iPhone 4s
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How much will the iPhone 4S really cost on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint?
As Apple unleashes the iPhone 4S on AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how much will the phone really cost? As the third US carrier to sell the iPhone, Sprint has confirmed it will offer the device with the same unlimited plans as the other handsets in its lineup -- much to the relief of loyal customers hoping to make a belated switch to iOS. But we're betting those of you willing to swap providers are just a little curious as to how the plans stack up. Fortunately, we've crunched the numbers for you, so all you need to do is meet us after the break for that bottom line.
Sprint now taking pre-orders for iPhone 4, reserve your 4S on October 7
Looking to grab that iPhone 4 on Sprint and take advantage of the unlimited data? Well, you can place your pre-order now on the current model and for the just announced 4S starting Friday, October 7. The company warns that this is "while supplies last" -- so if you're thinking about jumping ship from the data limiting service of Big Red or Ma Bell, you may want to act quickly. Just hit that source link and head to Sprint's iPhone page to reserve yours. [Thanks, Kevin]
Sprint confirms unlimited data for iPhones, but not so fast
Just in case you missed the news at the end of the conference yesterday, the rumors are all true: Sprint is indeed carrying the iPhone 4S, and a spokesperson for the company confirms Sprint will offer an unlimited data plan for iPhone users. That means if you were one of the many users (myself included) who switched away from Sprint for AT&T way back when the iPhone debuted, you can now consider the option of switching back, at least later on this month when the iPhone 4S debuts. But you may want to think about that option carefully. While Sprint is offering an unlimited data plan on the CDMA 3G network, that network is relatively untested for iPhone levels of traffic, so there may be just as many issues there as AT&T and Verizon have had with the iPhone in the past. Yes, it's possible that fewer customers will be using Sprint's network, but the iPhone drags a lot of data down, and the iPhone 4S will call for and send data back and forth even faster than the current model. Customers who run over to Sprint may not find the grass is as green as they thought. [It's also worth noting that both AT&T and Verizon offered unlimited data plans for the iPhone at launch, but both companies quickly rescinded them and rolled out tiered data plans. --Ed] Still, options are always nice, and a three-way iPhone battle between US carriers will be interesting. AT&T is obviously still the grandfather of running the iPhone, but Sprint may set its targets on Verizon first, making for some real competition between those two services. We'll see how it all plays out.
Choosing your next iPhone: a TUAW Guide
Friday, October 7th, is coming. And with it, all the pre-order purchasing decisions you have to make. If history teaches us properly, iPhone 4S supplies may quickly grow short. Which iPhone should you consider as your next purchase? Let TUAW lend you a hand. Here is a simple (albeit not elegant) chart to help you make those choices. Disagree with these suggestions? Drop us a note in the comments and explain your thoughts. Update: Oops. The right-hand branch of the iTunes media choice should be "No". Thank you everyone who pointed this out. [Click the above image to enlarge] %Poll-69621%
Sprint will offer unlimited data plan for the iPhone 4S
A Sprint spokesperson gave us a ring to let us know that the newly announced iPhone 4S will be eligible for the carrier's unlimited data plan. According to Sprint, pricing will start at $69.99 for unlimited data and 450 talk minutes, with the Simply Everything unlimited calling and data running you $99.99. At the very least, the company's confirmation that the plan is sticking around will help the third US carrier to nab the iPhone stand out among its predecessors. We'll add some PR as soon as it hits. Update: We've got PR after the break.
TUAW TV Live: TUAW and TiPB's Leanna Lofte talk iPhone 4S
Ahhh, it's so nice to have all of those rumors out of the way. In the fresh, clear light of reality, we can now all sit back, relax, and enjoy the new features that are arriving soon with iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S. On today's TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET (2 PM PT), TiPB App Editor Leanna Lofte is joining me to talk about the announcements. We'd love to hear from our readers / viewers in the chat room, so join us through the chat tool below, the chat box on Ustream.tv/tuaw, or through IRC at server chat1.ustream.tv, room #tuaw-tv. Below, you'll find a Ustream livestream viewer and a chat tool. The chat tool allows you to participate by asking questions or making comments. If you're driving somewhere and would like to watch TUAW TV Live while you're stuck in traffic, please don't -- keep your eyes on the road! However, if someone else is doing the driving, you can watch the show on your iPhone and join the chat by downloading the free Ustream App. It's a universal app and is wonderful on an iPad, both for viewing and participating in the chat. We'll start at about 5 PM ET, so if you're seeing a prerecorded show, be sure to refresh your browser until you see the live stream. For those of you who are not able to join us for the live edition, you'll be able to view it later this evening on our TUAW Video YouTube channel and as part of the TUAW TV Live podcast viewable in iTunes or on any of your Apple devices.
Will Dragon speech apps remain in the app store for iPhone 4 owners?
It was a bit of a shock to learn yesterday that the terrific Siri app, now owned by Apple, will get pulled from the app store. It's being done, I'm sure, to encourage people to get the Siri technology built into the new iPhone 4S. Although an interview with the co-founder of Siri indicated that they had to cut some corners to get the app to work on "older" hardware. Still, it seems, shall we say, small of Apple to kill an app that seemed to work just fine, and did some of the tasks that the new incarnation of Siri will do on the iPhone 4S. One bright spot for those sticking with their current phones are the Dragon apps from Nuance. Dragon Dictation will take your voice and turn it into text for a note, an email, or a text message. Dragon Go!, which we have reviewed very positively, does much of what Siri does, connecting to Yelp, Google Maps, Open Table, various search engines and other web services so you can ask about a weather forecast, directions to any destination, and even the latest sports scores. Like Siri, the Dragon apps are powered by Nuance speech recognition software, and the processing is done in the cloud. Both the Dragon apps are free and work fine on the iPhone 4, 3GS, 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch, and the iPad. A Nuance spokesperson assured me today that both apps are doing very well, and the company has no plans to pull them from the App Store. Together the apps can give you a rough approximation of what Siri on the iPhone 4S can do, but it doesn't have the same integration with iOS as Siri so it won't be as slick. I'm hoping Apple will reconsider what I think is a customer hostile decision to yank Siri. How about you? Do you think Apple should have pulled the plug on the Siri app?
iPhone 4S: What can you say to Siri?
Curious about the iPhone 4S's new voice assistant feature? So were we. TUAW tracked down a set of example phrases that the new Siri voice assistant is capable of understanding. It turns out that Siri can handle many categories of voice interaction. Without further ado, here they are, ordered by interaction category, along with Apple-supplied examples of using each category. Address Book Querying Contacts What's Michael's address? What is Susan Park's phone number? When is my wife's birthday? Show Jennifer's home email address Finding Contacts Show Jason Russell Find people named Park Who is Michael Manning? Relationships My mom is Susan Park Michael Manning is my brother Call my brother at work Calendars Adding Events Set up a meeting at 9 Set up a meeting with Michael at 9 Meet with Lisa at noon Set up a meeting about hiring tomorrow at 9am New appointment with Susan Park Friday at 3 Schedule a planning meeting at 8:30 today in the boardroom Changing events Move my 3pm meeting to 4:30 Reschedule my appointment with Dr. Manning to next Monday at 9am Add Lisa to my meeting with Jason Cancel the budget review meeting Asking about events What does the rest of my day look like? What's on my calendar for Friday? When is my next appointment? When am I meeting with Michael? Where is my next meeting? Alarms Setting Alarms Wake me up tomorrow at 7am Set an alarm for 6:30am Wake me up in 8 hours Change my 6:30 alarm to 6:45 Turn off my 6:30 alarm Delete my 7:30 alarm Checking the Clock What time is it? What time is it in Berlin? What is today's date? What's the date this Saturday? Using a Timer Set the timer for ten minutes Show the timer Pause the timer Resume Reset the timer Stop it Email Sending Messages Email Lisa about the trip Email Jennifer about the change in plans New email to Susan Park Mail Dad about the rent check Email Dr. Manning and say I got the forms, thanks Mail Lisa and Jason about the party and say I had a great time Checking Messages Check email Any new email from Michael today? Show new mail about the lease Show the email from Lisa yesterday Responding to Messages Reply Dear Susan sorry about the late payment Call him at work Friends Checking Up on Friends Where's Jason? Where is my sister? Is my wife at home? Where are all my friends? Who is here? Who is near me? Maps Directions How do I get home? Show 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino California Directions to my dad's work Local Businesses Find coffee near me Where is Starbucks? Find some burger joints in Baltimore Find a gas station within walking distance Good Mexican restaurants around here Messages Sending Texts Tell Susan I'll be right there Send a message to Jason Russell Send a message to Lisa saying how about tomorrow Tell Jennifer the show was great Send a message to Susan on her mobile saying I'll be late Send a message to 408 555 1212 Text Jason and Lisa where are you? Reading Texts Read my new messages Read it again Replying to Texts Reply that's great news Tell him I'll be there in 10 minutes Call her Music Playback Play The Light of the Sun Play Trouble Play Taking Back Sunday shuffled Play Alicia Keys Play some blues Play my party mix Shuffle my roadtrip playlist Play Pause Skip Notes Creating and finding notes Note that I spent $12 on lunch Note: check out that new Alicia Keys album Find my restaurant note Create a reading list note Add Tom Sawyer to my reading list note Phone Phone calls Call Jason Call Jennifer Wright mobile Call Susan on her work phone Call 408 555 1212 Call home FaceTime Lisa Reminders Requesting reminders Remind me to call mom Remind me to call my mom when I get home Remember to take an umbrella Remind me take my medicine at 6am tomorrow Remind me to pick up flowers when I leave here Remind me when I leave to call Jason Remind me to finish the report by 6 Stocks Checking Stocks What's Apple's stock price? What is Apple's PE ratio? What did Yahoo close at today? How is the Nikkei doing? How are the markets doing? What is the Dow at? Weather Checking the Forecast What's the weather for today? What's the weather for tomorrow? Will it rain in Cupertino this week? Check next week's forecast for Burlington What's the forecast for this evening? How's the weather in Tampa right now? How hot will it be in Palm Springs this weekend? What's the high for Anchorage on Thursday? What's the temperature outside? How windy is it out there? When is sunrise in Paris? Websearch Looking up information Search the web for Bora Bora Search for vegetarian pasta recipes Search the web for best cable plans Google the war of 1812 Search Wikipedia for Abraham Lincoln Search for news about the World Cup Bing Alicia Keys Using Wolfram Alpha How many calories in a bagel? What is an 18% tip on $86.74 for four people? Who's buried in Grant's tomb? How long do dogs live? What is the Gossamer Condor? What's the square root of 128? How many dollars is €45? What was the Best Picture of 1983? How many days until Christmas? How far away is the Sun? When is the next solar eclipse? Show me the Orion constellation What's the population of Jamaica? How high is Mt. Everest? How deep is the Atlantic ocean? What's the price of gasoline in Chicago?
Poll: Will you be getting an iPhone 4S?
Needless to say, opinions of Cupertino's latest product have poured down on the internet like acid rain. Tim Cook's inaugural turn behind the wheel came with the awesome responsibility of unveiling the iPhone 4S, Apple's first addition to the iPhone family tree in 16 months. The good news: the 4S received a healthy upgrade in CPU and camera, threw in Siri voice recognition and added Sprint to its growing list of supporters in the US. The unsettling news (for many, anyways): it's basically an iPhone 4 with new internal parts -- there was no change in design or screen size, no LTE to flaunt, no iPhone 5 to accompany it. Naturally, expectations were incredibly high prior to the keynote, so we're anxious to find out how you feel about the outcome. Do you feel the design is still current? Are you relieved to see it available on Sprint? Were you hoping for a larger Retina Display? Rise up to the occasion and let us know -- is the iPhone 4S going to be your next handset purchase? Sound off after the break.
Daily Update for October 5, 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.
iPhone 4S was top online buzz generator yesterday
Online marketing and analytics firm Webtrends kept a close eye on the Apple event and announcements yesterday. Not surprisingly, the iPhone 4S was a huge buzz generator for the day, with almost half (585,306 out of 1,223,060) of the total online mentions made about Apple. Excitement or curiosity about Siri followed the iPhone 4S at a distant second place with just 77,220 mentions, followed by the iPod touch announcements. The improved camera in the iPhone 4S also garnered a good amount of buzz -- after seeing the beautiful gallery of photos from the iPhone 4S on the Apple website, I can see why. What got the least amount of interest from the announcements? Newsstand. That seems to mirror the widespread malaise of online newspapers and magazines that will be readable through Apple's portal beginning with the availability of iOS 5 on October 12.
Samsung wants to block iPhone 4S sales in France, Italy
There's nothing like major corporations acting like a bunch of kids on a playground. As you remember, Samsung and Apple have been locked in a patent infringement lawsuit for quite some time. Apple is trying (quite successfully, I may add) to block the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10 tablet in several countries, so now Samsung is playing tit-for-tat and wants to block sales of the brand new iPhone 4S in France and Italy. Samsung said in a statement that they'll file a pair of preliminary injunction requests in Paris and Milan, stating that the iPhone 4S infringes on two patents related to WCDMA standards for 3G-enabled devices. The South Korean manufacturer plans to make a major assault on the 4S, stating that it will pursue injunctions in other countries as well. Samsung wasted no time in sending out marketing materials panning the 4S while touting the Galaxy S II Android phone. The statement from Samsung states "Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology. We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation." Apple has already successfully blocked (for now) the Galaxy tablets in Germany, as well as some Samsung smartphone models in the Netherlands. Samsung says that Apple hasn't paid licensing fees for some of its patents relating to wireless technology, while Apple says that Samsung never demanded a license fee until last year, being mum before that time because Apple is a huge Samsung customer. In addition to the iPhone 4S, Samsung is claiming that the iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 all infringe on its wireless-technology patents. Stay tuned to TUAW as we keep track of the latest shots fired in what is becoming a full-fledged war between the two companies.
Apple shows off iPhone 4S camera with new gallery
The 8 MP camera is one of several new hardware features present in the iPhone 4S. It's a significant upgrade that'll entice many shutterbugs to drop their current phone and switch to Apple's latest handset. If you are on the fence or are just interested in seeing how the 4S camera performs, then you must check out this sample gallery of photos on Apple's website. Yes, the gallery is chosen by Apple and it has the best of the best photos, but still it's nice to examine the quality of images that this new shooter is capable of producing. To check out these photos, point your browser to Apple's website and click "view the gallery" on the right side of the page. Drool over the images for a while and let us know what you think in the comments.
Samsung takes a swipe at iPhone 4S already
Samsung didn't waste any time comparing its flagship Samsung Galaxy S II handset to Apple's recently announced iPhone 4S. The South Korean manufacturer sent out a note to the press detailing why its Android handset is superior to Apple's latest offering. According to Samsung, the Galaxy S II display has 42% more screen area than the iPhone 4. It notes that "screen size benefits scale by AREA (length x width), not just diagonal." The Galaxy S II is also the thinnest handset on the market and has faster HSPA+ network speeds than the iPhone 4S. Not surprisingly, Samsung couldn't help but point out Android is supposedly an "open ecosystem" while iOS is limited to single manufacturer's storefront or app store. Of course, the Korean manufacturer failed to mention all those Trojan horses and other malware that are lurking in this open system of apps.
Samsung looks to block iPhone 4S sales in France, Italy
Not exactly a shocking development here, but Samsung has just announced that it's looking to block sales of the iPhone 4S throughout France and Italy, opening up yet another frontier in its ongoing patent war with Apple. In a statement, the company confirmed that it will file two preliminary injunction requests in Paris and Milan today, on the grounds that Cupertino's new handset infringes upon two patents related to WCDMA standards for 3G-enabled devices. And it looks like this could only the beginning, with the manufacturer stating that it plans to pursue similar actions in other countries, as well. "Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology," reads Samsung's statement. "We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation." Apple has yet to comment on the filings, but we'll be following the drama very closely.
Opinion: Delayed New Zealand iPhone 4S launch shows the perils of drawing Apple's ire
Although it missed out on getting the original iPhone, New Zealand was the first country on Earth to sell the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately that wasn't the only way NZ distinguished itself during the iPhone 3G launch; thanks to local telco Vodafone NZ, the country also featured some of the highest handset prices and most expensive plans anywhere in the world. New Zealand lost its "first kids on the block with the iPhone" crown in 2009, as the iPhone 3GS came out in NZ just under a month after its launch in the United States. Although a year had passed, nothing had changed on the pricing front; Vodafone's handset subsidies remained pitifully lacking compared to other countries, and plan prices remained staggeringly high compared to what Kiwis were getting for their money. In 2010, the iPhone 4 once again launched in New Zealand a little over a month after its US debut, but the NZ launch was an unmitigated disaster. Even on the day of the launch, conflicting reports from Vodafone NZ made it unclear whether the iPhone would launch in New Zealand at all. No official numbers were ever released on the number of iPhone 4 units available on launch day, but I know my local retailer received perhaps a dozen units before it sold out -- that's 12 iPhone 4 handsets in a city of over 80,000 people. Nothing has ever been conclusively proven, but the most popular (and most likely to be true) theory is that last-minute pricing disputes between Vodafone and Apple resulted in Apple threatening to cancel the New Zealand launch if Vodafone didn't agree to offer customers lower handset prices. Vodafone reportedly capitulated at first, and handset subsidies for the iPhone 4 were initially much more generous (a relative term) compared to earlier iPhone launches. Vodafone NZ turned around and raised iPhone 4 handset prices anyway several months later. Apple has to have taken notice of these shenanigans, and the proof is in the now greatly delayed New Zealand launch of the iPhone 4S. While our neighbors across the Tasman will see the iPhone 4S reach Australian stores on October 14, with 22 more countries following two weeks later, New Zealand won't see the iPhone 4S until December at the earliest. For those keeping score, this means that in only three years New Zealand has gone from being first in the world to see a new iPhone to being lumped in with the "70 more countries" category, also known as Apple's "Meh, whenever we get around to it," tier for iPhone launches. Even when the iPhone 4S does finally make it here, there's every reason to suspect the NZ launch will be just as big of a bungled debacle as it was last year. It's my suspicion that NZ's newfound low-priority status for the iPhone 4S launch comes as a direct result of Vodafone NZ's inflated handset prices -- or looking at it the other way, its terrible handset subsidies -- and the company's inflexibility in negotiations with Apple. Representatives from Vodafone NZ consistently take a "blame Apple" approach when called to task for things like high handset prices and fumbled launches, but their sister company handles launches with aplomb in Australia and manages to offer handsets at a fair price for the market. To be fair, Apple is not entirely blameless here either. The prices Apple charges for its gear in New Zealand approach extortionate levels when compared to other countries' pricing, even after accounting for taxes and import duties. Apple still offers unlocked iPhone 4 units at a starting price of NZ$899, roughly comparable to what I expect the price for an unlocked iPhone 4S to be in the United States. Apple's continued refusal to establish any official retail presence in a nation of four million potential customers, while simultaneously opening stores in sparsely-populated markets like Alaska, is also profoundly baffling. However, I believe most of the blame for the delayed iPhone 4S launch falls to Vodafone NZ's attitude toward both Apple and its own customers; in the end, it's those customers who are paying the price, in more ways than one. Given its position as the number one smartphone vendor in the world, Apple can afford to play hardball with virtually any wireless carrier. If my appraisal of the situation between Apple and Vodafone NZ is even close to being accurate, then it should serve as a cautionary example for other carriers. The carriers need Apple far more than Apple needs them -- Sprint dropping 20 billion dollars on an iPhone deal is proof enough of how badly carriers need Apple, but Apple kicking Vodafone NZ to the bottom of the iPhone 4S availability ladder is just as much proof of how little Apple needs the carriers. Wireless providers play hard to get with Apple at their own peril... but, sadly, also at the peril of their customers.
Daily Update for October 4, 2011: Special "Let's Talk iPhone" edition
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. Today, we bring you a special edition dedicated to news of the Apple "Let's Talk iPhone" event. You'll get all the highlights of today's announcements in just seven minutes. 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 listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Apple iPhone 4S makes its way through the FCC?
Well, well, what have we here? Hot on the heels of being unveiled to the world, the latest and greatest iPhone appears to have landed with the feds to get the FCC's stamp of approval. That's right, an Apple phone bearing model number A1387 has just made it through the commission's myriad tests unscathed. We can't say for certain it's the 4S, but given the timing of its appearance, it sure seems like Uncle Sam's officially on board with the new iPhone. If the rest of our coverage of Apple's new handset wasn't enough for you, hit the source below for the full FCC nitty gritty.
iPhone 4S Announcement FAQ
We've all had a number of lingering questions after today's event. Here's a quick summary of some of the more frequently asked questions we keep getting on our tip line. Will Siri be available on the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4? As far as we can tell, Siri is an iPhone 4S exclusive feature. Will Siri be available outside of the US? Siri will be available outside the US. Where? We can't entirely tell yet. Siri mentions vary on out-of-US Apple websites. The French and British sites discuss Siri, but not Canada. (Thanks, Jean-Philippe Bousquet) We have no word as to how well Siri will work in Scotland. Why does the iPhone cost so much in my country? Probably because your country does not follow the US subsidy model, where prices are discounted in exchange for a contract commitment. When can I buy an unlocked and/or out-of-contract iPhone Apple's site suggests the unlocked unit will be available for sale at the same time as the contract/locked units. We have contacted US Apple support and received conflicting information (we were told that these units would only be made available in Canada). We have sent a query to Apple PR for a clarifying statement. We have not heard back, and we probably won't. When does it go on sale? When can I buy one in person? Pre-orders start October 7. We don't know what time of day. Last time Apple offered iPhone pre-orders, it was early in the morning east-coast time. We're guessing 7AM or 8AM ET. The iPhone arrives in stores on October 14th. Probably with lots of lines at Apple's stores. If history holds, you'll also be able to get in line at AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon stores in the US. How much will out-of-contracts likely sell for? Kelly Hodgkins tells us that Verizon is listing the 16GB unit for $649, the 32 for $749, and the 64 for $849. Compare and contrast that with the Late 2010 64 MacBook Air, which you can buy for $749 (slightly refurbished) or the May 2010 Macbook 2.4 with 250 GB (SATA) for $849. You can also pick up a brand new Mac mini for $599 (less for refurbished models). You can buy a first generation iPad with 3G for $399, and a current generation 16 GB iPad 2 with 3G for $579. Will Siri run on iPad 2? It has the same processor Apple says: "Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply." So even with the same processor, it doesn't look promising. Will all iPhone 4 cases work with iPhone 4S? Apple's site says yes, but again we're not sure. Other than the weight (3 grams more), the dimensions appear to be the same. Most concerns seem to be about the camera, but we're hearing nothing yet about any differences there in external case access. Apple says: Do existing iPhone 4 accessories work with the new iPhone 4S? Yes, all iPhone 4 accessories work with iPhone 4S. What size storage will be available for iCloud? 5 GB free -- and you can use that up like *that* if you do iCloud backups (vs computer backups). From there 10GB $20/yr, 20GB $40, 50GB $100 Why do some iPhone 4 first-day adopters have immediate upgrade ability rather than February 25th? They pay a lot more per month than you or I do. Us "bottom feeders" (at $65 a month or so) have to wait longer. Will unlimited data be grandfathered in? Wait and see. Definitely unlimited data on Sprint if rumor holds true. For AT&T, we're not sure. When does iOS 5 ship? iOS 5 will launch October 12th
Roundup of today's iPhone event coverage
Here's a summary of what happened today during Apple's iPhone event, with links you can follow to more in-depth coverage. You can check out Apple's keynote for yourself if you like, but our summary will probably go a lot quicker for you. Apple announces the iPhone 4S: The top story for today, Apple's next-gen iPhone is an all-internal upgrade that looks externally identical to the iPhone 4. The handset will be available for pre-order on October 7, and it launches in the US and a few other countries on October 14. As virtually everyone expected, the iPhone 4S will launch on Sprint in addition to AT&T and Verizon. Evidence on Apple's site suggests unlocked models will be available, but pricing info for contract-free handsets isn't available yet. The iPhone 4S has a faster A5 processor with much-improved graphics performance, improved battery and wireless performance, and a vastly improved 8 megapixel camera. Exclusive to the iPhone 4S is Siri, a new and powerful voice interface. Speaking of which... Apple (re)introduces Siri as iPhone voice control assistant for iPhone 4S: By far the biggest new feature announced today, Siri looks like it will revolutionize voice control on the iPhone. Siri is able to understand natural language inquiries and quickly look up information, generate appointments and text messages, and even take dictation. You may never need to type on your iPhone again. Reportedly the existing Siri app will go dark on October 15, so the service will definitely be exclusive to Apple's newest iPhone after that. iOS 5 available October 12: The iOS 5 "gold master" seed was released today to developers, and it will be available to everyone else on October 12. iOS 5 will be a free download that will run on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S; all models of iPad; and the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. Apple's free replacement for MobileMe, iCloud, is also going live to everyone on October 12. Meanwhile, the App Store is now officially welcoming apps compatible with iOS 5. Apple refreshes iPod touch lineup with new colors: With the only apparent changes being a new white model and a price drop for the entry-level model, the iPod touch received only a very modest update today. No mention was made of the iPod touch being updated with the A5 processor, which marks the first time the line hasn't kept pace with the iPhone's processor. Apple refreshes iPod nano, lowers price: The iPod nano also received a very modest update; aside from new clock faces, integrated fitness functions, a slightly revamped UI, and a price drop, the nano is largely the same as last year's model. The new UI and clock faces appear to be available to 2010 model iPod nanos via a software update, so if you have last year's model already there doesn't appear to be any reason to upgrade. 8 GB iPhone 3GS now free with contract, iPhone 4 price dropped: You can now pick up Apple's two-year-old iPhone 3GS for free if you sign up for a two-year contract. That may sound like a great deal, but by 2013 the iPhone 3GS is probably going to seem like it's a UNIVAC. You're better off spending the extra $99 to get an iPhone 4 instead; it's the same capacity, but with a much-improved processor, Retina Display, and a far better camera. Sure, the iPhone 3GS is free, but in our opinion you get what you pay for with that model. Other new services and products: Apple announced a Find My Friends app that will work via iCloud, which should make stalking locating your friends much easier -- no more "I'm over by the thing, next to the other thing" directions. Another new app that had us alternately scratching our heads and cracking jokes: Cards will enable you to send photos to Apple, which it will then turn into postcards and mail out for you for a modest fee. To comply with EU standards, Apple will release a dock connector to micro USB adapter on October 14. Available on Apple's online UK store, it's relatively inexpensive at only £8. The sequel to Chair's hugely popular Infinity Blade will be released December 1. Infinity Blade 2 demonstrated the hugely improved graphical performance of the iPhone 4S -- I can't wait to see how this looks in person. Apple kicking butt, taking names: Apple's largest store in Asia had over 100,000 visitors in its opening weekend. OS X Lion has sold 6 million copies since its July 20 debut, 80 percent more than Snow Leopard. The iPhone 4 accounts for half of all iPhone sales, ever, and iPhones now account for 5 percent of worldwide handsets -- not just smartphones, all phones. iPads are "showing up everywhere," including 80 percent of US hospitals and 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Despite arguably stagnant features over the past couple years, the iPod still accounts for 70 percent of the portable music player market, and iTunes is the number one music store. The App Store has served more than 18 billion app downloads, with more than 500,000 total apps and 140,000 iPad-specific apps. To be honest, with the exception of Siri there doesn't seem to be much new and exciting coming out of Apple's event today. The iPhone 4S is, as the name implies, an iterative update to the (admittedly hugely successful) iPhone 4, while the iPod lineup has seen only very modest updates. Given Apple's massive success as of late, the company can afford to rest on its laurels for awhile -- but not for too long.
