Although the focus of today is on the iPhone 7 and the new Apple Watch, the company has refreshed its iPad lineup slightly. It is updating storage SKUs across all iPads to mirror the iPhone 7: with 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB tiers. This means all iPads have an effective price cut with further savings for the 9.7 inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro. The iPad Pro has had the biggest shakeup with pricing on higher storage tiers falling....

An innovative approach to solar charging revealed in an Apple patent application published today (via Patently Apple) could make it more practical to power both MacBooks and iOS devices from the sun. The voltage and power generated by a solar panel varies with the amount of sunlight. To turn the power supply into something that can safely be used by an electronic device, you need a converter or regulator to deliver the correct specs to the device, adding cost and bulk to the panel....

A US exclusive warranty, AppleCare+ has been available for the iPhone and iPad to provide for accidental damage claims and general warranty protection. Now, the iGen blog is reporting [English] that AppleCare+ is making its way to Europe soon. iGen’s source did not give any information about the pricing or availability, although the blog believes it will be just under €100 (plus the per-incident fee, which is $49 in the US)....

Tim Cook during the China Mobile launch earlier this year Amid Apple’s push to expand its presence in China with its new deal with China Mobile, AFP reports Apple is suing the State Intellectual Property Office in China as well as Zhizhen Network Technology. The dispute is not a new one as Zhizhen Network Technology previously sued Apple over disputes with Siri and its Xiao i Robot product, but this time the roles are reversed....

According to TrendForce, Apple managed to secure the fourth spot in global shipments of laptops in the third quarter. Apple notebook sales beat the market in quarterly growth; MacBook sales increased 11% whilst the market rose 7% overall. The analysts believe Apple shipped 4.43 million Mac laptops in total across July, August, and September. Apple benefited from the launch of the 2017 MacBook Pro refresh ahead of the busy back-to-school season....

Apple has today updated the homepage of its website to promote Apple TV+ and the accolades the service has earned in the first year with its original content. The feature also touts “And we’re just getting started.” Apple.com was updated today with a full homepage refresh focused solely on Apple TV+. The top of Apple’s landing page now features the Apple TV+ logo with “18 Emmy Nominations” below it, followed by “And we’re just getting started....

Apple TV+ Launch Date and Price The new streaming service will officially launch on November 1st and cost just $4.99 per month and that includes the family plan.  Apple TV+ Lineup of Programs There isn’t a whole lot of content that will be rolling out on launch day as it doesn’t have a back catalog. However, it is all original programming and that will increase over time. Most series will premiere with three episodes at a time followed by a new one each week....

Apple appears to be testing a notable change to the App Store as part of its efforts to improve the Search experience. While not fully rolled out yet, some iPhone users are now seeing tags in the App Store when searching for popular terms. Update 4/29: Apple is officially rolling out the feature starting today. Apple shared on Twitter that the new “search suggestions” are now starting to roll out to users in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia....

Apple is continuing its trend of offering holding Apple Watch Activity Challenges in celebration of major events and holidays. This time around, Apple is holding an Activity Challenge exclusive to China in celebration of the country’s “National Fitness Day.” This is seemingly the first time Apple has held region-exclusive Activity Challenge in China. The company has, however, held a slew of Activity Challenges over the last couple of years in an effort to encourage fitness and activity with Apple Watch....

Diabetics using a glucose monitor made by DexCom will be able to see a continuous graph of their blood sugar levels on the Apple Watch, says the company. It is working on an app for the smartwatch that is expected to be available when the Apple Watch launches in April – alongside a similar app for the iPhone. The WSJ reports that the early availability of the app has been made possible thanks to the Food and Drug Administration taking a more hands-off approach as of last month....

Remember when Motorola sued Apple (and everyone else) earlier this month? Remember when Motorola said Droid Does and iPhone Doesn’t? Well today Apple is hitting back at Motorola. Apple has recently filed two lawsuits against Motorola over six patents filed by Apple relating to Multi-Touch. According to Apple’s lawsuit the Motorola products infringing on Apple’s Intellectual Property are the Droid, Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq, Cliq XT, BackFlip, Devour A555, Devour i1, and Charm 1....

As detailed in a new report from CNET, the US Department of Commerce has added 11 Chinese companies to its list of those implicated in human rights violations. Among those 11 companies is one that serves as a supplier or partner for countless big tech companies, including Apple. The report explains that Nanchang O-Film Tech has links to Apple and other tech companies: The Commerce Department said that these 11 Chinese companies supported “mass arbitrary detention, forced labor, involuntary collection of biometric data, and genetic analysis” of Uighurs and other minority groups....

New Leica M The story comes from PetaPixel and would seem pretty sensational: So, a guy who produces industrial designs used by hundreds of millions is going to design a one-off camera? That camera is supposed to be auctioned off for charity and would probably command a pretty high price. But, even if it is worth millions, is designing a camera worth Sir Jony’s time? It feels like some of the details have been lost in translation....

Apple will begin providing select retail store employees access to upcoming versions of iOS in order to widen its pre-release testing program, according to multiple sources. The program will begin in the near-future with an upcoming iOS release, perhaps version 8.2, which is slated to be released alongside the Apple Watch… This new program will mark Apple’s first expansion of pre-release iOS version testing beyond developers and employees within the walls of Apple’s Cupertino headquarters....

When the new Apple TV launched last week, one notable omission in the tvOS App Store were Top Charts like we are used to seeing on iOS devices. The obvious reason for this omission seemed to be that Apple didn’t have enough data collected to populate top charts, but now that appears to have changed… Users of the new Apple TV have noticed a new section in the device’s App Store that lists the Top Charts for tvOS applications....

The Next Web notes that Apple today introduced Brazil to its Apple TV set-top box. The hobby project is available in the Brazilian online Apple Store for R$ 399,00, or approximately $217 (compare this to the $99 price point in the United States). The gizmo is available now and comes with free shipping. This is the first BRIC nation to get the Apple TV (BRIC being a term for huge global emerging economies coined by Goldman Sachs)....

Apple has steadily been gaining new partners to its universal search feature on the fourth-gen Apple TV since its launch last fall, and this week the number of compatible channels in the United States has topped over 50 in total. Several new additions including Apple Music, Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, and TNT all now work with search. Search lets you find movies and TV shows across various apps by asking Siri or using the Search app....

Apple has officially announced iOS 12 for iPhone and iPad at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose. We’ll update our story below with details as they’re announced. Apple says iOS 12 doubles down on performance iOS 12 will be supported on all iOS 11 devices Apps launch 40% faster, keyboard can appear 50% faster, and slide to take photo can be up to 70% iOS 12 can make share sheet and apps launch twice as fast CPU performance can ramp up instantly when needed, then ramp down to preserve battery life Apple working with Adobe, Autodesk, others for new 3D object features with AR iOS 12 includes a new ARKit-powered Apple app called Measure Feature icons for performance, ARKit 2, Photos, Siri, an unknown icon, Voice Memos, iBooks (Apple Books?...

iMore first reported late last month that Apple plans to hold a media event on Sept. 12 to introduce the much-rumored, next-generation iPhone and new iPad mini. Today, iMore is adding more information regarding what we can expect from the event. It claimed sources have indicated Apple will update its entire iOS device lineup to support the new, smaller dock connector. According to iMore: iLounge reported last week Apple would update the 9....

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are now available, and Apple is celebrating the launch with custom eye-popping displays. The larger-than-life installations are now in the front windows of a select number of Apple Stores worldwide, including fewer than a dozen locations in the US. Five massive iPhone frames arranged like flower petals surround all five finishes of the iPhone 12 displayed on individual polished pedestals. Each phone runs an animated demo loop and the fixture corresponds with a multicolored neon glow....