4S

iPhone 4S preorders top 1 million in single day

Apple's iPhone 4S has beaten a single-day preorder record set by its predecessor, the iPhone 4.

According to Apple, first-day preorders of the iPhone 4S hit 1 million, easily besting the previous single-day preorder record of 600,000 set last year by the iPhone 4.

"We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a statement today announcing the feat. "The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched … Read more

AT&T: 200,000 iPhone 4S preorders in 12 hours

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

Target: Trade old iPhone for cheaper iPhone 4S

If you're pre-ordering an iPhone 4S today, Target wants you to head to one of its 1,490 Target Mobile centers within a Target retail store to do so. Especially if you're trading up from an earlier iPhone model.

Bring in your (fully functioning) iPhone 4 for up to $200 credit, or your iPhone 3GS for up to $120 credit, and walk out with a chit for a new iPhone 4S.

There is one catch, though. You'll spend less … Read more

Should I blow my upgrade on an iPhone 4S? (Ask Maggie)

Carrier contracts and device subsidy policies mean wireless subscribers who want the latest and greatest iPhone have to think carefully about their upgrade strategies.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice to one frustrated reader who has been waiting a long time to upgrade to a new iPhone. She can't decide if she should pull the trigger now and buy the iPhone 4S, or whether she should wait for the next upgrade to the iPhone, expected next year.

I also explain how the fact that Apple has used common chips for the iPhone 4S on AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel means that travelers have more freedom to use their phones when they're overseas. But at the same time, the software each carrier uses to lock these phones to their own networks, also limits where and how they can be used.

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.… Read more

The 404 920: Where we're on a 7-second delay (podcast)

Wilson's out sick today so CNET Labs' Joseph Kaminski fills in with a 7-second delay, just in case.

Today we're discussing the controversial details of Steve Jobs' use of psychedelic drugs, what's being taught at Cupertino's Apple University, pre-crime becoming a reality, and this morning's speedbumps for iPhone 4S preorders.

The 404 Digest for Episode 920

Pre-crime might become a reality. Unlocked iPhone 4S coming in November. Galaxy Nexus launch delayed due to Jobs' death. Sprint to cover 120M people with 4G LTE next year (scoop). Did dropping acid make Steve Jobs more creative? Steve Jobs' virtual DNA to be fostered in Apple University. Superman fan turns to surgery to become Man of Steel. Florida school district taking attendance by scanning students' fingers. Google-designed Nikes prove Google has no taste. Fear abounds in images from Nightmares Fear Factory.

Episode 920 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

AT&T confusing some iPhone 4S buyers about unlimited data

Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:33 PT with a correction. The error message preventing iPhone 4S buyers from keeping their unlimited data plans was limited to the company's mobile site. The story was also updated at 12:50 p.m. PT with a comment from AT&T and further clarification.

Are you one of the many iPhone-owning AT&T wireless users pre-ordering a new iPhone 4S today?

If so, you may want to hold off from ordering through AT&T's mobile Web site, for now anyway. Those looking to upgrade their existing iPhone 3G, 3GS, or 4 will notice that AT&T removes the option to grandfather in their existing Data Unlimited for iPhone plan when moving up to an iPhone 4S. Fortunately, everything seems to be fine when attempting the upgrade process in a non-mobile browser.

Even on the regular Web site, it seems the wording on the AT&T page is a bit confusing, according to GigaOM. Some users are getting tripped up over this statement they see while checking out: "Your new device requires a different Data Add-on Plan than you currently have. We selected a compatible Data Add-on Plan for you. If you want a different plan, you can change the Data Add-on Plan by selecting Change here or from within my AT&T after you receive and activate your new device."

An AT&T representative reached out to CNET regarding this story with this clarification: "We're working on making the online page more clear. We are not removing grandfathered unlimited data plans."… Read more

Who's getting the 64GB iPhone?

At 7 a.m., I woke up and preordered an iPhone 4S. I got the 32GB version, but I'll admit I was tempted to get the 64GB one.

Apple has introduced a new price to the iPhone that hasn't been around for a long while: $399. In fact, there hasn't been an iPhone that expensive since the original 8GB iPhone after its price drop in 2007-2008.

The 64GB iPhone 4S sits atop the iPhone food chain like a threat to any consumer's sanity: is 32GB enough? Should you pay $100 for more storage? In that clever Apple math, you might reason, if you already considered paying $100 for a measly 16GB of extra storage, $100 on the next step up nets you 32GB. Double the extra storage for the same money.

Of course, locked-in flash memory has been the source of clever margins on Apple products for years. In fact, despite dropping prices for flash storage, iPhones haven't changed their storage capacities over the past couple of years. It's a debate iPad owners have had as well, except with the iPhone 4S, there's the important added consideration/concern of its improved camera: 8 megapixels for still photos, and bumped-up 1080p video recording. And, for the first time in the iPhone's history, there are three price/storage tiers (four, if you count the 8GB iPhone 4).… Read more

Friday Poll: No iPhone 5; so now what?

Apple's much-anticipated "Let's Talk iPhone" event came and went this week without the appearance of an iPhone 5. Some consumers expressed no uncertain disappointment about this development ("The S in iPhone 4S stands for Same," one commenter said, echoing other observers' expressions of letdown at not seeing a complete revamp of the smartphone).

Others, such as CNET's Dan Ackerman, took the position that the iPhone 4S essentially is an iPhone 5. Yes, it may be wearing the same outfit as the iPhone 4, but with a dual-core processor, upgraded camera, voice-activated personal assistant, and improved battery life, Dan argues, it is, in fact, almost an entirely new device.

So, here's what we want to know, readers. Now that the mystery's over, you've familiarized yourself with the iPhone 4S' features, and you know we won't be seeing an iPhone 5 just yet, how (if at all) does this impact your phone plans for the near future? Vote in our poll, and be sure to elaborate in the comments section.

Sprint's 4G shift to be 'aggressive'

Sprint Nextel said today it plans to aggressively roll out its own 4G LTE service next year as it looks to avoid falling behind in the network race.

Sprint plans to launch its next-generation network to cover 120 million people by the end of next year, and wrap up with coverage of 250 million people by the end of 2013. The company confirmed that 15 LTE devices will be available next year, with the first to launch by midsummer, CNET previously reported.

"There will be an aggressive rollout of LTE," Steve Elfman, head of network operations for Sprint, … Read more

Preorder problems trip up iPhone 4S sales in U.S.

History repeated itself this morning, with the iPhone 4S preordering process getting off to what can only be described as a bumpy start in the U.S.

Despite the promise of a 12:01 a.m. PT starting time for preorder sales from Apple and its carrier partners, Apple's store experienced intermittent errors shortly after that deadline. Its online doors opened about 45 minutes after that to let people order the company's new top-end smartphone.

AT&T took even longer to begin offering preorders, and some would-be Sprint customers reported delays of two hours trying to place … Read more