Hasta La Gadget!

Can’t say we didn’t see this catfight coming after Apple boldly rejected Samsung’s settlement offer in Australia, but man, the latter certainly isn’t afraid of striking back in its enemy’s front yard. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Sammy’s set up a pop-up store merely meters away from Apple’s Sydney store, all for just stealing the thunder from the iPhone 4S launch this Friday. The campaign? For the first ten customers each day up to Friday, the Korean giant’s offering its Galaxy S II for just $2 sans contract — no wonder the line’s already longer than Apple’s, according to the Herald. But of course, Samsung’s also effectively funding some of these folks for their iPhone 4S from next door, so it’s pretty much a win-win situation for both companies. See? There’s always a happy ending, and let’s hope that the upcoming Nexus Prime won’t add fuel to the ongoing patent dispute.

[Thanks, Kevin]

Samsung crashes iPhone 4S block party, lures Aussies with $2 Galaxy S IIs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first reviews are out for the iPhone 4S and they’re a lot like we expected, which is to say, exactly what we expected: the same phone on the outside but much better on the inside. It’s faster, has a much better camera and packs a golden bullet with Siri. More »

Some lucky customers who pre-ordered the iPhone 4S in Germany got their delivery a bit early. Image: MacRumors

A few lucky customers who pre-ordered Apple’s iPhone 4S in Germany got their delivery today — three full days early. And according to benchmarks that are beginning to pop up online, the phone looks to be wicked fast.

Readers sent in images of the new Apple device, its packaging and screenshots of Siri to German blog Macerkopf.de. Legitimate-looking benchmarks have also started appearing online, with the 4S clocking in at 68 percent faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 4. Tests also confirmed that the iPhone 4S’ graphics processor is seven times faster than the 4’s.

The new iPhone scored a 677 on Geekbench’s benchmarking test, almost double the 370 that the iPhone 4 scored, and not too far under the iPad 2’s score of 751. The iPhone 4S and iPad 2 share the same A5 dual-core chip, but the 4S’ likely runs at 800 MHz, as opposed to the iPad 2’s 1 GHz processor speed.

The iPhone 4S has already hit record pre-order numbers of over one million units. Its specs are comparable to those of other major smartphones on the market, like the Samsung Galaxy S II, such as a dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera and a pixel-packed display (Retina Display in this case, like the iPhone 4). The handset, which was unveiled at a media event last week, will be available on the three largest U.S. carriers — AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. The 4S will run on AT&T’s HSPA+ network and also comes with GSM and CDMA antennas, making it a world phone.

The iPhone 4S will hit stores on Friday, Oct. 14. Pre-orders will also be delivered that day. It’s priced at $200, $300 and $400 on contract for 16-, 32- and 64-GB models. Pre-orders began last Friday, so if you missed out, you’re going to have to spend your morning waiting in line at your favorite Apple retailer this Friday. But don’t worry; that just means you have the opportunity to make some new iPhone-loving friends.

via MacRumors

Just in case that plastic shell you picked up has run its course and you’re not looking to alert Al Gore with your next purchase, Root Cases offers a wee bit more environmentally friendly alternative. Now you can outfit your iPad 2 with either North American Walnut or eco-friendly, South Asiatic Bamboo. Both cases will protect your slate in book-like fashion, securing the tablet at the corners and sticking shut via magnetic closure. If you’re ready to pull the trigger, you can grab both of these via the source links below for $79 each — or hit the gallery for another peek at the pair. At least you won’t regret splurging for a wood case like you did if you shelled out cash for one of these.

Root Cases launches wood iPad 2 duo, ditches the plastic for $79 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been a few days now since we checked out seven different iPhone resellers and determined the highest possible amount iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 owners could get for selling their old iPhones. If the thought of selling your phone has been brewing in your head, now is a good time to do it. As […]