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

December historically has been the busiest month for iOS game releases, and so far this year has not disappointed. We're absolutely drowning in unbelievable ports, great game releases, and even more amazing titles scheduled to launch next week. The only problem is how truly spoiled iOS gamers are when it comes to choice -- If you're at all into mobile gaming, you probably have a massive backlog...

Samsung is planning to unveil its next-generation Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus smartphones in February of 2018, just a few months after the launch of the iPhone X, reports Bloomberg. The two devices could be introduced as early as late February with a launch following in early March. Last year, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus were unveiled in late March and released in April. Samsung's ...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win either a Vitesse Messenger Bag or an iPhone Camera Bag. The Vitesse Messenger Bag, priced at $159 (or $169 with cycling strap) is made from a stylish waxed canvas in brown or navy. It holds up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro in an unpadded laptop pocket, and it also has several additional...

Sam's Club is launching a member exclusive one day event tomorrow, December 16, with discounts and promotions on the iPad Pro, Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 2, iPhone X, and a few Beats by Dre products. To gain access to the deals, you'll need a Sam's Club membership, which start at $45/year. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sam's Club. When you click a link and make a purchase,...

Microsoft this week announced that the beta for its main Xbox iOS app will soon allow testers to enable party chat and speak with friends who are in a party on Xbox One, with a wide launch expected to follow. Those interested can sign up for the Xbox app beta, run through Apple's TestFlight program, on Microsoft's website. The party chat mode is already available on the Android beta of the Xbox...

Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Xiaomi are reportedly in discussions with carriers AT&T and Verizon, who may begin selling each company's flagship Android smartphones in the United States as early as next year. The negotiations are still in progress, and it's possible no final agreements will materialize, according to Bloomberg News. The news echoes an earlier report from The...

In the United States and a select few other countries today is Free Shipping Day, a shopping holiday in which most participating retailers offer free shipping with no minimum purchase required. Although lesser-known than previous shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Free Shipping Day is a great opportunity for last-minute shoppers to get orders in ahead of Christmas, because most...

Apple in June promised to introduce new analytics features for podcasters, providing in-episode analytics options for tracking people listening, where in a podcast listeners stop and skip content, whether ads are skipped, and how long people generally listen for. Starting today, Apple's podcast analytics feature is rolling out in a beta capacity, reports TechCrunch. In recent years,...

Apple iTunes Chief Eddy Cue will attend the Pollstar Live! 2018 Conference where he will sit down for a QA session with Variety Executive Music Editor Shirley Halperin, Variety reported today. Cue's official title is vice president of Internet Software and Services, and he oversees both iTunes and Apple Music along with Apple Pay, Maps, iCloud services, Apple's video efforts, and more."Eddy...

Apple released iOS 11.2.1 on Wednesday with multiple bug fixes, but an emoji-related issue continues to affect the Messages app on iOS devices. The bug happens as follows: start a fresh conversation with a new recipient in the Messages app, send a single emoji as the first message, and much of the interface will essentially go blank with the top menu disappearing. The glitch effectively...

Apple today released the first public beta of iOS 11.2.5 to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the first beta to developers and also one day after releasing iOS 11.2.1, an update that addressed a HomeKit vulnerability. Beta testers who are members of Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 11.2.5 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on an ...

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.2.5 update to its public beta testing group, one day after seeding the tvOS 11.2.5 update to developers. The first tvOS 11.2.5 public beta comes just a day after the release of tvOS 11.2.1, an update that fixed a HomeKit vulnerability. The tvOS 11.2.5 public beta can be obtained by going to the Settings app on the Apple TV and navigating ...

Snapchat today announced "Lens Studio," an all-new application for Mac and Windows computers that lets creatives and developers create their own augmented reality effects. Although anyone can use Lens Studio, the company noted that it was built with tools aimed at those who "dabble" in 2D animation effects, as well as professional artists. With the Mac app users can create a fully realized...

LUX Products today announced the release of its new KONO Smart thermostat with support for HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. HomeKit integration allows the Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat to be controlled with Siri voice commands using an iPhone or iPad. Likewise, the thermostat can be controlled with Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. KONO Smart also has a physical knob that...

Apple today announced that if you shop at select online retailers using Apple Pay from December 14 through December 21, you'll get a $5 App Store and iTunes Gift card. The offer is only valid for United States residents and while supplies last. Furthermore, Apple stated that there is a limit to one card per retail partner, suggesting you can get additional $5 cards if you shop at multiple online...

Pandora today announced that it will now let those who use the company's free, ad-supported tier access on-demand listening after viewing a 15-second video ad. Listeners can search for a specific song, album, playlist, and then they'll have an option to view the ad in question, after which a Pandora Premium listening session will unlock. Previously, users on Pandora's free tier had to listen ...

SoundCloud is today launching a brand new home experience within its iOS app that the company said will make it easier to discover new content from the service's community of creators. The new home tab offers curated recommendations, personalized playlists, and "exclusive culture-focused audio content." All of these recommendations will come direct from SoundCloud's creators, and users will...

Apple's online store is now offering free next-day delivery for all in-stock items ordered by 3 p.m. local time on December 22 in the United States. Apple normally offers free two-day delivery for most products, but it expands free next-day delivery to all in-stock items towards the end of every holiday shopping season to help customers purchase last-minute gifts in time for Christmas....