Apple has been building Continuity features into its software that let you make phone calls and send messages from iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches through your iPhone for a while now, and today AT&T is announcing a new network-level advancement called NumberSync capable of doing that for all connected devices.

With NumberSync, AT&T customers will soon be able to use what’s called mobile twinning to share a single phone number with multiple SIM cards in smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and other connected devices. The goal is to let you send and receive phone calls or messages from all your connected devices without relying on a specific app or operating system feature.

NumberSync won’t immediately benefit iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch customers, but it is an advancement that prepares AT&T’s network for what many consider just a matter of time: Apple Watches with built-in cellular connections and possibly one day cars.

Even before Apple Watches become untethered from iPhones, AT&T’s NumberSync feature will soon be able to benefit other smartwatches that already ship with SIM cards but have their own phone numbers for making phone calls and handling messages.

NumberSync won’t require smartphones to be on a Wi-Fi network, connected via Bluetooth, or even powered on for other connected devices to work with your real phone number. This also unifies your voicemail inbox to one phone number if you miss or can’t take calls.

As for availability, AT&T says its focused on supporting NumberSync through an ecosystem of devices with the first supported device expected soon and more to follow before the end of the year.

Filed under: Tech Industry Tagged: AT&T, connected devices, mobile twinning, NumberSync

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T-Mobile is bringing back one of its most popular promotions by — once again — offering four 10GB data lines for $120 total. The offer is available for a limited time from today, and is ideal for data-hungry families needing multiple lines. With no overages, you know exactly what your bill’s going to be every month too.

If you don’t need four lines, you can get two 10GB lines at $50 each:

With #10Gigs4All, two people can get up to 10 GB of 4G LTE each – no sharing required – for just $100 a month. Then, each additional line is just $20 more per person – also with 10 GB of T-Mobile’s blazing-fast 4G LTE. Now, with this promotion, that 4th line is free, bringing the total cost to just $120 per month for a family of four.

As with every Simple Choice plan, customers signing up get access to a host of awesome offers including rollover data for up to 12 months, Wi-Fi calling, unlimited music streaming and unlimited in-flight texting with GoGo. Customers also get unlimited calls to and from Mexico and Canada, as well as the ability to use 4G LTE data from their plan allowances in those countries, unlimited data and texts in 140 countries abroad and unlimited international texts from the US. Compared to the other three carrier options, it looks a fantastic deal:

This news comes just weeks after the carrier announced some killer iPhone deals, where customers were offered the new iPhones for $5 per month if they trade in their old ones.

Filed under: Tech Industry Tagged: 10gigs4all, carriers, Deals, iPhone, Smartphone, T-Mobile

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Apple was the first company to create a touchscreen keyboard I considered usable. Nothing prior to the iPhone even came close, which is why in those days I stuck to phones with physical keyboards.

Even today, though, I still have a strong preference for the real thing. My iPad is usually accompanied by my Brydge keyboard, but what about those whose iPhone is their primary device when out and about?

Cam reviewed one option – the Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard – and now there’s an even smaller and cheaper option on the way: the Flyshark 2. The company first launched a version of this a year ago, and currently has a Kickstarter campaign running for an improved version. It’s fully-funded, with 10 days to go, and I’ve been testing a prototype version with my iPhone 6s … 

Size, look & feel

The key benefit of the Flyshark is that it’s small – really small. In its folded state, it’s just 130mm wide, 75mm deep and 13mm thick. That’s a little wider, and a little shorter, than the iPhone 6s.

It’s thicker, as you might expect, but it is still genuinely pocket-sized, and weighs just 150g.

The aluminium used is 7000-series – the same as used in the iPhone 6s – which is all about combining strength and lightness. The finish does have a slightly industrial look, and it has plastic hinges. Overall, I’d say the look is neutral – it isn’t going to be mistaken for an Apple product, but neither does it look cheap and nasty.

It’s Smart Bluetooth, so should offer decent battery-life. Actual life will of course depend on usage; the company says the standby time is up to a year. Treat ‘up to ‘ with the usual skepticism, but in my experience, Bluetooth keyboard batteries last for ages.

In use

Like the Microsoft keyboard, and LG’s Rolly (which is a neat idea but not really pocket-sized), the Flyshark 2 offers proper moving keys. The amount of movement in the keys is somewhere between a MacBook Air/Pro keyboard and the (non-Magic) Apple Wireless Keyboard.

In use, it feels a little cheaper and ‘looser’ than Apple’s keyboards, and I found I wasn’t quite as accurate using it. The keyboard is, without doubt, a compromise compared to anything full-sized, but that’s not too great a surprise.

Trying to persuade a folding keyboard to sit completely flat on a table when it has a hinge in the center is something the company spent a lot of time figuring out, and they got 99% of the way there. It wobbles perhaps half a millimeter as you type. Personally, I found it very slightly annoying, but I was still impressed how near-flat they’d got it.

The keyboard automatically switches on and re-pairs with the last-used device as soon as you open it, switching off when you close it which makes it extremely convenient to use. It does, though, take a couple of seconds to switch off, and I found I got about ten gibberish characters ‘typed’ by the keyboard each time I closed it.

Conclusions

If you want a keyboard for use with an iPad, I would highly recommend getting a full-sized one (for iPad-sized values of ‘full size’). I was impressed with both the ClamCase Pro and Brydge keyboards, and there’s no real advantage to anything smaller than the iPad itself. Some people also carry an Apple Wireless Keyboard, which is obviously bulkier but a delight to use.

But if you don’t want to carry an iPad around and still want to do a lot of typing on your iPhone, I’d say the Flyshark 2 is a decent compromise. It doesn’t match the typing experience of a larger keyboard any more than the Microsoft keyboard does, but the difference between this and the on-screen keyboard is night-and-day. If you want to improve your iPhone typing experience while retaining pocket-level portability, the Flyshark 2 may well be the answer.

The Flyshark 2 can be pre-ordered on Kickstarter from $46, with shipping estimated for November. It’s available in a range of colors.

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: bluetooth keyboard, Flyshark, iPhone keyboard, keyboard

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The newly launched and universal Tweetbot 4 for iOS is out with its first new update today, version 4.0.1, adding improved support for Apple’s latest iPhones.

For iPhone 6s and 6s Plus customers, Tweetbot 4 now includes 3D Touch support for Quick Actions on the Home screen and Peek and Pop interactions within the app. 

Firmly press the updated app icon to reveal options for creating new tweets, quickly tweeting your most recently captured photo, viewing the new Activity tab, or optionally replying to a mention or direct message if a new alert is available.

As for Peek and Pop, which lets you preview and open links by pressing firmly on the display, Tweetbot 4 currently supports 3D Touch on the timeline and says more places within the app will support it in the future. Tweetbot 4.0.1 has also been localized in French, Spanish, and Japanese with more languages promised.

Tweetbot 4 is currently available for iPhone and iPad for $4.99 with a full price of $9.99 coming later. 3D Touch features require iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: 3D Touch, Peek & Pop, quick actions, Tweetbot, Twitter

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Apple is continuing to expand its presence on social media services, today launching a brand new @AppleMusicHelp Twitter account to answer queries and support questions live over Twitter related to its Apple Music service. The account is manned each day of the week from 6 AM – 8 PM Pacific Time. Apple representatives will watch the account’s mentions timeline and try to help resolve people’s problems. The service is completely free, but the account will only help with Apple Music-specific questions. The company directs customers to the normal support pages for information or help with other Apple products.

Apple has been slowly ramping its outreach on social media and has grown considerably with the launch of Apple Music. For example, it recently began posting promotional photos on the company’s first official Snapchat account. In fact, the main Beats 1 scheduling page is actually hosted on Tumblr. It also recently launched the @AppStoreGames Twitter account to promote games for its platforms. The new @AppleMusicHelp account is likely taking a page out of Beats Music’s playbook, which featured @BeatsMusicHelp on Twitter.

Apple employees, including executives, have also been more open about posting on social media in recent months. Apple SVP Marketing Philip Schiller regularly links to positive Apple articles in the tech blogosphere and Eddy Cue was even responding to feature requests ahead of iOS 9.

That being said, Apple still lacks its own official company account. The company likely holds the @Apple handle itself but it remains inactive and dormant for the time being.

Filed under: iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: apple music help, support, Twitter

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Just as we expected, Apple unveiled a new family of Mac accessories yesterday including the new Magic Mouse 2 alongside updated 5K 27″ iMacs and the first 4K 21.5″ iMacs. YouTuber DetroitBORG managed to pick up Apple’s latest Bluetooth mouse on day one, giving it the full unboxing and review treatment.

Similar to Apple’s other accessories including iPhone cases, the packaging for the Magic Mouse 2 has changed since the last generation. A larger, mostly white box featuring Magic Mouse 2 graphics replaces the smaller, clear plastic packaging from the original Magic Mouse. Anyone who has ever opened the first Magic Mouse knows how tricky the old packaging could be to get through.

The headlining change between the first Magic Mouse and Magic Mouse 2, of course, is the built-in rechargeable battery versus AA slots that needed replaced frequently. Magic Mouse 2 charges using the same Lightning cable as iPhones and iPads so Apple includes the cable in the box.

While the overall design and gestures are left mostly unchanged save for tweaked runners along the bottom, Magic Mouse 2 does feature a handy pairing method to Macs on OS X El Capitan. DetroitBORG demonstrates the new plug-and-pair feature in the video.

And while Magic Mouse 2 is said to charge up for 9 hours of use in about 2 minutes and about a month’s worth of use in just a couple hours, the Lightning port’s placement on the bottom does rule out using Magic Mouse 2 at all while charging. As demonstrated in the video, though, Apple’s new Lightning Dock intended for iPhones makes for a handy Magic Mouse 2 dock as well.

Magic Mouse 2 is available for $79, which is $10 more than the original Magic Mouse which didn’t include a Lightning cable and a built-in rechargeable battery. Magic Mouse 2 also comes standard with every new iMac (the $129 Magic Trackpad 2 is not an upgrade option; only a separate purchase).

Filed under: AAPL Company, Mac Tagged: iMac, Lightning, Magic Mouse, Magic Mouse 2

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The WSJ reports that Foxconn and the world’s largest chip assembler, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), are fighting for control of the number three company in the chip assembly business, SPIL. ASE assembles chips used in the Apple Watch, while SPIL last year started supplying chips for iPhones.

ASE had planned to take a controlling interest in SPIL in order to protect its market-leading position and remain one jump ahead of competitors. Key iPhone assembly company Foxconn, however, persuaded the company that it would do better by collaborating with the Chinese firm in order to win more of Apple’s business.

SPIL shareholders will vote on the proposed deal with Foxconn tomorrow. Although ASE had already bought some shares in the company, it did so too late to qualify for vote, so has instead sent a letter to other SPIL shareholders urging them to vote against the motion.

All three companies are competing for system-in-package (SiP) orders from Apple, which analysts say will be worth billions of dollars.

There is huge competition for Apple’s business among chip manufacturers and assemblers, with Apple reportedly playing off Samsung and TSMC against each other in order to squeeze out last-minute price cuts for the A9 chip. Samsung’s recent return to profit was attributed to the chips it supplies to Apple.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple Watch, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: a9, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Apple Inc, ASE, Chips, Foxconn, Samsung, SPIL, TSMC

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The latest data from App Annie shows that Android has pushed further ahead in the number of apps downloaded worldwide, but iOS has increased its lead in app revenue.

Downloads in India and Southeast Asia in particular saw Android opening up its download lead from 85% in Q2 to 90% in Q3 2015, but that boost in low-cost handsets did nothing for app revenues. iOS apps increased their revenue lead from 70% to 80% in the last quarter … 

iOS and Google Play continued to show diverging growth patterns in Q3 2015. Google Play expanded its download lead over iOS thanks to first-time smartphone users in emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, iOS extended its revenue lead over Google Play thanks to its continued strength in another Asian market: China.

Unsurprisingly, China has been a particularly important market for iOS apps, now seeing more downloaded than in the USA, with revenue also seeing strong growth.

In the USA, the most popular iOS app categories measured by time spent using them are social networking, photo & video, utilities and games, with music rounding out the top 5 on the iPhone while travel makes the #5 slot on the iPad.

It was predicted earlier this year that both Apple and Google would see their app store revenues doubling within four years.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: Android v iOS, App Annie, App Store, Apps, iOS, iOS App Store, iOS apps

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After debuting the Apple TV 4 with San Francisco-themed video screensavers, Apple has added some new videos to the queue, including flyover footage of central London (above) and the Great Wall of China (below). Both are found within the Aerial screensavers section, but you can’t specifically choose them, the device just loops the ones Apple pushes to it … 

The London flyover begins just east of Tower Bridge and ends at the London Eye. Apple previously added two island videos which appear to have been shot in Hawaii, one moving towards a beach, the other approaching a waterfall.

Apple revealed the new Apple TV hardware last month, though there were no surprises for 9to5Mac readers. Apple showed off the new remote, complete with touchpad, a revamped UI and new apps for the platform. Check out our hands-on guide for more.

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV, Apple TV 4, Apple TV Screensavers, china, Great Wall of China, London, Screensavers

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DxOMark recently published its review of the iPhone 6s, and it confirms what we already sort-of new: it’s not a huge step up from the last generation iPhones. In fact, the camera performs ever-so-slightly worse than last year’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which both entered the DxOMark rankings in 1st place when they were reviewed last year.

It’s a slightly different story this year. With Apple packing in more pixels in to the sensor, the company’s aim was to offer higher resolution pictures without ruining performance. For the most part, Apple achieved its goal. DxOMark notes that exposure, white balance and detail are all good in bright light. What’s more, autofocus and stabilization are both great on video in daylight. It’s in low light conditions that the iPhone 6s doesn’t perform as well. There’s noticeable noise, yellowing and ghosting in low light and indoor conditions.

DxOMark noted:

From our tests, images are generally well-exposed and for the most part colors are vivid and pleasing outdoors. However, there are occasional differences in exposure noticeable between consecutive captures in very bright outdoor scenes, typically due to the inconsistent activation of the HDR mode. There is also a slight but consistent underexposure in extremely low light levels (5 lux); the result however is still quite usable and an improvement over the iPhone 6.  White balance is reliable though inevitably some inaccuracies were noticeable at times, with a slight yellow cast visible in some outdoor scenes. Although this cast was present in captures from the iPhone 6 the cast was slightly stronger and more noticeable on the 6s.

As for video, it could do with some OIS action if it’s going to improve its stabilization in low light, which is currently supplied using some clever software tricks, rather than through mechanical means:

Results for digital stabilization were similar to the iPhone 6 (and the Samsung), with it working well in good lighting but rather less efficient at reducing shake in low light where, arguably, it is needed more.

The iPhone 6s ended up with a score of 82, the same score as given to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus last year. That places the iPhone 6s in 10th place on the current list of smartphones, behind the likes of the newly announced Nexus 6P, Moto X Style and Xperia Z5. I’m sure many Android fans will gloat over that very fact. According to DxOMark, the iPhone is no longer the market leader when it comes to camera performance. By all accounts though, it’s still a very good camera overall.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Android, Camera, DxOMark, iOS devices, iPhone, iPhone 6s, ranking, test

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