Apple Temporarily Pulls iOS 9.3 Update for Older iOS Devices

Apple has temporarily stopped offering the iOS 9.3 update for older devices like the iPad Air and earlier and the iPhone 5s and earlier due to installation issues some users have experienced. On older devices, iOS 9.3 requires users to input the Apple ID and password originally used to set up the device, which can lead to the device becoming stuck at the Activation Lock screen if the original account information can't be recalled.

In a statement given to iMore, Apple says it is working on a fix and plans to issue a new version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days. Customers with an affected device who attempt to download iOS 9.3 during this time will not be able to install the update as Apple has stopped signing it.

Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update," an Apple spokesperson told iMore. "In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step."

For customers who have already installed iOS 9.3 and have gotten stuck at the Activation Lock, Apple has published a support document with steps on how to solve the issue. Apple recommends removing Activation Lock via iCloud or attempting to enter an Apple ID or password through iTunes.

Update: Apple has released a new build of iOS 9.3 for the iPad 2 and may be planning to roll out updates for additional devices. Apple has not yet resumed signing iOS 9.3 for affected devices.


Source:macrumors

iPhone SE (or iPhone 6c) UK release date rumours, feature rumours and leaked images: New 4-inch iPhone will be unveiled on 21 March

Multiple sources now report that Apple will launch its new 4-inch iPhone SE (or iPhone 5 SE, iPhone 6c iPhone 7c, iPhone mini etc), at a press event on 21 March. Here are the latest mini-iPhone rumours, including iPhone SE UK release date, design, specs and features

When will Apple launch its next 4-inch iPhone? Will it really be called the 'iPhone SE'?

Apple's iPhone SE (standing for 'Special Edition') will be unveiled at a press event on 21 March, according to multiple sources. This is expected to be Apple's first 4-inch iPhone since the iPhone 5s in 2013. Some have also speculated that it will match the colourful plastic design of the iPhone 5c, which launched at the same time as the 5s.

Back in 2015, we were worried that Apple had decided to ditch the 'C' range from its iPhone line-up, and stop making 4-inch iPhones altogether after the success of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s (and iPhone 6) and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus (and iPhone 6 Plus). But it's been consistently rumoured that a smaller iPhone 6c (now believed to be called iPhone SE) might launch in 2016.

Here, we've gathered all of the latest iPhone SE rumours, including release date, design, specs and features speculation. We've also got iPhone SE concept images and mockups.

Source: Macworld

Statement of Apple: Here's how long it would take us to hack the iPhone

Ever since the dispute between Apple and the FBI over unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone burst into the headlines, tech insiders have been speculating about whether Apple had the technical capability to do so (most assumed it did) and just how challenging it would be. Now, in its latest court filing, Apple reveals the answer.

In the motion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, the company said it would take about two to four weeks for a team of engineers to build the software needed to create a so-called "backdoor" to access the locked phone.

"The compromised operating system that the government demands would require significant resources and effort to develop," Apple's lawyers wrote. "Although it is difficult to estimate, because it has never been done before, the design, creation, validation, and deployment of the software likely would necessitate six to ten Apple engineers and employees dedicating a very substantial portion of their time for a minimum of two weeks, and likely as many as four weeks."

Apple asks judge to reverse iPhone unlock order

Apple says the team would need to write new code to override the iPhone security measure which would erase all the phone's data after 10 failed password attempts.

"No operating system currently exists that can accomplish what the government wants, and any effort to create one will require that Apple write new code, not just disable existing code functionality," Apple stated.

It said the team would likely need to include "engineers from Apple's core operating system group, a quality assurance engineer, a project manager, and either a document writer or a tool writer."
"Apple's software ecosystem is incredibly complicated, and changing one feature of an operating system often has ancillary or unanticipated consequences," the company notes. "Apple would have to undertake additional testing efforts to confirm and validate that running this newly developed operating system to bypass the device's security features will not inadvertently destroy or alter any user data."

Once that software was created, investigators could attempt to crack the password using "brute force" -- digitally entering password after password until it gets the right one. Apple says its technical expertise would be required to do that, too.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly argued that creating a backdoor to the company's phones would establish a precedent that could compromise the security and privacy of millions of iPhone users around the world -- a claim the government disputes.

Source: CBS NEWS