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iOS Devices

9,871 'iOS Devices' stories May 2007 - April 2013
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The devices that run the world’s most advanced mobile operating system

Check out our top stories on iOS Devices:

iOS devices refer to any of Apple’s hardware that runs the iOS mobile operating system which include iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 10. Here is the complete list of iOS 10 compatible devices.

Siri remembers…for two years says Apple

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 19 2013 - 5:58 am PT
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Apple has disclosed that it keeps your personalized Siri data for two years, after Wired commented on what seemed like rather vague privacy statements. Since Siri has only been around for two years that means Apple should start deleting data later this year on the anniversary of the launch of the iPhone 4S…

Although you don’t explicitly train Siri to recognise your specific voice the way you do with Dragon Dictate (9to5toys deal here), Apple does in fact keep individual voice data files for each user to improve Siri’s ability to interpret your speech. Although Apple still hasn’t been too specific about what data is stored, it’s likely to include both past searches and data stored on your phone such as the names of your contacts …
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55 percent of Verizon’s first-quarter smartphone sales (4M of 7.2M total) were iPhones

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 18 2013 - 7:30 am PT
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Engadget notes Verizon revealed that 4m of the 7.2m smartphones activated by the company in the first quarter this year were iPhones, half of them iPhone 5s, the other half split between older models. The numbers were revealed by CFO Fran Shammo in a conference call.

The 55% is down a slight percentage from Q1 2013 where close to two thirds of Verizon smartphone sales (6.2M out of 9.8M) were iPhones. Shammo also noted that just half of the iPhones activated on Verizon’s network were iPhone 5 or LTE iPhones which seems like a surprisingly low number.

The number is up 25% over the year ago (Q1-2012) quarter which saw 3.2 million iPhones activated out of a total 6.3. The iPhone mix is also up from just over 50%  to 55% of total Verizon smartphone sales (likely helped by the addition of the free iPhone 4).

AAPL share price is again down on the number trading at near $395.

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Nexus 10 is no iPad-killer, says strategy analyst

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 18 2013 - 6:02 am PT
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Strategy analyst Benedict Evans (via Daring Fireball) has done some admittedly rough-and-ready number-crunching on Nexus sales based on Google development data to come up with a figure of just 680,000 Nexus 10 tablets in use.

Given that Apple sold 36.9m iPads sold in the second half of 2012 alone, we’re guessing they’re not too concerned about the competition. Even the Microsoft Surface tablet is believed to have beaten the Nexus 10 numbers, with a rumored 1.5m sales.

Yahoo plans to launch iPad email app, new iOS weather app tomorrow (Update: Live)

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 17 2013 - 6:14 pm PT
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Update: Yahoo! Weather is now available in the App Store. Yahoo! Mail for iPad is also available in the App Store.

Yahoo plans to release an in-house weather app for iOS and an iPad version of its Yahoo Mail app as soon as tomorrow, according to a person familiar with the apps.

The iPad version of Yahoo Mail is optimized for the iPad’s larger screen, and it is already available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Late last year, Yahoo released a redesigned version of its iPhone application that focused on speed and intuitiveness.

Yahoo’s new weather app is notable as the company already is in a partnership with Apple to provide the data for the Weather app pre-installed on all iPhone and iPod touch models…


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Amazon reportedly acquires Evi, the Siri-like iPhone/Android voice assistant app

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 17 2013 - 10:03 am PT
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMBD4dymDRg?rel=0]

According to TechCrunch, Amazon has acquired Evi, a Siri-like voice assistant application currently available for both iOS and Android. While the application remains available on both platforms, the report seems to have significant evidence to back up its acquisition claims:

At UK Companies House all the Evi Technologies Ltd directors have been replaced by Amazon’s UK legal representative, and this is confirmed by the Octopus Ventures annual report. The annualreports of all Octopus Ventuers’ funds allrefer to the disposing of their shares in Evi Technologies.

Companies House records show all directors at Evi have beed replaced and loans paid off, while a small loss of £19,000 was recognised.

The new Company Secretary for Evi Technologies is also Amazon’s: Mitre Secretaries Ltd are the corporate secretary for Amazon.co.uk (and Amazon’s London software development company).

As seen in the video above, Consumer reports created a video showing the differences between Apple’s Siri and Evi. In early 2012, Apple threatened to remove Evi from the App Store because of similarities to Siri, but the application seems to have stayed inside of the App Store’s bounds since then.

Cross posted on 9to5Google.com


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Richard Williamson, former Apple executive who led Maps team, Loren Brichter join Facebook

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 16 2013 - 3:29 pm PT
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According to Bloomberg‘s Adam Satariano, Richard Williamson has joined Facebook. We’ve independently heard the same. Williamson is a former iOS executive from Apple who was reportedly terminated over Apple Maps. Williamson ran Apple’s iOS 6 Maps team and also worked on Siri features.

Williamson joined Facebook in the past couple of weeks to be a manager within its expanding mobile-software group, said two of the people, who declined to be identified because the information isn’t public.

Facebook’s hire of Williamson is notable as the social network reportedly has hired several former Apple engineers to work on various projects, including the Facebook Home software and various other mobile applications. Williamson’s hire marks one of the more high-profile hires of former Apple employees.

Following up on this morning’s news that Loren Brichter is working with Facebook some capacity, Bloomberg also notes that the company has actually hired the Letterpress developer and former Apple employee as a consultant.


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Facebook for iOS gains ‘ChatHeads’, iPad app redesigned, Brichter working on Home

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 16 2013 - 9:17 am PT
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Facebook has released an updated version of its Facebook application for iOS today, bringing the iPad application more in line with the website’s recently announced redesign and adding some features from the Android-based Facebook Home software. The Verge took a hands-on look at the updated app.

The iPad application now has a more streamlined, simplified user-interface that focuses more on content such as photos…


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Facebook Home to come to iPhone? We’re not holding our breath …

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 16 2013 - 4:16 am PT
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http://youtu.be/HiqbNxRurFA

Bloomberg reports that Facebook is in discussions with Apple about the possibility of adding its Facebook Home interface to iPhones. Facebook Home describes itself as ‘putting your friends at the heart of your phone’, and is effectively a skin that sits on top of Android to display social feeds and messages front-and-centre, with apps taking second place. So far, however, it hasn’t wowed Android users.
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Apple says small number of Apple TVs have WiFi issues, opens replacement program

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 15 2013 - 3:56 pm PT
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Apple has informed its official retail stores, AppleCare employees, and authorized resellers that a small number of third-generation Apple TV units have WiFi issues. These issues surround not being able to locate a WiFi network, unable to join a network, and dropped or intermittent connections.

Apple has determined that a very small number of Apple TV (3rd generation) products might experience one of these Wi-Fi related connectivity issues: Cannot locate network, Unable to join network, Dropped or intermittent connection.

If an Apple technician determines that an applicable Apple TV has these issues, the unit can be replaced as part of a replacement program that Apple has begun because of these WiFi issues. Apple says that replacements can be offered free of charge up to two years after the device’s purchase date.

Here are the serial number pairs that are eligible:


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iPhone 5S to reportedly come with 12-megapixel camera, improved low light mode

Avatar for Michael Steeber Apr 15 2013 - 3:12 pm PT
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Image via Gizmag

Tinhte.vn is reporting this afternoon that Apple’s next-generation iPhone (assumed to be dubbed the iPhone 5S) will include an all new 12-megapixel camera as well as an improved night shooting mode. Interestingly, MacRumors notes that the report originates from “Wonderful Saigon Electrics in Binh Duong, which specializes in providing camera modules for the iPhone.”


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Apple Store now offers refurbed 5th-gen iPod touch starting at $249

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Apr 15 2013 - 1:19 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

Apple is now offering the refurbished 5th Generation iPod Touch for $249 (32GB) and $349 (64GB) in a variety of colors. The 17%/$50 discounts are the lowest we’ve seen (new ones at Best Buy and other retailers have hit as low as $270).

Apple refurbished products come with one year of AppleCare just like new products.

iPhone production ramping up as Apple asks Foxconn to take on more staff

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 15 2013 - 5:58 am PT
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Low-cost iPhone concept: www.martinhajek.com

Bloomberg reports that Apple has asked Foxconn to take on additional staff at its Zhengzhou factory, where the only Apple product made is the iPhone – suggesting that production may be ramping up for the iPhone 5S and low-cost iPhone launches …
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Chinese scammers turn fake parts into real iPhones

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 15 2013 - 4:01 am PT
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Photo: stophavingaboringlife.com

In an ironic twist on the controversy over Apple’s return policies in China, five employees at a Chinese electronics store have been arrested for a scam in which they claimed to have carried out iPhone repairs, sending components from fake phones back to Apple and using the ‘replacement’ parts to build and sell real iPhones.

Fake iPhones are commonplace in China, and can often look extremely convincing both externally and internally. The scammers took advantage of this to buy cheap fakes, claim to have carried out repairs on real iPhones, send the fake components back to Apple and then use real components earmarked for repairs to build their own iPhones, which they then sold.

(Via The Register.)

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UK carrier O2 follows T-Mobile lead with its own version of ‘Uncarrier’

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2013 - 7:44 am PT
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UK mobile carrier O2 is following T-Mobile’s US lead in separating phone and airtime plans.

Unlike Uncontract, O2’s Refresh deal still requires customers to sign up to an airtime contract, but allows greater flexibility by paying off the phone plan at a faster rate, and getting more frequent upgrades.

Customers can reduce the monthly cost of the phone plan by paying an up-front amount, or trading in the old handset, and can pay off the phone plan balance at any time in order to upgrade.

A customer buys a HTC One on O2 Refresh and chooses to pay £17 per month for their Airtime Plan and gets unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data. They then choose to pay £20 per month for their Phone Plan and pay £49.99 up front, meaning their combined O2 Refresh tariff costs £37 per month, the same as they would pay on a standard 24 month Pay Monthly contract.

To make it even more affordable to get the latest smartphone, customers can trade in their old mobile for cash using O2 Recycle, getting up to £260 to put towards their new phone.

Refresh is focused on higher-end handsets, and will initially offer a choice of iPhone 5, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, Blackberry Z10 and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Twitter Music app expected to be launched tomorrow (Update: Live)

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2013 - 5:23 am PT
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Photo: wearehunted.com

Update: The service is live

Twitter Music, a new standalone iOS music-discovery app based on wearehunted.com, is expected to launch at the Coachella festival, most likely tomorrow, according to AllThingsD. Twitter acquired the music discovery service wearehunted.com last month.

The app integrates with third-party music apps and services like iTunes and SoundCloud to allow you to listen to clips of music it thinks you may like. Recommendations will be based on a number of different criteria, one of them the Twitter feeds you follow, the rest as yet unknown …
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In-app purchases in children’s games facing scrutiny by UK watchdog

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2013 - 4:13 am PT
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UK consumer watchdog the Office of Fair Trading is investigating in-app purchases in phone games aimed at children, reports the BBC.

The investigation was prompted by a 300% increase in complaints from consumers, and follows a high-profile UK case in which a police officer parent reported his own child for fraud after Apple refused to refund in-app purchases amounting to £3700 ($5680) …
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Disguised discount on iPhone 4 triples sales in India in less than a week

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2013 - 3:46 am PT
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Four large Apple resellers in India have reported a trebling of iPhone 4 sales in just five days after Apple introduced a trade-in scheme allowing customers to hand in their existing phone as part-payment on an iPhone 4, reports The Times of India.

Customers are offered a minimum Rs7,000 ($128) trade-in on any handset against the Rs26,500 ($486) cost of an iPhone 4. Retailers pay Rs,2000 of this in return for the right to sell the used handset, while Apple pays the Rs5,000 balance. As there appear to be no restrictions on brand, age or condition of the handset used for the trade-in, the move effectively amounts to a disguised discount, and suggests that the much-rumored low-cost iPhone is likely to prove successful.

The move appears to be a further strand in Apple’s push to expand its market share in India after last month’s news that it was trebling the number of franchisees in the country.

Morgan Stanley revises Apple estimates (up & down), and adds voice to predictions of digital wallet

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 11 2013 - 6:47 am PT
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Fortune reports that Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty has taken the unusual step of revising her estimates for the current quarter, predicting that Apple will sell more iPads (up 11 percent), fewer iPhones (down 11 percent) and fewer Macs (down 3 percent).

Analysts adjusting their estimates on the basis of supply-chain data and rumors is nothing new, but it’s an unusual step for Huberty, who generally issues a single forecast the day after the previous quarter’s figures are reported and then sticks with it for the full three months …
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Verizon CEO takes credit for convincing Steve Jobs to make iPhone 5 LTE, says half of wireless traffic is now video

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 10 2013 - 6:52 pm PT
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At NAB, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam told attendees that half of his network’s wireless traffic is used for downloading video. McAdam reportedly added that he expects video to take over 2/3 of the Verizon network by 2017. The CEO thanks the carrier’s investments in LTE technology for making this happen.

On the subject of LTE networks, McAdam also shared an interesting tidbit regarding an encounter with Steve Jobs and Apple during the development of the current iPhone, the iPhone 5. One of the latest iPhone’s premier new features over its predecessors is support for LTE networks in regions across the globe. McAdam says that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was initially reluctant about including LTE in the iPhone 5, but McAdam’s descriptions of LTE’s speed capabilities changed Jobs’ mind:


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Apple job listing confirms Apple is investigating using flexible displays in future products

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Apr 10 2013 - 12:39 pm PT
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Update: Apple appears to have removed the job listing, but we grabbed a screenshot above and below.

We know that Apple has been investigating various methods of incorporating flexible displays in its mobile devices thanks to a handful of patents and patent applications published over the last year. Flexible display rumors have picked up steam even more since rumors of an iWatch from Apple, and just today we came across two new Apple patent applications detailing flexible devices that could change states as a user bends or twists the device. We all know Apple patent applications have never been a good indication of future product releases, but now Apple has came right out and stated in a job listing that it is indeed considering flexible displays.

Apple Inc. is looking for a Display Specialist to lead the investigation on emerging display technologies such as high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible display to improve overall display optical performance.

The job listing seeking a Sr. Optical Engineer was posted earlier this month and looks for a display expert to investigate “high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible display.” Specifically, Apple is requesting someone to “Analyze the trade-offs between design, process, optical performance, and implementation feasibility,” hinting that the company is considering introducing new, advanced display technology in the future:
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