Apple has shared its heartfelt holiday ad on YouTube today. This year’s release follows a family as they deal with the loss of their grandma/mother and the creative way that the grandkids show love and appreciation for their grandpa as he remembers his wife with the help of iPad. In keeping with tradition, Apple has shared its longer-form holiday ad, this year called “The Surprise.” The story follows a family through the hustle and bustle of holiday travel to grandpa’s house....

On the heels of last week’s release of iOS 11.4.1, Apple today has stopped signing iOS 11.4. This means that users are no longer able to downgrade to the previous version of iOS, whether it be for a jailbreak or other reasons… Apple released iOS 11.4.1 to the public last week, and while it’s not a major release, it does include its fair share of bug fixes and performance improvements....

Apple Stores are reportedly putting new repair policies in place. French publication iGen (translated) reports that the company is allowing iPhones with third-party batteries to be worked on by Apple’s Geniuses. Up until now, Apple has typically refused to repair or work on iPhones with non-original components like batteries. Here’s how one Apple employee described the previous policy to iGen: But as of February 28th, iGen says Apple Stores have adopted a different policy and have been repairing iPhones with third-party batteries for customers....

Apple has started a new iPhone advertising campaign centered around potential switchers who currently use Android or other platforms. Apple highlights superior performance, camera quality, privacy, and other factors in appealing to potential new iPhone customers. The ad campaign currently includes five short clips seen below that compare the iPhone experience through music, speed, photos, and more. Apple has also revamped its apple.com/switch microsite alongside the new campaign to turn Android users into iPhone owners....

Apple and UCLA are teaming up on a new three-year study to understand how factors including sleep, physical activity, heart rate, and daily routines can play a role in depression and anxiety. As first reported by CNBC, UCLA will use data collected by iPhone, Apple Watch, and the Beddit sleep tracker. The study begins this week. UCLA made the announcement today, explaining that 150 participants have been recruited from among UCLA Health patients....

Apple is in the process of leasing a 40,000-square-foot office space in the Kaufman building in New York City, located at 100-104 Fifth Avenue, reports New York Post. It will be the company’s first-ever executive office in the city, another indication of Apple’s growing influence in the world and booming business. Business Insider notes that the gadget king already leased a 10,000 square-foot space of the Kaufman building in January of 2011 for its ailingmobile advertising group....

Earlier this month we reported that Apple had changed its developer marketing guidelines after years of only allowing images of the black iPhone in marketing material. Since Apple’s new lineup of iPhones features a number of new colors for the device for the first time, we noted that Apple tweaked its guidelines to allow other colors of the device, including white and certain iPhone 5c colors. Now, Apple has updated its guidelines once again, this time specifically excluding the gold iPhone 5s from the list of colors allowed in photography and video marketing material (via MacRumors):...

Apple Pay went live in the UK earlier this week with its first international rollout since debuting in the US last October, but Apple’s iPhone- and Apple Watch-based mobile payment solution hasn’t been without its own launch issues across the pond. To start, Apple Pay is a bit restricted in the UK as it is limited to transactions under £20 until September when the contactless payment rules change and the limit increases slightly to £30....

Apple may plan to introduce not one, not two, but three different iPhone offerings, perhaps even as soon as June, implementing 3G support and offering an iPhone mini to widen the reach of its technology, at least that’s todays rumor. Apple’s apparently considering a premium model iPhone that’s equipped with support for 3G. Larger than the existing model its extra size conceals a battery offering triple the duration of the current generation, with more models too… The company also plans to retain its current EDGE-network iPhone, though capacity could climb to match that of the iPod touch, which itself could see a capacity bump (though with next stop being 64GB it’s possible the high-cap touch would demand a premium price, which may limit its success in the curently shrinking CE market)....

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibklpzKai-o&ab_channel=Apple] After debuting two new videos about the aluminum and stainless steel Apple Watches during today’s keynote event, the Cupertino electronics maker published both videos to its website and YouTube channel, along with a third that was skipped during the presentation which explains the process behind the gold Apple Watch Edition. You can watch the aluminum video on the Apple Watch Sport page (or embedded above), while the stainless steel version can be found on the standard Apple Watch site (embedded below)....

Here’s some incredibly interesting news from today’s iOS update extravaganza: Apple today released iOS 6.1 (or, in Apple TV talk, 5.2) for an heretofore unknown Apple TV called “Apple TV 3,2”. You can download it here. Apple’s current Apple TV — version 3,1 — was updated to 1080p with a single-core A5 processor in March 2012. On the conservative side, this may just be a new set of chips cobbled together to do the same thing as the current model....

Apple has released the fourth OS X 10.11.4 preview for registered developers to test ahead of its expected release next month. The software update to the Mac will likely be released around next month’s March 15th event and is expected to coincide with a new version of iTunes. For Mac users, the latest version of OS X El Capitan adds enhancements like being able to view and share Live Photos originally taken on the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus as well as the ability to lock notes behind a secure password....

While Apple’s effort to create a digital TV service seems to have stalled, the company is still chasing a better way to find and watch content on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. Recode reports that Apple is currently talking to “TV programmers and other video companies” over a potential universal guide that could show what TV shows and movies are available from streaming video channels. The report highlights HBO, Netflix and ESPN as likely candidates....

The saga surrounding Apple supplier Japan Display continues today, as reports suggest that Apple is looking to invest $100 million in the company. This comes after a report last week said Japan Display’s rescue plan was up in the air. According to a report from Asahi in Japan, Apple will invest $100 million in Japan Display as the supplier goes through “restructuring.” Apple currently accounts for 60 percent of Japan Display orders, the report says....

Apple’s agreement to put $200M into the bailout of supplier Japan Display has reassured other investors, and resulted in a new $830 investment from an asset manager, helping the company’s move into making OLED screens for the Apple Watch… Reuters reports. Japan Display currently makes the screens of the LCD model iPhone 11 and is about to begin production of OLED screens for the Apple Watch, alongside existing supplier LG....

Apple has updated its iPhone case lineup to match the physical changes needed to fit the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus like a glove. It’s also updated its leather cases with a brand new subtle detail — machined aluminum Sleep and volume buttons. It’s a small detail, but the presence of aluminum buttons should make a noticeable difference from a tactile perspective. One of my biggest complaints with previous iPhone leather cases was that the buttons were too difficult to press due to the inflexibility of the leather....

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s much hyped NBC interview is set to air tonight at 10 p.m. EST, but we are already learning much of what will be discussed during the conversation that took place in, among other places, Apple’s Grand Central retail store location in New York. Earlier today, a profile from Bloomberg revealed Cook’s plans to bring at least some production of the Mac back to the United States in 2013, but he also hinted that the company has big plans for a next-generation Apple TV product....

A lot has been made about what sort of wireless charging system the iPhone 8 will feature, but according to JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur, Apple has been working with Broadcom on a new customized solution. As noted by CNBC, Sur says that Apple has been working on the solution with Broadcom for some two years. One thing Sur notes is that the iPhone 8 will adopt a glass back, as has been rumored numerous times before....

Apple has announced this evening that its fiscal fourth quarter earnings call will take place on Tuesday, October 27th at 2PM PT/5PM ET, with the earnings release dropping roughly thirty minutes before that. The call will report earnings for the three month period ending this month. Last quarter, Apple announced profit of $10.7 billion off of revenue of $49 billion. Last quarter was the first period that included Apple Watch sales, while Apple did not specify what portion of its earnings came from the device....

Chip production for the first Apple Silicon Macs is reported to be on schedule for launch before the end of the year. A new supply-chain report today says that mass-production is set to kick off in the final quarter of the year … Digitimes carries the report. The number of chips per wafer varies considerably, depending on a range of factors which obviously include the size of the chip and the diameter of the wafers, but can also be significantly impacted by the defect rate....