iphone4

The iPhone 4S is not the last major project that Steve Jobs worked on, according to one analyst. That would be the next iPhone--let's call it the iPhone 5.

The next-generation iPhone "was the last project that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with from concept to final design. For that reason...this product will establish the high water mark for iPhone volumes," Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, wrote in a research note this week. He expects the iPhone 5 to be a "cult classic" because of Jobs' involvement.

In the note, Kumar … Read more

After a longer than usual wait for Apple iPhone fans, the newest version--the iPhone 4S--finally hit store shelves today all across the U.S. and in six other countries.

At 8 a.m. local time, the iPhone 4S went on sale at Apple stores. And for the first time in the U.S., a new iPhone is on sale for not one but three wireless operators. In addition to AT&T, both Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel are also selling the new iPhone 4S. Retailers including Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club, and Radio Shack are also selling the … Read more

The final countdown is on for the launch of the iPhone 4S.

Starting at 8 a.m. local time tomorrow, the new phone will go on sale at Apple stores as well as retail locations for the three carriers offering the device: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. Retailers including Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club, and Radio Shack will also be selling the newest iPhone.

Folks in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. will also be able to buy the new iPhone 4S starting at 8 a.m. local time.

The three major carriers and … Read more

AT&T says that this morning's preorder session for Apple's iPhone 4S was its most successful iPhone launch yet, with the company grabbing more than 200,000 preorders in the first 12 hours the device was on sale.

"AT&T has seen extraordinary demand for iPhone 4S with more than 200,000 preorders in the first 12 hours alone, the most successful iPhone launch we've ever had," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

The news comes despite a bumpy start for the carrier, which had trouble processing customer eligibility on its sales site, as well as through Apple's online store, shortly after preorders began after midnight Pacific time.

Last year's launch of the iPhone 4, the last iPhone to be released exclusively on AT&T in the U.S., saw 600,000 preorders on its first day, setting a record for Apple and its carrier partners. This year's version became available for preorder ahead of a simultaneous launch in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. planned for next Friday.

AT&T's data represents the first sign of how well Apple's upcoming device is selling. The topic has been of particular interest given that some people expressed disappointment following this week's iPhone event that the device did not get a complete overhaul. Apple has not released its own data indicating total preorder volume from all carrier partners.… Read more

While many of the iPhone 4 cases fit the 4S, case manufacturers are seeing the arrival of the 4S as a good opportunity to introduce new designs.

WaterField Designs, which is known for its high-quality sleeves for laptops and iPads, has just released a leather wallet that also does double-duty as an iPhone case. It's simply called the iPhone Wallet ($39) and it has a window (and sound port) that allows you to "see and hear your iPhone."

If you want something a little trimmer, WaterField's also serving up the iPhone Hint ($25), which the company … Read more

Amid this morning's iPhone 4S preorder meltdown on Apple's online store, the company quietly announced that an unlocked version of the device is coming next month.

Beneath the options to get the iPhone 4S on either AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon, the company teased that users can also wait until November to get an unlocked and contract-free version of the device.

"The unlocked iPhone works only on supported GSM networks, such as AT&T in the U.S.," Apple says in its description. "When you travel internationally, you can also use a micro-SIM … Read more

One of the lesser-known facts to emerge about the iPhone 4S yesterday is that it is the first phone to launch with Bluetooth 4.0, the latest version of Bluetooth. Not many products are available with Bluetooth 4.0 just yet--in fact, two of the most recent products to ship with Bluetooth 4.0 are also from Apple: the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini. Bluetooth 4.0 is backward-compatible with all other versions of Bluetooth, so you can pair existing Bluetooth headsets with the new iPhone without a problem.

So what's so special about it? According to Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group), the key new feature of Bluetooth 4.0 is its low-energy technology. This lets device manufacturers replace proprietary sensor technology with Bluetooth, which is a more widely adopted standard. An obvious example is in the health and fitness category. Most pedometers, heart rate straps, and blood glucose monitors are designed to only talk to a specific wristwatch or control unit. If these same devices had Bluetooth 4.0, they could speak to any Bluetooth 4.0 device, be it phone or computer, without requiring an intermediary.

"It's an extremely optimized version of Bluetooth," Foley said. "It enables an entirely new class of product into the Bluetooth world." … Read more

With any new Apple iPhone or iPad, a logistical question emerges that bears considering: how do you buy it without enduring a line or a long wait time? The iPhone 4S goes on sale next week on October 14, and it's crossed my mind that my travails with both the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 weren't pretty. Resellers have recently been largely responsible for making the already challenging Apple Store lines an unbearable ordeal with products being sold out well before most people even knew they were back in stock.

In fact, I preordered an iPad 2 back in the spring, then canceled when I decided that the two-week wait time could be bettered by a quick trip to the Apple Store. I bet wrong, and spent two weeks calling Best Buys and searching message boards for a place that would have the iPad I wanted in stock.

Embarrassing, yes, but this was a common occurrence for many people during the first month or so of both the iPhone 4 and iPad 2's existence.

I have one simple suggestion, and it's hardly a shocker: take advantage of preorder. … Read more