The contract price of iPhone 4S is the same on each carrier, and comparing the iPhone 4S tech specs to other iPhones and competitors is one thing, but the other side of the equation is the data, text, and voice plan. How much data are you going to get, and at what price? What about overage charges? Does the data plan include internet tethering? How many minutes do you get? What about unlimited texting?
This nice comparison chart was put together by PCMag, breaking down each carrier of the iPhone 4S and what you can expect to pay on a monthly and yearly basis.
Would you have guessed that newcomer Sprint would offer the best deal on iPhone 4S data plans? It’s by a longshot once you consider heavy data use, where Sprint matches both the text and voice plans but then dramatically beats the competitors 2GB data offering. Not only does Sprint offer the cheapest data at a flat rate, but they’re the only remaining iPhone carrier in the USA to offer unlimited data, something only those grandfathered into old Verizon or AT&T plans have (in fact, both VZ and ATT are actually throttling heavy data users instead).
Check your iPhone 4S upgrade eligibility on each carrier, but in some cases it’s actually cheaper to jump carriers and break your contract. Or if you’re looking for a deal and you intend to be a data hog, you can’t beat Sprint’s $99/month.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S begin directly after midnight tonight at 12:01 AM PST, or 3:00 AM EST on Apple.com/store/. The impressively specced 4S is expected to ship on October 14 and be available in even more countries by the end of the month.
This is a rather simple but beautiful tribute to Steve Jobs in wallpaper form. The image is of the Apple logo with silhouetted profile of Steve Jobs forming the bite.
The official biography of Steve Jobs will be released on October 24, moved nearly a month ahead of the publishers originally scheduled November 21 launch. Since the passing of Steve, the book has shot to the top of best sellers list, despite only being available for pre-order.
The author of the biography, Walter Isaacson, is a former editor of Time magazine, and has written two other bestselling biographies for Albert Einstein and Ben Franklin. As noted by the Wall Street Journal, Steve “knew that he was dying weeks before the end” and says he was last interviewed four weeks ago, directly before and after he resigned from the position of CEO at Apple. These final interviews are said to be described in the sprawling book that covers his personal and professional life.
The following is a compelling excerpt from an upcoming Time essay written by Isaacson, describing his last visit with Jobs:
A few weeks ago, I visited Jobs for the last time in his Palo Alto, Calif., home. He had moved to a downstairs bedroom because he was too weak to go up and down stairs. He was curled up in some pain, but his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant. We talked about his childhood, and he gave me some pictures of his father and family to use in my biography. As a writer, I was used to being detached, but I was hit by a wave of sadness as I tried to say goodbye. In order to mask my emotion, I asked the one question that was still puzzling me: Why had he been so eager, during close to 50 interviews and conversations over the course of two years, to open up so much for a book when he was usually so private? âI wanted my kids to know me,â he said. âI wasnât always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.â
The official description of Steve Jobs biography is as follows:
Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two yearsâas well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleaguesâWalter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.
Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.
Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Appleâs hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.
Not long after Steve Jobs returned to Apple, the iconic “The Crazy Ones” commercial aired as part of the larger Think Different campaign. This is a variation of that commercial that never aired, with Steve Jobs himself narrating.
The video is embedded above for easy viewing, and the full text of The Crazy Ones, said to be written by Steve Jobs, is repeated below: Read more »
Unbelievably sad and terrible news to report: legendary Apple leader and tech visionary Steve Jobs has died. The following statement has been issued by the Apple Board of Directors:
We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.
Steveâs brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.
His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.
Apple has put up a short and touching note on their website as well as the image up top, the note says the following:
Steve Jobs: 1955-2011
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com
The family of Steve Jobs’ has since released the following statement:
Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steveâs illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out the following email to Apple employees:
Team,
I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
We are planning a celebration of Steveâs extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steveâs death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.
Tim
There’s been an outpouring of words, here are a few notable citations from various industry leaders, competitors, and friends of Steve:
Iâm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobsâ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.
Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.
The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.
For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, itâs been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.
I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google’s are with his family and the whole Apple family.
Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
By building one of the planetâs most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.
The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steveâs success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steveâs wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.
We’re all at a loss for words. Thank you Steve for everything, rest in peace.
We’ve received a few questions regarding iPhone 4S availability both in the USA and abroad, here’s what we know so far directly from Apple, as announced at the launch event keynote.
First, iPhone 4S is to be released on October 14 with pre-orders starting a week before, the countries with immediate release will also take pre-orders on the 7th of October at midnight. Other countries will have the device on October 28 or later, we have the full list of availability on a per country basis below.
Second, there’s a big question as to whether or not 4S will sell out and generate the crowds that prior iPhone and iPad releases have generated. If you are at all concerned about being an early adopter and getting your hands on the new iPhone as soon as possible, you should either pre-order or wait in line at an Apple Store or reseller on launch day.
Now let’s look at the official availability dates per country:
iPhone 4S will be available immediately from October 14th from the following countries:
United States
Australia
Canada
France
Germany
Japan
UK
iPhone 4S will be available by October 28 in the following countries: Read more »
The easiest way to retrieve a routers IP address from a Mac is by going through System Preferences in Mac OS X. This is much the same way that you get your Macs IP address, but the router IP is a few steps further within preference menus.
Want to upgrade to the latest and greatest iPhone? Assuming you qualify for a new contract, the price of the iPhone 4S is the same on all carriers, starting at $199 for the 16GB version. If you don’t qualify for a new contract, there’s a wide variation of potential prices and fees that will come into play when you upgrade, so here’s how to check your exact eligibility status and the costs associated with it for each US carrier.
First things first, Apple’s upgrade checker website works with AT&T and Verizon, and Sprint will be added soon. You will get more data and sometimes a different offer if you check directly through your carrier though, so it’s recommended to do both.
AT&T
AT&T users call *639# from the phone or plan they want to upgrade and then wait for a text message from AT&T.
Currently most users will get one of two messages, one saying they can upgrade to the iPhone 4S with just a new two-year contract plus a $18 fee, and others are given a date of when they’ll be eligible for that same offer. For the latter, if you’ve had a plan for at least 6 months it seems like AT&T will readily offer an iPhone 4S upgrade for the price of a $250, plus an $18 fee, plus the signing of a new contract. This seems to vary widely based on your existing plan and contract, as we’ve discussed AT&T upgrade eligibility before, and for upgrading earlier in your contract they want you to visit a local AT&T store to obtain the offer.
Verizon
Verizon users can dial #874 on their existing phones to discover their upgrade eligibility status, or they can login to their Verizon account online and check their existing plan that way. You don’t need to be an existing iPhone customer to check for the upgrade, so if you’re ready to switch from an Android you can do that, but you will need to sign a new two year contract and pay an upgrade fee. These costs vary on your plan and your existing contract, so it’s best to check directly.
Sprint
Sprint is the newcomer to the iPhone party, and if you’re an existing Sprint user you just need to visit their upgrade page to check if you can upgrade and the fees and costs associated with it. The huge advantage to Sprint is they offer unlimited data plans, the only remaining carrier in the USA to do so for iPhone users.
The just released iOS 5 GM has already been jailbroken by a new version of Redsn0w. All devices that run iOS 5 can use redsnow 0.9.9b3, including iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 3rd and 4th generations, the only catch is that it’s a tethered jailbreak.
For those who are unfamiliar, a tethered jailbreak requires that the device must be connected to a computer and booted with Redsn0w 0.9.9b3 if the device powers off. Failure to perform a tethered boot results in jailbreak apps and Safari to not launch. The sole exception to the tethered limitation is old bootrom iPhone 3GS.
Want to watch the iPhone 4S launch event? See Tim Cook’s first product launch as CEO? Watch demos of iOS 5, Cards, Find My Friends, iPhone 4S, and iCloud?
If you want to see how the iPhone 4S specs stack up against the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and heck, even the leading Android competitor the Samsung Galaxy S II, we’ve got a variety of charts to compare all the devices.
Shadowed in the iPhone 4S news and other Apple announcements today, the iOS 5 GM build 9A334 has been released for developers to download from the iOS Dev Center. Alongside the iOS 5 GM, Apple is requesting for developers to submit their iOS 5 compatible apps to be ready for the public release date of October 12.
As expected, the iOS 5 GM build will run on iPad 2, iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and the 3rd and 4th gen iPod touches. Also pushed to developers today is Mac OS X 10.7.2 GM, which includes iCloud support, which will allow you to sync through iCloud with iOS 5.
You’ll need iTunes 10.5 Beta 7, 8, or 9 to install the GM, and no OTA update is available.
For those who aren’t in the iOS and Mac dev programs, you only have to wait another week or so to get the free official downloads. Unofficially, anyone can install iOS 5 GM since there is no UDID activation, but do so at your own risk.
You saw the iPhone 4S specs, the release date is soon with pre-orders already under way. The device will be offered on a variety of carriers, in the US this includes AT&T, Verizon, and newcomer Sprint. But what is it going to cost you?
iPhone 4S Pricing
Prices are the same for white and black models, these are the subsidized prices with two year contract:
16GB – $199
32GB – $299
64GB – $399
Unlocked iPhone 4S Prices
If you opt for a carrier unlocked phone without the contract, the pricing is as follows:
16 GB – $649
32 GB – $749
64 GB – $849
The unlocked iPhone only works on GSM networks with a micro-SIM card.
If for whatever reason you aren’t wowed with the 4S or you just want the older iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS, those are both down in price:
iPhone 4 – 8GB – $99
iPhone 3GS – 8GB – Free with contract
And no, there is no iPhone 5… yet!
Thanks to the Verge Liveblog for capturing the pictures from the Apple media event.
The iPhone 4S is official, which isn’t too surprising considering the release date and name was leaked by Apple Japan prior to the Apple event. Nonetheless it’s a big update in terms of specs, so here’s what we know.
While the exterior looks identical to the iPhone 4, the interior is quite a bit different with significant upgrades.
Dual Core A5 CPU with 2x faster processor
Dual Core GPU with 7x faster graphics
Battery improved: 8 Hour talk time, 14 hours of 2G talk time, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 9 hours of wi-fi browsing
Redesigned antenna that automatically switches for the best reception
Faster data speeds, up to 14.4mbps download
World phone – CDMA & GSM in a single device
8 megapixel camera sensor takes 3264×2448 resolution images, f 2.4 aperture, takes in more light and shoots faster pictures, hybrid IR filter
1080P HD video recording with real-time image stabilization
As before, iPhone 4S will be available in black and white, and offered in variety of sizes, including 16GB and 32GB, and new to the 4S, 64GB. The screen size and resolution are the same as existing iPhone 4, as well as the dimensions of the device. That means your existing iPhone 4 cases and screen shields should work just fine with the iPhone 4S.
Finally a definitive release date for iOS 5: October 12. This was announced today at Apple’s media event by Scott Forstall, and finally puts an end to speculative dates.
Don’t forget to download iTunes 10.5 first, it is required to install and use iOS 5 and iCloud.
The free software update will be made available as a download from Apple’s servers and iTunes next Wednesday for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad, iPad 2, and iPod touch 3rd and 4th gen users, and the launch will coincide with the release of iCloud.
This is a few days prior to the iPhone 4S release date, which was leaked before Apple’s media event by their Japan store.
An iOS 5 GM build for developers is already available, and the expected iCloud compatible Mac OS X 10.7.2 update is surely soon to follow.
Apple has announced that the iPhone 4S release date is October 14th, but pre-orders start on October 7. This was leaked earlier in the day by Apple Japan (see images below for that). Now if you haven’t seen them already, check out the tech specs, and new iPhone pricing which includes the 4S and reduced prices on 4 and 3GS.
Barely an hour away from Apple’s new iPhone unveiling and media event today and a few reports out of traditional media outlets seem to be tempering expectations. Notable is the Wall Street Journal, who taps their sources near Apple to announce that there will not be 4G LTE or WiMAX connectivity on the next-generation iPhone, and instead the device will continue to operate on the existing 3G networks.
According to people familiar with the companyâs plans, the hotly anticipated device wonât operate on long-term evolution or WiMAX fourth-generation networks.
On the other hand, the report does seem to confirm that Sprint will begin to carry the iPhone, and that T-Mobile remains in the dark.
The big remaining question is if the next phone will be called iPhone 4S or iPhone 5, with a number of signs pointing to iPhone 4S. Thankfully we’ll find out soon.
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