One reader notes that at least one iTunes Music Store song is being offered at a much higher encoding rate than Apple has publicly advertised.
The majority of iTunes Music Store songs come in 128kbit Protected AAC audio file format. This file format allows for playback in iTunes as well as the iPod. The 128k bit-rate in AAC is said to provide a superior quality to the equivalent MP3 bitrate.
Snap!'s 3 min 42 second Rhythm Is a Dancer (Original Mix), however, comes in at 290kbits encoding (screenshot) on the iTunes Music Store. The file is reported to be encoded with "FAAC 1.24+ (May 7 200...)"
Individual publishers utilize iTunes Producer, an encoding/submitting application which reportedly converts songs to the proper format (128kbit AAC) without any additional options. Whether or not larger labels or Apple themselves have more freedom in encoding options is unknown.
This file may simply be an anomaly, but there have been scattered reports of other songs also offering higher encoding. There does not appear to be any way to distinguish these files before purchasing them.
Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device.
This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time.
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Thursday September 3, 2026 3:41 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Less than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce has estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment.
TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this:
Model
Starting Price
Model
Starting Price
Change
iPhone 17 Pro
$1,099
iPhone 18 Pro
$...
Thursday September 3, 2026 7:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Ahead of Apple's event on Wednesday, September 9, where it is expected to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today outlined the device's estimated price range, features, and some other key details.
In the U.S., TrendForce estimated that the foldable iPhone will have a starting price of $2,099 to $2,299 and said the highest-end configurations could...
