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.
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.
The Bluetooth 4.0 specification may have been finalized in July of last year, but smartphones supporting the standard are just starting to hit the market. In fact, the first such handset is the iPhone 4S. That the 4S is the first to deliver its 4.0 wares to the American public is something that got lost in all the hubbub surrounding its launch. One of the biggest selling points of the latest version of the PAN standard is its low-power mode, though that wont have much of an impact on Apple’s device. What it will enable the latest iGadget to do however, is act as a hub — collecting data from multiple sensors and accessories simultaneously, such as heart rate monitors and cats. Don’t expect this to be alone on the market for long, other manufacturers will certainly be squeezing support for the specification into their next flagship device.
If you own an iPhone 4 on AT&T, using the device while traveling internationally means paying sky-high roaming fees, jailbreaking or limiting data use to when you’re on a WiFi network, either with a public hotspot or through a service like Xcom Global. Verizon iPhone 4 owners, however, don’t have the option of GSM roaming at all, and can only make calls and use cellular data in countries that support CDMA. All that changes with the iPhone 4S, however — Macworld has confirmed that Sprint will sell its version of the device with the Micro SIM slot unlocked, with Verizon offering free unlocking to customers after the first 60 days of service. iPhone 4S owners will then be able to purchase a Micro SIM overseas, allowing them to access data and make calls at local rates, for a fraction of what it would cost to roam. AT&T iPhone 4S owners won’t have this option, however, so if you make frequent trips overseas, this benefit alone may be enough to justify purchasing the phone through Sprint or Verizon, saving some users hundreds or thousands of dollars in international roaming fees.
Update: Our source article was incorrect, and Sprint has told us that its SIM will not be unlocked, adding that the card will not even be removable.
Our SIM does not come out of the device – I believe the same is true of Verizon’s iPhone but you would need to confirm that with them. Customers can sign up for one of our international rate plans and use this phone all over the world. When traveling internationally, there is a setting that must be turned on within the device to connect to GSM. The phone will work with a SIM that is provided within the device out of the box. International voice and data charges are on a pay-as-you-go basis and vary based on the country where the customer is using their phone; a list of rates is available at www.sprint.com/international.
Update 2: We heard from Sprint a second time, which redacted part of its previous statement. The carrier further explained “the SIM is removable and is not affixed to the device,” which as you may notice directly contradicts the statement made earlier today. We’ve reached out to Apple twice and are awaiting further clarification.
Sprint will sell iPhones with the SIM slot unlocked, and Verizon will unlock it for you after 60 days
If you’re planning on traveling outside the U.S with your shiny new iPhone 4S, you should probably buy it from Sprint or Verizon. Both carriers have decided to unlock the micro SIM slot so any card can be popped in and used.
Sprint will sell its iPhones unlocked, whereas Verizon will unlock the handset after 60 days if you call up and ask nicely, according to Jason Snell of Macworld. Out of the box, both carriers supply the iPhone 4S with a roaming SIM which will allow use on GSM networks abroad. While this is handy, and you will receive incoming calls to your regular number, it’s usually way cheaper to pick up a pre-pay sim while abroad (pro tip: if you visit the UK, buy a pre-pay iPad SIM from Argos. It’s £10, or $15, comes loaded with 1GB and lasts for up to a month).
When at home, both Sprint and Verizon iPhones will use their CDMA radios.
AT&T, the one carrier which uses the SIM-powered GSM network, will not be selling the iPhone 4S unlocked. No surprises there, right? Nevertheless, AT&T might just change its mind if it loses significant sales thanks to its closed policy. Then again, as the iPhone is now most definitely a mass-market phone, few people will probably even care.
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.
Apple’s demos of the new iPhone 4S’ Siri smart assistant are very impressive, but they’re just controlled demos. Stuff.tv got their hands on an iPhone 4S and played quite a bit with in a public place. It’s still very impressive. More »
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 […]
Siri, Apple’s “one more thing” at last week’s iPhone 4S launch, looks like some kind of magic from the future. But then, demoes of speech control on the Mac also looked pretty good (yes, you can control your Mac with your voice — kinda). Up on stage, with just the right commands, Siri was bound to make a great demo. But how will it do in the real world?
To see, check out this hands-on video from the folks at UK-based mag Stuff.
I’m sure the outtakes have been, ahem, taken out, but what remains is impressive. Not only does it look accurate, but it also looks useful. I can totally see myself mumbling drunkenly to Siri to please, please wake me up in the morning, or sending a quick message to somebody.
Other hands-on reviews around the web also point to another way to activate Siri. Instead of touching the button on screen, you can just hold the phone up to your ear. This way you’ll look like you’re talking to somebody, instead of dorking out with your little iHal.
But most impressive is that Siri can handle different accents, something that the iOS Dragon apps fail miserably at. We’ll have to see how it copes with other British accents though. In the U.S, English accents are fairly homogenous. In the British Isles, though, you run from Scottish to Irish to Geordie to Black Country to (shudder) Welsh. Some natives have trouble understanding these accents, so I don’t have much hope for a computer.
I do like the posh-accented Butler voice used in the British English version of Siri, though.
Still, we’ll find out soon enough when folks start to receive their handsets this Friday and start commanding Siri to do all sorts of crazy things. Me? I’ll do what I always have done whenever possible, just like I still do when I get a new dictionary. I’ll start with the swear words.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
