MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors

Apple Apparently Finds Last-Minute HealthKit Problems, Pulls Compatible Third-Party Apps Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:15 AM PDT Apple appears to have discovered a significant last-minute issue with its HealthKit services for iOS 8, a problem that will result in a delay for the launch of new and updated apps that include HealthKit functionality. Apple reportedly has pulled HealthKit-compatible apps from the App Store and is confirming this issue to affected developers. As highlighted by MacStories' Federico Viticci, both CARROT Fit and MyFitnessPal have disappeared from the App Store after being updated with HealthKit support earlier today. While the exact issue is unclear, it is certainly significant that one of the key features of iOS 8 does not appear to be ready to launch on time and that it is having a significant effect on third-party developers who have prepared their apps to take advantage of the new feature. Apple introduced HealthKit alongside its new iOS 8 Health app as part of a new initiative into the health and fitness marketplace. The feature taps into data from sensors within the iPhone, as well as from accessories and manual data input. HealthKit will also be key for the launch of the heart rate sensor-enabled Apple Watch early next year. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Fleksy's Speed-Focused Gesture Keyboard for iOS 8 Launching Today • LG to Supply Apple Watch Displays, Apple Aiming to Sell 50 Million Units in 2015 • 1Password for iOS Available for Free Ahead of iOS 8 Launch [Updated] • First iPhone 6 Unboxing Video Surfaces • Official iPhone 6 Plus Reviews Report 1 GB RAM • SwiftKey's Systemwide Gesture Keyboard Launching Alongside iOS 8 for Free • Both Parts of Tim Cook's Interview with Charlie Rose Available Online • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV

Apple Said to Plan October 21 Media Event to Launch New iPads, OS X Yosemite Posted: 17 Sep 2014 08:56 AM PDT With its iPhone 6 announcement completed, Apple reportedly is preparing a second announcement event that will will launch new iPad models, claims AppleInsider , citing a trusted insider familiar with the company's pre-launch logistics. The report points to the second half of October for the event, but The Daily Dot has gone a step further and predicted an October 21 event based on its own sources. A person familiar with the company's pre-launch logistics says Apple has set internal project and marketing deadlines of mid-October, ahead of the planned unveiling of major new products during the second half of the month. That would align with an anticipated media event previously rumored to be held at some point during October. The same source who spoke to AppleInsider has shared reliable information on product introduction and timing in the past. If true, the schedule would align with Apple's pattern for the last several years, which last year saw the company unveil its new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display in October with an availability date in early November. This year's event may introduce updated iPad models that include a faster A8 processor, anti-reflective display and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, although one report suggests most of the upgrades will be limited to the larger iPad Air model. iPad Air 2 mockup Aside from new iPads, Apple is also expected to use the October event to finalize the details and availability date for OS X Yosemite, which was initially introduced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. According to The Daily Dot, Yosemite will be released immediately following the October event, similar to the release of OS X Mavericks just after the conclusion of last year's October event. Other Apple devices in need of upgrades include the Mac mini, MacBook Air, iMac, and the Apple TV, but few details suggest updated these models will be updated before the end of 2014, particularly given Intel's delays with its next-generation Broadwell processors. One recent rumor has, however, claimed Apple may release a new ultra-high definition 27-inch monitor with 5120 x 2880 resolution in 2014, but details on this desktop accessory remain sparse. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Fleksy's Speed-Focused Gesture Keyboard for iOS 8 Launching Today • LG to Supply Apple Watch Displays, Apple Aiming to Sell 50 Million Units in 2015 • 1Password for iOS Available for Free Ahead of iOS 8 Launch [Updated] • First iPhone 6 Unboxing Video Surfaces • Official iPhone 6 Plus Reviews Report 1 GB RAM • SwiftKey's Systemwide Gesture Keyboard Launching Alongside iOS 8 for Free • Both Parts of Tim Cook's Interview with Charlie Rose Available Online • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV

Foxconn Facing Display Shortages as it Struggles to Meet iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Demand Posted: 17 Sep 2014 05:47 AM PDT Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus supplies may continue to be constrained as Foxconn reportedly is struggling to keep up with demand for the handsets, reports the Wall Street Journal . Unlike previous years that saw Foxconn handling the launch of one flagship handset, the manufacturer is now tasked with producing two iPhone models that are in high demand. The Taiwan-based manufacturer, which has more than one million workers in China, is operating about 100 production lines around the clock in Zhengzhou. The challenge is to manufacture two complicated new iPhones on a large scale at the same time because Foxconn is the sole assembler of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It also makes the majority of the iPhone 6 that comes with a 4.7-inch display, the people said. Foxconn reportedly has hired more than 200,000 workers at its Zhengzhou site to work on Apple's new iPhone. Even with this large labor force and daily output volumes of 140,000 iPhone 6 Plus units and 400,000 iPhone 6 units, the company is still not able to meet pre-order demand. One issue reportedly facing the manufacturer is a shortage of 5.5-inch displays, which are still only at being produced at a 50-60 percent output rate, leading suppliers to reject almost half of the display units that come off the production line. Apple has faced similar shortages with previous iPhone models and has been able to gradually ramp up supply to meet demand. Apple will begin selling its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus starting Friday, September 19th in a handful of launch countries. A larger global rollout is planned the following week with sales beginning on September 26th. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • LG to Supply Apple Watch Displays, Apple Aiming to Sell 50 Million Units in 2015 • 1Password for iOS Available for Free Ahead of iOS 8 Launch [Updated] • First iPhone 6 Unboxing Video Surfaces • Official iPhone 6 Plus Reviews Report 1 GB RAM • SwiftKey's Systemwide Gesture Keyboard Launching Alongside iOS 8 for Free • Both Parts of Tim Cook's Interview with Charlie Rose Available Online • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit

First iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Reviews: 'Thin and Sexy', 'Bigger and Better', Impressive Battery Life Up to 2 Days Posted: 16 Sep 2014 06:46 PM PDT At its September 9 iPhone event, Apple provided multiple publications with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus review units. The embargo has now lifted on review posts, so we have gathered some of the relevant excerpts from each site in order to highlight general release reactions to Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Apple's two new devices are essentially identical in design aside from the difference in screen size and the battery life/optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus, so we've chosen to combine the device reviews into one post. Brad Molen, Engadget : Both iPhones are thinner than their predecessor. Whereas the 5s was 7.6mm thick, the 6 comes in at 6.9mm, with the 6 Plus measuring a hair thicker at 7.1mm. I don't always subscribe to the "thinner is better" mantra, but it's a benefit in this case because larger iPhones wouldn't feel as comfortable if they had the same shape as the 5s. If I had to choose based on in-hand feel alone, I'd pick the 6 over the Plus. I can still wrap my fingers around the 6 just as easily as I could with the 5s (and its curved sides don't cut as sharply as the edges on the 5s), but the large-screened 6 Plus is... well, it's manageable. Both the 6 and 6 Plus use an IPS Retina HD display, but the Plus is even more high-def than the 6. It has a screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, which means you'll get a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. On the flipside, the 6 maxes out at 1,334 x 750, which translates into 326 ppi. (That's the same screen density as the 5s.) Both displays are sharp, but I do see some minor differences between the two when I look at them side by side. Specifically, the Plus' text and images are sharper, with no jagged lines whatsoever. David Pierce/Nilay Patel (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), The Verge: [iPhone 6 Plus] Huge phones get to have huge batteries, and the iPhone 6 Plus is a huge phone with a huge battery: I consistently got about two days of battery life from the 6 Plus in regular daily use -- slightly more than the day and half we got from the iPhone 6, and basically the same as the Note 3. [iPhone 6 Plus] That aluminum feels quite nice, but it's also a little slippery, especially when you factor in the size of the phone and its rounded sides. The iPhone 6 Plus is the first iPhone that looks and works better in a case -- I've been using Apple's leather sleeve and it makes the phone easier to hold, evens out that camera bump, and hides the weird lines on the back. [iPhone 6] There's something perfectly polished about the way it feels to use this screen. I've never felt so much like I was truly moving things around under my finger, manipulating icons and pictures by hand. It's organic and natural in a distinctly Apple way. Walt Mossberg/Lauren Goode (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), Re/code: [iPhone 6] And, despite the larger screen, all my apps -- by Apple and third parties -- just worked. None that I tested looked distorted or blurry. Apple says its App Store now offers 1.3 million apps, a new high. [iPhone 6] In my tests, I found the iPhone 6's Wi-Fi speeds -- both downstream and upstream -- were roughly double those of the 5s, and about 25 percent faster than those of the Samsung Galaxy S5. But I saw little difference in LTE speeds, either on Verizon or AT&T. [iPhone 6 Plus] Oh, and if, like me, you rarely get a full day out of your current iPhone's battery, this might excite you: In my tests, which involved setting the display brightness to 50 percent and cycling through my regular routine of apps and phone calls, the iPhone 6 Plus would last from early one morning until evening the following day. (Calls sounded great, as well.) Jim Dalrymple, The Loop : [iPhone 6] It is tough to reach the far top edge of the screen, but I can do it with a little stretch. It's easier to shimmy my hand up the phone and touch the far edge, if I need to, but to be honest, holding the iPhone in my left hand, there isn't much on the far right side that I ever need to touch. [iPhone 6 Plus] The 6 Plus was awkward for me to use at first--it was kind of like using a smaller version of the iPad mini, but it was a phone. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of using it on an ongoing basis, but the larger screen eventually won me over. [iPhone 6 Plus] I still can't imagine walking around with a device as big as the iPhone 6 Plus to my ear, talking on the phone. That would just look silly. I've said it about other devices this size in the past and my opinion on that hasn't changed. Maybe a Bluetooth ear piece would be a nice add-on for the iPhone 6 Plus. David Pogue, Yahoo : Inside, Apple has been up to its usual tightening and polishing. There's a new chip inside that Apple says is 25 percent faster. You wouldn't notice it without testing the old and new phones side by side. Apps, for example, pop open about a half-second faster on the new phone. The Plus model has optical image stabilization -- the lens jiggles in precise motion to counteract the handheld movement of the phone itself -- that works supremely well. Also on the Plus: When you're typing in landscape mode, there's so much extra space that Apple has thrown in some additional on-screen keys. On the left: buttons for Cut, Copy, Paste, Bold, and Undo. On the right: Punctuation keys and actual cursor keys--a first on the iPhone. Darrell Etherington (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), TechCrunch: [iPhone 6] New also to this generation is the all-metal back casing, which replaces the glass top and bottom panels with thin connecting seams instead. This makes for a more unified look when you turn the phone around, and something that gets closer to the unbroken single plane of the iPad mini and iPad Air's rear shell. The Space Gray version I tested benefits very much from this unbroken look, and the front of the device is no less impressive. [iPhone 6 Plus] Touch Assist is the feature Apple created to help users deal with much larger devices, regardless of the size of their hands and digits. The iPhone 6 Plus leans on this especially, as it's impossible for anyone not in the NBA to reach their thumb across to the top opposite corner. I find it difficult to even reach across the other side of the screen, let alone the corner, when one-handing the device. [iPhone 6 Plus] For most tasks, I find the iPhone 6 Plus to be a two-handed device -- but I also find that I'm absolutely fine with that. The 6 Plus is closer in usage style to an iPad mini, in my experience, albeit one that's pocketable and capable of full cellular voice communications. Other reviews: Stuart Miles (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), Pocket-lint Gareth Beavis (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), TechRadar Geoffrey Fowler, The Wall Street Journal Molly Wood, The New York Times Edward Baig, USA Today Joshua Topolsky, Bloomberg Harry McCracken, Fast Company Lance Ulanoff (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), Mashable Charles Arthur (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), The Guardian David Phelan (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), The Independent Matt Hill (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus), T3 Jason Snell, Macworld John Gruber, Daring Fireball Vincent Nguyen, SlashGear Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available to the public beginning on Friday, September 19. Apple is currently accepting pre-orders for the devices in its online store, but shipping estimates for the iPhone 6 are at 7 to 10 days while estimates for the 6 Plus are at 3 to 4 weeks. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • SwiftKey's Systemwide Gesture Keyboard Launching Alongside iOS 8 for Free • Both Parts of Tim Cook's Interview with Charlie Rose Available Online • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay

Apple to Require App-Specific Passwords For Third-Party Apps Accessing iCloud Posted: 16 Sep 2014 05:52 PM PDT Apple is now offering app-specific passwords for third-party apps that access iCloud, allowing users to generate unique one-time use passwords to sign into iCloud securely. In a support document, Apple describes app-specific passwords as a feature of two-step verification and states that app-specific passwords will be required to sign into iCloud when using a third-party app beginning on October 1, 2014. If you use iCloud with any third party apps, such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or BusyCal, you can generate app-specific passwords that allow you to sign in securely, even if the app you're using doesn't support two-step verification. Using an app-specific password also ensures that your primary Apple ID password isn't collected or stored by any third party apps you might use. App-specific passwords, which have long been used by other sites like Google, are a function of two-step verification. Typically, two-step verification requires a user to enter a verification code, but oftentimes, the codes will not work properly in third-party apps, so app-specific passwords are substituted instead. As outlined in the support document, app-specific passwords can be generated by accessing My Apple ID, where the option to generate an app-specific password is listed under Password and Security. According to Apple, users can have up to 25 active app-specific passwords at a time, which are listed in the Password and Security section of My Apple ID. Generating an app-specific password is limited to accounts with two-factor authentication turned on, and for security reasons, Apple sends an email whenever an app-specific password is generated. App-specific passwords will be revoked whenever a user's primary Apple ID password is changed, requiring new app-specific passwords to be generated. Apple's new app-specific passwords follow the launch of two-factor verification for accessing iCloud.com and come after a hacking incident that saw the iCloud accounts of several celebrities compromised due to weak passwords. Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised to improve iCloud security by increasing awareness about two-factor verification, as well as sending out security emails whenever a device is restored, iCloud is accessed, or a password change is attempted. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Both Parts of Tim Cook's Interview with Charlie Rose Available Online • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models

Apple Launches Guide for Android Users Switching to iPhone Posted: 16 Sep 2014 01:46 PM PDT Ahead of the launch of the large-screened iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has released a detailed support document that walks Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone. The document includes information on moving email accounts to the iPhone, giving Android users instructions on how to add email accounts to the Mail app. It suggests using a third-party app (Copy My Data [Direct Link]) to transfer data like contacts, calendars, and photos. Apple suggests Android users can transfer photos, videos, books, and music from Android devices to iPhones using iTunes on a Mac or PC, giving step-by-step instructions. The document also walks users through transferring various documents to iCloud, which can then be opened in Pages, Keynote, and Numbers via iCloud and on iOS devices using the three apps. Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, analysts suggested that the introduction of a larger-screened device could trigger a massive spike in upgrades and lure Android users who were using the Android platform due to the availability of devices with big screens. Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook made similar statements, suggesting the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus would trigger "the mother of all upgrades" with Android users also looking to switch to the iPhone due to the fact that the phones are "appreciably better in every single way." On Monday, Apple announced that it had processed more than four million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders on the first day of pre-launch dales, doubling the previous iPhone 5 pre-order record set in 2012. Pre-order supplies of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus dwindled quickly, with iPhone 6 Plus shipping estimates slipping to 3 to 4 weeks early Friday morning and iPhone 6 shipping estimates slipping to 7 to 10 days on Friday evening. Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in stores beginning on Friday, September 19. Early pre-orders will also begin arriving to customers on that date. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models • Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion

Official iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Cases Arriving Ahead of Friday's iPhone Launch Posted: 16 Sep 2014 12:22 PM PDT While shipping vendors have been instructed to hold deliveries of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus until Friday's official launch date, there is no such restriction on the official Apple cases designed for the new devices. As a result, several MacRumors readers and others who placed orders for cases when iPhone pre-orders went live last Friday have already begun receiving their case orders. iLounge has shared some good photos of the brown leather iPhone 6 Plus case. The cases are very similar to the leather iPhone 5s cases with a microfiber interior to protect the iPhone itself, although the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases have an open bottom edge where as the iPhone 5s cases are enclosed with distinct holes for the various physical features. At least one MacRumors reader has received his black leather case for the iPhone 6 Plus, while others are receiving iPhone 6 cases as well. A Reddit poster has received one of each size of case, allowing for a comparison between the two sizes. The poster has also shared some photos showing how the two cases fit in the hand. Apple's leather cases are priced at $45 for the iPhone 6 and $49 for the iPhone 6 Plus, while silicone cases are also available priced at $35 for the iPhone 6 and $39 for the iPhone 6 Plus. The leather cases are currently shipping with delays of a few business days, while silicone cases are listed as shipping in October. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models • Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion

iCloud.com Now Utilizing Two-Factor Authentication Posted: 16 Sep 2014 11:53 AM PDT Apple's two-factor authentication system is now enabled for iCloud.com, with the site asking for a verification code before allowing users with two-factor authentication enabled to access various iCloud.com apps. Access to iCloud.com apps like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote is restricted until the verification code is entered on the website, but Find My iPhone remains accessible. Users also receive an email when their Apple ID is used to sign into iCloud via the web browser, a feature that was implemented following the recent hacking of celebrity iCloud accounts that led to hundreds of photos being shared on the Internet. Following the hacking incident, Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to improve iCloud security by expanding two-factor authentication to iCloud and sending out security emails when a device is restored, iCloud is accessed, or a password change is attempted. Cook also said that Apple will aim to increase awareness about two-factor verification. Originally implemented back in March of 2013, two-factor verification is an opt-in system designed to increase Apple ID account security by requiring identity verification before allowing users to make account changes or purchase content on new devices. It replaces standard security questions with a security code delivered to a trusted device. Apple first tested two-factor authentication for iCloud.com back in June, well ahead of the iCloud breach, but the feature was not implemented until today. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models • Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Shown Off in Early Hands-On Videos Posted: 16 Sep 2014 11:41 AM PDT Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus won't be available to consumers until Friday, September 19, but some devices have been trickling out early ahead of the phone's launch. Korean site UNDERkg has managed to get both an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus, sharing hands-on videos and photos. The first video focuses on the 4.7-inch gold iPhone 6, walking through all of the features including the display, the Touch ID home button, the protruding lens, and the power button, which has been relocated to the right side of the device for easier one-handed access. In the video, the iPhone 6 is also compared to earlier models of the iPhone, like the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 3G, as well as Samsung devices like the Galaxy S5 and Alpha. The device is shown running iOS 8, with several of the apps demonstrated in the video. Authenticity is of the iPhone 6 in the video is confirmed via a FaceTime call. UNDERkg's second video shows off the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, again running through all of the newly introduced design features, including the wraparound screen, relocated power button, and redesigned pill-shaped volume buttons. As with the iPhone 6, the 6 Plus is shown powered on, with the reviewer showing off a few apps on the phone as well as the larger available home screen space. The iPad-style landscape mode is also demonstrated, showing how the device uses its additional real estate. Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be available to consumers beginning on Friday, September 19. The devices will be available in stores on that date, and that is also the date that early pre-orders will begin arriving. Official iPhone 6 and 6 Plus reviews should be available tonight. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV • Appeals Court Throws Out $368 Million Verdict Against Apple in VirnetX Lawsuit • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models • Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion

iPhone 6 Plus Might Be Limited to 1 GB of RAM Posted: 16 Sep 2014 10:35 AM PDT Part leaks have previously suggested that the iPhone 6 has just 1 GB of RAM, much like its predecessor the iPhone 5s, but the memory status of the iPhone 6 Plus has thus far remained a mystery, leading many to hope that the larger device has been upgraded to 2 GB of RAM. New information suggests that the iPhone 6 Plus may not be getting a memory upgrade, and will continue to offer 1GB of RAM like the iPhone 6. A screenshot allegedly from an iPhone 6 Plus depicting what appears to be iPhone monitoring app System Status has surfaced on a Korean message board (via Phone Arena ), showing the device's memory maxing out at close to 1 GB. Despite the size difference, the appearance of 1 GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 Plus seems to suggest that the two phones have nearly identical internal specifications, both offering the same A8 chip and memory. The larger iPhone 6 Plus does, however, have a larger battery due to its larger size and it also offers optical image stabilization, while the iPhone 6 is limited to electronic image stabilization features. While the apparent lack of 2 GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 Plus will undoubtedly come as a disappointment to those who were hoping for a memory increase, Apple has to work carefully to balance performance with battery life. Competing devices from companies like Samsung do offer more RAM, but at the cost of performance. Samsung's Galaxy S5, for example, offers impressive battery life at up to 10 hours of Internet browsing and 12 hours of HD movie watching, but it appears the iPhone 6 Plus may exceed that, based on battery information unveiled during the keynote. Apple's iPhone 6 Plus is rumored to include a 2,915 mAh battery that offers up to 12 hours of Internet browsing and 14 hours of HD movie watching. Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be arriving in stores and in the hands of customers on Friday, September 19, which will unveil more concrete information about the device's internals. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launches in China May Be Delayed Until 2015 • PayPal Launches Ad Subtly Attacking Apple for Recent iCloud Photo Leak • U2's 'Songs of Innocence' Accessed Over 33 Million Times Since Start of iTunes Promotion • Macy's Announces iBeacon Expansion, Support for Apple Pay • Apple to Preinstall iLife and iWork on Higher-Capacity iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Models • Microsoft Acquiring 'Minecraft' Developer Mojang for $2.5 Billion • MacUpdate Offers 10 Apps for $49.99, Including Toast 12 Titanium and NoteBook 4 • Phones4U Cancels All iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Pre-orders as UK Retailer Faces Closure