Apple today released iOS 8.4, the fourth major update to iOS 8. First seeded to developers in April, iOS 8.4 includes a newly revamped Music app and Apple's long-awaited on-demand streaming music service, Apple Music.
iOS 8.4 is available immediately as an over-the-air download, and the new Apple Music service is located within the Music app. Apple Music will be available immediately after iOS 8.4 is installed, while the Beats 1 radio service will kick off at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Introduced at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple Music is an on-demand streaming music service that's much like Apple's former Beats Music service. It allows users to listen to an unlimited amount of music for $9.99 per month or $14.99 for a family plan that supports up to 6 listeners.
Apple Music is accompanied by the Beats 1 radio station, which features 24-hour live human-curated music at no cost, and Apple Music Connect, a social networking platform that allows artists to interact with fans and share content like photos and videos. Apple Music includes millions of songs from iTunes and is launching simultaneously in more than 100 countries.
Along with Apple Music, today's iOS 8.4 update includes a complete overhaul of the built-in Music app. It incorporates Apple Music and it features a new design that shows pictures of artists in the Artists view and a new MiniPlayer with a revamped "Now Playing" look. There are personalized playlists, global search capabilities that make it easier to search within the Music app, and a streamlined design for the radio feature to bolster music discovery.
Other minor changes in iOS 8.4 include the relocation of audiobooks from the Music app to the iBooks app, consolidating all books, print, and audio into one convenient spot, and a new Audiobooks for CarPlay app, giving drivers a standalone app dedicated to playing their audiobooks.
Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products.
Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way.
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027.
Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.
Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season.
Note: MacRumors is...
In an effort to condense the message board size, here are comments and questions most frequently submitted: [LIST=1] * Is Safari snappier? * Is the WiFi bug fixed yet? * Why should I download it when iOS 9 is already out in Beta? * Steve Jobs wouldn't agree to this. * My battery sucked after downloading. * Get it together :apple: * I hate it already. * Where is the innovation? * I'm never updating from iOS 6 until they fix *insert complain*
Please refer to the number from the list below in your post when complaining. Thank you!
We don't need a thousand "I don't see it yet..." posts. To alleviate load on the servers, they spread it out, so not everyone can download at the same time. Once I had to wait a few hours before mine said an update was available.
