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

Samsung is planning to launch a new program selling refurbished used versions of its smartphones as early as next year, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. The Korean tech firm is seeking ways to sustain its earnings after the company posted its best profits for two years following a restructuring of its mobile lineup. With the smartphone market plateauing, Samsung hopes that selling...

Just a couple days after exclusively launching visual album "Endless" on Apple Music, R&B singer Frank Ocean has released his sophomore album "Blonde", which used to be referred to as "Boy's Don't Cry". The album, which is his first since his debut album "Channel Orange" in 2012, will be exclusive to Apple Music for two weeks. The 17-track album was originally set to release on August 5, but ...

Ride hailing company Lyft recently approached several companies including Apple in an attempt to sell itself, according to a report by The New York Times. The second-largest ride hailing firm in the U.S. held talks with or contacted Apple, Amazon, General Motors, Uber, Google, and Didi Chuxing over a potential sale, but was unable to find a buyer, said the newspaper's sources. G.M., one of...

Facebook has released a new teens-only social app called "Lifestage" that asks users to create profiles by uploading video clips instead of filling in text fields. The standalone app is aimed at high school kids aged 21 and under, and doesn't require a Facebook account. Users are asked to select their high school and are then shown video profiles of people at the same school or ones nearby, as ...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with popular iPhone accessory maker Cygnett to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a Cygnett Accessory Prize Pack that includes any Cygnett case, a battery pack, a Lightning cable, and an iPhone car mount. Cygnett makes a wide range of iPhone cases for all iPhone models from the iPhone 5 and iPhone SE to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Cases range from...

Streaming radio service Pandora is getting ready to introduce two new on-demand paid subscription tiers, in addition to keeping its popular free option available, according to people familiar with the matter speaking with The Wall Street Journal. The company is said to be "close to inking deals" with some major record companies that will let it expand the two new tiers in both the United...

Sony today announced its first CarPlay-supported in-car audio system, the XAV-AX100, which the company touts as offering "everything you need" for long car journeys, including smartphone connectivity, a high-quality sound system, and voice command features. Following Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, JBL, and Pioneer, Sony is the newest company to manufacture aftermarket CarPlay systems. Thanks to the...

The New York Times has announced that its curated news app, NYT Now [Direct Link], will officially shut down and no longer be available to download from the week of August 29. The app was originally announced in early 2014 as a way to provide readers with a cheaper alternative to the digital subscription service offered by the company, coming in at $8 per month, "roughly half the price of the...

Apple's demand that overseas suppliers lower their quotes for iPhone 7 parts and components has been met with resistance from makers, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes. Apple is said to have asked downstream part and component suppliers, excluding TSMC and Largan Precision, to reduce their quotes for iPhone 7 devices by as much as 20 percent, even though order volumes for new phones are ...

Twitter has announced a new "Quality Filter" feature that enables users to filter notifications so that they only see "quality tweets" and mentions from people they follow. The feature initially rolled out as a test and was created partly as a means to combat users' exposure to abusive trolls, but Twitter says the filter is now available to everyone. "Last year we began testing a quality...

Just about two weeks after it was reported that R&B singer Frank Ocean's next album, "Boys Don't Cry," would be available exclusively on Apple music, the singer has released "Endless," a visual album exclusive to the service. An Apple representative told Pitchfork that the 45-minute visual album features new songs from the artist. The rep added that fans should "keep an eye out this weekend...

Philips recently announced its first Bluetooth-connected Sonicare toothbrush aimed at adults, which interfaces with an iPhone to monitor brushing habits, offer brushing tips, and make sure you're brushing right. Priced at $199, the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected takes the well-known and popular FlexCare brush and introduces iPhone connectivity through a Sonicare app that tracks...

Microsoft today announced the launch of its OneNote Import Tool for Mac, which is designed to allow Mac users to quickly and easily transfer all of their notes from note-taking app Evernote to Microsoft's own note-taking app, OneNote. Transitioning from Evernote to OneNote is as simple as downloading the import tool, letting the app locate Evernote notebooks, signing into your Microsoft...

Sprint has announced a new plan called Unlimited Freedom that offers unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data for $60 per month. A second line can be added for $40 per month, while up to eight more lines can be added for an additional $30 per month each. The total cost for a family of four, for example, would be $160 per month, the same price as T-Mobile's new ONE plan for that many lines....

After years of planning, and testing phases over the last few months, Uber this month will begin allowing customers in Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from within its ride-hailing app. As noted by Bloomberg, "no automotive or technology company has yet achieved" the public launch of a self-driving service, passing rivals Google, Tesla, and Ford, who have so far only performed tests in the...

Apple has added Apple Pay support for customers of Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank in the United Kingdom. Apple's official list of participating banks in Europe has yet to updated, but the two banks independently confirmed news of the added support via Twitter and on their websites. The support also covers the two banks' new co-operative digital banking service, called simply "B", which ...

Instagram has introduced a new "Events" channel in the Explore section of its app that highlights user photos and video clips captured during specific events from around the world. Currently only available in the U.S., the new channel implements an algorithm to curate media from events like sports games and concerts, based on a user's preferences and habits, according to a post on the...

Starting on August 19, Apple Pay will be available in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the United States, allowing fast food buyers to make their purchases both in-store and at the drive thru using Apple's payment service. The news was shared by the Chick-fil-A Twitter account following an inquiry by AppleInsider writer Roger Fingas, who had heard a tip that support was already rolling out at...