iPad

From the latest news to the most comprehensive tutorials, learn how to get the most out of your iPad with our step-by-step guides and expert tips.

With few weeks until iOS 10’s fall release, iOS 9 adoption hits 87 percent of devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Various editions of iOS 9 are currently installed on 87 percent of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, a one-point gain versus a month ago. During the same period, iOS 8 has dropped from eleven to ten percent of devices, suggesting much of iOS 9's growth could be owed to upgrades. Earlier editions of iOS continue to comprise about three percent of devices.

The stats were derived from Apple's logs capturing devices that accessed the App Store on August 15, 2016, and are publicized on the App Store dashboard.

Snapchat optimized for iPhone’s Low Power Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Earlier this week, Snapchat issued a small update to its free of charge iPhone application on the App Store. Bumping version number to 9.37, the app is now optimized for iOS's Low Power Mode which debuted in iOS 9 last year.

“When your device is in Low Power Mode, Snapchat will now automatically reduce its battery usage,” according to release notes accompanying a 96.1-megabyte download.

Deus Ex GO for iPhone and iPad now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Thursday, Hitman GO and Lara Croft GO [review] creators Square Enix Montréal released their latest premium game on the App Store, Deus Ex GO. A turn-based puzzle infiltration game set in a stylized interpretation of the Deus Ex Universe, it puts you in the shoes of covert agent Adam Jensen. You'll use hacking, combat and augmentations to solve “the most intricate puzzles of the entire GO series”, according to developers.

Instagram gains Events channel highlighting media posted during specific events

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Instagram yesterday announced a new Events channel in the Explore section of its free of charge iPhone app. Currently limited to users within the United States and resembling Snapchat's Discover channel with Live Stories, it brings in one place all of the photos and videos posted on the service during specific events, such as concerts, sports games and more. Like the rest of Explore, the new Events channel is personalized for you and highlights events you might like.

Instagram update brings camera improvements to Stories feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 16, 2016

Instagram's new Stories feature caused quite a stir as some users took issue with the fact that the Facebook-owned photo sharing service basically ripped off Snapchat Stories. Be that as it may, Instagram's iPhone application, which is available at no charge on the App Store, has just received a nice update which packs in a few useful camera-related improvements to the Stories feature.

What’s a computer? Just ask Cortana.

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 16, 2016

Apple's most recent iPad Pro commercial attempts to position the powerful tablet as the ultimate computer, but Microsoft begs to differ.

But in its latest commercial for the Surface Pro 4 laptop/notebook hybrid, the Windows maker challenges Apple by basically saying that just because you call something a computer doesn’t mean it fits the description.

“Cortana knows that the Surface Pro 4, with its powerful Intel Core processor, detachable keyboard with real keys and a trackpad, pen, touchscreen, full Office and external ports fits the description. Everything else is just late to the party,” says Microsoft.

Microsoft’s mobile Office apps pick up support for drawing with a finger/stylus on iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2016

Microsoft today issued updates to its mobile Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps on the App Store, adding support for drawing with your finger on the iPhone. Back in January 2016, the Windows maker brought its inking tools to the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil support. With the latest update, iPhone owners can take advantage of the Draw tab to draw, highlight and annotate documents with their finger or a stylus.

KGI: 10.5″ model joining iPad Pro lineup in 2017, radically overhauled AMOLED iPad in 2018

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2016

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo—who has a decent, but not stellar track record in predicting future Apple products—just issued a peculiar note to clients regarding the future of Apple's iPad lineup.

In the note, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, the well-connected analyst does not expect any major refreshes to iPads in this year.

But for 2017, the analyst is calling for three new models: a brand new 10.5-inch iPad Pro size joining a second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad. These devices are predicted to be followed by a “revolutionary” iPad model in 2018 that should bring “radical changes” in form factor design and user behavior while adopting flexible AMOLED panels, which so-called Tenth Anniversary iPhone is expected to gain in 2017.

Laugh.ly, Yearly, Habitify and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

The Apps of the Week post is iDB's weekly roundup of apps and games we feel are worth checking out over the weekend. This week's edition features some great selections such as a new streaming service for stand-up comedy, a beautiful calendar app, a habit-tracking app with an interesting twist, and as usual, we've included two awesome new games for you to try.

Apple’s free app of the week: Dr. Panda’s Ice Cream Truck

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Dr. Panda's Ice Cream Truck. This means from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the hit children's title for free—a solid savings of $2.

Dr. Panda's Ice Cream Truck was developed for ages 6-8, but anyone can have fun making ice cream. Choose from several flavors and toppings, pile your scoops as high as you can, and then serve your creation to hungry customers.

Tip: quickly measure your Netflix streaming speed with this iPhone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2016

Netflix yesterday announced a brand new iPhone app on the App Store which it designed to let you quickly measure how fast your broadband downlink is by testing the connection to Netflix’s servers. The goal of the free app, aptly named Fast, is to give Netflix subscribers a better understanding of the streaming quality they can expect from the service on their Internet connection. It's not a replacement for SpeedTest or similar software and does not measure the uplink speed because it has little effect on streaming quality.

Everything new in iOS 10 beta 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2017

Somewhat unexpectedly, Apple this morning issued new developer-only betas of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3—a mere week after posting their respective fourth beta. While Apple's release notes for iOS 10 beta 5 (build number “14A5335b”) mention no new features as we inch closer to a Gold Master, there are a few tidbits and tweaks to wet your appetite.

Aside from other changes, for instance, iOS 10 beta packs in a new lock sound and lets you download apps from the App Store after a reboot without needing to re-authorize Touch ID purchase with your Apple ID password.