When Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S to the world on Tuesday, the smartphone’s ability to take advantage of HSPA+ data speeds raised some eyebrows. Were the carriers going to brand the 4S as a “4G’ device?
It appears that Apple and AT&T are both working to replace the 3G indicator in the iPhone 4S status bar with the term “4G.” Will the iPhone 4S actually have reliable 4G speeds? Probably not.
The stars seem to be aligning for an LTE iPhone in 2012. Friday, Sprint announced it plans to offer wireless 4G service “by the middle of 2012” with the faster wireless network complete by the end of 2013. This bolsters reports earlier this week that thinner LTE chips for the iPhone could be ready by the third quarter of next year.
With any luck, you’ve managed to get through Apple’s technical difficulties and order yourself a new iPhone 4S this morning. But what to do with your old iPhone? If you’re looking to sell it, here’s a reminder of four tips that will help you sell your old iPhone like a pro.
Haven’t gotten around to pre-ordering your iPhone 4S yet? Well if you’re in Australia, Canada, France, Germany or the U.K., then you’re no longer going to get it on launch day.
This post has been updated since it was first published. Please note the updates at the end of the post.
While we had no problem getting an iPhone 4S while keeping our grandfathered data plan, that’s because we ordered direct from Apple. On the other hand, we’ve received at least two reports of readers who are being told by AT&T that they have to give up their unlimited data if they want an iPhone 4S. Uh oh. Luckily, there’s a way to make sure you keep your unlimited plan: don’t give att.com the time of day.
Apple’s iPhone 4S is available to pre-order today, but if you’re ordering in the U.S., you’ll have to purchase it with a commitment from either AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. Those wanting an unlocked device will have to wait until November, and they won’t get a world phone.
Been trying to preorder an iPhone 4S tonight? Yeah, me too… I’ve been trying for the last hour and a half and have had to restart the checkout process just about 26 times now.
Well, guess the Apple store has finally given up. Only minutes ago, trying to order an iPhone would have gotten a never-ending series of page timeouts and error messages. But now, Apple is assigning reserved spots so you can come back later, once things are working, to get your order on. Looks like they might have expected this to happen this time around.
How can it be this hard to give a company $300?
Hardware researchers say Apple’s just-released iPhone 4S costs $203 to build, providing similar ‘evolutionary’ advances seen when the tech giant jumped from the iPhone 3G to 3GS. The 32GB iPhone 4S will cost $749 before customer subsidy.
Following Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 4S on Tuesday, Sprint has finally updated its website to notify customers that it will be carrying the iPhone. Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S begin on October 7, but pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on Sprint are now being taken.
Lots of people are scratching their heads over Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement. Did Tim Cook and co. drop the ball? Or is the outlandish iPhone 5 rumor mill to blame for such high expectations?
Regardless of the what you think about the iPhone 4S, Apple certainly knows what it thinks. In fact, you can see exactly how Apple retail employees are being instructed to pitch the iPhone 4S to customers.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4. Deciding which iPhone to buy this year is more complicated than it ever has been, and there’s a lot more variable to consider now than there ever have been in the past.
Should you buy an iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS? Should you get one in white or black? Should you get one with 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage? Should you sign up with AT&T, Verizon or Sprint?
Those are big questions, and the answers will vary from person to person. Still, Cult of Mac has given this a lot of thought, and for most people, we recommend buying the 16GB Sprint iPhone 4S in White.
Below you’ll find our logic, but if you disagree, pipe up in the comments and explain why. We’re going to take the reader consensus and turn it into another post. We can’t wait to hear which iPhone the hive mind will choose.
While there’s a lot more to a camera’s quality than megapixels, Apple’s initial batch of images taken with the iPhone 4S’ backlit 8MP camera are impressive. Really impressive.
Here’s the caveat, though: these are all images taken by professionals using absolutely perfect light conditions, likely with tripods. The pictures you take with your iPhone 4S in a pitch black club after you’ve had one too many Snake Juices are likely to vary wildly.
Check out Apple’s incredible photos after the jump.
If you’re eager to get hold of an iPhone 4S, but you only splashed out on an iPhone 4 12 months ago, then you’ll be pleased to hear that Apple will buy back your unwanted device for up to $200 via its Reuse and Recycle program.
The iPhone 4S has been official for less than a day, and Samsung is already plotting to block the device’s launch in some parts of Europe. The Korean electronics giant has announced that it is filing a preliminary request to have an injunction slapped on Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone in both France and Italy.
Itching to get your hands on Apple’s latest iPhone? According to Apple representatives, you’ll be able to pre-order the iPhone 4S from 12:01 AM Pacific on Friday, October 14.
Don’t have the time to watch the full Apple Keynote? Here’s the whole thing, compressed down into just 90 seconds. Catch the video after the break.
Apple has just emptied their magician’s hat onto the table, and out of that silk showman’s topper spilled the brand new iPhone 4S. For some of us, the revelation of “just” a faster iPhone 4 was a disappointment… but it was much more than a disappointment to hundreds of case makers who had bet millions of dollars between them on a radical redesign.
Ah, the mythical iPhone 5. A slimmer, tear dropped iPhone with a larger display and a lozenge shaped capacitive home button. What a chimera. It first emerged as a report over at This Is My Next from Joshua Topolsky, the ex-Engadget editor who was also wrong about whether or not the iPad 2 would have a Retina Display. But he’s not the only one who was wrong about the iPhone 5, and for the last six months, it’s been persistently murmured about by tech bloggers, journalists and analysts.
What the hell happened? How were people so wrong?
Here it is folks. The new iPhone 4S. Although apple.com is struggling under the load right now, we’ve managed to grab some images for you. More as soon as we can get them.
Okay, we all know the next iPhone is going to be announced in a little under three hours… but which one? The iPhone 4S or the iPhone 5?
Claiming they have been “briefed” on today’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event by “sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the guys over at The Next Web say they’ve confirmed the iPhone 4S, which will have the same form factor, an A5 processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera with “improved optics” and more. Don’t expect the iPhone 5.
Editor’s Note: We first posted this yesterday, but for readers who didn’t see it, we’re bumping it to the top of the page so people know what’s coming in just about three hours.
Hey, we know: after sixteen months of rumors, figuring out exactly what to expect from Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event tomorrow can be confusing. Well, let us break it all down for you. Here’s everything we know (or think we know) about what Apple’s going to announce tomorrow. It’s going to be a hell of a show.
After months and months of speculation, Apple will finally unveil its fifth-generation iPhone later today, but when will you be able to get your hands on it? According to one report, the iPhone 4S will launch in ten days, on October 14, and will start at around $99 for a 16GB model.
So the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sprint was so desperate to get the iPhone now that AT&T’s exclusivity deal is up, they actually bet the future of their company on it: they’ve placed an order for over $20 billion in iPhone sales over the next four years. Sprint won’t break even on the deal until 2014, and if the iPhone suddenly becomes less popular (yeah, right), the deal could sink the company.
That’s a big story. It seems almost unbelievable, in fact, that Sprint would bet the future of its company on just one device, but that’s exactly what they appear to have done.
Want to know something even more unbelievable, though? According to a follow up report… Sprint’s ballsy deal secured them exclusive rights to the iPhone 5.
Verizon Wireless has reportedly offered staff at its call centers ‘unlimited overtime’ this Tuesday — the day Apple is set to announce its fifth-generation iPhone. Although recent reports claim the device will launch a week or two after the event, Verizon is “expecting something big to drop THAT DAY.”
Apple’s upcoming ‘iPhone 4S‘ seems to have appeared all over the place over the past few days. Firstly the Cupertino company itself leaked the device within an iTunes beta, then Cincinnati Bell listed it — along with the iPhone 5 — on its website. Vodafone Germany is the latest to claim its share of the free publicity, listing the device on its website with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage.
9to5Mac has dug up a hidden gem in the latest iTunes beta that directly references the iPhone 4S. This is different from all of the other 4S rumors. This time it’s coming directly from Apple itself.
Not only does iTunes beta 9 mention the iPhone 4S, but it also affirms that rumor that Apple’s next smartphone will strongly resemble the iPhone 4 and feature a dual-mode/GSM + CDMA baseband.
