United Kingdom

In iOS 17.1 and later, iPhone users in the UK can now view banking information like account balance when using Apple Pay and viewing bank cards and credit cards in the Wallet app. Keep reading to learn how it works. Apple's Wallet app on iPhone has been able to display Apple Pay transactions made using your bank and credit cards for a while now, but if you are a Wallet app user in the United ...

If you live in the United Kingdom, there's a good chance you enjoyed yesterday's first official bank holiday of the year with your feet up. But if all you'd done was rely on the Calendar app on your iPhone, you may never have even known you were due a day off. That's because a persistent bug that has plagued the app for months still prevents Apple's UK bank holidays subscription option from...

The U.K. spending limit for contactless card payments is to increase from £30 to £45, meaning iPhone users will soon be able to pay for more expensive shopping bills using their smartphones in stores where limitless Apple Pay transactions aren't supported. The increase in the upper limit on contactless payments is set to roll out nationally beginning from April 1, UK Finance today announced. ...

Disney+ today officially launched in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria. The premium streaming service is accessible via web browser, on Amazon Fire devices, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV (4K or HD), iOS devices, Android, Google Chromecast, Xbox One, PS4, and smart TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, and Vizio. You can download the iPhone and iPad apps her...

Long-standing mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse has announced that it will close all 531 of its standalone stores on Britain's high streets next month, with around 60 percent of staff (2,900) set to lose their jobs. As part of the same company that owns Currys PC World, Carphone Warehouse has 350 mini-shops inside 305 of those stores, but these will not be affected by the changes....

With a week to go before Disney+ launches in the U.K., the streaming giant has partnered with mobile provider O2 to offer two exclusive deals to customers on the network. New and upgrading O2 monthly customers can get six months of free access to Disney+ when it launches in the U.K. on March 24. The offer is open to anyone who orders a new (or upgrades to a new) handset, tablet, or SIM-only...

Apple's Victoria Square retail store in Belfast, Northern Ireland reportedly closed its doors early on Wednesday to undergo a deep clean, following suspicions of a coronavirus contamination in the local area. Video shared on Facebook appeared to capture a clean-up operation taking place at the store. In the clip, two people wearing breathable isolation suits can be seen wiping the Sequoia...

The director general of Britain's Security Service is arguing for "exceptional access" to encrypted messages, in the ongoing battle between authorities and technology companies, reports The Guardian. MI5 head Andrew Parker MI5's director general has called on technology companies to find a way to allow spy agencies "exceptional access" to encrypted messages, amid fears they cannot otherwise...

Apple has been offering certified refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the United States for a couple of weeks now, but today it started selling refurb 16-inch models through its international online stores for the first time since the notebook was released in November 2019. All of the refurbished configurations are discounted by 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models....

Google-owned Fitbit is activating blood oxygen monitoring (sp02) in more countries, following the feature's U.S. launch for some of its smartwatches and fitness trackers last month. Now the company has released it for users in the U.K., Canada, and possibly other countries, with blood oxygen saturation data appearing in the Fitbit app. Tech blog Tizenhelp.com confirmed the feature's...

Apple has confirmed that the iPhone XR is not working as it should on the O2 network in the U.K., reports BBC News. "We are aware of an issue causing intermittent network connectivity effecting [sic] some O2 customers, and we will have a fix in an upcoming software release," the company said.The statement from Apple comes after reports emerged yesterday of multiple ‌iPhone‌ XR users who have...

The iPhone XR is not properly functioning on the O2 network in the UK, according to the BBC. Based on multiple reports on Twitter, XR users who have O2 as a mobile provider have been experiencing multiple signal outages per day. Customers have been unable to make and receive calls and send and receive text messages, as well as maintain a reliable LTE connection for using apps. An O2...

U.K. telecoms regulator Ofcom has drawn up plans to ban the sale of locked smartphone handsets that can't be used on other mobile networks until the owner pays for them to be unlocked. The proposal is part of a consultation document published today that aims to achieve fairer treatment and easier switching for broadband and mobile customers in the U.K. The document reads: Some providers...

Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that Disney+ will launch in the United Kingdom and other select European countries on March 31, 2020. Iger didn't mention how much European customers would have to pay to access its 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows, including the entire Pixar library and a raft of original content. However, one MacRumors reader appears to have discovered the...

BritBox, a streaming service offering shows from ITV, the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5, has launched in the United Kingdom (via BBC). Priced at £5.99 a month, the joint-venture between ITV and the BBC is being pitched as an additional streaming service for viewers who want to view classic British television programs and films, rather than as a direct competitor to Netflix. BritBox will...

Apple has been rolling out HomePod support for live radio requests to Siri over the last few months, and now users in several countries are reporting success when asking their Apple smart speaker to play live radio stations. After announcing the feature at WWDC in June, Apple said it would launch on September 30, but the company recently removed the date from its HomePod product page,...

The BBC has announced its intention to launch its own voice assistant next year to help users find their favorite programs and interact with online services hosted by the public broadcaster. The voice assistant's working title and wake-word is currently "Beeb," and it will be built into the BBC's website, its iPlayer app and other mobile apps, and made available to manufacturers who want to...

From this week, users of Alexa devices in the United Kingdom will be able to get expert health advice from the voice-activated smart speakers, thanks to a partnership between Amazon and the National Health Service. When health-related queries such as "Alexa, how do I treat a migraine?" or "what are the symptoms of flu?" are put to the devices, Amazon's algorithm will use information from the ...

The BBC Sounds mobile app has been updated with CarPlay support, meaning users can now listen to the broadcaster's extensive library of live and on-demand radio, music, and podcasts from their in-car infotainment systems and dashboards. As noted by Pocket-lint.com, ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto support was originally available for iPlayer Radio, which the Sounds app replaced, but this version...

O2 has became the latest network carrier in the United Kingdom to offer the cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 4. iPhone users can now order the LTE-enabled smartwatch through the O2 website, which is offering several personal pay-monthly plans that let users make calls and use a data connection from their wrist, even if they're untethered from their smartphone. O2 has launched plans ...

Apple today at WWDC 2019 announced that Apple News+ will be expanding to the United Kingdom and Australia in iOS 13. ‌Apple News‌+ is currently available in the United States for $9.99 per month and in Canada for $12.99 per month. The service, based on Apple's acquisition of Texture, provides unlimited access to hundreds of digital magazines and...

Apple's Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones officially went on sale today in the United Kingdom, >France, and >Germany, as predicted. However, the fitness-focused, Beats-branded earphones are only available in black, and stock appears to be limited. As of writing, Apple's online UK store is switching between allowing customers to add the earphones to their bag, and graying out the Add...