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

AppleCare+ for iPad, iPhone, and iPod is set to debut in Australia in the near future, perhaps ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 in the country. According to a tipster who spoke to MacRumors, Apple Store employees in Australia are currently receiving training on the service. AppleCare+ for iPhone originally launched in the U.S. in 2011, offering two years of extended warranty protection...

Earlier this year, Apple acquired Burstly, the company behind the popular TestFlight service for managing beta testing of iOS apps, and at WWDC in June Apple announced it would be relaunching TestFlight with iOS 8 as an integrated service for developers and testers. With the redesigned iTunes Connect web portal launching yesterday, the service is now including references to TestFlight and the...

Apple late yesterday rolled out its overhauled iTunes Connect web portal with a new visual design and improved features to help developers manage the sales and marketing of their apps, books and other media. Apple first introduced the new iTunes Connect at WWDC 2014 and is rolling out the interface ahead of the expected fall launch of iOS 8. The web-based tool has an iOS 7-inspired flat...

Ahead of the iPhone 6's launch, Adam Satariano of BloombergBusinessweek has shared some details on Apple's early field failure analysis (EFFA) program, designed to solve potential iPhone issues quickly and efficiently. The EFFA Program, which is run by Apple's AppleCare team, has been in place since the late 1990s. As outlined by Satariano, shortly after any iPhone release, the EFFA program...

One of Apple's suppliers is once again being accused of labor violations, with both Green America and China Labor Watch claiming a Catcher factory in Suqian, China has endangered the health and safety of its workers. Catcher is responsible for producing casings for many of Apple's products, including its MacBooks and iPads. According to the report [PDF], Catcher has failed to provide adequate...

Angry Birds Stella, the latest entry in Rovio's highly successful Angry Birds series, today launched for iOS devices. The game puts players in the role of lead character Stella and five of her bird friends as they protect their home of Golden Island from piggies through more than 120 playable levels. Notable gameplay features include a new tap-to-hold mechanic to target attacks and the...

After pulling its HERE maps app due to incompatibilities with iOS 7, Nokia is headed back to Apple's mobile platform with a new offline maps application that'll compete with Google Maps and Apple Maps. The app is in the final stages of development and expected to land before the end of the year, reports the Wall Street Journal. Nokia's previous version of HERE Maps for iOS Nokia is...

Chinese carrier China Mobile has begun taking preorders for the upcoming iPhone 6 ahead of the device's official launch, reports China Daily. Available at China Mobile Beijing, the preorder campaign appears to be aimed at drumming up interest for Apple's new devices. On a website, China Mobile Beijing allows users to choose between the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, but the carrier does not offer...

Microsoft today updated its Word, Excel, and PowerPoint iPad apps to allow users to purchase a monthly subscription to Office 365 directly in the apps. Previously, customers were able to purchase a yearly subscription for Office 365 Home within the apps for $99.99, but it's now possible to buy a monthly subscription for Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home via in-app purchase. As we...

Apple has posted a new page on its developer website (via Cult of Mac) outlining reasons why it rejects apps from the App Store, giving tips on how to better prepare an app for a review. The page also gives the top ten reasons for app rejections during the 7-day period ending last week:Top 10 reasons for app rejections during the 7‑day period ending August 28, 2014. 14%: More information...

Apple has posted its final lineup for this year's iTunes Festival in London, which starts tonight and now includes acts such as Placido Domingo, SBTRKT, Friend Within, Kate Simko & London Electronic Orchestra, Imelda May and The Mirror Trap. Deadmau5 will headline tonight's list of opening acts as Placido Domingo will close the show on September 30. Apple previously announced two separate exp...

As of today, both new customers and existing AT&T subscribers who activate a new line with a smartphone using AT&T's Next upgrade program will get a $100 bill credit. Whether you already have an AT&T account, or you're choosing AT&T for the first time, it's easy to receive a $100 bill credit: Purchase a new smartphone on AT&T Next. Activate a new qualified wireless line of service on your...

Following hints of a release earlier this summer, the iOS version of 2K Games' original first person shooter BioShock is now available in the App Store. Rumored since 2008, BioShock on iOS is a port of the full, original game first released in 2007. Set in 1960, BioShock asks players to take on the role of Jack, a plane crash survivor who finds his way into the defunct underwater city of...

Apple has again been denied a permanent injunction on Samsung products that infringe on its smartphone patents, reports Bloomberg. Judge Lucy Koh today rejected Apple's plea for a sales ban on nine different Samsung devices involved in the second Apple vs. Samsung patent infringement trial. According to Koh, Apple did not demonstrate irreparable harm in the form of lost sales, despite efforts...

The sequel to NimbleBit's popular free-to-play tower building game Tiny Tower is now available for download worldwide after soft launching in several countries earlier this summer. Tiny Tower Vegas incorporates the same tower building gameplay found in the original game, melding it with several Las Vegas-themed mini games like poker and slot machines. As in the previous game, the idea is for ...

After a long delay, the August Smart Lock is finally shipping out to preorder customers beginning today. First introduced in May of 2013, the August Smart Lock is a Bluetooth-based iPhone-compatible locking system designed by Jason Johnson and notable designer Yves Béhar. At August, our mission is to make beautiful products that allow your physical environment to seamlessly respond to you....

PayPal is currently offering 25 percent off digital iTunes cards in the United Kingdom, allowing users to purchase iTunes codes for the App Store, Mac App Store, iBooks Store, and iTunes Store at a discount. Under the terms of the deal, an £15 iTunes card drops to £11.25, while a £25 card drops to £18.75. Larger denomination iTunes cards of £50 and £100 are available for £37.50 and...

Instagram today launched a new standalone video app called Hyperlapse, which is designed to allow users to capture high-quality time lapse videos enhanced with built-in stabilization features. According to the app's description, the image stabilization allows users to create "polished" time lapse videos that would normally only be possible with the use of a tripod. In an interview with Wired,...