iPhone 4
Latest
Siri port now talking to Apple servers, avoiding Cydia
A little cajoling from a clever developer got Siri talking to the iPhone 4 and the iPad, but Apple's tight-lipped servers kept the conversation effectively one-sided. The last-gen port was still missing something, and developer Steven Troughton-Smith knew where to find it: a jailbroken iPhone 4S. In an interview with 9to5Mac, Troughton-Smith said that getting Siri to talk to Cupertino's data servers only took ten minutes after he had all of the pieces in place. Ready for your personal assistant port? Hold the phone, the process is a bit dodgy -- our hacking hero said that getting Siri on the older device is a 20-step process, and it requires files from the iPhone 4S that he says aren't his to distribute. When asked about distributing the hack over Cydia, Troughton-Smith said it was something he couldn't be a part of. On Twitter he suggested that a release would "anger the hive," but promised to post detailed notes on the hack after a iPhone 4S jailbreak drops.
Daily Update for October 25, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Siri ported to iPad, still getting silent treatment from Apple servers
Developers wasted no time bringing Siri to the iPhone 4, and nine days later, it's been brought to the iPad as well. This version, running on a first-generation jailbroken Apple tablet, suffers from a similar problem as past non-iPhone 4S ports: it's still not talking to Apple's data servers. This means that until devs manage to get voice commands recognized and initiated, the iPad's unofficial virtual assistant will remain effectively gagged.
Georgia Tech spies on nearby keyboards with iPhone 4 accelerometer, creates spiPhone
Ever plopped your cellular down next to your laptop? According Georgia Tech researchers, that common scenario could let hackers record almost every sentence you type, all thanks to your smartphone's accelerometer. They've achieved the feat with an impressive 80 percent accuracy using an iPhone 4, and are dubbing the program they've developed, spiPhone. (Although the group initially had fledgling trials with an iPhone 3GS, they discovered the 4's gyroscope aided in data reading.) If the software gets installed onto a mobile device it can use the accelerometer to sense vibrations within three-inches, in degrees of "near or far and left or right," allowing it to statistically guess the words being written -- so long as they have three or more letters. It does this by recording pairs of keystrokes, putting them against dictionaries with nearly 58,000 words to come up with the most likely results. The group has also done the same with the phone's mics (which they say samples data at a whopping 44,000 times per second vs. the accelerometer's 100), but note that it's a less likely option given the usual need for some form of user permission. Furthermore, they explained that the accelerometer data rate is already mighty slow, and if phone makers reduced it a bit more, spiPhone would have a hard time doin' its thing. The good news? Considering the strict circumstances needed, these researchers think there's a slim chance that this kind of malware could go into action easily. Looks like our iPhone and MacBook can still be close friends... For now. You'll find more details at the links below.
Verizon Wireless sells 2 million iPhone 4 handsets in Q3 2011
Verizon Wireless announced its Q3 2011 earnings on Friday and confirmed it sold 2 million iPhones last quarter and a total of 6.5 million total this year. This quarterly number still trails AT&T, which activated 2.7 million iPhone 4 handsets in Q3 2011. As its has reported in previous quarters, 20% of iPhone 4 sales are to new customers and 80% are renewals from existing Verizon Wireless customers. This 2 million number is also down from previous quarters. In the first six weeks of sales at the beginning of the year, Verizon sold 2.2 million iPhone 4 handsets which was its best smartphone launch ever. Verizon also sold 2.3 million iPhones in Q2 2011. This slight decline to 2 million in Q3 may be the result of the iPhone 4S. Rather than purchase the iPhone 4, customers waited for the iPhone 4S. Verizon also confirmed it has sold 6.5 million total iPhone handsets thus far this year which is about 11% of the total 55.97 million iPhone 4 handsets sold by Apple. In the same nine months, AT&T has sold 9.9 million iPhone handsets. None of these figures include the iPhone 4S, four million of which flew off the shelves in the first three days of sales. Verizon did not divulge iPhone 4S sales, but said demand was strong. It confirmed that its initial allocation ran out in the first 24 hours and the iPhone 4S is on backlog.
Is C-Spire getting the iPhone 4S? Its website says so (Update: confirmed)
Whoa, stop the presses -- we're not sure if this is officially in the pipeline or if it's just a matter of wishful thinking, but Sprint may not be the smallest carrier in the US to offer an iPhone 4S for much longer. That's right: regional carrier C-Spire (formerly known as Cellular South) has the iconic device splattered front and center on its home page, stating that it's coming soon. We're not certain if the iPhone 4 will be offered as well, and no specific availability or pricing is given yet, but you can sign up to be notified as soon as more 411 is ready. The possibility of one of the little guys getting the iPhone is an exciting prospect, since it may lead the charge for more regional service providers to get Apple'd up. We love rooting for the underdog, after all. Update: And just like that, it's official, folks! C-Spire just reached out to us to confirm that iPhone pre-registration begins today, with the device launch in "the coming weeks." Needless to say, if you're a C-Spire customer, your holiday wish list may have just grown. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone sales dip last quarter largely due to rumors
iPhone revenues and unit sales for Apple's last quarter dropped significantly compared to the previous quarter. Revenues from iPhone sales declined by 18 percent, while unit sales dropped 16 percent -- a sell-through decline of 2.4 million units over the previous quarter. During the recent quarterly earnings call, CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives confirmed the main cause of the decline: rumors. Apple believes the explosion of iPhone rumors during the latter half of the last quarter materially contributed to the decline in iPhone sales over the quarter. Coupled with pent-up demand for a new model of iPhone after Apple unexpectedly didn't refresh the line at WWDC, this amounted to a US$2.3 billion reduction in revenue from iPhone sales over the quarter. This is the first time that I can recall Apple publicly admitting the impact rumors have had on its bottom line, and that impact appears to have been substantial. Even Gizmodo's early outing of the iPhone 4's design failed to make much (if any) dent in iPhone sales in the quarter preceding the iPhone 4's launch in 2010, but endless speculation about a supposed iPhone 5 launch apparently drove customers to hold off on iPhone purchases in anticipation of a new model. The good news for Apple is that record-breaking sales of the iPhone 4S may have already offset its lost revenue from last quarter. With four million handsets sold in just the first three days after its launch, sales of the iPhone 4S are likely to drive Apple's holiday quarter iPhone sales beyond anything seen thus far. Whether the situation will repeat in 2012 is anyone's guess. The rumor mill is unlikely to stop churning, but hopefully next year it won't cost Apple so much in lost sales in the process.
Engadget compares iPhone 4S,Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G cameras
Engadget spent the weekend comparing the cameras of the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G. The iPhone 4S camera is a marquee feature of the device with its 8 MP sensor and an f/2.4 aperture lens. The 4S also shoots in full 1080p HD video. With regards to the iPhone 4S, Engadget generally praised the quality of the photos and video the device took, saying, "The iPhone 4S is a pleasure to shoot with. The camera is ready to capture its first image within a second of launch, and tapping to focus after recomposing is painless and speedy...Its image quality rivals many point and shoot cameras in most conditions...Overall, we were most often pleased with photos we shot with the iPhone 4S." Of course, Engadget found reason to praise the other phones as well. The Amaze 4G took sharper photos in Engadget's testing, for example. Engadget also noted that Apple's competitors offer more advanced manual controls over exposure, white balance and ISO sensitivity. Of course, there are a number of iPhone apps that provide similar features. The iPhone 4S lost out big on battery life. Engadget noted that "After about two hours of wandering around town, shooting several dozen photos and about 10 minutes of HD video with each device, the iPhone 4S had just 30% of battery left." The iPhone 4, on the other hand, had 53% of its battery remaining, and that's with Engadget sending some emails and making some phone calls too. The worse battery life while using the camera can mainly be chalked up the fact that the iPhone 4S has to process much larger files due to its 8 MP sensor and 1080p video recording capabilities. It's a good comparison, and we encourage you to read the whole thing.
iPhone 4S hits four million in sales after first weekend
How did you spend your weekend? If you're Apple, the answer is simple, really: selling a whole lot of iPhones. Cupertino this morning announced that iPhone 4S sales have reached four million -- quite an impressive number compared to what its predecessor was capable of, a fact no doubt helped by the addition of some carriers, like Verizon and Sprint here in the States. The handset is currently available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK, with plenty more countries coming by the end of the year. Press info can be found after the jump. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Switched On: As Siri gets serious
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Nearly 15 years passed between Apple's first foray into handheld electronics -- the Newton MessagePad -- and the far more successful iPhone. But while phones have replaced PDAs for all intents and purposes, few if any have tried to be what Newton really aspired to -- an intelligent assistant that would seamlessly blend into your life. That has changed with Siri, the standout feature of iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S, which could aptly be described as a "personal digital assistant" if there weren't so much baggage tied to that term. Siri is far more than parlor entertainment or a simple leapfrogging the voice control support in Android and Windows Phone. At the other end of the potential spectrum, Siri may not be a new platform in itself (although at this point Apple has somewhat sandboxed the experience). In any case, though, Siri certainly paves the way for voice as an important component for a rich multi-input digital experience. It steps toward the life-management set of functionality that the bow-tied agent immortalized in Apple's 1987 Knowledge Navigator video could achieve.
Refresh Resource: week of October 10, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Official Android updates Motorola Xoom owners who swapped in their devices for one with LTE capability may have found an OTA enhancement waiting for them when the tablet arrived. It included a few minor changes, such as updates to Android Market and some additional browser security measures. The full changelog can be found at the link. [AndroidCentral] The update to the Motorola Droid 2 Global was pulled last month due to an Exchange encryption issue, but we're hearing reports that it's once again resuming the rollout with that concern resolved. [Droid-Life] Motorola's Photon 4G on Sprint is on the receiving end of a minor bug fix update, which includes video chat capability for Google Talk. [PhoneArena] The good news for unlocked Dell Streak 7 users: the official update to Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) is now rolling out and you should see it over the course of the next couple weeks. the coming weeks. [Dell] The bad news for T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 users: Honeycomb isn't coming to your tablet, for unknown reasons. [Android Community] According to a tweet from LG, there's a small refresh in the works for the Optimus 7 which will finally enable WiFi tethering. [WPCentral] Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery A new piece of firmware for the AT&T Galaxy S II was leaked via RootzWiki, and includes a few bug fixes. Sadly, it adds some bugs as well. [Android Community] Samsung's officially released the kernel source for the Stratosphere, Transfix and Galaxy Y Pro. [Android Community] And now for the best news for TouchPad owners: after several weeks of progress, it appears that CM7 is now ready to roll on the HP TouchPad. As always, download and install at your own risk -- we have a feeling this may be a bit more involved than your typical Android custom ROM. [Redmond Pie] Other platforms Redsn0w 0.9.9b5 is here, giving you the go-ahead to jailbreak iOS5. Up for the task? Head to the link for all of the details on how to make it so. [Redmond Pie] Some Windows Phone users have noticed a few bugs popping into their updated devices ever since they received Mango. The main concerns seem to be found in the keyboard and live tiles, though the reported issues are much more numerous. Have you experienced any of these on the list at the link? [WMPowerUser] Refreshes we covered this week Motorola a bit slow boomerangin' back with LTE update iOS5 now available for download
Google Voice pulled from App Store following iOS 5 crash
What once was there now is gone. Earlier today, Google Voice was just two clicks away in the iOS App Store. Now, all that remains is a page cache (at the source link below) and versions of the app that were already installed on iPhones and iPod touches. Vincent Paquet, Senior Product Manager for Google Voice confirmed that the app had been pulled, explaining "our last update of this week had a bug that caused the app to crash at sign in. We removed it so it did not affect additional users until the fix gets published." We've been using the most recent version -- 1.3.0.1771 -- on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 without issue, but recent reviews cite the reported crashing, so it's definitely affecting at least some users. We don't have an ETA for when you can expect the app to return, so if you don't already have it installed, you'll need to hang tight for the time being. The service should function normally otherwise, assuming your phone number has already been registered, though you won't be able to begin new text threads or make outgoing calls using your Google Voice number.
Siri ported to an iPhone 4, old phone learns a new trick (Update: Better performance!)
Apple's iPhone 4 may not have the fancy dual core CPU of its successor, but thanks to the efforts of developer Steven Troughton-Smith and the folks at 9to5 Mac, it may soon have Siri. The port of the sultry voice assistant was accomplished by using the 4S Siri and Springboard files, and some serious elbow grease, no doubt. As you can see in the video below, it's far from perfect, but it can recognize spoken commands without issue. Currently, the hack is missing an iPhone 4 GPU driver that keeps things running buttery smooth on the elder phone, and Cupertino won't authenticate Siri's commands coming from it either. So, it isn't quite ready for primetime, but it should only be a matter of time before all you iPhone 4 owners can tell Siri what to do, too. Update: And in the space of just a few hours, Mr. Troughton-Smith has already managed to improve performance of the app on the iPhone 4 significantly, although Apple's servers are still unreachable. Check out a newer YouTube video showing off some seriously smooth scrolling action after the break. [Thanks, Ramzi]
Sprint says the iPhone 4S, 4 add up to its best 'device family' launch ever (Update: AT&T too)
After ignoring and teasing the iPhone, Sprint has its own Apple handsets to sell and apparently its customers have responded to the iPhone 4 and 4S. A press release just went out calling this Sprint's "best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family" -- hopefully they double checked the numbers this time -- in the company's history, as of 1PM ET. Predictably, Sprint's unlimited data pricing compared to other carriers is being credited for the (unspecified) new high water mark in sales. Check the release itself after the break for the rest of the victory lap, but we'll wait for actual numbers before deciding on the big winner of today's launch. Update: AT&T just couldn't let Sprint hog the moment, sending out its own missive claiming the company "activated a record number of iPhones on our network – and is on-track to double our previous record for activations on a single day". It's included after the break, and of course we'll let you know when / if Verizon fires a few shots off in celebration.
Box rides on iCloud's coattails, offers 50GB of free cloud storage to iOS users
No, your eyes don't deceive you -- Box is offering 50GBs of free storage inside its cloud for iOS users -- just like it did for TouchPad owners back in June. Anyone who downloads the latest version of Box's app for iPad and iPhone will receive their massive lot for data storage after registering a personal account (existing accounts can join in on the fun as well). To make better use of that extra space, Box will also be bumping upload capacity from 25MB to 100MB per file and baking in AirPlay support. Look, Box is obviously skitching on iCloud's tail, but it sure seems like a crazy good deal considering that space is yours "forever." The promotion will last for 50 days, officially starting at 12AM on October 14th -- although, we're already seeing the update on our end. Full details in the source link.
Sprint explains iPhone 4S unlocking policy: phones will be unlocked, then locked, then unlocked again
Yeah, that makes just as much sense to us as it does to you. Following yesterday's PR debacle, the final word from Sprint appears to be as follows: "Sprint's policy is to have the iPhone 4S SIM locked to our network domestically and internationally. At launch, the International SIM will be unlocked. We do expect a SIM lock to be pushed to the devices shortly after launch. We will then allow existing customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use if needed in the future." So, if we're reading that correctly, the iPhone you purchase and activate will be unlocked. Then, a SIM lock will be "pushed" to your device. But, if you've been a good, policy-abiding customer, your iPhone can then be unlocked manually by Sprint. Who knows what'll happen if you buy your phone and flee to a non-extradition country before Sprint comes knocking at the door, shackles in hand. Will you be left to live in peace with your newly-acquired international Micro SIM? Will you need to plead your case before a tribunal of mobile carrier overlords? Only time will tell, we suppose, or perhaps further clarification from Sprint. Jump past the break for the complete announcement.
Sprint to offer three levels of iPhone service, 'yellow' AppleCare+ repairs will cost $49
Thinking about buying an iPhone 4S from Sprint? Depending on how clumsy you tend to be with mobile devices, you might want to consider adding the $99 AppleCare+ option at purchase, since those Total Equipment Protection plans are definitely out. A Sprint employee wrote in to detail us on upcoming service procedures, which include grouping a damaged device within three categories -- green, yellow and red -- after diagnosis. As you might imagine, green repairs are the easiest to deal with, and include 'minor damage' (i.e. cracked screens are out). These repairs will be handled for free within the first year for all customers, and within two years for those who purchased AppleCare+. Next up, the yellow category covers damage that doesn't fall within green, but is still repairable. Non subscribers will pay $199, while those with AppleCare+ will pay $49. Klutzes beware: you're limited to two yellow repairs, regardless of whether or not the device is in warranty. Finally, the red category is reserved for iPhones that provide little function beyond holding down a stack of papers or propping open your door. You'll need to pay the full replacement cost for red-labeled phones. None of these repairs will be handled in store -- iPhones will be shipped to Apple, though you're welcome to start the process at Sprint. Our recommendation: reach out to Apple directly, since your iPhone is probably headed there either way. And if you want AppleCare, don't forget to buy it at launch. Updated: Sprint wrote in to let us know that device swaps (not repairs) can in fact be handled in store, so you won't always need to go to Apple. [Thanks, Anonymous]
IPhone 4 theft suspects plead no contest, get wrists slapped
The two men accused of taking a prototype iPhone 4 from a bar and shopping it around to various tech blogs instead of doing the decent thing and returning the phone to its owner -- which is theft no matter how you try to spin it -- have essentially received a slap on the wrist. CNET reports both suspects have received one year of probation, 40 hours of community service, and a US$250 fine -- a drop in the bucket compared to the amount they received in compensation from Gizmodo. The judge in the case noted that neither suspect had prior convictions, which led him to decline the district attorney's request that they serve jail time. So let this be a lesson to the rest of you: if you steal a prototype device from the world's most valuable company and sell it at a profit of several thousand dollars, you can expect some pretty hardcore consequences. Probation, 40 hours of picking up highway trash, and 250 bucks... harsh sentencing, man. Just brutal. I'm sure no one will risk that kind of punishment if Apple ever loses another prototype.
Poll: Have you upgraded to iOS 5?
We've heard plenty of you are receiving various error messages while attempting to install iOS 5, and some of us haven't had much luck either. But have you been able to upgrade? Let us know in the poll below, and jump past the break to sound off in the comments.%Poll-69801%
iOS 5 review
Snow Leopard review Apple: Six million copies of OS X Lion downloaded since launch Auto-suggestion keyboard found hiding inside iOS 5 Now well into its fifth year of life, iOS has always been known for its exceptional polish -- and also, its glaring feature holes. But, just like clockwork, each year since its 2007 debut, those shortcomings have been addressed one by one in a sweeping annual update. In 2008, the platform was opened up to developers giving us the App Store, 2009 saw the introduction of copy and paste -- which we'd argue is still the best implementation to date -- and last year "multitasking" finally made a presence. So what has Apple chosen to rectify in 2011? Well, for starters, notifications gets a complete overhaul with Notification Center, tethered syncing dies at the hands of iCloud and messaging gets a do-over with the birth of iMessage. If you recall, we first got acquainted with iOS 5 in May after downloading the developer preview, but how does the final release stack up? And does it have the chops to compete with the latest from Mountain View and Redmond? After drudging through seven betas, we're ready to conquer all that the final release has to offer, so join us, if you would, past the break.
