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

Elgato was one of the first companies to release Bluetooth-enabled HomeKit accessories back in June of 2015, but one of its products, the Eve Energy smart plug, was only made available in Europe. That's set to change today, with the launch of the U.S. version of the Eve Energy. Available from Amazon and the Elgato website, Eve Energy plugs into any standard wall socket and allows users to...

Apple is adding Wistron as a supplier of the so-called "iPhone 5se," in addition to Foxconn Electronics (via DigiTimes). The latter will still lead production on the next-generation 4-inch iPhone, but Apple is ensuring that manufacturing goes as smoothly as possible by introducing a secondary supplier in Wistron. Apple has been trying to separate its orders to different ODMs to avoid risks....

An Indian handset maker will tomorrow launch the country's cheapest smartphone, in a move that's likely to disrupt its booming mobile market of over 200 million users. Called Freedom 251 and priced at under Rs 500 ($7), the handset is being manufactured by domestic handset maker Ringing Bells as part of the government's Made in India campaign, which promotes and encourages local manufacturing. ...

Popular free-to-play iOS racing game Real Racing 3 has received an update which includes a new "Daytona Experience" race pack and enhanced integration with Apple TV. The Daytona Experience features iconic 700-horsepower NASCAR Spring Cup Series cars and the opportunity to take part in Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in the NASCAR calendar. From February 16 through March 4, players...

Apple Music and Sonos have partnered to create a new ad that was shown during tonight's Grammy Music Awards. The commercial comes days after Apple Music officially launched on Sonos, allowing Sonos customers to stream Apple Music content and direct access to Apple Music features like For You, Radio and My Music. The ad features musical artists Killer Mike, Matt Berninger and Annie Clark...

Kanye West's latest album, "The Life of Pablo," is available exclusively on Tidal, the Apple Music rival service created by Jay Z. According to West, he has no plans to offer "The Life of Pablo" through other streaming services, including Apple Music, instead intending for it to be a permanent Tidal exclusive. In a tweet shared this afternoon, West said "The Life of Pablo" will "never never...

The sole company responsible for manufacturing the processor in Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has reduced its shipping estimates after its facilities were damaged in an earthquake (via DigiTimes). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) suffered the damage to its plants on February 6 when a 6.4-magnitude quake struck the southern part of the country. Initially, TSMC ...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with AyeGear to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a V26 Travel Vest, which is a tech vest that's able to hold an iPhone, an iPad, a Retina MacBook, and a huge number of accessories in its dedicated pockets. There are 26 total pockets in the Travel Vest, with seven on the outside and 19 on the inside. The two largest inner pockets can hold dual...

AT&T has announced that its "Buy One Get One Free" promotion for iPhones and select other smartphones is now available again for both new and existing customers. The limited time offer requires both smartphones to be purchased on AT&T Next with a qualifying plan. The first device can be a new line or an upgrade, while the second device must be a new line and purchased on AT&T Next 24. After ...

Athletic apparel company ASICS today acquired popular running app Runkeeper for an undisclosed amount of money. Runkeeper founder Jason Jacobs announced the news in a blog post on Medium, in which he promised that the merger of a "digital fitness platform and world class physical products" will be one that should benefit fans of both companies. Partnering with ASICS to fulfill this vision...

Apple today updated its TestFlight iOS app to include support for watchOS 2.2 and iOS 9.3, two upcoming software updates that are currently being beta tested by developers and public beta testers. Today's update also includes stability and performance improvements for the TestFlight app.What's New Includes support for watchOS 2.2 and iOS 9.3, as well as minor stability and performance...

In iOS 7, Apple introduced the option to add an "Unread" mailbox to the iOS Mail app, giving users a place to aggregate all incoming email for quick access. The feature was never widely publicized, and as a result, many iOS users today are unaware that it exists. Adding an "Unread" mailbox takes just a few taps, but it's highly useful, especially when you've got a lot of incoming emails. We've ...

Vevo today announced that it has brought its popular music video streaming service to the new Apple TV in a tailor-made native tvOS experience. Available to download right now, Vevo says that the app will act as "an extension of the company’s product-driven strategy to deliver the best cross-platform music video and entertainment experience." “Artists and audiences deserve great music...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent filed by Apple in March 2014, which depicts an Apple Watch automatically adjusting an iPhone's audio volume or other alert characteristics based on ambient sound samples (via AppleInsider). The invention would be most useful in noisy environments where alerts might otherwise go unnoticed or unheard. The system could also...

iDevices has announced that its app-enabled iGrill and Kitchen Thermometer accessories have been acquired by Weber-Stephen Products, a worldwide manufacturer of charcoal, gas, and electric outdoor grills and related accessories. The acquisition includes the iGrill2, iGrill mini, Kitchen Thermometer, and Kitchen Thermometer mini. The terms of the agreement are confidential. Weber will partner ...

A new video by YouTube user Junya Sakamoto posted over the weekend shows off a homemade robot, created by Sakamoto, that masters the trickiest stages of popular mobile game Puzzles and Dragons (via Kotaku). The four minute video uploaded to Sakamoto's self-titled YouTube channel details the initial creation and design of the robot to the final, tangible realization of the iPhone game-beating...

Square Enix today launched the iOS version of its popular game Final Fantasy IX [Direct Link], which was originally released in 2000 for the Sony PlayStation. New to the iOS version of the game, players will be able to unlock achievements, activate 7 additional game boosters including a rapid-pace "high speed" mode, game autosaves, and improved high definition cut scenes and character models. G...

Norwegian police will force a 27-year-old man accused of drug possession to unlock his mobile phone via fingerprint, according to local website Bergensavisen [Google Translate]. The police believe the confiscated smartphone may contain evidence about where he obtained the illegal substance. The man, who reportedly admitted he was culpable, has refused to unlock his phone for police since...