iOS

Apple issues another system status update to developers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Although the majority of its services are back online and in working condition, Apple has been diligent about keeping developers updated on the progress of its efforts after suffering a security threat a few weeks back.

Key services like the iOS and Mac dev centers are back online, but there are still a few items that remain stuck in limbo, namely, Xcode automatic configuration, TSIs, program enrollments, and renewals in Member Center.

Apple says that it expects that the majority of the remaining services should be back online this week. Have a look inside for the full e-mail that was issued to developers today.

IDC: iPad now down to one-third of tablet sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 28, 2017

Tablet sales slowed during the second quarter, falling 9.7 percent to 45.1 million units, according to IDC researchers Monday. Because interest in tablets rises and falls with Apple's iPad, the slowdown in sales during the second quarter was attributed to the lack of a new iPad device being introduced by Apple.

In the horserace between Apple and Samsung (which will unveil a next-gen Note phablet on September 4), the iPad remains the top-selling tablet, although growth fell 14.1 percent on shipments of 14.6 million iPads, down from 19.5 million during the first quarter of 2013, IDC announced Monday. No. 2 Samsung also saw tablet shipments slow to 8.1 million units, down from 8.6 million devices during the previous quarter, though the South Korean vendor saw a 277 percent annual growth in tablet shipments...

Forrester: the iPhone is still most-used smartphone

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 1, 2013

Yet another study throws a spotlight on the differences in how Apple and Android smartphone owners use their devices, with a heavy emphasis on 'use'. Both in apps and overall smartphone usage, iPhone owners rank higher than owners of Android handsets.

After surveying both U.S. and European smartphone owners, researchers not only found owners of the Apple device more frequently use apps, but conduct more tasks suitable to smartphones, such as browsing the Internet. This despite Android's advantage both in number of handsets out there and in sales.

The dichotomy just reinforces our Android in a Drawer theory, which says many owners of the Google-powered devices see their handsets as just a spiffier version of dumb feature phones, ignoring most of what makes smartphones smart...

BlackBerry Messenger beta for iOS and Android invites rolling out

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 1, 2013

The long-rumored BlackBerry Messenger is finally launching on iOS and Android before the end of summer (so before September 22). It looks like the software is coming along nicely as Canada's embattled smartphone maker has started rolling out invites to a small number of users on its Beta Zone website, asking them to test out the Android and iOS versions of the software...

Here’s Asphalt 8: Airborne gameplay footage

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 1, 2013

Mid-June, French games maker Gameloft released first screenshots depicting the upcoming eight installment in the Asphalt racing franchise, Asphalt 8: Airborne. The high-quality game is coming to iOS and Android later this summer, priced at just 99 cents.

Earlier this week, the prolific publisher posted a new teaser trailer, along with a dev diary video from earlier offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Asphalt 8, including interesting looking gameplay footage. I've included both videos for your viewing pleasure just after the break...

Google’s Play store passes App Store downloads, Apple rules revenues

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

It may not reach the importance of the 'best-filling' versus 'tastes great' soda debate, but new numbers add fuel to the ongoing question of what's most important in measuring app store supremacy: downloads or revenue. Both those rooting for sheer demand as well as ultimate revenue figures found something to cheer about Wednesday.

Analytics company App Annie is out with second-quarter numbers showing the Android-based Google Play store had ten percent more download's that Apple's iOS App Store. However, Apple - which prides itself on being the Tiffany of technology - raked in 2.3 times the revenue.

The details after the break...

Google axing support for Catalogs app beginning August 15

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 31, 2013

Google has named the next mobile app to be retired as its killing spree continues. Starting with August 15, the Internet company will stop supporting the Google Catalogs program on iPads and Android tablets (they've never gotten to releasing an iPhone version).

The app, basically a glorified magazine-like browser with window-shopping experience, will continue to be supported on both platforms until August 15.

For those oblivious to its existence, the app features a comprehensive catalog of products sold by apparel and fashion merchants and lets you save items for later - even create your own collages. And when you see something you like, a single tap produces a nearby store information or takes you to the merchant's website to make a purchase...

iOS keyboard to gain additional languages and scripts, job posts indicate

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 24, 2018

Whenever I find myself entangled in another Android vs. iOS debate, Android's liberalized keyboard is unmistakably brought up as a key argument playing to Google's favor. Indeed, for the most part the iOS keyboard has remained unchanged throughout the years, sans a few improvements here and there.

That will change when iOS 7 comes this Fall as it makes the iOS keyboard smarter by introducing black and white theme, enhanced auto-correct that can fix misspellings in a combination of words and a few other small tweaks. While there are no signs of Apple opening up the iOS keyboard to third-party developers anytime soon, new job ads indicate the company is working on adding support for additional languages and writing systems...

The horrible state of Android fragmentation

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

OK, so let's make this blatantly clear: Apple's iOS platform is by no means prone to device/OS fragmentation problems, but nowhere near like Android. In addition to just four screen resolutions, iOS developers, at best, must optimize their warez for a few percent customers who haven't yet upgraded to the latest and greatest version of Apple's mobile operating system.

Contrast this to Android, where Google's proclaimed openness and the multitude of device vendors, carriers and suppliers all contribute to the vast array of Android smartphones and tablets that come in hundreds of form factors, screen sizes and price points.

An extensive survey of some 682,000 Android devices has revealed the frightening scale of Android fragmentation and its impact on both users and developers...

Apple chasing Control Center Android app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Did you know Android has its own Control Center? No, really - earlier this month developer Hi Tools Studio earned free publicity by releasing an app that brings the full iOS 7 Control Center user experience to Android phones and tablets. And boy, is it a pixel-perfect copy of the headline iOS 7 capability, down to all of the included features and then some.

Now, the iPhone maker rarely files app complaints with Google so they could have just as easily turned a blind eye on this one had this particular developer not crossed the line so obviously. Hence, Apple has asked the Internet giant to pull the software on the basis of copyright violation...

iOS 7 Beta 4 offers screenshot detection API

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 29, 2013

iOS 7 Beta 2 brought with it an unintended consequence of messing up apps like Snapchat.

Specifically, as Snapchat requires a finger on the screen to hold the photo open while viewing it, the program would no longer close the photo viewing screen upon taking a screenshot.

Even worse, Snapchat couldn't actually detect that the user took a screenshot of a sent photo, possibly creating a huge privacy concern.

With today's release of iOS 7 Beta 4, Apple has introduced a brand new API to let third-party apps be notified when the user takes a screenshot, in order to respond accordingly...

Apple may post three more iOS 7 betas before Golden Master seed in September

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 29, 2013

Now that Apple's Dev Center is live again after an eight-day outage, the company is getting ready to release the fourth iOS 7 Beta later today, if prominent bloggers and Twitter are to be believed.

In fact, a bunch of inactive download links for iOS 7 Beta 4 seem to be already up ahead of the official release on the Dev Center.

And if you ask BGR, Apple will release just three more betas for developers before the Gold Master version is ready for prime time in early September...