With just a few quick steps, it’s easy to open the phone app on any locked iPhone running iOS 6.1. From there a person has full access to the photo library, can edit contacts, send emails, text messages or even make a FaceTime call. It’s so easy that it’s downright silly.
As shown in the video here, the process involves holding down the power button and aborting an emergency call. It… → Read More
Apple is getting embarrassed right now as Google’s new iOS Maps app shoots to the top of the charts. But there is one upside to the beatdown. After three months of holding out to avoid Apple Maps, many people are now upgrading to iOS 6 or an iPhone 5. Last night I watched several people learn of the existence of Google Maps for iOS, and the first thing they did was update their phone’s firmware. → Read More
As we hinted at time and time again, Google has released its native Maps app for iOS…before Christmas. The timing couldn’t come soon enough, as many people have become frustrated with the built-in iOS 6 Maps that Apple offers. Even Apple’s own CEO took it upon himself to apologize for the not-so-polished product, a stand-up act which I actually applauded. Today is about Google… → Read More
Google is said to have distributed an external test version of its native maps app for iOS, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. Citing “a person with direct knowledge of the matter,” the WSJ says that Google is readying the app for submission to the App Store review and approval process, though there’s no clear timeline for when that will take place. → Read More
Apple’s minor bug-zapping update for iOS 6, iOS 6.0.1, is already making up 7.5 percent of mobile web traffic as measured by ad network and analytics firm Chitika, just 24 hours after release. If you’ve been following, you’ll note that that’s just half of the 15 percent adoption rate iOS 6 saw a day after being in the wild, but this is a minor update, making that uptake rate impressive. → Read More
iOS 6.0.1 arrives today ahead of the iPad mini, and it features some bug fixes that resolve issues around the famous horizontal lines appearing on the software keyboard bug, a camera flash issue, and improved Wi-Fi connectivity reliability. This is the first minor point upgrade for iOS 6, and should solve some of the update’s growing pains. But for iPhone 5 owners hoping to download it OTA, you’ll… → Read More
Today, Tim Cook told us that Apple has sold over 100M iPads in just 2 and a half years of existence. That’s pretty impressive and it’s about to get bigger. But smaller…due to the iPad Mini that’s about to be announced.
“One of the things that is so rewarding to us is how quickly the iPad has been received in education” Cook shared. → Read More
We’ve got some new and interesting numbers to share about iOS 6 adoption three weeks after launch, from a couple of different sources, both of which show users continue to update to the new mobile OS from Apple. There are also some interesting differences depending on region, with some countries lagging far behind the U.S. in terms of adoption and some surging far ahead. → Read More
Late last month Apple was accused of copying the design of the iconic 1940s Swiss Railway Station Clock owned by SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) for the clock design used in iOS 6. Now Cupertino has agreed to license the design from SBB “for use on devices like iPad and iPhone”. → Read More
So much for all the Maps thunder and Lightning port issues, and what they might mean for sales of the iPhone 5: a new survey published today by 451/ChangeWave Research reveals that in fact Apple’s latest mobile device is selling at “record” rates compared to past iPhone launches. Its survey — canvassing opinion from 4,270 North American consumers — also canvassed opinion on whether Windows Phone… → Read More
I’ve not had great results when using Apple’s iOS 6 Maps app, in fact, my fiancee has banned me from using it completely after Siri tried to send us over a cliff. Clearly we didn’t follow the directions, which quickly recalculated. → Read More
It’s official: the iOS 6 Mapgate saga is not another antennagate. Consumer Reports — which famously said it could not recommend the iPhone 4 because of reception problems caused by the phone’s wrap-around antenna design — has concluded its assessment of Apple’s latest iPhone, naming the iPhone 5 the best iPhone yet, and ranking it “among the best smart phones in our Ratings.” → Read More
Apple’s iOS 6 adoption got off to a quick start, but now, two weeks on, it looks like it may be evening out. New data from Chartboost today, covering the time between iOS 6′s launch and Wednesday, suggests that user uptake of Apple’s latest mobile OS might be levelling off after an initial rush. Adoption looks to be plateauing shy of 50 percent in the last week. → Read More
In a new piece today that cites multiple current and former Apple employees as sources, Bloomberg Businessweek asks the question of whether Apple’s maps fiasco would’ve happened under Steve Jobs. The report reveals that Jobs had “come to loathe” Google, not only for copying iOS, but also for “withholding” turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation from Google Maps on Apple’s mobile platform. → Read More
Editor’s note: Grant Ritchie is the CEO and founder of Locationary, which created the Saturn management and exchange platform for local business profiles and POI data. Follow Locationary here.
The Apple iPhone 5 has been quite a story for a while with many “firsts”: the fastest hardware, the most first-week sales, and so on. The device is also now famous for what it doesn’t have: Google… → Read More
Editor’s Note: Jim Dalrymple is a former Editor at Large at Macworld, and contributing expert on Apple-related topics on CNN, Fox, CBS and ABC. You can follow Jim on Twitter at@jdalrymple, and on his blog The Loop.
With the release of iOS 6 last week, Apple introduced a brand new version of Maps, the company’s new turn-by-turn mapping application that replaced Google’s offering on the iPhone. → Read More
Apple has made a small but significant tweak to its App Store for iOS 6 users, changing the Apps for Passbook section of the store. Before, when you clicked through in Passbook the link that brings you to a list of apps, that’s all you saw: a simple listing of compatible apps. Now, there’s a new paragraph describing what Passbook is, and what Passbook-enabled apps are capable of. → Read More
This crazy game of poker continues between Apple and Google in what has been dubbed by some people as #mapsgate. Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook stepped out and apologized for the poor experience that its 100 million iOS 6 users were experiencing trying to navigate the world using their new offering.
Well played, Mr. Cook. → Read More
Apple CEO Tim Cook has written an open letter on Apple’s website, finally apologizing for the Maps drama that’s been unfolding over the past few weeks with the introduction of iOS 6.
In the letter, Cook states that he is “extremely sorry for the frustration” and that the company “fell short on the commitment” of bringing world-class products to customers.
With the introduction of iOS 6… → Read More
A tipster pointed out to us that Facebook integration in iOS 6 could fill in details someone might not otherwise have if they get a hold of a phone number and put it into their Contacts app. Daniel Ioffe noticed that should a number in Contacts correspond to a Facebook profile, it’ll populate that entry with a profile photo and Facebook user name, even if all of the above information is kept… → Read More
Woobox, a two-year old social marketing platform, recently added support for Apple’s Passbook in its coupons app. The integration lets businesses create Passbook coupons using its system, and can even require customers to perform some sort of social action before gaining access to the coupon. For example, they may have to “like” the brand on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. But the company has… → Read More
Apple has filed a sizeable 51-page patent application continuation with the USPTO according to AppleInsider, which covers Siri in general terms, described broadly as an “Intelligent Automated Assistant.” The filing includes screenshots of Siri pre-Apple acquisition, and generally describes in detail the system however many hundreds of millions of iOS device users are already using. But it also… → Read More
There’s been plenty of complaining from consumers about the often-inaccurate new maps in iOS 6, and it sounds like Uber isn’t too happy about the update either.
Uber drivers tell us that the company sent out a text message telling them that if they haven’t updated their iPhones to iOS 6 already, they should hold off until next week → Read More
No doubt you’ve already heard about the tragic mess that is Apple’s iOS 6 Maps. In fact, you’ve probably already gotten lost on the way to something important thanks to Apple’s faithful geographical guidance.
But just in case you want to get down to the core issues here, and don’t feel like wading through article after article, I thought I’d just tell you about it, to your face. → Read More
Apple’s iOS 6 doesn’t appear to be doing the company any favors when it comes to user satisfaction, according to a new poll conducted by mobile customer research firm On Device. The survey of just under 16,000 iPhone owners in the U.S. found that compared to iOS 5, those with iOS 6 were slightly less satisfied with their devices. The drop is small, but still noteworthy because On Device says this… → Read More
The new big happy Facebook family is certainly on the ball with iPhone 5, delivering and update not only for its own app, but also one for new subsidiary Instagram designed to work on the new iPhone and iOS 6. The update now ensures that you’ll be able to check out your photos using the iPhone 5′s full 4-inches of glory. → Read More
Music mixing app djay released an update for its iPhone and iPad apps today, introducing iOS 6 and iPhone 5 enhancements and compatibility. The changes are not just superficial: developer Algoriddim is really taking advantage of the new stuff iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 brings to the table, including direct access to the iTunes Store, multi-channel audio and elements that were hidden in submenus… → Read More
The iOS 6 App Store changes are being met with mixed reviews, and I actually am not a huge fan of how they work from a user experience standpoint. But how are the changes affecting the ranking of apps, something developers depend heavily on for App Store success? Berlin- and London-based mobile analytics firm adeven, which recently launched Apptrace, an App Store performance comparison tool… → Read More
The developers of Pocket have shared some interesting stats around Apple’s latest product releases with us. The web content clipping service is already seeing 20% of its daily app traffic coming from the just-released iPhone 5, and 60% coming in from devices with iOS 6 installed. That may sound like a lot, but after Apple announced 100 million iOS devices already updated to iOS 6, and over 5… → Read More
I know, I know. You’re tired of hearing about Apple Maps in iOS 6, but it’s a hot topic. Because of it, Google is being discussed in the news more and more. The fruits of that labor is now reflected in its stock price, which has surged to an all-time high of $747.90. → Read More
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