Following the success of OS X Snow Leopard for Macs in 2009, one of iOS 9’s standout ‘features’ will be a directed focus on stabilizing and optimizing the operating system. While stability is normally an expected component in Apple software rather than a marquee feature, the rapid pace of iOS releases and feature introductions has taken a toll on the operating system’s overall performance, recently leading to numerous complaints from long-time Apple users and regular customers alike…...

One of the cornerstone features of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5s is the Touch ID fingerprint scanning system. The feature allows an iPhone 5s user to unlock their iPhone or authenticate iTunes/App Store/iBooks downloads with the touch of their fingerprint on the device’s Home button. During the hands-on time with the device following Apple’s September 10th presentation, Apple demonstrated Touch ID with Apple employees carrying around iPhone 5s units that are programmed to their distinct fingers....

In what strikes us as one of the less-likely rumors about the low-cost iPhone, Digitimes is claiming that Apple plans to ship only 2.5-3m units in the first quarter, citing un-named supply chain sources. While the rest of the brief report merely echoes what is widely-expected – a plastic-cased phone using mostly existing innards – the low volume ‘test’ suggested is not really how Apple rolls. Apple does its homework carefully, and launches only those few products it expects to succeed....

Apple has just informed developers that it will be wiping all CloudKit-based data stores on July 7th. This includes iCloud Photo Library, Mail Drop and iCloud Drive. Apple warned developers that this might happen with the release of the first iOS beta and it is not uncommon for wipes to happen several times during iOS and OS X beta cycles. Affected files for Mail Drop and iCloud Drive will not transfer across automatically on the release of the next beta seed....

Apple slightly updated the Mac Pro today and promised a radical new modular design coming next year alongside a pro Apple display. Within the news shared through Daring Fireball were also mentions of a new pro iMac coming later this year and a vague reference to possibly new Mac mini hardware. Apple doesn’t typically pre-announce new hardware like it has today, but the Mac Pro is undergoing another direction shift after the last major change in 2013 which was also pre-announced ahead of time....

While not a major update in any way, Apple is today releasing the fifth developer builds for iOS 11.4.1 and macOS 10.13.6. These updates are also available for public beta testers. Being a bug fix update to the earlier release, we aren’t expecting any new user facing features. If you’re looking for some major changes, take a look at iOS 12, tvOS 12, watchOS 12, and macOS 10.14 Mojave. For more information on those releases, check out our coverage:...

Apple has released a new major update to its iAd Producer application. iAd Producer 3.0 includes a slew of new templates, new workflows, a new application user interface to work in, and shared layers between projects. However, it seems that the most notable – and most necessary enhancement – is much deeper integration with iOS. While iAd Producer is an iOS mobile advertising system at heart, iAds never integrated well into the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch operating system’s native functionality....

What a nice Monday morning surprise: the folks in Cupertino have seeded iOS 6.1 beta 2 (build 10B5105c) to developers on the Apple Developer Center and over-the-air less than two weeks after beta one. Additionally, Apple released new Apple TV software and Xcode 4.6 Developer Preview 2. We’re compiling a full list of new features below: 1.) Panorama support is back. 2.) Once again, you can download individual songs from iTunes Match....

Apple has released the fourth OS X 10.11.4 public beta for non-developer testers. Public beta testers running the El Capitan pre-release can find the new software update through the Mac App Store. The latest public beta update follows the fourth developer beta of the same update earlier this week. Changes coming with OS X 10.11.4 include support for viewing and sharing Live Photos taken on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus through iMessage using the Messages app as well as the ability to password-protect items in the Notes app for the first time....

Following a lengthy developer beta period, Apple has released OS X 10.8.4 for all Mac users. The update is available via the Mac App Store Software Update function: The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.4 Update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users and includes features and fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including the following: Compatibility improvements when connecting to certain enterprise Wi-Fi networks Microsoft Exchange compatibility improvements in Calendar A fix for an issue that prevented FaceTime calls to non-U....

Update: iOS 13.3.1, iPadOS 13.3.1, tvOS 13.3.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.3, and watchOS 6.1.2 are now available. iOS 12.4.5 is also now available for devices that are not capable of running iOS 13. HomePod has also been updated to version 13.3.1. Apple today will release iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 to the public after testing it with beta users over the past several weeks. iOS 13.3.1 includes bug fixes and performance improvements related to Screen Time and the Mail app....

Just a day after the public release of macOS Sierra 10.12.2, Apple has begun rolling out macOS 10.12.3 beta 1 to developers. Sierra 10.12.2 brought in new emoji, wallpapers, graphics & System Integrity Protection fixes, and the removal of the system battery’s estimated ‘time remaining’ feature. This initial seed of macOS Sierra 10.2.3 beta 1 weighs in at 1.04 GB, and is most likely a bug-centric release fix. Apple’s developer center has already posted 10....

Apple this weekend has shared five new Apple Watch how-to videos on YouTube. These videos focus on things like changing your Apple Watch videos, adjusting your Move goal, and more fitness features. Each video comes in at right around 30 seconds in length, covering a specific feature of the Apple Watch. They continue the style used by Apple in other Apple Watch and iPhone tutorial videos. For instance, one video covers how to use Siri on Apple Watch, specifically focusing on using the viral assistant to start a workout....

We’ve been tracking the progress of Apple’s Campus 2 expansion project over several months, and today the city of Cupertino and Apple have shared a new aerial shot of the site showing construction on several new sections of the massive spaceship-like building. Compared to the last official photo shared, the new perspective offers an closer shot of the Campus 2 construction with building construction taking shape on roughly half the circle....

Apple is relentlessly building new retail stores around the world as the company strives to deliver on the promise of building thirty new stores before the end of the September quarter. A set of brand spanking new stores will open in the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Germany and China. Here’s a quick laundry list of the upcoming stores. Braehead, Glasgow, Scotland – Located at the Braehead Shopping Centre, about 15 minutes northwest of city centre, this will be the second Apple store to grace Glasgow in Scotland (the other one being the Buchanan Street store) and Apple’s 33rd brick-and-mortar location in the U....

Apple has rolled out new in-store displays to select Apple Stores, demoing how users can take advantage of the Home app and HomeKit accessories to create smart home experiences. The company has constructed special areas in the Apple Store where customers can test out the Home app on iOS devices and see the changes update live in the virtual home pictured on the screens. If visitors like what they see, they can then buy accessories like Philips Hue bulbs off the shelf using the Apple Store app....

Mercury News reported that Apple is set to begin construction “any day now” on a new prototype retail store in downtown Palo Alto, according to a building permit issued by the city. The new Store will be located on 340 University Ave, about a block from the already thriving downtown store. It is a place where Steve Jobs made many appearances. Apple’s new store will reportedly see structural changes that will allow natural light to brighten the store completely, and the rest of the store will be mostly made of stone and steel....

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook hinted this past week during his interview at D10 that we could expect closer ties with Facebook and to “stay tuned” when asked about Twitter-like integration in iOS. Now, according to a report from TechCrunch, the much-anticipated integration of Facebook will happen in “the latest version of iOS.” There are not many details provided by the report, but it did note Apple is still trying to decide “exactly how sharing will work” and that things could change before iOS 6 is unveiled:...

Over the last several years, Apple has ramped up its focus on product trade-ins, providing users instant credit toward new products when they trade in their old devices. Some of these trade-ins are handled by Apple itself, but the company largely relies on third-party partners. A new report from The Verge highlights a growing number of complaints centered around Phobio, an Atlanta-based trade-in partner that Apple works with closely. When customers trade in a product to Apple, they often think they are trading in directly to Apple, but that’s not actually the case....

A week after KGI forecast that Apple would sell around 2.5M iPad Pros this quarter (down from far bigger numbers before launch), RBC Capital Markets has predicted a more conservative 1M per month, suggesting around 1.7M units this quarter. The company has also estimated that Apple’s average profit per unit is around $200. Whoever is right, Business Insider notes that even the more cautious forecast puts the iPad Pro on-track to exceed total sales of the Microsoft Surface tablet range within its first three months....