Apple iOS 9 to Feature Force Touch, New Keyboard and Group Read Receipts!

The next-generation iPhone will feature some form of Force Touch as one of the biggest new additions to the hardware, a rumor that has been circulating since the beginning of the year and only gaining forward momentum. The report today, however, specifically mentions that Apple has designed iOS 9 “to be Force Touch-ready” and is already hard at work with developers to integrate the technology into various apps.

Since Apple’s work on Force Touch runs the gamut of iOS devices, there’s also a possibility of updated Force Touch displays on new iPad models sometime this year. All iOS versions of Force Touch are also expected to provide the real-time haptic feedback buzz similar to that of the Apple Watch to provide users a physical response when their deep presses have been noticed. As 9to5Mac points out, however, since any new Force Touch on iOS announcement automatically requires the confirmation of new hardware, any iPhone and iPad support for the feature is unlikely to happen at WWDC.

Next, Apple is rumored to be working on a new keyboard experience for iOS 9, with the company experimenting on multiple designs, like one that is “slightly longer than the current keyboard” and provides users with a more robust suite of editing options while in portrait mode. Also in the works is a more accessible way to access the QuickType keyboard and a redesign to the unpopular Shift Key to provide an easier visual understanding of when shift or caps lock is engaged.

Today’s report also falls in line with previous rumors reporting that Canada will be the first country outside of the United States to support Apple Pay, with the report claiming that iOS 9’s Passbook app includes a “necessary foundation” to support various banks, credit and debit cards, and credit unions within the country. Although Canada is well-prepared for such a service, with many retailers and businesses across the country equipped with the contactless payment terminals needed for Apple Pay, such an expansion outside of the United States has proved difficult for Apple, especially in places like China, so a WWDC announcement yet again seems unlikely.

The final minor update to iOS 9 reported today includes the addition of read receipts to both group chats in iMessage as well as on a per-contact basis. Users will be able to turn on the read receipt functionality for specific recipients while leaving the read status of a message in the dark for other contacts. The company also seems to be considering removing the little-used Game Center app altogether in iOS 9, and minor data points suggest a few additions and updates to the new Health app, as well.

Source

Apple releases iOS 7.1.1 with additional fixes

Apple has just released iOS 7.1.1 for public consumption. A maintenance update, iOS 7.1.1 contains “improvements, bug fixes and security updates.” Specifically, it makes Touch ID even more reliable than the previous iOS 7.1 update, while fixing a pair of bugs related to keyboard responsiveness and Bluetooth keyboards with VoiceOver enabled.

It’s arrived just five days after iOS 7.1.1 devices located in and around Apple’s Cupertino campus started exposing themselves in web logs.

Needless to say, those of you who rock a jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch or iPad are advised to hold off on upgrading to the new software until we’re able to confirm it won’t break yourjailbreak…

Firmware files are available on our Download page.

According to the official changelog, iOS 7.1.1 – labeled as build 11D201 – contains improvements, bug fixes and security updates, including:

– Further improvements to Touch ID fingerprint recognition
– Fixes a bug that could impact keyboard responsiveness
– Fixes an issue when using Bluetooth keyboards with VoiceOver enabled

You can apply an over-the-air update by visiting iOS Settings > General > Software Update. From there, hit the Download and Install button and follow the instructions. You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network in order to download the update.

Alternatively, connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad via a USB cable to iTunes and apply the update using your Mac or Windows PC.

For me, the installer comes in at a rather paltry 26MB, but your mileage may vary depending on your device model and the version of iOS installed.

For detailed info on the security content of this update, check out this support doc.

A companion Apple TV 6.1.1 update is also available on your set-top box.

According to early reports on Twitter, Touch ID recognition is now markedly faster than before. You’ll probably need to re-register your fingerprints in order to get Touch ID to recognize them faster than before in iOS 7.1.1.

Safari now supports new top-level domains like .photo, .camera and more. Also, as acommenter pointed out (and proved me wrong in the process), the App Store in iOS 7.1.1 now appropriately labels items that contain In-App subscriptions.

I originally assumed this was a backend iTunes update, but subsequent checks have confirmed that IAP labels show up in iOS 7.1.1 but not in iOS 7.1.

Should you spot other noteworthy improvements, please do share them with the community down in the comments and I’ll update the article accordingly.

iOS 7.1 is out with CarPlay support, Siri and Touch ID improvements and more! Jailbreakers should stay away!

Apple has just released long-expected iOS 7.1 for public consumption, the first major software update to its mobile operating system in nearly six months. As you know, Apple last September gave iOS a substantial visual makeover that inadvertently brought issues like random restarts and crashes.

Apple claims it’s fixed these problems while adding a myriad of user interface refinements and a few new features, including Siri and Touch ID enhancements.

You’ll also appreciate noticeably faster animations and transitions, as well as new accessibility options, performance improvements and more. If you’re jailbroken, do not upgrade to iOS 7.1 – you’ve been warned…

iOS 7.1 carries a build number of 11D169b.

Again, people with jailbroken devices should steer away from iOS 7.1 as it kills theevasion jailbreak by patching key kernel exploits.

The update is available for the following iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices compatible with iOS 7: the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPhone 4, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini, third and fourth-generation iPad, iPad 2 and fifth-generation iPod touch.

To apply this update OTA, hit Software Update under the General section of iOS Settings or connect your device to iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC. Additional information about the security content of this update is available in this support document.

iOS 7.1 fixes a bug that caused the Home screen to crash for some, resulting in random restarts. As a bonus, iPhone 4 owners should enjoy snappier performance after upgrading to iOS 7.1 from one of previous iOS 7 versions.

More importantly, iOS 7.1 includes new Siri features, Touch ID improvements, CarPlay integration and a number of other tweaks and refinements, all listed below.

The company has also released the Apple TV 6.1 software update for the second and third-generation Apple TV. Again, it pays to sit tight for now if you want to keep your Apple TV jailbreak.

We’ve written extensively about iOS 7.1 so don’t be shy, explore our iOS 7.1 archive.

Some of the highlights in iOS 7.1 worth mentioning:

• iOS 7.1 features CarPlay support
• Siri in iOS 7.1 lets you manually control when she listens by holding down the Home button while you speak and letting it go when you’re done
• Touch ID fingerprint accuracy and reliability has been improved
• Camera app has a new ‘HDR Auto’ feature
• Photos & Camera tab in iOS Settings has a new ‘Upload Burst Photos’ option
• you can now use a new ‘Darken Colors’ option under the Increase Contrast section of the Accessibility tab
• the Phone app has a new-look dialer
• you can disable Parallax effect independently of other animations when setting up wallpaper
• iCloud Keychain is supported in additional countries

Other tidbits:

• instead of saying ‘No Missed Notifications,’ Notification Center now just says ‘No Notifications’ when an alert is cleared
• there is a new Yahoo logo in both Notification Center and the Weather app
• you can now enable or disable bold text without restarting the device
• a new dialogue appears when restarting iPhone 5s, which reads ‘Touch ID requires your passcode when iPhone restarts’
• new iPad wallpapers
• ‘Touch ID and Passcode’ has been bumped up to the main menu in iOS Settings
• list view in the Calendar app has been redesigned
• you can now enable button shapes
• animations and transitions are noticeably faster
• iOS keyboard has new Shift/Backspace key highlights
• the slide-to-power-off UI has been redesigned
• icons for Phone, Messages and FaceTime apps have less vibrant colors
• Music apps has new Repeat and Shuffle buttons

As previously rumored, iOS 7.1 unlocks Apple’s newly announced in-car integration feature dubbed CarPlay, launched at last week’s Geneva Motor Show with initial support from Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Volvo.

 

From Apple’s changelog for iOS 7.1:

• CarPlay
  • iOS experience designed for the car
  • Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
  • Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
  • Control with Siri and the car’s touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
• Siri
  • Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you’re done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
  • New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
• iTunes Radio
  • Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
  • Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
  • Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
• Calendar
  • Option to display events in month view
  • Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
• Accessibility
  • Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
  • Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
  • New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
• Other
  • New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
  • iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
  • FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
  • Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
  • Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
  • Improved performance for iPhone 4
  • Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
  • Continued user interface refinements

Apple’s iOS 7.1 webpage is now live so head over there to learn more in terms of new features, capabilities and refinements.

Note:

4G LTE is now functional on compatible iPhones running iOS 7.1 in Lebanon (Alfa & Touch).
List of compatible iPhones:
– iPhone 5 (A1429)
– iPhone 5c (All models)
– iPhone 5s (All models)

Apple Releases iOS 7.0.6 And iOS 6.1.6 (For iOS 6 Devices) With Various Bug Fixes

As we continue to wait for iOS 7.1 to be released to the public, Apple has seeded iOS 7.0.6 to the public this morning. The release comes a month after iOS 7.0.5 landed at the end of January, which also featured bug fixes for certain newer models of iPhones.

It also looks like Apple has released a similar bug fix for iOS 6 users in iOS 6.1.6 Both updates are available either over the air, by visiting Settings > General > Software Update, or by plugging your device in iTunes.

From the surface, it looks like iOS 7.0.6, which carries a build number of 11b651, just contains a fix for SSL connection verification. It is for all devices. And as for iOS 6.1.6, it carries a build number of 10b500, and is just for the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 4G.

We currently aren’t sure whether or not these updates are safe for jailbreakers, so it’s best to stay away from them until we get confirmation that they’re ok. We typically get word from the evad3rs or other prominent jailbreak figures within 24 hours of updates.

Tim Cook: Apple working on ‘some really great stuff’ in new product categories!

“There will be new categories,” Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal in an interview regarding Apple’s recent buyback of more than $14 billion in stock. “We’re not ready to talk about it, but we’re working on some really great stuff.”

Now, Cook has alluded to Apple getting into new product categories before. But speaking with the Journal, the CEO seems more intent than ever on convincing worried investors that his company has some major things in the pipeline…

The Journal’s Daisuke Wakabayashi reports:

“Thursday, Mr. Cook reiterated that Apple plans to enter a new category this year. Apple watchers are speculating about wearable devices or a new television platform.

“There will be new categories. We’re not ready to talk about it, but we’re working on some really great stuff,” Mr. Cook said. When asked whether a new product category could mean an improvement on an existing product like an iPad Air, a lighter version of its tablet computer, or new services such as mobile payments, Mr. Cook declined to comment.

He said that anyone “reasonable” would consider what Apple is working on as new categories.”

Cook also wanted to make it clear that Apple remains a “growth company”—something investors have repeatedly questioned over the last year as the iPad maker’s revenue growth has dropped to less than 10%, and its net income to 11%.

“He said his statement that Apple doesn’t aim to make the most phones has been misunderstood.

“I don’t view that as being satisfied with being small or however you want to define it,” he said. “I just want to say that the macro thing for us is making a great product and we must do that. If we can’t do that, we’re not going to force ourselves to hit a price point that makes us produce a product that we’re not proud of because we lose who we are in that. We’re not going to do that.” 

And finally, the CEO talked about acquisitions, another hot topic with investors who feel Apple’s $160 billion cash pile is burning a hole in the company’s pocket. Historically, Apple hasn’t made big acquisitions, but it’s not out of the question.

“The Apple CEO said its history of opting for smaller deals doesn’t mean that the company won’t pull the trigger on a big acquisition if it makes sense.

“We’ve looked at big companies,” said Mr. Cook. “We have no problem spending 10 figures for the right company, for the right fit that’s in the best interest of Apple in the long-term. None. Zero.” 

I recommend checking out the entire interview, as Cook seems more candid than his usual self. It almost comes off as a bit of a defensive PR move, which would make sense after Apple’s stock dropped more than 8% following its Q1 earnings.

Apple seems to be fighting the perception that its best days are behind it, but there’s only so much words can do without action. I for one am looking forward to seeing if it can live up to its own hype this year: larger iPhone, iWatch, new Apple TV.