Out of the blue, Apple has today launched their first battery case, the Apple iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case for $99. The case comes in Charcoal Gray or White and is compatible with iPhone 6s or iPhone 6. The case is like the Apple Silicone Case, with the addition of a back bump for a battery. Third-party iPhone battery cases have existed for a long time, this is the first version of the product from Apple itself....

Apple has released the first iOS 10.2 beta for iPhone and iPad to registered developers. The update follows the public release of iOS 10.1.1 earlier today for all users. We’ll update with details about what’s included shortly. Apple has also released several other betas for developers to test including watchOS 3.1.1, tvOS 10.1, and macOS 10.12.2. The update is available over-the-air for developers already using the developer certificate. Otherwise checkout the Dev Center to access the update....

Apple is continuing to emphasise its ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign, where it features photos and videos taken by ordinary iPhone users, with two new video commercials. One of the ads features a macro close-up clip of an ant carrying a leaf by Tim W. The other is another close-up of a squirrel eating a nut, credited to Linda H. Watch the two fifteen-second commercials below … Apple’s long-running ‘Shot on iPhone’ campaign conveys the power of the iPhone as a camera, with negligible marketing copy....

Apple has been under pressure to let developers redirect users to third-party payment systems instead of their own, but so far the company has been appealing this decision. Now the Dutch regulator is requiring Apple to allow dating apps to use alternative payment methods in the Netherlands. As noted by iCulture, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) on Friday ordered Apple to change its “unreasonable conditions in its App Store” regarding the store’s payment system....

Following an update for AirPods Pro 2 earlier this week, Apple is now rolling out new firmware versions for the rest of its AirPods lineup as well. This includes AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Max, and the original AirPods Pro. New AirPods firmware updates The new firmware version for these new AirPods is version 5B58. The update is available to all of the aforementioned AirPods models starting today. This is up from the previous firmware version of 4E71, and it’s the same version that was released to AirPods Pro 2 earlier this week....

Is your Apple Music Library missing? Read on for how to check your iCloud Music settings to recover your Apple Music Library. Apple Music is a great streaming service that allows users to save and download music and videos to a personal library. However, if you’ve signed out of your iTunes/App Store account or are setting up a new device, iCloud Music Library isn’t turned on by default. Follow along with the steps below to see if this quick change will recover your Apple Music Library on iPhone, iPad, and Mac....

Earlier this week, Apple denied claims that it had hidden secret backdoors in its iOS platform that could allow the government or malicious users to extract a variety of critical and personal details about a device’s user from an iPhone or iPad, sometimes storing that data in unencrypted formats. Today, the company published a new document on its support website explaining the diagnostic tools that iOS uses to collect data for troubleshooting and other purposes....

Apple has launched a new marketing campaign in India focused on the iPhone 6s. The campaign focuses on the fact that the iPhone 6s is “made in India,” and highlights the device’s low cost. Apple started manufacturing the iPhone 6s in India back in June of last year. Apple supplier Winstron first received approval for its iPhone plant in India in March of the same year, starting production of the iPhone SE in the country....

Apple is rolling out iOS 12.5.4 to older iPhone and iPad devices today. This update brings security fixes and is recommended for all users, according to Apple. The update fixes a trio of vulnerabilities affecting memory corruption and WebKit. The update is available for the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3, as well as the 6th gen iPod touch, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus....

Apple today released the third beta of iOS 8.4 to developers, labeled build 12H4098c. The update is available via Software Update on iOS and it should be hitting the developer center soon. The second Public Beta is available as well for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Xcode 6.4 beta 3 is also available. As with the first pair of betas, iOS 8.4 brings a revamped Music application with a new design, Up Next functionality, a Mini Player, and a new version of iTunes Radio....

Apple is rolling out the first pre-release seed of OS X 10.10.3 to testers and developers today including the all-new Photos app with support for iCloud Photo Library beta. Previously, iCloud Photo Library was only available for desktop users through iCloud.com using a web app. The new Photos app replaces iPhoto while Aperture is also no longer being developed. Apple first announced the new Photos app at WWDC 2014 and later added that development would no longer continue on either iPhoto or Aperture....

Apple is releasing tvOS 15.1, which finally brings SharePlay support, as well as HomePod 15.1 Software with Lossless and Dolby Atmos support today for all users. Alongside macOS Monterey, iOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, and iPadOS 15.1, Apple is also releasing tvOS 15.1 and HomePod 15.1 Software. After delaying the feature with the iOS 15 release, Apple finally started testing the SharePlay feature again with tvOS 15.1 beta. After one month, this function is finally available to everyone....

A week and a half since Apple introduced the first iOS 12.4 developer beta for testing, and Apple appears to be ready to release iOS 12.4 beta 3. We also expect Apple to release the second watchOS 5.3 beta today. iOS 12.4 beta doesn’t yet include any visible changes for users, but there are some under-the-hood changes to prepare iPhones and iPads for Apple Card, the new credit card coming from Apple later this summer....

Add another startup to the list of those under Apple’s wings: PRSS. The company launched in 2012 and gained coverage in 2013 as a simple tool for creating magazine apps for the iPad and Android tablets. TNW explains the startup well in a 2013 article: Essentially, this is a web-based version of iBooks Author that is oriented toward magazines. It’s no secret that Apple’s Newsstand platform, originally launched in 2011 with iOS 5, has not taken off to Apple’s largest ambitions....

Taiwanese site UDN is reporting that Apple has rejected both Samsung and Sharp as potential third suppliers of displays for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in favor of local company Innolux. Apple is believed to have already chosen LG and Japan Display as its primary display panel suppliers, but was said to be seeking a third to help meet likely demand. While Innolux is a major global player in LCD panels, Taiwanese media is not always the most reliable of sources when it comes to reports of contracts awarded to local companies....

Update: Reuters reports that Michel Coulomb has been appointed to replace Kaul. According to a new report out of The Economic Times, Apple’s head of India operations is leaving the company with “immediate effect.” Sanjay Kaul has been in charge of Apple’s operations in India for the last year and a half, during which Apple has faced mixed results in the country… The report cites unnamed sources and says Kaul will likely begin “another venture in an industry that may not be directly connected to the mobile phones business....

Apple Music is trolling Spotify by promoting Neil Young albums and playlists after the Canadian-American singer pulled all his music from Spotify over COVID-19 disinformation … Young was unhappy that Spotify allowed Joe Rogan to use his Spotify-hosted podcast to promote COVID-19 hoaxes, as Rolling Stone reported. The singer’s record label backed his stance, and Spotify complied by removing all of Young’s music from the platform. Neil Young posted a since-deleted letter to his management team and record label demanding that they remove his music from Spotify....

Apple is on rather a roll at the moment. A new world record for quarterly profits. Best-selling smartphone maker in China. Joint leader of the global smartphone market. Record-breaking app store earnings. Now Reuters reports that it’s picked up a new accolade, leading the luxury goods market in China. Hermès is a French maker of designer clothing and accessories, known for its scarves and handmade leather luggage … Apple Inc has taken the number one luxury gifting spot in China from designer goods maker Hermès International SCA, according to a Hurun luxury report on Thursday, reflecting the iPhone maker’s recent hot streak in the country....

Apple is running an Apple Card promo this month encouraging users to take advantage of Apple Card Family for sharing with friends and family members. Apple says that if you add a new Apple Card user to your account, they’ll receive $10 Daily Cash when they make their first purchase. In an email to Apple Card users, Apple detailed the promotion: Apple Card Family was announced at Apple’s special event earlier this year in April, and it allows users to share their Apple Card via Family Sharing....

A report in the WSJ backs an earlier suggestion that Apple may be planning a hi-res curved-screen iPhone next year, possibly as a new top tier handset known as an iPhone Pro. The company is said to have gotten as far as prototyping the new device. We’ve been hearing rumors for some time now of a third iPhone tier next year. The majority of these reports suggest that the top-tier model will be distinguished by an OLED screen while the two other models remain for now on IPS LCD – but we have heard one previous credible report of a curved-screen model …...