Using the command line softwareupdate tool you can update Mac OS X system software without using the App Store.
This is particularly useful for Mac users running later versions of Mac OS X where the software update system is primarily handled through the Mac App Store, but can occasionally either go awry or be inaccessible in situations of remote administration.
If you didn’t stay up until midnight (or 3AM for those on the east coast) and pre-order right away, you already missed the opportunity to get an iPhone 5 shipped to you on launch day through Apple. In an impressive display of demand, the iPhone 5 pre-orders sold out in an hour, and by 1AM PST the shipping window was moved back 2 weeks on every model color, size, and provider.
For those who decided a full nights sleep was worth more than getting the iPhone 5 as soon as possible, you may still be able to get the hottest phone directly through the carrier websites listed below:
Though some of the carrier websites still list September 21 as the ship date, it’s quite possible they haven’t updated yet and your device could arrive later than expected.
Of course, you can always still wait in line at an Apple Store or mobile provider on the morning of September 21 and get your hands on one right away too.
Want a contract-free iPhone 5? Buying an unlocked iPhone 5 doesn’t come cheap, but the good news is the price hasn’t gone up and the cost has remained the same as the prior unlocked iPhone 4S model.
Unlocked iPhone 5 Prices
iPhone 5 16GB – $649
iPhone 5 32GB – $749
iPhone 5 64GB – $849
These prices come from directly from Apple’s Online Store. Both black and white colors are the same price, as are the out-of-contract prices on any carrier network.
Obviously with the hefty prices, it’s much more economical to pay the in-contract prices which start at just $199. Whether you’re going contract-free or signing an agreement, we still recommend buying the iPhone 5 16GB for most users,.
One important thing to remember is iPhone 5 uses an all new nano-SIM card, so it won’t be a matter of just cutting an existing sim and popping it in there to work on a different network. Because of the new nano-SIM requirement you’ll need to find a carrier that offers compatible sim cards.
Wondering which iPhone 5 to buy? We’ll help you answer that question with some common sense, featuring two use cases that will cover the vast majority of iPhone owners.
Average iPhone User – iPhone 5 16GB
The average iPhone user and anyone on the standard upgrade cycle should go with the base-model iPhone 5. Why? It’s the most reasonably priced at $199 with a two-year contract, it holds it’s resale value the best for when you go to upgrade again at the next release cycle, and with iCloud, 16GB is a more than adequate amount of storage for the vast majority of users needs. For just about every average iPhone 5 user, the base model 16GB iPhone is the way to go.
iPhone Photographer – iPhone 5 32GB
Planning on using your iPhone as your primary camera? You should get the 32GB model. Even with iCloud and Photo Stream to help relieve the space burden, the iPhone 5 has a 8MP camera and that means file sizes are often 4MB per picture, which will quickly take up space. Add in a handful of great apps, a music collection, and the occasional 1080p movie recorded from the iPhone 5, and you’ll max out the base models 16GB capacity quick once you start snapping lots of photos. The 32GB model is the most reasonable solution you won’t have to constantly delete photos to free up space, and it doesn’t cost too much more at $299 with a contract. Yes if you’re on the rapid-upgrade cycle, you will lose most of that $100 price difference, but if your iPhone 5 is going replace your point-and-shoot camera, it’s well worth the difference and sure beats cluttering your pockets with a separate digital camera.
What Color?
Which color is entirely personal preference. The black model is extremely sleek with it’s slate back, and a black screen border tends to make colors pop. Meanwhile, the white model has a beautiful aluminum backing that matches the iPads and MacBooks, and looks extremely clean. You’re on your own here!
Which Cellular Carrier is Best for iPhone 5?
This is the hardest question to answer because it largely depends on where you live, where you go, and your monthly budget. The iPhone 5 supports true LTE networking, which is much faster than 3G, but not all areas have LTE coverage yet. Your best bet is to use the carriers coverage maps, find the areas you most often visit, and check coverage based on those requirements, and then use Apple’s excellent iPhone plan comparison tool to determine the best plan for your budget.
Currently, Verizon has the most LTE covered areas, but AT&T and Sprint are rapidly catching up and expanding their networks. If you live in a major US city and spend most of your time in that city, Verizon very well could be the best bet for consistent LTE speeds, but Verizon plans often cost a bit more than AT&T. Meanwhile, Sprint offers true unlimited data – even on LTE – and the cheapest plans. An important thing to remember when checking coverage also is the distinction between what AT&T calls 4G and LTE, LTE is the superfast network that the iPhone 5 is designed to take advantage of, while 4G is just a slightly faster 3G. Ultimately, LTE is what you’re looking for to take advantage of the crazy mobile broadband speeds that will forever change mobile usage.
For me, I live in an area without LTE coverage on any carrier, and I still have an ancient grandfathered unlimited data plan on AT&T. For that reason, plus the eventual SIM card unlock, I’ll be sticking with AT&T for iPhone 5. That said, if I lived in a major city with LTE coverage, I’d probably go with Verizon because their LTE is very fast, you usually get the Personal HotSpot feature bundled with their data plans, and because you can use FaceTime over the VZ cell network. Meanwhile, if I wanted the cheapest monthly bill for using huge amounts of data, Sprint would be the obvious winner. As you can see the decision will vary based on your needs, and that’s why spending a few minutes looking at each option is worthwhile.
What happens when you give someone the now old iPhone 4S and tell them it’s a brand new iPhone 5? Late-night talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel finds out, and the results are pretty funny. With people commenting on the supposedly bigger screen, being sturdier, and feeling lighter, perhaps Apple doesn’t need to redesign the iPhones often after all? Just tell them it’s all new and that’s good enough for some!
iPhone 5 pre-orders are starting at 12:01AM Pacific Standard Time (3:01 Eastern) on September 14 – midnight tonight. The pre-order date was previously announced for Friday, September 14, but the beginning time was uncertain until now. Since then, MacRumors notes that both Verizon and Sprint have come forward to announce the midnight ordering, and presumably AT&T will follow suit.
Apple has now confirmed the midnight pre-order time, and earlier they were previously suggesting the 12:01AM PST time when asked through online representatives and phone sales reps:
You may want to set an alarm clock or reminder for your appropriate time-zone if you’re interested in pre-ordering an iPhone 5 for arrival on release day on September 21. Typically the initial batches of pre-orders sell out fairly quickly, and shipping times slip a few days once this occurs.
Alternately, waiting in line at any Apple Store or reseller remains a perfectly viable option on release day as well, and is almost always a guaranteed way to get your hands on any hot Apple device right away. Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T each will offer iPhone 5 immediately on release day.
Apple has posted the keynote video to the iPhone 5 launch event. If you’re a fan of Apple’s event videos it’s well worth watching, you’ll see the usual cast of Apple all-stars unveiling the iPhone 5, new iPod touch, iPod nano, review iOS 6 and some great new apps and features, a discussion of iTunes 11, and even get a bit of a State-of-the-Apple-Union type overview from CEO Tim Cook.
If you’re having trouble viewing the video in your browser, try loading it with Safari rather than Chrome or Firefox, or you can download the keynote video as a video podcast from iTunes.
Don’t want to spend an hour watching the keynote video? Here’s a quick overview of everything launched today.
The Golden Master build of iOS 6 is now available for registered developers to download through the Apple Dev Center. Device compatibility is the same as the final version, with firmware files being available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4th gen, iPad 2, and iPad 3rd gen.
Xcode 4.5 GM is also available alongside iOS 6 GM, and the new version of Xcode includes an updated iOS simulator to accommodate for the larger iPhone 5 display. iOS 6 requires the recently released iTunes 10.7 update to install by firmware and to sync devices properly.
For those who are not developers, iOS 6 will be available to download on September 19.
Apple released a minor update to iTunes today for both Mac OS X and Windows. Versioned as iTunes 10.7, the update is intended as a compatibility release for the upcoming iOS 6, and devices that will run iOS 6 such as the new iPhone 5 and iPod touches.
Unchecking the boxes and clicking the giant blue Download button is sufficient to get the update, you do not need to enter an email address.
iTunes 10.7 will also appear as an update to existing iTunes users through the app itself as well as from Software Update, those should appear shortly if you do not see them yet.
A complete redesign of iTunes is expected in October as iTunes 11, note that iTunes 10.7 is not the release with a redesign and is a minor update.
Apple will release iOS 6 as a free download on September 19. The new version of the mobile operating system features a variety of new features, including Siri support on more devices, an all new Maps application with directions, FaceTime over cellular, iCloud synced Safari tabs, and a lot of subtle refinements to the core iOS experience.
iOS 6 will be compatible with the following devices: iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3rd gen, iPad 2, and the 4th gen iPod touch, in addition to the iPhone 5 and new iPod touches, though the latter two devices will ship with iOS 6 pre-installed.
The September 19 availability is a few days before the iPhone 5 release on the 21st, and several weeks prior to the release of the new iPods in October.
Expect to find iOS 6 as an OTA update, as well as the traditional routes of downloading through iTunes and IPSW directly from Apple.
Apple revamped the iPod touch and iPod nano today, alongside the hotly anticipated iPhone 5. Both are pretty impressive additions to the iPod lineup, here’s a quick overview of both:
New iPod Touch
4″ Retina display, same as iPhone 5
88 gram weight
A5 CPU
40 hours of music playback, 8 hours of video
5 megapixel back camera with panorama mode
FaceTime 720p front camera
iOS 6 with Siri
Available in five colors: black, white, pink, yellow, blue
Wrist-strap
Priced at $299 for 32GB model, $399 for 64GB model
New iPod Nano
Completely redesigned
2.5″ multitouch display
Home button
FM Tuner
Widescreen video playback
Photo viewer
Pedometer
Bluetooth
Compatible with new Lightning dock connector
Available in 7 different colors: aluminum, black, purple, green, blue, yellow, red
Priced at $149
Both the new iPod nano and iPod touch will be available for purchase in October.
iPhone 5 with it’s 4″ display, LTE networking, and improved camera has been launched and will be released on September 21 with pre-orders starting earlier on September 14, but what will it cost you? The same as existing iPhone prices of course! The full pricing breakdown for iPhone 5 in all available sizes and the new prices for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 are as follows:
iPhone 5 Prices
The all new iPhone 5 comes in three price ranges, each price is dependent on a new two-year contract commitment from AT&T, Spring, or Verizon in the USA:
16GB – $199
32GB – $299
64GB – $399
Out of contract prices will likely be much higher, in the range of $500-$600.
New iPhone 4S Prices
iPhone 4S has been reduced in price to accomodate the iPhone 5:
16GB – $99
iPhone 4 Now Free With Contract
The iPhone 3GS has been dropped from the lineup, with the iPhone 4 replacing it as the free-with-contract model. The iPhone 4 is still a great phone, so this is a pretty amazing free phone offering.
Unless you live under a rock you know the iPhone 5 launched earlier and naturally, we all want one with it’s gorgeous 4″ display, super fast 4G LTE networking, dramatically improved camera, and all the other great features. The good news is we only have a few weeks to wait, with the official iPhone 5 release date being September 21!
Want one on release date? If you intend to visit an Apple Store or authorized retailer, get there early the morning of September 21 because these things will probably sell out like hot cakes. If you don’t feel like wading through crowds, your next best bet to get one immediately is to pre-order on September 14, just be sure to nab one on that day otherwise you may end up waiting a bit longer as the initial batch sells out.
iPhone 5 has been announced by Apple! Yes, it’s called iPhone 5, and yes it looks just like the leaked images that surfaced a while back. Made entirely out of glass and aluminum, it’s a technical marvel and beautiful piece of machinery that has some very impressive features. Here’s what we know:
4″ Retina display at 326ppi, 1136×640 resolution with 16×9 ratio
LTE support, dubbed “Ultrafast Wireless” – Sprint, AT&T, Verizon in USA
802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networking support
A6 CPU – 2x faster CPU, 2x faster GPU
8 megapixel camera takes 3264×2448 resolution images, f/2.4 aperture
28 megapixel panoramic images through Panorama Mode
Battery life better than iPhone 4S, 8 hours of using 3G or LTE, 10 hours with WiFi
1080p HD video recording with video stabilization
720p FaceTime HD camera for video chat
Improved speakers and 3 microphones
Lightning Dock connector, faster, smaller, reversible
Wondering how the 4″ display works? For starters, iPhone 5 displays a 5th row of icons on the home screen, in addition to the standard Dock. Because of the larger display, old apps will run in letterbox mode centered on screen until they are adjusted to be native, but many apps are already updated to run on the 4″ display.
The iPhone 5 may be available for pre-order as soon as this Friday, September 14. This potentially exciting news comes from MacRumors, who notes that Apple is bumping up sales staffing to begin early Friday morning:
MacRumors is now hearing that pre-orders may not begin tomorrow following the media event and that they may instead start on Friday morning in a scenario similar to last year’s debut. We’re hearing that certain portions of Apple’s sales support team are significantly increasing their staffing levels beginning at 6:00 AM Eastern on Friday, with a major surge for the initial shift beginning at that time and a sustained level of high staffing for at least the remainder of the day.
As noted, such a timeline would be very similar to the launch and pre-order schedule of last years iPhone 4S model.
The iPhone 5 is largely expected to be released for retail purchases on September 21, as indicators from carriers Verizon and AT&T have suggested. Newly released iPhones typically sell out very fast and remain sold out for weeks if not months, making pre-orders a particularly attractive alternative to waiting in long lines or, perhaps worse, not getting your hands on the latest and great iPhone for quite some time as Apple’s supply chain catches up to heavy demand.
Speculation on releases and pre-orders will end soon enough however, as the unveiling of the next iPhone is set to happen in less than 24 hours. Stay tuned for more.
Ever wondered how to type the degree symbol on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch virtual keyboard on iOS? I did too, but not to worry, typing the universal symbol for temperature is really quite easy, this article will show you what you need to do to access the degrees symbols on iPhone and iPad.
Google has released a dedicated official YouTube app for the iPhone and iPod touch, just in time for the soon to be released iOS 6. If you’re thinking to yourself “but my iPhone already has YouTube” then you’d be right, but the iOS 6 update removes the long-bundled YouTube app that came from Apple. That means if you want a dedicated YouTube app you’ll have to download the official Google offering from the App Store, and that’s actually a good thing because the new app is better than the version that has been on iOS for ages.
The YouTube app has all the standard YouTube features we all enjoy, including subscriptions, subtitles, comments, social sharing features, much better search options, and even a better icon.
Really the only potential downside to the official YouTube app is the inclusion of pre-roll ads that didn’t exist in the Apple-provided version, but for publishers and video creators that is probably a welcome change.
The current version supports iPhone and iPod touch, and apparently an iPad version will be out soon too. If you watch YouTube videos on your iOS device, grab this official version now before updating to iOS 6 and you won’t miss any YouTube action, and you won’t be surprised when the ancient version disappears from your device.
