Apps

Photo: Joe Ravi (Shutterstock iStock Dreamstime) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Apple Invites emoji replies, confetti in latest update

Apple Invites received its second summer update (version 1.10) adding emoji reactions for hosts and guests and a confetti animation when replies are sent, along with routine bug fixes and performance improvements; this follows June’s update that introduced cohosting, public guest lists, and new backgrounds. The app remains targeted at iCloud+ subscribers and supports RSVP responses on iPhone and iPad.

5 sources

Apple Launches Klarna-backed Upgrade Leasing

Apple is launching the Apple Upgrade device-leasing program, backed by Klarna, set to debut in the U.S. on July 28 with 24-month leases for iPhone and Apple Watch and 36-month leases for Mac and iPad, allowing early upgrades, payoff, or returns as it phases out the current iPhone Upgrade Program. The move, aimed at expanding financing options and customer access to the latest devices, accompanies exclusions such as AppleCare and some devices, and signals Klarna’s growing role in Apple’s device-financing strategy.

23 sources

Photo: Apple Inc. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Apple plans Maps ads rollout in US, Canada

Apple is rolling out Maps ads with a selective, 'organic-looking' approach, banning broad home-services categories and certain high-risk industries while evaluating medical ads case-by-case, signaling a focus on trusted, physically visitable locations as it delays a formal launch to this summer in the U.S. and Canada with a policy effective July 14, 2026. The strategy contrasts with Google’s Local Services Ads by prioritizing ad quality and brand safety over rapid expansion, aiming to simplify verification and reduce friction for advertisers.

15 sources

Pulse

Pulse

forums.appleinsider.com

Recently covered

Apple Invites emoji replies, confetti in latest update

Apple Launches Klarna-backed Upgrade Leasing

Apple plans Maps ads rollout in US, Canada