to be pinned to the corner of the screen.
Meanwhile, the Photos app is getting a new intelligent Memories feature, which automatically creates curated collections of special occasions like birthdays, weddings, and vacations using people, object, and location recognition.
Bolstered by the new recognition technology, the People feature will automatically group photos into Albums based on who is in them, while Places will display photos on a world map so users can see where they were taken.
Additional features coming with macOS Sierra include: Optimized Storage, which frees up space when a Mac starts getting full by storing infrequently used items in iCloud; an enhanced Messages app, bringing the desktop version in line with all the new features exclusive to iOS 10; and an updated version of Apple Music in iTunes, which is likely to reflect changes to the iOS 10 Music app.
macOS Sierra is available to developers for testing today. Apple says a public beta will be launched in July, while the final public release is coming in the fall.
Apple today announced watchOS 3, the next major version of its Apple Watch software platform. The update includes several performance and navigation improvements, new watch faces and apps, several fitness-related features, and more.
"Apple Watch is the ultimate companion for a healthy life and with watchOS 3, there's now even more to love," said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. "Favorite apps launch instantly and are simple to access, and the breakthrough new fitness and health features like the Breathe app make it feel like a whole new watch."
• Apple Watch users can press the side button to access the new Dock, where they can tap to launch native and third-party apps instantly and have the latest information in the app already updated and ready for viewing.
• Swiping up from the bottom brings up an all-new Control Center with toggles for Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, notifications, and more. Meanwhile, you can now simply swipe left and right to easily switch between watch faces.
• New ways to create and respond to iMessages, including a Scribble feature that dynamically recognizes which letters are drawn on the Apple Watch's screen and translates the drawings into traditional text messages. You can also send animations, invisible ink, stickers, larger emoji, sketches, taps, and your heartbeat.
• New watch faces: Minnie Mouse, Activity, and Numerals.
• Activity Sharing: You can now share your Activity rings with others for competitive motivation, and receive notifications when people finish workouts or earn achievements.
• A new Breathe app guides you through a series of deep breaths with relaxing animations and gentle taps. A summary provides you with your heart rate and the length of your breathing session, which can be adjusted by spinning the Digital Crown. Time to Breathe reminders can be set on a daily basis.
• New features for wheelchair users: The Activity app now supports a trio of wheelchair pushing techniques for varying speeds and terrain. There are also two new wheelchair-specific workouts and a new "Time to Roll" notification.
• SOS: Press and hold the side button and Apple Watch will initiate a call with 911 or local emergency services. SOS can also send a message to quickly alert your emergency contacts. The feature, which works over Wi-Fi or cellular, includes a medical card with your personal information and any medical conditions, and can provide local emergency numbers based on the country you are in.
• Apple Watch now supports Apple Pay within apps
• Apple Watch can now automatically unlock your nearby Mac
• Apple Watch can be used with the new Home app for controlling HomeKit accessories
watchOS 3 is available as a developer beta today. A public beta will be released in July. The free software update will officially launch in the fall.
Today at WWDC, Apple announced an updated version of tvOS that includes new functionality and features for Siri, single sign-on and more. Apple also announced that a few new apps will be arriving on tvOS, including Sling, Fox Sports Go, Molotov TV, and a handful of game-based apps like Minecraft Story Mode and Sketch Party.
Siri has gained a handful of new abilities, including the ability to search for movies by topic. For instance, a user can now ask Siri to find the latest superhero movies or documentaries about cars. Siri can even partner themes with other pieces of context, like searching for high school comedies from the 80s. Siri will also be able to search through YouTube later this month.
Siri can also be directed to tune-in to live channels within apps now. For example, if a user asks Siri to "Watch CBS News" or "Watch ESPN," Siri will instantly open the live feed within the app, rather than transporting the user to the app's home screen. Finally, Siri can also manage a user's HomeKit devices via Apple TV.
Fourth-generation Apple TV users will no longer need to individually sign into each of their Pay-TV apps with the new tvOS update. tvOS now supports single sign-on, so when users sign into Apple's new feature, they'll never have to go through the process again. Once a user enters their credentials in one app, tvOS will automatically authenticate every other app that requires authentication. Additionally, when a user is entering their credentials for the first time they'll be presented with a page featuring all the authenticated apps their pay-TV provider offers support for, allowing users to easily discover what other content they can watch.
Single Sign-On is available for any network-TV app, though it must be enabled by the developer. The feature will also be available for iOS 10, which the Cupertino company also announced and detailed at today's WWDC keynote. Apple also debuted a new dark mode for Apple TV, making it easier for users with darker rooms.
The new Apple TV and tvOS are compatible with the revamped Remote app, which mirrors the abilities of the Apple TV's Siri Remote on an iPhone. The app, like previous Remote apps, allows users to control their content, but it also allows users to use Siri to control the Apple TV. Users can also use the app to play games on Apple TV and enter text via the iOS keyboard.
Apple also announced a couple new tvOS APIs for developers, including support for PhotoKit and HomeKit. One of those APIs is ReplayKit, which allows developers to record live broadcasts from their apps. Apple TV apps can also badge their icons on the home screen, notifying users to potential changes within the app. The Apple TV can also support up to four game controllers as well.
Many of the new features coming to iOS and macOS have also come to tvOS. The newly redesigned Apple Music, with a simplified and more colorful design, is also available on Apple TV. The revamped Apple Music is easier-to-navigate and read, with bigger fonts and more emphasis on album art. It also includes a new "For You" tabled that has better-curated content. Finally, the new Apple Music also gained support for lyrics. Photos for Apple TV now has gained the new Memories feature debuted with iOS 10, allowing users to easily rediscover moments from their past. Universal apps will also automatically download when downloaded to an iOS device, and when a keyboard appears on the Apple TV, it'll also appear on an iOS device signed in with the same iCloud account.
Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off today in San Francisco with the traditional keynote being held for the first time at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, the same location Apple used for its "Hey Siri" media event last September.
The keynote begins at 10:00 AM Pacific Time / 1:00 PM Eastern Time, and we're expecting to see a number of announcements focused primarily on software updates including iOS 10 and OS X 10.12, as well as new versions of watchOS and tvOS. We may also see some updates to Apple's services such as Apple Pay, iCloud, and perhaps iMessage, but major hardware announcements are not expected.
Apple is providing a live video stream on its website and via Apple TV.
In addition to Apple's video stream, we will be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the keynote unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
The full keynote transcript in reverse chronological order is available after the jump.
With only a few hours remaining until Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, a tipster informed us that Personal Pickup is no longer available for the Thunderbolt Display on Apple's online storefront.
A quick spot check reveals that Personal Pickup has indeed been removed on the Thunderbolt Display product page in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, and other countries where the tool is available.
The removal of Personal Pickup, a web-based tool for checking in-store availability of Apple products, will naturally stir speculation about a long-overdue Thunderbolt Display refresh at WWDC. The standalone display has not been updated since 2011, even though Apple could have released a new model with USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 2, and a tapered iMac-style design as early as 2013.
Nowadays, the 27" Retina 5K iMac could be the basis for a corresponding 5K Thunderbolt Display, which could feature the same 5,120×2,880 pixels resolution, USB-C ports for connecting Thunderbolt 3 peripherals, and possibly an ultra-thin design resembling the latest iMacs. Apple could also release a 4K Thunderbolt Display, but supply chain considerations make that less likely.
Thunderbolt Display rumors have regained momentum since in-store availability of the display became depleted at several Apple Stores in the U.S., U.K., and Canada around two weeks ago. Speculation pointed towards a 5K Thunderbolt Display with an integrated GPU, but iMore's Rene Ritchie later said no such product will be announced at WWDC. He did not clarify if a refresh of any kind is off the table.
While there is always a chance that Apple could surprise developers with a crowd-pleasing Thunderbolt Display announcement, expectations should be kept low, as it is widely believed that WWDC will have few if any hardware announcements. The focus of the event will unsurprisingly be software, including iOS 10 and OS X 10.12, but wishful thinkers are undoubtedly holding out hope for "one more thing…" today.
Apple's keynote starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream (spoiler free) available on Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV. MacRumors will also have full coverage of the event, with a live blog on our front page and updates in 140 characters or less through our @MacRumorsLive account on Twitter.
Apple's WWDC keynote will be kicking off in a matter of hours, and as is tradition, some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event live 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 a direct link to the presentation once it becomes available from Apple. No other news stories or announcements will be displayed alongside this story.
Apple has become quicker about making event videos available for replay over the past several years, and videos are now frequently available within an hour of an event's conclusion.
Users waiting for the video to be posted are welcome to gather in the thread associated with this news story, and we ask that those who follow the events refrain from making any posts about Apple's announcements in this thread.
Video Posted: A direct link to the video file is now available, with no spoilers.
Japanese website Nikkei is continuing the 2016 doom and gloom sentiment surrounding iPhone sales, reporting that an unnamed source has confirmed that sales figures and shipment numbers for Apple's smartphone lineup will see the first year-over-year decline since the iPhone debuted in 2007. The website cites "lukewarm demand for a new model" and a lack of innovation as the major reasons behind the predicted sales decline.
Specifically, iPhone shipments in 2016 are estimated to total between 210 and 220 million units, which would be a drop off of as much as 8.6 percent from 2015. The "people familiar with the matter" within Hon Hai Precision Industries noted that one of the company's executives described a lower iPhone demand for the remainder of this year, lasting "until at least early next year."
iPhone 7 Plus design mockup in "Deep Blue"
"Hon Hai Precision Industry Chairman Terry Gou has told his staff that the demand for iPhones will remain feeble until at least early next year," a source said. Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn Technology Group, declined to comment.
Gou told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in China in late May that the company's overall orders were falling this year, although Foxconn did receive a sudden rush of orders in April and May. Foxconn makes about 70% of iPhones sold globally.
Whether that means the supplier would begin working on the expected mega-cycle "iPhone 8," or another mid-cycle upgrade similar to the iPhone SE, early in 2017 is unclear. Nikkei's sources opine that Apple's attempt to shake up an upgrade cycle with no notable new hardware features by introducing new colors -- seemingly referring to the recently rumored Deep Blue -- proves "that the company now has no way of breaking out of the current doldrums."
Still, the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus could come with a few notable new hardware revisions, namely a dual-lens camera that would allow for 2-3x optical zoom capabilities, clearer and brighter images, and the ability for users to refocus an image after taking a picture. Otherwise, the handsets are expected to remain largely in line with the iPhone 6s design, besides the potential removal of the headphone jack and redesigned set of antennae bands.
Bethesda Softworks has revealed it is working on a brand new entry in the Quake franchise called Quake Champions.
A spiritual successor to first-person shooter Doom, Quake appeared 20 years ago and was the first FPS to focus on arena-based multiplayer combat and frenetic team-based game modes.
Tim Willits of iD Software and co-designer of the original Quake, revealed the news of the upcoming title for PC at an E3 press event yesterday, describing a new ability for players to select different classes as "esport" in design. A series of Quake leagues and events are to be built out as the game launches.
While no mention was made of a Mac (or indeed any other) version of the game during the presentation, more information about inevitable ports is likely to be revealed at QuakeCon this August.
Apple has attended QuakeCon in the past, and used the annual event in 2001 to show off its latest Power Mac G4s running Quake 3 Arena.
Quake 4 originally shipped on the Mac in 2006, and is available on the Mac App Store for $19.99, complete with full cross-platform multiplayer support, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Tourney, Capture the Flag, Arena CTF and DeadZone.
Microsoft has overhauled its Xbox app for iOS, bringing new features and a look that's more in line with its Windows 10 range of mobile apps.
The "Xbox One SmartGlass" app, which is now titled simply "Xbox", enables an iOS device to function as a remote control to maneuver through the Xbox One's dashboard. It also displays information on the device when playing music or TV through the console, and can be used to browse the web.
As part of the refresh, the Activity Feed now becomes the main home screen of the app and gains a more personalized feel, with screenshots and game clips appearing in it that have been shared by friends.
Trending content has also been added to the feed, for users to find out what is popular on Xbox Live.
Other social media changes include the ability to add Facebook friends to a user's Xbox players list, a Contacts friend finder, real name sharing, the addition of Game Hubs, and redesigned user profiles.
Microsoft has also updated the Xbox One navigation and media controls within the app.
Microsoft is expected to unveil a new Xbox One S console, new games, and more today at E3 2016, the annual game conference and show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Xbox is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]
Chinese car-hailing service Didi Chuxing revealed today that it has secured a $600 million investment from China Life Insurance Company Ltd, one month after it raised $1 billion courtesy of Apple (via Fortune).
China Life is the largest insurer in the Asia-Pacific region by market value. The agreed investment reportedly includes equity of $300 million and a long-term borrowing commitment of $305 million, the companies said in a statement.
"The two parties will also collaborate on investment opportunities in mobile transportation and related sectors in China and beyond," the statement said.
The company's fund-rasing efforts are aimed at helping it fend off Uber's encroachment into China. Earlier this month, Uber raised $3.5 billion in resources from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, while Apple CEO Tim Cook called Apple's investment in Didi a strategic move that would help the Cupertino company better understand the Chinese market.
In related news, Uber announced last week that users of the service will now be able to reserve rides from 30 minutes to 30 days in advance.
The pre-booking option was introduced in Seattle on Thursday and will extend to other "top business travel cities" in the near future, Uber revealed in a blog post.
The feature is currently limited to the company's low-cost Uber X service, which operates its fleet of non-luxury cars.
Users of the Uber app need only to select "uberX" and tap "Schedule a ride", whereupon they can set a pickup date, time, location, and destination, confirm their details, and tap "Schedule uberX".
The decision to offer a pre-booking option marks a shift away from the company's original "on-demand" ethos, and follows in the footsteps of Lyft, which began testing a similar service in May in San Francisco.
"Scheduled rides have been a top requested feature at Uber since the very early days," said Tom Fallows, Uber's director of global experiences. "Even though we're an on-demand company we totally get it. Sometimes you want that extra reassurance."
With only a few hours remaining until Apple's WWDC 2016 keynote at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, a tipster informed us that Personal Pickup is no longer available for the Thunderbolt Display on Apple's online storefront.
