Both new iPads feature the rumored Touch ID fingerprint sensor and they look nearly identical to their predecessors. The iPad Air 2 is getting a burst photography mode, which is a new neat feature available for the first time on the iPad and previously released with the iPhone 5s. The new tablets are getting the latest iOS 8.1 upgrade along with the Apple Pay payments system. At the event, Tim Cook also announced that total iPad sales have reached 225 million units and that there are 675, 000 apps specifically optimized for the tablet....

According to Apple, these are “the thinnest phones they’ve ever made”, at 6.9mm for the iPhone 6 and 7.1mm for the iPhone 6 Plus. The smartphones are powered by Apple’s new A8 processor, which should be at least 25% faster than the A7 by processing power, and 50% faster in the graphic rendering field. Also, as expected, it seems that the battery life has been improved drastically. The iPhone 6’s battery should now be able to offer 14 hours of 3G talk, 50 hours of audio, 11 of video and 10 standby days....

Buying a new iPad always brings me to the same gigantic question: What do I do with it? My work life can fit on a MacBook Air, and my personal life fits on an iPhone. If the iPad Pro can’t completely replace at least one of those for me, then where exactly does it fit? I wasn’t kidding when I said my sole reason for buying the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) is for evaluating the mini-LED display, Center Stage, and the state of iPadOS over the next year....

Apple has updated Apple.com with an all-new gift guide for Valentine’s Day shoppers. The gift guide is interactive and lets you shop for specific types of people such as “lovers of photography” or “lovers of music.” The page includes some fresh new product imagery and surfaces some cool accessories you might have otherwise not easily found on the store. It also includes shoutouts to services like Apple Arcade and apps like Apple Podcasts that highlight popular titles....

Apple’s annual report, filed today, confirmed the obvious: music sales through its iTunes Store have declined. The company did not give a figure, noting only that the drop was more than compensated for by growth in app sales, but a recent WSJ report put the decline as high as 14%. The fall in music downloads was of course the primary motivation behind the company’s largest acquisition, the purchase of Beats, as it moves towards a full music streaming service of its own....

Apple’s PRODUCT(RED) devices have taken center stage on the company’s website today. In partnership with (RED), Apple has announced that it will be redirecting 100% of eligible proceeds of its PRODUCT(RED) devices and accessories to the Global Fund’s COVID‑19 relief efforts from now until June 30. Apple updated its website today in the US and around the world to note that all donations from sales of its PRODUCT(RED) lineup that normally go to helping fight HIV/AIDS will be temporarily redirected to pandemic relief (which will actually help keep HIV/AIDS programs alive)....

Apple co-founder and visionary CEO Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56. Apple posted the following statement on their website: Below are pieces of remembrance from some of the people surrounding Steve Jobs. Statement issued by Apple’s Board of Directors: We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives....

Apple announced earlier this month that Apple Camp was going virtual for 2020, and today, registration for the at-home sessions has opened. Parents and kids interested in signing up can apply on Apple’s website and download a free Activity Book. Apple Camp normally takes place as creative activities for kids in Apple’s retail stores, but just like WWDC, the experience is a bit different this year. The new Apple Camp at Home Activity Book is a 38-page guide filled to the brim with three fun creative projects for the whole family....

Apple’s announcement that developers will be able to keep 85% of subscription revenue after the first year seemed to leave some questions unanswered. In particular, Phil Schiller’s examples appeared to contradict descriptions on Apple’s own website. MacWorld has now spoken with Apple to clarify the position, and it seems to be good news for developers. The position does still leave some uncertainty, however, as the terms ‘make sense’ and ‘ongoing value’ are subjective ones....

Apple has closed the signing window for iOS 8.1 on compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models, thereby eliminating the ability for users to downgrade to the software version. iOS 8.1.1, seeded as an over-the-air update a few weeks ago, is now the earliest software version that devices can be restored to. If you are currently using an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that is running iOS 8.1, keep in mind that you will be unable to ever go back to that software version if you upgrade at this point....

Apple, alongside viral video sharing app TikTok, skipped a congressional hearing today that focused on the relationship between the tech industry and China. The absence of an Apple representative drew ire from some lawmakers at today’s hearing. As reported by The Washington Post, two empty chairs at the witness table today served to represent the absence of Apple and TikTok. Right from the start, Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, took issue with the absence of the two companies....

Apple is now facing yet another antitrust investigation, adding to those already under way in the US and Europe. The latest one is in Russia, and while the investigation is new, the controversy isn’t — relating to the way that Apple handles third-party parental control apps… As Reuters explains, the accusation is that Apple is limiting competition for one of its own apps, Screen Time. The controversy began in the US in 2018, when Apple started clamping down on third-party parental control apps....

Sony is buying out Ericsson’s piece of the venture and the group is folding into Sony Electronics. Teixeira started at Apple this month. Internally at Apple, he is “Latin America General Manager,” but to the greater world he’s “Head of Latin America.” He will be operating out of Apple’s small Coral Gables Florida office at 1 Alhambra Plaza Suite 700. He has nine reports at that office. A mid-2009 profile listed some background on his appointment at Sony:...

A couple of hours ago, Apple sent out emails asking registered Apple developers to submit their tvOS apps for the Apple TV, using the GM seeds of tvOS and Xcode 7.1. Although several thousand developer kits are out in the wild, the App Store app is yet to appear for these users. It may come online over-the-air and just ‘appear’ like Apple TV channels do, or there may be a small software update in the next few days to add the application....

After teasing a late spring launch for its new Business Manager platform for enterprise users, Apple announced the U.S. launch this week during a developer session at WWDC. Apple Business Manager will then launch globally in 34 countries starting June 20, followed by an expansion to another 31 countries this summer alongside Apple School Manager. The Business Manager platform was previously in beta with a select group of partners since earlier this year....

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced today that Apple Card will soon be adding a new feature for iPhone financing. Starting later this year, Apple Card users will be able to finance iPhone purchases with 0% interest. Cook made the announcement on Apple’s Q4 2019 earnings call this evening. When the feature rolls out later this year, Apple Card users will be able to finance iPhone purchases over 24 months with 0% interest....

Apple announced that Apple Card is available to everyone in the United States from today. To sign up, simply open the Wallet app on your iPhone and begin the application process. In a press release, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey said Apple was “thrilled” with the interest in Apple’s credit card. Apple also announced that it is extending the 3% Daily Cash offer to third-party merchants, starting with Uber and Uber Eats....

Update: 12:30PM ET – Apple’s status website also saying the issues are resolved For the second time this week, Apple has confirmed that iMessage and FaceTime are experiencing hiccups, albeit nearly three hours after users first started reporting issues. Any regular user of the service can speak for how regular of an occurrence this is, and Apple is consistently slow to confirm any service disruption. Notably, when Apple does admit any downtime, it typically downplays the issue while our own experience and that of the good people on Twitter reflects otherwise....

Lawyer Normand Painchaud spoke with The Montreal Gazette about his class-action suit filed in Quebec Superior Court and talked about two others filed in Ontario and British Columbia: Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that a similar class-action suit filed in B.C. Supreme Court, as mentioned by Painchaud. Lawyer Reidar Mogerman, who filed the case last week, spoke with the publication: Apple and the publishers have not responded to the cases, and —as of this week— statements of defense were not filed in Canadian courts....

Apple has announced a new enterprise-focused partnership with SAP that it hopes will boost iPhone and iPad usage in the workplace. The Apple and SAP partnership follows an ongoing effort between Apple and IBM to create specific iOS apps for various industries and deploy iOS technology in the field. Apple’s latest effort will include an SDK, or software developer kit, in partnership with SAP that will let developers create business-specific apps plus offer resources for learning how to utilize iOS technology....