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

Sony has released a new PlayStation Communities iOS app that allows players to interact with fellow PS4 gamers from their Apple phones and tablets. The app works much like a forum portal: Players using the app can search for, join, and interact with groups, where they can post messages and images on a community wall. Members can stick to chatting about gaming or join groups to set up...

Yahoo recently debuted Yahoo Answers Now, a native app version of its popular Q&A site. The app has secretly been in the App Store for months under a different name, according to TechCrunch. The app allows Yahoo Answers users to post and answer questions on the go. They'll also be able to more easily craft rich media responses to questions and get matched up with questions they might be...

Philips today updated its Hue app, used to control its line of Philips Hue lights, to version 2.6.0. The update adds long-awaited support for the iPad, allowing iPad users to access their lights from an iPad-optimized app for the first time. The iPad version of the Philips Hue app features the same general design and controls that were introduced when Philips revamped the Hue app back in...

Apple has advised developers to make sure their apps are up to date by Thursday, December 22, as new apps and app updates will not be accepted between Friday, December 23 and Tuesday, December 27. Apple says any planned app releases during this holiday period should be submitted, approved, and scheduled in advance. Other iTunes Connect and developer account features will remain available...

Apple has enabled carrier billing in Belgium and Norway, expanding upon the feature's existing availability in Germany, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The feature is limited to select carriers in each country — share if yours is supported in the comments. The payment method enables customers to pay for iTunes content, App Store apps, iBooks, ...

Smart lock manufacturer Kwikset recently announced that the company's simplistic deadbolt solution, the Kevo Convert, is now available for users to pre-order for $149. Unlike Kwikset's other systems, including the Kwikset Kevo, the Kevo Convert is an easy-to-install conversion kit that keeps the outward-facing hardware of a standard door lock, while replacing the interior deadbolt. Due to...

Connected security camera company Canary is today launching a new update to its app that introduces support for the fourth-generation Apple TV, letting users view their camera's live stream on their television, or watch older recordings saved within the app. Prior to the Apple TV app, Canary users only had the company's mobile app to view content captured via a Canary or Canary Flex system (via Te...

Apple's iPad was one of the five best-selling electronic devices on Cyber Monday yesterday, November 28, according to new data acquired by Adobe and published in a press release last night. Every iPad appears to be taken into account in Adobe's data, but it's likely that the newest iPad Pro models helped fuel sales thanks to a handful of discounts from various retailers, particularly on the...

Amazon's next iteration of the Echo speaker will be a "premium" model that includes a touchscreen measuring around seven inches, marking "a major departure" from the tall, cylindrical design of the Echo currently on sale. The company is said to be upgrading Echo for two reasons: to capitalize on the device's success, and as early preparation to "fend off competition" from Google Home and Apple's...

Samsung Electronics announced on Tuesday it is considering splitting itself into a holding company and an operating company in order to boost shareholder value, in what could be the biggest shake-up in the South Korean tech giant's history. According to Reuters, the move is part of a bid to improve investor returns after Samsung came under pressure from shareholders to simplify its business...

Panic, the famed developer behind apps like Coda and Transit, today announced that it is discontinuing its Status Board app for iPad. The app was released in early 2013 and was intended to help people easily view a variety of relevant data in a beautiful interface. The developer says that sales weren't enough to sustain further development, outlining three reasons for low sales. While Panic...

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today rejected an application from several Australian banks that sought to collectively negotiate with Apple over Apple Pay, reports Reuters. Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank (NAB), and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank sought to enter into group talks with Apple in an attempt to establish a deal that would give them access...

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third watchOS 3.1.1 beta and a month after releasing watchOS 3.1, the first update to the watchOS 3 operating system. watchOS 3.1.1 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the...

A large number of iCloud users have reportedly received spam in the form of unsolicited Calendar event invitations over the last week. Suspect Black Friday offers for cheap goods have been appearing in personal iCloud calendars, with the default options to "Accept", "Maybe" or "Decline" appearing at first to be the only way to respond to them. Unfortunately choosing any of these options...

Google is offering four free months of Play Music as part of its Cyber Week deals. The four-month trial includes a YouTube Red subscription for ad-free YouTube streaming and can be cancelled at any time. The Play music streaming service usually costs $9.99 per month, giving members access to over 35 million songs. Google recently announced an overhaul of its Google Play Music streaming...

Today is Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States. Between now and Cyber Monday, a number of developers are offering deals on their iPhone and iPad apps. MacRumors has been keeping an eye on AppShopper, and we have more App Store sales to share today. Name: Alto's Adventure Developer: Snowman Sale Price: 99 cents Previous Price: $3.99 Compatibility:...

B&H Photo Video is offering the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (32GB, Wi-Fi + 4G LTE, Rose Gold) for just $529 today, a savings of $200 off its regular price of $729. The deal is one of the best we've seen for any Wi-Fi or cellular 9.7-inch iPad Pro this week. But hurry, as the sale only runs until 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday. Update: The sale has ended. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with...

Apple is working with LG on a new dual camera module capable of 3D photography effects for potential use in its 10th anniversary iPhone, according to a brief report in The Korea Economic Daily. The article is short on details, but states that the "LG Innotek" dual-lens camera will likely be used in Apple's new products in the latter half of 2017. Sources close to the situation said, "Apple ...