Apple announces ‘___’ event on March 15th in ___ ahead of expected 4″ iPhone 5se/9.7″ iPad Pro, Apple Watch updates, new software, more
Apple has officially announced its upcoming spring event scheduled for March 15th in ___. The company is expected to introduce the iPhone 5se, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, new Apple Watch bands, software updates, and more. 9to5Mac originally reported the March 15th date at the beginning of February before today’s event details were official. As for what’s in store for this event, here’s what’s rumored and expected:
Apple has saved new iPhone launches for the fall in September starting with the iPhone 4s in 2011, but we’re expecting that to change at this spring event.
The iPhone 5se is expected to be a 4-inch model entry in a lineup of flagship 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones. As a smaller device that won’t be flagship status, the iPhone 5se will feature a mix of specs from the iPhone 6 and 6s but packaged in an iPhone 5-sized casing.
As we reported, these features and specifications include the faster A9 chip and M9 chip with always-on Siri and Live Photos feature introduced in the iPhone 6s, Apple Pay introduced in the iPhone 6, 16/64GB models, and space gray/silver/gold/rose gold finishes.
We’ve also reported schematics via a case maker that show a nearly identical design to the iPhone 5se, save for slightly curved edges.
The smaller iPad Pro is expected to be a shrunken version of the 12.9-inch tablet introduced last fall. Apple typically updates its 9.7-inch tablet annually, but focused instead last year on refreshing the 7.9-inch iPad mini and introducing the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Rumored changes include adopting the iPad Pro’s quad-speaker design, adding Apple Pencil support, bumping up from the A8X and M8 chips to the A9X and M9 chips, a possible Smart Connector, and maybe even a rear flash for photography which would be a first for any iPad.
Both of these devices are expected to go on sale on March 18th, which is a quick turnaround compared to other product launches after Apple events.
While the Apple Watch hardware isn’t expected to be upgraded until later this fall, we are expecting to see new Sport band colors, a space black version of the Milanese Loop, and maybe even all-new NATO-style nylon straps that 9to5Mac originally reported as being in development.
Finally, Apple has been testing new feature-packed versions of each of its software platforms — iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4, watchOS 2.2, and tvOS 9.2 — which don’t yet have final versions or release dates but are expected to debut for everyone around this event. A standalone update to iTunes that enhances the Apple Music experience is also expected to be unveiled.
Overall, the event is expected to be an interesting sequel to last year’s March event where Apple re-introduced the Apple Watch, unveiled the 12-inch MacBook, and introduced iOS 8.2 to the public.
9to5Mac will be covering the event in detail on March 15th and before so stay tuned.
Filed under: Apple Watch, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple event, Apple Music, Apple watch, iOS 9.3, iPad Air 3, iPhone 5se, iTunes, OS X 10.11.4, tvOS 9.2, watchOS 2.2
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Report: Google & Facebook to file court motions officially supporting Apple in FBI fight
Following Apple’s filling earlier today in which it formally responded to the FBI’s court request to access date on a locked iPhone, the Wall Street Journal now reports that both Facebook and Google plan to file court motions in which they support Apple’s stance.
Since this news broke last week, both Google and Facebook have publicly offered their support to Tim Cook and Apple. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai shared his opinions in a series of tweets, explaining that Apple’s case with the FBI could set a troubling precedent. Then, Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer gave an interview in which he also expressed his support for Apple, albeit somewhat vaguely. Lockheimer noted of how this specific case opens up room for a lot more discussion on the matter of national security and user privacy.
Most recently, Mark Zuckerberg expressed his support for Apple while speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “I don’t think building back doors is the way to go, so we’re pretty sympathetic to Tim and Apple,” Zuckerberg said.
Earlier today, Apple officially responded to the court following an order from last week to unlock an iPhone 5c used by the San Bernardino gunmen last December. As expected, Apple is working vacate the order, explaining that unlocking an iPhone using a modified and insecure software version is not the way to go about the issue.
In addition to Facebook and Google formally planning to support Apple’s side in its fight with the FBI, the EFF, ACLU, and WhatsApp have all voiced their unequivocal agreement with Apple and come out in support of the company.
Apple’s battle with the FBI over national security versus user privacy began last week and has since become one of the biggest and most complex stories in tech and politics. You can view all of our extensive coverage at the links below:
- U.S. judge orders Apple to help FBI access data on San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone 5c
- Apple publishes letter responding to FBI iPhone unlock demand: ‘an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers’
- Google CEO Pichai appears to side with Apple in series of vague tweets on FBI encryption battle
- Security firm shows how Apple could bypass iPhone security to comply with FBI request
- Opinion: How likely is Apple to succeed in resisting the FBI court order?
- Should Apple comply with FBI request to bypass San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone? [Poll]
- Civil rights groups and tech companies express support for Apple’s stand against the FBI
- Opinion: Why an iPhone master key is better than a backdoor, but still too dangerous
- Petition urges White House to support Apple in blocking government access to locked iPhones
- Senate Intelligence Committee considering bill to penalize companies refusing to decrypt user device
- Report: Apple to get more time to formally respond to government’s request for access to locked iPhone
- Apple/FBI fight looks destined to go all the way to the Supreme Court as more background is revealed
- Department of Justice files motion to force Apple to comply with FBI iPhone backdoor request
- Apple implies FBI screwup: iPhone Apple ID password changed in govt possession, backdoor unnecessary
- FBI explains why it changed Apple ID password in iPhone unlock case, retrieved iCloud backups up to October 19 but wants more
- San Bernardino victims divided on iPhone issue as FBI claims not trying to set a precedent
- Apple/FBI: Tim Cook sends memo to employees, wants government to drop All Writs Act demands, posts customer FAQ
- Mark Zuckerberg sides w/ Apple in encryption battle as poll suggests public supports FBI
- Report says DOJ seeking data from ‘about’ 12 other iPhones as Bill Gates sides with FBI
- Report: Apple to argue that encryption battle with FBI should be decided by Congress
- Bloomberg: Apple will argue that the digital signature it uses to validate code is protected as free speech
- Tim Cook says tool to unlock iPhone is the ‘software equivalent of cancer’ in new interview
- Apple working on stronger iCloud backup encryption and iPhone security to counter FBI unlock requests
- Apple’s top lawyer Bruce Sewell to testify before Congress over encryption next week
- Apple officially responds to court request to comply with FBI in San Bernardino iPhone case
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, Encryption, Facebook, FBI, Google, iOS
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Apple to launch 9.7-inch iPad Pro, not Air 3; Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil support likely
Apple will further differentiate the next-generation 9.7-inch iPad from its predecessor by making it part of the new iPad Pro line, according to sources. Much like the MacBook Pro comes in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the iPad Pro will soon come in 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch variations. This trend follows Apple not calling its 12-inch MacBook a new Air despite developing the product as an apparent successor to the MacBook Air.
The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro will debut at Apple’s Tuesday, March 15th event and begin shipping as soon as March 18th, we previously reported. The smaller iPad Pro will have nearly identical features and specifications as the bigger model, bringing along the A9X processor and RAM upgrades from the 12.9-inch model. It will also include the 12.9-inch model’s updated display technology to support the Apple Pencil.
We previously reported that the new 9.7-inch iPad model will include a Smart Connector, and now we have learned that Apple is preparing a smaller version of its Smart Keyboard cover attachment for the new model, and it likely will be ready for March. Like the 12.9-inch models, quad stereo speakers will be part of the hardware. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is also expected to come in the same colors and storage capacities as the larger iPad Pro, but the pricing will be closer in line with the iPad Air models it will succeed.
This new iPad Pro launch will also open up the door to Apple further simplifying its iPad lineup. Sources say that Apple is slowing down production of older iPad mini and original iPad Air models, meaning that the iPad mini 2 and first-generation iPad Air are likely to be discontinued upon the launch of the smaller iPad Pro. Apple will also introduce a new 4-inch iPhone 5se with an A9 chip, Live Photos and slightly curved edges plus multiple new Apple Watch band options at the March event.
Filed under: iOS Devices
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Apple officially responds to court request to comply with FBI in San Bernardino iPhone case
Apple has officially filed its mandatory response to the court following an order to comply with the FBI and unlock an iPhone used by the San Bernardino shooter from December. Unsurprisingly, Apple has filed a motion to vacate the order which would force it to comply, telling the court that it shouldn’t have to unlock the iPhone using a modified and insecure software version.
In the response, Apple has referred to the version of iOS that it would need to create to allow the FBI to unlock the iPhone in question using brute force as a Government Operating System.
You can read the official 65-page document filed with the court system today here (via Mashable). In the document, Apple maintains its position that the request to unlock this specific iPhone isn’t actually about just one iPhone and would set a dangerous precedent that could be used by governments around the world.
Apple’s position has also been to explain that creating this insecure version of iOS to be used in this case would be all customers at risk assuming the operating system fell into the wrong hands and was passed off as the real thing.
The Department of Justice has maintained that what the FBI is asking for is not a backdoor, however, and is merely a single key to be used for unlocking this phone.
Apple CEO Tim Cook compared such software to cancer during an interview yesterday with ABC News, which senior law enforcement entertained as something Apple could then destroy after entering the iPhone in question.
And Apple’s official response to the court isn’t the last that we’ll hear about this case in the near future.
First, Apple’s refusal to comply will need to be taken into considering by the court, of court, and a legal response will follow.
Second, Apple’s top lawyer Bruce Sewell is set to testify before a Congressional hearing next week to answer questions about encryption.
Filed under: AAPL Company
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Apple’s top lawyer Bruce Sewell to testify before Congress over encryption next week
There’s a new development in the ongoing back-and-forth between Apple and the Department of Justice. Apple’s top lawyer, Bruce Sewell, will testify on encryption next week before a congressional hearing. The upcoming hearing will take place on Tuesday, March 1st, so just five days from today.
Also in attendance at next week’s hearing will be James Comey, who you may know as the Director of the FBI, which should make for an interesting showdown (although the two are on separate panels so don’t expect anything too confrontational).
According to Buzzfeed News, Cyrus Vance who is the New York County D.A. and Susan Landau of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute will also be testifying before the congressional hearing.
The upcoming congressional hearing follows last week’s news that a judge ordered Apple to unlock an encrypted iPhone 5c used by one of the San Bernardino shooters last December following an FBI request.
Apple CEO Tim Cook swiftly responded with an open letter to customers explaining Apple’s stance on not complying with the request, explaining that the company believes it would put all customers at risk.
Cook went to the airwaves last night to further explain Apple’s resistance, relating a cracked version of iOS to software cancer, during an extended interview with David Muir of ABC News.
Senior law enforcement officials have since responded by using Cook’s cancer analogy to further their reasoning that Apple should comply, saying Apple could destroy the single cancer as it may be.
Sewell, who will testify on behalf of Apple next week, currently serves as general counsel and senior vice president of Legal and Global Security and reports to Tim Cook.
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Bruce Sewell, Encryption, FBI
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Apple releases software update for third-generation Apple TV
Somewhat out of the blue, Apple has released a minor software update for the third-generation Apple TV. This is technically listed as iOS 8.4.1, the same version number as the previous public Apple TV operating system. However, the build number has been bumped up, indicating Apple has rolled in some minor bug fixes and improvements.
The update comes as a welcome surprise for third-generation Apple TV owners, who had felt somewhat abandoned ever since Apple released the brand-new tvOS-based Apple TV 4 last fall. The change in build number only means that it is unlikely for the update to include major new features.. Nevertheless, let us know in the comments if you notice any changes with the new update.
Although this is merely a minor bugfix release for old Apple TV owners, Apple is prepping a major update for the newest 2015 model of its set-top box. tvOS 9.2 is currently in beta and includes major new features, like app Folders, iCloud Photo Library, bluetooth keyboard support and text-field dictation. tvOS 9.2 is expected to be released in March.
Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple TV, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple TV, iOS
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Apple Watch (refurb) from $235, DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone $439, free apps, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
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DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $439 shipped (Reg. $500+), more
The highly rated iOS Lotogram photo apps go free for the first time in a year: Reflex, Framatic, Splitter, more
Games/Apps: Nintendo refurb 2DS from $65, Hauppauge’s best selling TV Tuner/Xbox Video Capture from $43, freebies, more
Buy an unlocked 128GB iPhone 6 Plus for $99 less than a 64GB model: $650 shipped (Orig. $949)
Apple 11-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB: $720 shipped (Reg. $899)
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LD West’s gun holster-style iPhone case & wallet combo: $20 off, deals from $109 shipped
Get 55% off ‘Civilization: Beyond Earth Collection’ for Mac (Steam code): $27 ($80+ value)
Review: Audioengine turns it up to 11 with its newest Bluetooth HD6 powered speakers
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Explore Renaissance Italy in the new Assassin’s Creed Identity action RPG for iOS
Samsung 850 EVO 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drives: 500GB $140 (Reg. $150+), 1TB $271 (Reg. $295+), more
- The Walking Dead: Michonne is now available for iOS, Android and consoles
- Save $2 on your next trip to Jamba Juice with this coupon
- Athletic Apparel: Nike extra 20% off clearance, Reebok Outlet 50% off
- Simmons Curv 3-inch Flat Gel Memory Foam Mattress Toppers up to 70% off
PS4 Star Wars bundle w/ Street Fighter V & Silver Wired Headset $360 shipped ($434 value) wp.me/p1xTlR-O63 https://t.co/VqlxgoWMHW
—
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MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Free Xbox Live Gold Games for March: Borderlands, Lords of the Fallen, more
Free PS Plus Games for March: Broforce, Galak-Z, Super Stardust HD, more
Show off and charge your Apple Watch + iPhone w/ this aluminum dock for just $23 Prime shipped (Reg. $39), more
- 12 classic Pixar films in HD for $15 ea, Mad Max: Fury Road & The Martian $10 ea
- Gift Cards up to 20% off: CVS, Domino’s, Jiffy Lube, many more
- Rolo Travel Bag keeps you looking good on the road: $45 (Orig. $61)
- Have someone from Amazon take care of that honey-do list and get a free $30 gift card
- MFi Apple-Certified Lightning cables: 10-foot for $11, 3-foot for $6, more
- Bluetooth Speakers w/ Prime shipping: Aukey $20 (Reg. $30), more
- Headphones: Sennheiser HD429S Over-Ears $30 (Reg. $45+), more
- Carriers & retailers roll out major pre-order bonuses for Samsung’s Galaxy S7
- D-Link Powerline Starter Kit $40 (Reg. $60), TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug $20
- Power Deals: USB-C/Lightning Cables from $7, 3-port Charger $10, more
- Seiki 39-inch 4K w/ 3 HDMI inputs: $300, 28-inch Yamakasi 60Hz 4K display: $270
- Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard: Aluminum $22, w/ Stand $25 (Reg. $34)
- DashCam Recorder and Camera offers motion-triggered recording: $27 (Orig: $95)
- Keep your Wi-Fi running w/ this APC battery backup: $20 (Orig. $60)
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- Save $50 on Huawei Watches for iOS/Android, prices start at $300
- Harman Kardon 5.1-channel, 120 watt surround-sound system w/sub: $200 (Orig. $600)
- Bluetooth Speakers: Bem Boom Box $40 (Reg. $80), Sylvania Rugged $12 (Reg. $20)
- Amazon Fire TV 4K Streaming Media Player: $85 shipped (Reg. $100)
- Try out Google Express with this $40 credit for $15 (62% savings)
- Nike+ Fuelband SE Fitness Tracker for $38 (Orig. $150, CA Tax only)
- Upgrade your audio w/ Logi’s 2.1-Ch. Speaker System: $100 (Reg. $125+)
- Grow fresh herbs/veggies year round: Miracle-Gro AeroGarden $45 Prime shipped
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- Enjoy a free download of Black Beauty as a Kindle eBook with Audible narration (Reg. up to $7)
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
Mighty is the Spotify-compatible iPod Shuffle we’ve been waiting for
The Cicret Bracelet puts a smartphone display on your arm with full touchscreen functionality
- Faraday’s latest eBikes hit Kickstarter with a minimalist step-through design
- SanDisk announces faster USB-C flash drives and microSD cards at Mobile World Conference
- Garmin’s latest fitness trackers: can automatically identify your activities
- Canon adds three new Wi-Fi cameras to its mid-range lineup
- Pad & Quill’s new wooden iPhone 6/s/Plus cases use kevlar for added strength
- The original Rayman game is now available for download on the App Store
- The Coleco Chameleon retro gaming console is sure to appeal to any Millennial
- NERF’s Fall 2016 line includes battery-powered 70MPH blasters, Alien designs, more
- PSA: Fallout 4 gets 3DLC packs – get your Season Pass now before it jumps up in price
- Final Fantasy IX is now available for download on iOS/Android
Filed under: Tips and Tricks
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MasterCard’s ‘travel free in London with Apple Pay’ promo is back for the next three Mondays
The promotion MasterCard ran back in November, offering free travel in London when using a MasterCard in Apple Pay, is back.
From 29th February until 14th March travel free across Transport for London network on Mondays. Simply touch in and out using MasterCard with Apple Pay.
It’s a pretty generous deal, covering all travel on London Buses, London Underground, London Trams, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail, most National Rail services within London – and even the Emirates Air Line cable-car. The maximum daily amount is set to £28.10, but the maximum daily cap on travelcards would normally kick in before then anyway (unless you keep going back and forth on that cable-car).
The way it works is that you’ll be charged as normal for your travel, and then receive a refund within 28 days. Unlike last time, there’s no mention of having to set the MasterCard as your primary card – you just need to select the card before touching in.
Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay, London, London Underground, MasterCard, Transport for London
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How-To: Get the jump on Apple’s plans to fully secure your iPhone with two simple changes
It looks like Apple’s plans to strengthen iPhone security to make it impossible for the company to comply with future demands to hack into them will require new hardware. But you can already make it effectively impossible to gain access to your iPhone, even if Apple was forced to bypass passcode time-outs. All that is needed are two simple changes.
First, if you currently use a 6-digit passcode, change it to a longer one. If Apple removes the timeouts, and that compromised firmware gets into the wrong hands, it will take an average of just 11 hours to brute-force a 6-digit code. Simply doubling the number of digits to 12 means that the average time needed increases exponentially to 1,268 years.
If that isn’t enough for you, changing it to a complex alphanumeric one literally pushes the brute-force attack time into the millions of years. There is, however, one other weakness you need to address …
While your iPhone is encrypted locally, meaning that Apple doesn’t have the key, the same isn’t true of iCloud. That is encrypted, but Apple does have the key. That means Apple – or anyone able to gain access to that key – could gain access to the contents of your phone indirectly, by downloading your iCloud backup. That’s what Apple did in the San Bernardino case (at least, up to the point when the government changed the password).
Apple plans to come up with a method of encrypting iCloud backups in such a way that the company no longer holds a key, but in the meantime, switching off iCloud backup and switching instead to encrypted backups in iTunes will protect your data. Both steps take just a few minutes.
To change your passcode to 12 digits, go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Change Passcode > Passcode Options > Custom Numeric Code and enter as many digits as you like. Or choose Custom Numeric Code if you want to use letters too. Once that’s done, you’ll also notice the lock screen gives no clue as to how many digits or characters are needed (as shown in the photo above).
To stop backing up to iCloud – and delete your existing backup – go to Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage then select your device before pressing Delete Backup. When asked to confirm, select Turn Off & Delete.
You then need to switch to local backups in iTunes. Click on the devices icon in the tabbed menu, select your iPhone and then click the radio button for ‘This computer.’ Check the box for ‘Encrypt iPhone backup,’ and then click the Apply button at the bottom of the window.

Warning: backing up locally is much riskier than iCloud backups when it comes to protecting your data from being lost. If your house burns down, or someone steals your MacBook and external drives, that’s your phone backup gone.
You need to balance the risks of being hacked against the risks of losing your data. Personally, I consider the data loss risk far higher, so I’m happy to backup to iCloud and wait for Apple to upgrade the encryption there so I get the best of both worlds. But if you disagree, and consider hacking the greater risk, protecting yourself takes just minutes.
Filed under:
How-To Tagged: Encryption, FBI, How to set a 12-digit iPhone passcode, How to set a strong iPhone passcode, How to set a strong iPhone password, iPhone, iPhone passcode, San Bernardino
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Spark updated with iPad support, account and settings syncing, and watchOS 2 support
Readdle’s popular Spark email app for iOS just received the biggest update of its young existence. The timing of such an update couldn’t have been better with the unfortunate demise of Mailbox — a once beloved email app that’s scheduled to shut down tomorrow, February 26th.
Prior to today’s update, Spark was well-liked, but the lack of iPad support made it difficult for some to adopt it as a full time client. Now that iPad support, and several other new features have arrived, Spark feels as if it’s now ready for prime time. Should you consider adopting Spark as a part of your email workflow? Is Spark a legitimate Mailbox replacement? Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
Spark 1.6 changes
Here are some of the more outstanding changes to come to Spark 1.6
- iPad support, including support for the 12.9″ iPad Pro
- New languages (9 in total): English, German, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese
- Settings and Accounts syncing via iCloud
- watchOS 2 support
The main takeaway from my time with Spark is that it feels more mature. Sure, support for the iPad makes it easy to feel that way, but the overall level of polish has noticeably increased.
iPad support
Up until recently, I’ve been a big fan of Microsoft Outlook for iOS. The primary reason for choosing Outlook was due to its iPad support. Now that Spark supports the iPad, I’ve switched to using it as my full time email client.
As mentioned, Spark hasn’t merely been updated with general iPad support, but it’s been updated to work with the iPad Pro. Native iPad Pro support is a very big deal for me, and I’m sure other Pro owners will feel the same. The fundamentals of the app don’t really change when compared to using Spark on a smaller device like the iPhone, but having Spark on the iPad Pro is a great experience for power users.
Syncing settings via iCloud
Another hugely convenient feature to make it to Spark 1.6 is the ability to sync settings and accounts via iCloud. Make no mistake, this is major new feature. It means no longer having to deal with the meticulous task of setting up email accounts from scratch on every iOS device. It also means that, along with email accounts, all Spark preferences will transition over as well. For someone like me with five or six email accounts, it’s hard to overstate how brilliant this feature is.
watchOS 2 support
With Spark 1.6, Readdle is officially supporting watchOS 2 for its Apple Watch efforts. This means that Spark now functions as a native app on Apple Watch, and comes with a noticeable speed increase.
Why you should consider using Spark
Besides the obvious addition of iPad support, Spark is just a solid email client with a lot of practical features. Known for reducing the friction normally associated with managing email, Spark lets you easily process items in your inbox using gestures, features a Smart Inbox that breaks up email into logical categories, and contains search capabilities that let you easily hone in on specific messages using natural language.
Snoozing
One of the biggest features that former users of Mailbox will appreciate is the ability to snooze emails. Mailbox made its name off that ability, so snoozing will be a big draw for Mailbox fans.
I’ve never been keen on the concept of snoozing emails, but I know that a lot of people are enthralled with the idea. By utilizing the snooze button in the upper right-hand corner of an email, you can remind yourself to address a message at a later time. Users have the option of further customizing snooze alert times and availability within Spark’s preferences.
Personalization
Spark prides itself on personalization in a number of ways. Users are encouraged to customize the app’s Sidebar, which contain shortcuts to the Smart Inbox, Attachments, Snoozed email, and more. You can fully customize the sidebar and add or remove a variety of different shortcut cards just by venturing into the app’s preferences.
Along with the Sidebar, Spark lends the ability to customize swipe gestures. In all, there are four types of swipe gestures available: left short, left long, right short, and right long. Spark lends users a boatload of customized swipe actions, including:
- Mark as read/unread
- Delete
- Archive
- Move
- Move to…
- Pin
- Snooze
- Move to Spam
- Save to Evernote, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive
- More (iOS Share Sheet)
The last big personalization feature is Widgets. Widgets provide even more quickly accessible shortcuts. Certain application shortcuts, like Calendar access, can only be accessed via widgets, but there is definitely some overlap provided between Widgets and the Sidebar.
It doesn’t stop there
Outside of the primary “personalization” panel in Spark’s settings, there’s a whole host of additional options and settings to be configured. Let’s have a look at some of the other ways to customize Spark to your liking.
The Email Viewer preferences let users adjust the type of buttons that appear when viewing and managing individual emails. Spark gives you the option of enabling Archive, Delete, or Archive and Delete buttons at the bottom of individual emails. You can also choose what happens after an email is archived or deleted, and you can configure the browser that will open upon tapping a link within an email.
It should come as no surprise that signatures can be customized within Spark as well. You can add as many custom signatures as you wish, and make specific email accounts default to a signature of your choosing. I love the way Spark handles signature management, as it lets you quickly swipe between signatures, or disable the signature all together while composing a new email.
Spark also lets you curate how notification badges are displayed on its Home screen app icon. Notification badges can be toggled globally, for individual accounts, or for new messages only. By providing such options, Spark helps you reign in notification badges to a manageable level.
The main downside to using a third-party email app like Spark is that you can’t set it as the default email app in iOS. This means that the stock Mail app will automatically launch when tapping email links in Safari and in other locations. True, it’s an inconvenience, but it’s one that I’m willing to live with for the many positive features that Spark adds to my email workflow. Best of all, Spark is absolutely free on the App Store, so there’s really no excuse not to try it.
Filed under: Apps, iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: Email app, iPad, iPad Pro, Mailbox, Mailbox app, Readdle, Spark
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