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

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 12.1, the second update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. The new tvOS 12.1.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode. We're not yet sure what...

As it announced in its Machine Learning Journal, Apple is attending the 2018 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing in Brussels, Belgium between today and Sunday, November 4. Apple has set up a booth staffed with natural language processing experts from its Siri team and encourages conference attendees to stop by. Apple has also highlighted an opening for a Siri-rel...

Accessory company Nomad today launched the Base Station Apple Watch Edition, which includes a Qi charging mat for iPhone and integrated charging puck for Apple Watch. The new accessory is an upgrade from the original Base Station, which was focused on Qi charging for iPhone and lacked Apple Watch charging support. The Base Station Apple Watch Edition includes three 7.5W charging coils...

Nintendo this week held its financial results briefing aimed at the second quarter for the fiscal year ending in March 2019 (via Reuters), during which it discussed its smart device business and major updates coming to two of its iOS apps: Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Starting with Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's director and president Shuntaro Furukawa said that the...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday singled out Apple's iMessage mobile messaging service as Facebook's "biggest competitor by far." (via CNBC). The comments were made to investors during an earnings call for the company's third quarter performance, in which the Facebook CEO admitted the social platform was losing out to iMessage in "important" territories like the U.S., where iPhone sales ...

Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at one time, is relatively easy to use, but it may not be immediately obvious how a call is initiated nor how all of the group chat options work, which is why we've taken an in-depth look at the new feature. To use Group ‌FaceTime‌, all participants must have iOS 12.1.4 or later installed. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for ...

Pre-orders for the 2018 MacBook Air and iPad Pro have kicked off on Apple.com, and because the devices are brand new, we won't see discounted prices on them for a while. Still, third-party retailers like B&H Photo offer the chance to save a bit of money at the onset of your new Apple purchase, depending on the state you live in. According to B&H Photo's guidelines, the retailer currently...

With the launch of the new iPad Pro, Apple offers 28 different models of tablet, not including colors. Here's a top-to-bottom look at Apple's full iPad lineup, from the iPad mini up to the brand new 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Curiously, Apple is charging a $150 premium on the new cellular-equipped iPad Pro models, up from $130 in the rest of the lineup. iPad mini 4 - 7.9-inch $399 - 128GB $529 - ...

Following Apple's event in Brooklyn this morning, more information has come to light about the new iPad Pros, particularly how much RAM is included in each model of the updated tablets. Using Xcode, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models with 1TB of storage have 6GB of RAM, compared to 4GB for previous generation iPad Pros. The new iPad ...

The new second-generation Apple Pencil that Apple introduced today alongside new iPad Pro models includes support for tap gestures and inductive charging when attached to an iPad Pro via magnets, a major upgrade from the previous model that had a built-in Lightning port. Given all of the changes introduced in the Apple Pencil 2, it only works with the new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models and...

Apple today updated its Shortcuts app for iPhones and iPads to version 2.1, introducing new capabilities that can be used to create various automations and shortcuts using first and third-party apps. The new 2.1 version of the app brings new options for creating weather and forecast shortcuts, setting alarms and timers, converting between units, and importing recent photos. Apple's full...

Apple today released watchOS 5.1, the first major update to the watchOS 5 operating system that runs on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 5.1 comes more than a month after the release of watchOS 5 and a few weeks after the launch of watchOS 5.0.1, a minor bug fix update. watchOS 5.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software ...

Apple today released tvOS 12.1, the second update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 12.1 comes just over a month after the release of tvOS 12.0.1 and six weeks after the September launch of tvOS 12. tvOS 12.1 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System -> Software Update. Apple TV...

The new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models that Apple debuted today will ship with an 18W USB-C power adapter, an upgrade from the 12W USB-A power adapter that shipped with the previous-generation models. Apple's 18W USB-C power adapter should charge new iPad Pro models faster, and it will also be able to be used for fast charging for Apple's newest iPhones when paired with a USB-C to Lightning...

Following today's Apple event in New York, the company has now opened up pre-orders for the second generation Apple Pencil, as well as numerous other accessories. You can order your new Apple Pencil right now for $129.00, and the accessory will ship on November 7. Free engravings are also available for Apple Pencil. Secondly, the new Smart Keyboard Folio for iPad Pro is available for...

Prior to today's event, iPad Pro rumors suggested Apple would remove the headphone jack from the updated tablet, and as it turns out, those rumors were accurate. Apple's newly redesigned 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models do not feature a headphone jack, with the port now officially eliminated from all flagship iPhone and iPad models. Apple's new tablets are just 5.9mm thick, a slim size...

Following the launch of new iPad Pro models equipped with USB-C, Apple today debuted several new adapters designed to work with the USB-C interface. There's a new 1m USB-C Charge Cable, priced at $19, along with a USB-C to SD Card Reader priced at $39. Apple has also introduced a $9 USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter to allow standard 3.5mm headphones to be connected to the tablet,...

Alongside the new iPad Pro, Apple also announced a new Apple Pencil available for $129 (preorders today, shipping November 7). The second-generation pencil magnetically attaches to the new iPad Pro for both pairing and wireless charging. The biggest addition to the Pencil, aside from the new magnetic charging feature, is a double-tap gesture — a finger tap on the pencil itself while you...