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After closing at its lowest point in months in the previous week ($106.75 on 12/16), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) share prices rallied a bit last week to close at $113.99 on the day after Christmas. The cause of the recent drop off is anyone's guess, but there are plenty of reasons to support its rally, including the continuing high demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The current demand for Apple's flagship phones is actually stronger than ever, despite it being on the market for over three months. According to a recent survey by investment firm Piper Jaffray, 40% of 1,004 consumers said they were interested in purchasing the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. This compares to 33% in a similar survey conducted just before the iPhone 6 launch and 37% in a post-launch survey.

Action-comedy film The Interview is now available on iTunes for rental or purchase. The title, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, made headlines this year for ruffling the feathers of the North Korean leadership. The movie, which depicts a farcical assassination plot against Kim Jong-un prompted an attack on Sony Pictures' computer systems.

The data breach leaked unreleased films, internal memos and company email to the world. Threats against movie theaters curtailed the box office release of The Interview, however both official digital releases and bootlegs are now widely available. When it comes to the movie itself, iTunes users have rated the film with 4 out of 5 stars. The Interview can be rented or purchased on iTunes for $5.99 or $14.99 respectively.

With 2014 drawing to a close, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) last week released its annual top apps lists. The three categories, Top 10 Paid Apps 2014, Top 10 Free Apps 2014 and Top 10 Highest Grossing Apps 2014, were topped by Heads Up!, Facebook Messenger and Clash of Clans respectively. Nine of the top ten highest grossing apps were "freemium" games, meaning they are free but offer in-app purchases.

According to the results of a Piper Jaffray survey that were released last week, demand for the iPhone 6 is higher now than it was pre-launch. Of the 1,004 consumers surveyed in December, 40 percent indicated that they were interested in purchasing the new iPhone. A similar survey conducted pre-launch showed 33 percent interest.

First and foremost, the iPhone 6s mini is currently a rumor. According to AppleInsider, analyst Timothy Arcuri believes Apple may launch a new 4-inch iPhone alongside the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus next year. The device would be named the iPhone 6s mini, presumably to match the upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

The refresh of the smaller-screen iPhone would keep one-handed usability in the lineup, which Apple always highlighted when marketing the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c. One feature of the larger iPhones is Reachability, which uses software to make user interface elements reachable with one hand. The iPhone 5c would probably be replaced by the iPhone 6s mini next fall, but what kind of specifications can we expect on an updated 4-inch device?

The end of the year has arrived, and as usual Apple has released the top iPhone apps of 2014. Three categories include the most downloaded free apps, top paid apps, and the highest grossing apps of the past 12 months. Top billing in the free app list goes to Facebook Messenger, which separated messaging functionality from the main Facebook app. Both YouTube and Google Maps, which used to come pre-installed in earlier versions of iOS, also made the top 10 free apps.

The game Heads Up! beat out Minecraft - Pocket Edition for the top slot in paid apps. Cut the Rope 2 followed up on its predecessor with a showing in the top 10 as well. Finally, the top grossing category was lead by Clash of Clans. Like Clash of Clans, other popular titles such as Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga are free, but made the top grossing list thanks to in-app purchases. Here are the top 10 iPhone apps in each category: