Apple Announces IPhone 4S to Crowd

Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 4S, a 3G smartphone with improved hardware designed to allow the device to run applications faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4S will run on a dual-core A5 processor, which also will allow the device to run graphics up to seven times faster than prior models, said Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple, during an event held at the company's Cupertino campus. That could allow for a better gaming experience and 1080p video playback. The iPhone 4's A4 chip provides up to 720p of video playback.

The iPhone 4S will be priced at US$199 for a 16GB model, $299 for a 32GB model and $399 for a 64GB model, with a two-year contract.

The smartphone will be available on Oct. 14 in the U.S. through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. It will also become available in Canada, Australia, the U.K., France, Germany and Japan on that day. It will become available in 24 more countries by Oct. 28, and in 70 countries by the end of the year.

Video: Apple Unveils Souped-Up iPhone 4S

The new smartphone will offer eight hours of 3G talk time, 14 hours of 2G talk time and 10 hours of video on one battery charge. The device will also offer nine hours of Wi-Fi browsing time and six hours of 3G browsing time.

The iPhone 4S is also a world phone, which means it has a baseband chip that will work on both GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks. The iPhone 4 previously had two separate models for the GSM and CDMA networks. The iPhone 4S will also have an 8-megapixel camera, as many analysts had predicted.

The iPhone 4S also includes retina display, like the iPhone 4, which started shipping in June last year. The naming convention is much like the iPhone 3GS, which was considered an incremental upgrade from iPhone 3G.

The iPhone 4S will run on iOS 5, which the company introduced earlier this year. The OS includes about 200 more features than earlier versions, including Twitter integration, the new iMessage application for communication between iOS devices, and a unified center for notifications on email, text messages and more. The OS will also include the free iCloud syncing and hosting service for music, photos and other data, which will become available on Oct. 12.

The company also announced a new version of the iPod Touch, which will come with iOS 5. An 8GB model will be priced at US$199, a 32GB model at $299 and a 64GB model at $399. The new device will also come in white and become available on Oct. 12.

(Additional reporting by Macworld staff.)

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Apple iPhone 4S: A Deep Dive Into the New iPhone's Hardware

Apple iPhone 4SAfter more than a year with the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S--announced Tuesday by Apple CEO Tim Cook--seems a bit, well, underwhelming.

The hardware announced today offers no design overhaul. Apple upgraded the phone's camera from a 5-megapixel sensor to an 8-megapixel sensor, though, and the iPhone 4S will use the same dual-core A5 chip that the iPad 2 does.

4G capability? Forget it--Apple isn't going that route this time. We already knew about iOS 5 and its features for a while, but the inclusion of the Siri voice-activated software was a nice surprise.

That isn’t to say that I’m dissatisfied. Last year’s iPhone 4 still holds up among smartphones released this year, and the internal enhancements in the iPhone 4S, while a bit late to the game, are certainly welcome. The iPhone 4S is a good phone that has become even better, but I certainly wouldn’t call it “revolutionary.” And, on second thought, Apple didn’t either.

[Read: Apple iPhone 4S Features Roundup: A Visual Tour]

Design: No Changes, No Problem

The iPhone 4S has an identical design to the iPhone 4, but its guts are all new. Although that might be a disappointment to some people (no larger display, no slimmer body, no tear-shape game-friendly design), I am actually pretty happy with it. I really like the iPhone 4 design: It's still the thinnest smartphone available (despite Samsung’s claims), and it has a stylish, premium look thanks to the glass face and back.

I am a little disappointed to see that the screen real estate didn’t get a bump. I’m definitely not asking for a 4.5-inch display (which is too big in my opinion), but 4 inches or even 3.7 inches would make Web browsing, movie watching, and gaming a bit more comfortable. Ramon Llamas, IDC's senior research analyst for mobile devices technology and trends, says that keeping the same screen size is actually a benefit to consumers and developers.

“You have all these incredible apps [in the App Store]. If you do a different screen size, it will wreak havoc for the developer community,” Llamas says. A consistent screen size is one of the reasons why the App Store has such a high number of apps, he adds.

The Best Camera? Hard to Say

Apple iPhone 4S camera featuresApple isn't the only tech company that loves to tick off specs and claim its products are the first to market with a certain technology. Most companies that do so rely on consumers' failure to understand the technology or know what the specs mean. Such confusion frequently happens with camera specs, so I asked my colleague Tim Moynihan, PCWorld’s camera editor, to decipher some of the specs announced for the iPhone 4S’s camera.

Apple says that the new iPhone’s 8-megapixel camera is built around a backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor, a type of low-light-optimized sensor that debuted in Sony's cameras a few years ago. BSI sensors are now fairly commonplace in CMOS-based cameras, including both stand-alone cameras and a growing number of camera phones.

A BSI sensor is designed such that small, light-blocking wires move to the back of the sensor, making the sensor's surface a more efficient light-gathering source; as such, BSI-sensor cameras usually perform well in low-light situations without a flash. The iPhone 4's 5-megapixel sensor was also a BSI sensor, and was very good; the new sensor in the iPhone 4S is likely a higher-resolution version.

Apple also says the iPhone 4S has a five-element lens that offers 30 percent more sharpness. According to Moynihan, the lens specs sound good, but we'll need to test Apple's claims of improved image sharpness in our labs. The iPhone 4S's F2.4 lens has a wider aperture than most phone cameras do; coupled with the low-light-optimized sensor, it should perform well in low-light situations and at quick shutter speeds. The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide's F2.2 aperture is still a bit wider. (The HTC-made MyTouch 4G Slide is PCWorld's top-ranking phone camera right now.)

[Read: Android Camera Shootout: 13 Phones Put to the Test]

More Pixels Make It Better?

When Apple says that the iPhone 4S camera has 60 percent more pixels than the iPhone 4 camera, it means that an 8-megapixel camera is technically 160 percent of the resolution of a 5-megapixel camera. So really, it doesn’t translate directly to improved image quality, as more megapixels aren't an indicator of better image quality on small-sensored cameras. The higher megapixel count does mean that you'll be able to print out images at a bigger size without losing resolution, or to crop images without the cropped area losing resolution.

According to Moynihan, unless the sensor size is also 60 percent bigger, the added resolution could translate to worse image quality when compared with that of the iPhone 4. When you pack a sensor of the same size with more pixels, you can end up with a lot of noise and artifacts. Again, this is something we’ll have to test when we get the iPhone 4S in.

Video: Apple Unveils Souped-Up iPhone 4S

We’re still a bit confused about what exactly Apple means when it says that the iPhone 4S has a Hybrid IR filter, as the company simply threw that term out there without actually explaining what the "hybrid" refers to. It could be a filter that allows both infrared photography and regular photography, a feature that the user can turn on or off. Moynihan suspects that the iPhone 4S’s sensor has an infrared-blocking filter built to fix any chromatic aberration, purple fringing, or color-accuracy issues caused by the sensor's being sensitive to infrared light.

If that's the case, it's a unique feature for a phone camera, although some stand-alone cameras use lens coatings and processing software to address similar issues.

As for the company's shutter-speed claims of just 1.1 seconds to take a first photo and 0.5 seconds more to take a second, we noticed that Apple did not compare the iPhone to the T-Mobile MyTouch Slide, which has the best camera of any phone we’ve tested. The Slide’s camera specs are pretty similar to the iPhone 4S’s, so we’ll have to do some head-to-head testing once we receive the Apple phone in our labs. We also plan on replicating Apple’s test with other phones we have in house.

Like many dual-core Android phones currently available, the iPhone 4S can shoot high-resolution video up to 1080p. It also features digital video stabilization--but unless it’s a radically different system than we’ve seen on other video devices, don’t expect miracles from digital-only stabilization.

Judging from the specs alone, the iPhone 4S's camera is competitive with those in the top crop of recent Android phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S II series, the HTC ThunderBolt, and the Slide. Considering the iPhone 4's excellent performance in our imaging tests, Apple gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to those claims of improved camera performance--we just don't think the higher megapixel count has much to do with it.

Next: Speed Boost, No 4G, and Siri Software

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Apple Unveils the New iPhone 4S

Apple’s latest iPhone doesn't look all that different on the surface from the iPhone 4 it replace. But the iPhone 4S unveiled by Apple at a press event Tuesday promises an improved processor, new wireless system, and more powerful camera, along with voice control capabilities.

The iPhone 4S is available in black and white. The 16GB version costs $199, a 32GB model costs $299, and the 64GB edition costs $399—each with a two-year contract. They’ll be available for pre-order on October 7, with the phone shipping a week later on October 14 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., France, German, and Japan, on AT&T, Verizon, and newcomer Sprint. The iPhone 4S will be available in more than 70 countries by the end of the year, Apple says.

Video: Apple Unveils Souped-Up iPhone 4S

In unveiling the new iPhone, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller said that the iPhone 4S keeps the same Retina display, glass on front and back, and stainless steel band. Inside, however, it’s all new: The iPad’s A5 chip is now inside the iPhone—that’s the Apple-designed, dual-core chip. Schiller says it offers graphics performance up to seven times faster than the iPhone 4, and CPU performance up to twice as fast. Schiller said that with the new internals in the iPhone 4S, “you really see it scream… in games.”

The improved performance in the iPhone 4S doesn’t come at the expense of battery life. Schiller said that for the first time on an iPhone, you can expect eight hours of talk time on 3G, 14 hours of 2G talk time, six hours of 3G browsing, nine hours of Wi-Fi, ten hours of video, and 40 hours of listening to music.

[Read: Apple iPhone 4S: A Deep Dive Into the Hardware]

New Wireless System

The iPhone 4S also sports a new wireless system. Schiller said that the phone can “intelligently switch between two antennas to transmit and receive,” and the technology works even when you’re on a call. The result? Better call quality, and faster download speeds. The iPhone 4 could support 5.8Mbps up and 14.Mbps download speeds; the iPhone 4S offers 5.8Mbps uploads with 14.4Mbps download speeds. Schiller said that competitors describe those speeds as 4G, but that Apple is “not going to get into a debate about what’s 4G and what isn’t. The iPhone 4 came in GSM and CDMA models; the iPhone 4S comes in a single model that works around the world on both types of networks.

Camera Improvements

The iPhone 4S’s camera system gets a significant upgrade over the iPhone 4’s, too, according to Apple. Schiller said that Apple “set out to create an all new camera,” with the aim of challenging point-and-shoots. The iPhone 4S’s camera offers an eight megapixel sensor, with 3264x2448 resolution. Said Schiller, “You can print out an 8x10 glossy photo that’s pixel perfect.” The iPhone 4S’s rear camera offers 60 percent more pixels than iPhone 4’s camera sensor. The new sensor is a state of the art CMOS backside illumination sensor, which affords 73 percent more light per pixel, which Schiller says means richer colors and better lowlight performance. The camera also takes pictures 33 percent faster than the iPhone 4.

In addition, the iPhone 4S camera sports a Hybrid IR filter on top of the sensor for better color accuracy, which Schiller said is usually a feature you’d associate with DSLR cameras. The optics employ a five-element, Apple-designed lens, which Schiller said is 30 percent sharper with an f/2.4 aperture. The iPhone 4S’s A5 chip also includes an Apple-designed image signal processor, which Schiller said provides advanced face detection—with the ability to detect up to ten unique faces in a single photo, for automatic exposure. The camera also offers 26 percent improved automatic white balance over the iPhone 4.

Schiller emphasized the iPhone 4S’s virtual shutter speed. He compared the iPhone 4S to the Droid Bionic, which needs 3.7 seconds to take its first photo, and the Galaxy SII HTC Sensation, which needs two seconds. The iPhone 4S can take its first picture in 1.1 seconds, and just half a second longer to take a second picture.

The iPhone 4S’s camera also takes stunning high definition 1080p video, Schiller said. The phone’s image signal processor offers real-time video image stabilization, along with temporal noise reduction to improve video quality in real time.

Voice Control

But according to Schiller, the “best feature of the iPhone 4S [is] all about our voice. Schiller explained that, for decades, technologists have attempted to get voice control working right, but none have succeeded. The iPhone 4S changes that. Schiller brought back out Apple’s vice president for iOS software, Scott Forstall, to talk about it.

The feature is called Siri, based on the voice-activated app that Apple bought in 2010. Forstall described it as “your intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking.” Forstall asked the iPhone 4S what the weather is like today, and the phone gets to the meaning behind his words, displaying a weather forecast. He asked “What time is it in Paris,” an it came back with a live clock. “Wake me up at 6a.m.” instantly set an alarm clock for early tomorrow morning.

Apple also partnered with Yelp, so you can say, “Find me a great Greek restaurant in Palo Alto,” and the phone lists five restaurants there, sorted by Yelp rankings. Forstall also demonstrated with questions like, “Give me directions to the Hoover Tower.”

And Siri doesn’t just listen—it also speaks. You can ask Siri to read your messages from the Notification queue to you hands-free, so that you’re not glancing at your phone when you should be, say, driving the car. You can even use Siri to reply to messages, Forstall said. If need be, you can tell Siri to check your calendar and then schedule a meeting.

Siri’s power, Forstall explained, is in how well it can process natural language. If you say, “Remind me to call my wife when I leave work,” Siri knows which of your contacts is your wife, knows the geolocation of your job, and schedules a location aware reminder in iOS 5’s Reminders app. Another example Forstall offered was Web searches: “Search Wikipedia for Neil Armstrong.” Forstall said that Siri supports Wikipedia and Wolfram Alpha, and can provide dictionary definitions and currency conversations. And using a Wolfram Alpha feature as an example, Forstall asked Siri: “How many days are there until Christmas?” he asked the phone. It answered, accurately 82. (So you have time to buy your loved ones iPhone 4S models of their own.)

You can tap and hold Siri’s “i” button to see a list of all the commands it can understand. It can play songs, genres, messages, manage your calendar, schedule reminders, get directions, email people, provide weather and stock updates, set alarms and timers, search your contacts and notes, search the Web, Wikipedia, and Wolfram Alpha.

Forstall ended the Siri demonstration asking it, “Who are you?” Siri replied: “I am a humble personal assistant.”

Schiller added that Siri also supports transcription: Anywhere you see a keyboard in iOS, you can tap a microphone button. Start talking, and your iPhone transcribes what you say. Transcription requires Wi-Fi and 3G; it’s built into iPHone 4S, and works in English, French, and German. Schiller said that the feature will debut in beta mode, meaning that Apple will add more languages and services over time.

To trigger Siri, you press and hold on the Home button, the same way Voice Control works on older iPhones today.

AirPlay

Schiller announced that the iPhone 4S will, like the iPad 2, offer AirPlay mirroring, which lets everything on your screen get streamed wireless to the Apple TV. Don’t have an Apple TV? You can use an HDMI cable to mirror over the wire, too.

Older iPhones

Even as the iPhone 4S arrives later this month, the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 remain available, too. The iPhone 4 is available in an 8GB model for $99. The iPhone 3GS—also 8GB—will be available for free, to customers who agree to a contract with AT&T.

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Apple Will Pay You $200 for Your Gently Used IPhone 4

Apple iPhone 4If history is any guide, the advent of the iPhone 4S will soon render the iPhone 4 both significantly less sexy and significantly less valuable on the resale market. But the good news for early adopters is that Apple will pay them up to $200 to buy back their mint-condition iPhone 4.

As The Next Web points out, Apple's Reuse and Recycling Program offers the money in the form of an Apple gift card--useful if you want to turn around and buy the 4S. All you have to do is go to the site, answer a few questions about the phone you're selling, and receive an estimate on the phone's resale price. After that, ship the phone to Apple, and receive your gift card shortly after. As of Tuesday afternoon, Apple was still willing to pay $180 for a gently used 16GB iPhone 4, and $200 for the 32GB model.

But that's for phones in pristine condition--the payout goes down for phones with scuffs, scratches, or water damage. Phones with dying batteries and without power cords also get a lower payout; you'll also want to clear the content and settings from the phone to achieve your best resale value.

Interestingly, the Reuse and Recycle Program site suggests you can also receive a $105 gift card if you sell Apple a top-condition 16GB iPhone 3GS; Apple will now give you an 8GB model of the same phone for free--provided you sign a two-year phone service contract. Penny-pinching iPhone fans might find the 3GS--both buying and selling--worth their while.

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Apple’s iPhone 4S Announcement Crashes Popular Websites

If you had trouble getting updates on this morning’s Apple keynote, you weren’t alone. Almost every major tech news site suffered at least some downtime during the introduction of the new iPhone 4S.

In addition to some server hiccups here at PCWorld and at our sister publication Macworld, almost every site covering Apple’s event live--including Wired, Engadget and Ars Technica--suffered down time. Even Apple itself wasn't spared as users rushed to order a new iPhone. Sadly pre-orders don’t begin until this Friday.

We’ve seen this kind of down time at almost every Apple event for the last few years. So what, if anything, can sites do about the Apple rush?

Hosting company Rackspace has a history of keeping sites up during major rushes like today’s Apple announcement. We asked Joseph Palumbo, a managed cloud specialist for Rackspace, what his company does to prepare for Apple announcements and other heavy traffic days.

Palumbo’s main tip is to prep early. When you know a heavy traffic day is coming, resources such as additional servers, need to be devoted beforehand--fixes on the day of the event rarely hold up.

“At that point anything you’re doing is just a Band-Aid.” says Palumbo. By the time a major event rolls around, Palumbo says, it’s just a typical day for Rackspace “with an extra tab open to make sure everything’s working as expected.”

Image courtesy of MacworldPalumbo also says it helps to have experience with these kinds of issues. Obviously an easy way to do that is to team up with a company like Rackspace that’s been through days like this before, it's easier for sites like Rackspace which have a lot of extra server cycles to use but even smaller companies can learn the ins and outs of avoiding down time.

Today, most companies managed to weather the storm relatively well, once the initial rush faded. But unless sites learn to better prepare (or the hype for Apple products dies down), this isn’t the last time we’ll see Apple crashing the tech world.

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AppleCare+ for IPhone Covers Accidental Damage

Apple iPhone 4SWith all the big Apple news on Tuesday, you'll be forgiven if you missed a change the company made to its AppleCare extended-service offering for the iPhone. But that change is significant and will make the plan more appealing to some users.

Every iPhone includes 90 days of technical support and one year of hardware support and repairs. Prior to Apple's Tuesday event, you could pay $69 for an AppleCare policy that extends both technical support and hardware service to two full years. However, both the standard warranty and the standard AppleCare plan specifically exclude accidental damage.

As of October 4, Apple's iPhone service offering, rebranded AppleCare+, costs $99. But the extra $30 adds a significant benefit: According to Apple, AppleCare+ covers up to two incidents of "accidental damage due to handling," although each is subject to a $49 additional fee. In other words, if you drop your brand new iPhone 4S from your second-floor balcony and watch it shatter on your cement driveway, as long as you have an AppleCare+ policy on the iPhone, Apple will fix the phone--or, more likely, replace it with a refurbished unit--for $49.

For those who normally get AppleCare just for the extended service benefits, the increased price of the plan may be disappointing. (A better option for consumers would be to keep the price at $69 but charge, say, $65 for a hardware replacement.) But if you've ever had to replace your phone at full price, $148--$99 for the plan plus $49 for an accident repair--will likely seem like a bargain.

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Epic Announces Infinity Blade II for iPhone 4S

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the iPhone 4S comes word that one of the platform's most popular games is getting a sequel.

Epic was on stage to show off Infinity Blade 2, the sequel to the iOS game released last year. The sequel will naturally feature improved graphics, as well as the ability to wield two swords.

Oh yeah, and it's "only going to run like this on the iPhone 4S. Why? Because it's awesome?" So there you go.

Look for it on the App Store on December 1.

[RELATED: Infinity Blade for Android]

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Logitech Looks to IPhone 5 for Video Meetings

The Apple iPhone 5, expected to be announced on Tuesday, should be able to use Logitech's ClearSea videoconferencing software to tie mobile users into meetings alongside high-end telepresence systems and other platforms, according to Logitech.

Logitech's LifeSize videoconferencing division acquired ClearSea earlier this year by buying Mirial, a video software company based in Milan. ClearSea is videoconferencing software that works on a variety of endpoints and lets mobile devices interface with other endpoints through industry standards.

LifeSize has been updating ClearSea for iOS 5, the next version of Apple's iPhone and iPad software, as part of Apple's beta program, said Michael Helmbrecht, vice president of product marketing at LifeSize. ClearSea should be ready to run on the iPhone 5 as soon as the phone is available, he said.

"Unless they move to a completely new processor type that they haven't put in any kind of device before, we don't anticipate any issues," Helmbrecht said.

To be safe, because it doesn't know anything about the rollout schedule for the new iPhone, Logitech estimated that ClearSea would be available for the iPhone 5 by November.

Because it uses standards such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and the H.264 encoding specification, ClearSea can interoperate with videoconferencing systems from major vendors including Cisco Systems, Polycom and Radvision, the company said. ClearSea is also available for version 2.1 and later of Google's Android OS.

On smartphones, ClearSea can send and receive standard-definition video, and on the iPad 2, it can receive 720p high-definition video. Users can participate in meetings with a good 3G cellular connection or Wi-Fi, Helmbrecht said.

It's unlikely the iPhone 5 will have enough processing power to encode or decode high-definition video for use in ClearSea meetings, Helmbrecht said. On the iPhone 4, the software can send video of the caller at 352 by 188 pixels at 15 frames per second, and receive the same resolution at 30 frames per second, he said.

"If the power's there, we can do HD," Helmbrecht said.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com

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New iPhone 4S: Top 5 Letdowns

Apple's new iPhone 4S has some impressive upgrades, including voice controls, a faster processor, and a better camera. But to millions of tech fans hoping to be dazzled by Apple's latest creation, the 4S is, well, a tad disappointing. Here are the top pre-launch rumors that didn't come true:

No 4-inch, Curved, or Edge-to-Edge Display

The iPhone 4S' stunning 3.5-inch "retina" display is no improvement over the iPhone 4's screen, which debuted way back in June 2010--an eternity (or longer) in the mobile arena. Since then, competing Android phones have gone behemoth in a big way. In fact, four of the top five handsets on PCWorld's Top 10 Cell Phones chart have 4-inch or larger screens. All are Android models.

So whatever happened to the rumored edge-to-edge or curved glass screen on the next-gen iPhone? Not this year, apparently.

No New Design

The iPhone 4S' (unofficial) motto: Same on the outside, better on the inside. If you were expecting a daring teardrop shape, or something truly cutting-edge such as a pico projector to project images onto a nearby surface, today's unveiling had to be a bummer.

No 4G

The iPhone 4S is a 3G-capable handset, just like its predecessor. But numerous rumors had suggested Apple would launch a 4G-enabled iPhone in the fall.

Alas, this isn't the case, although Apple today did trumpet iPhone 4S' ability to double the theoretical maximum HSDPA data speed to a 4G-like 14.4 Mbps.

That said, the growing number of 4G phones on the market does make the iPhone 4S seem behind the times--at least in terms of data speeds.

No Sprint Exclusive

OK, this was by far the dumbest of the pre-launch rumors, but I'm sure somebody, somewhere believed it: the next-gen iPhone would launch exclusively on Sprint!

Sure, makes tons of sense. Apple's going to snub the two biggest U.S. wireless carriers to sign an exclusive deal with the third-place guy.

Didn't come to pass, of course. The good news, though, is that Sprint is getting the iPhone 4S--along with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, naturally.

No iPhone 5

Despite months of "iPhone 5" scuttlebutt, Apple's magical 5th-gen phone--with its teardrop shape, 4.5-inch curved edge-to-edge display, pico projector, and 5G 100 Mbps service--simply failed to materialize.

Oh, well. Let the new iPhone rumors begin!

Video: Apple Unveils Souped-Up iPhone 4S

Contact Jeff Bertolucci via Twitter (@jbertolucci) or at jbertolucci.blogspot.com.

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Overview: Apple's iPhone 4S Grabs the Spotlight

Apple unveiled a new iPhone Tuesday where the most significant changes—including new voice control features—are all on the smartphone’s inside. The iPhone 4S highlighted a press event where Apple also announced release dates for iOS 5 and its iCloud online storage and sync service as well as a new card design app for iOS devices.

Apple iPhone 4SApple’s latest phone keeps the same Retina display, glass on front and back, and stainless steel band found in the iPhone 4. However, inside the iPhone 4S, an A5 processor promises graphics performance up to seven times faster than the previous model.

The iPhone 4S also features a new wireless system where the phone can switch between two antennas to transmit and receive, which should mean better call quality and faster download speeds.

Video: Apple Unveils Souped-Up iPhone 4S

What’s more, this iPhone works on both CDMA and GSM networks. Previously, Apple had to produce separate models of the iPhone for compatibility with those wireless standards. As a result, the iPhone will not only be available through previous partners AT&T and Verizon, but Sprint as well. And the iPhone 4S’s camera boasts a number of significant improvements.

It’s the iPhone 4S’s voice-controlled features that should grab the headlines, though. Based on the technology Apple got when it purchased mobile app maker Siri last year, the feature—also called Siri—can carry out searches, perform commands, and look up information all driven by the sound of your voice. Siri can also speak, reading messages and announcing notifications.

The iPhone 4S comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models, priced at $199, $299, and $399 with two-year contracts, respectively. They’ll go on sale October 14 in seven countries, including the U.S. Pre-orders will be available on October 7.

Get more information on the iPhone 4S

Apple iCloud

Apple also offered more details on iCloud, the cloud-based storage and syncing service that will replace MobileMe. A new app called Find My Friends joins the other iCloud features Apple first unveiled in June. Find My Friends helps you connect with friends and family. Find My Friends uses geolocation to help you locate your companions perennially, or throughout a set duration using Temporary Event.

Users can sign up for iCloud on October 12. You’ll get 5GB of storage for free, with additional space available for a yearly fee. Current MobileMe subscribers will be able to transfer their account to iCloud, though they can also elect to stay on MobileMe until June 30, 2012, when the service will be discontinued.

Get more information on iCloud

October 12 is also the debut date for iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system. That’s about the extent of the news Apple unveiled about its iOS update on Tuesday; the rest of the presentation largely recapped iOS 5 features first announced in June.

Get more information on iOS 5

Apple’s other iOS-related announcement on Tuesday involved Cards, a new addition to the App Store. The app lets you turn your photos into greeting cards that you can send from your iOS device. You’ll be able to print the card and have it mailed to anywhere in the world; US addresses will cost $3 while international cards sell for $5. That app also debuts on October 12.

Get more information on Apple’s Cards app

While Apple’s invitation to Tuesday’s event highlighted the iPhone, the iPod lineup also underwent a modest revamp.

The iPod nano saw its price cut on both the 8GB and 16GB models. Its multitouch display also features larger icons to make it easier to navigate through the music player. The iPod touch now comes in a white model, and the price of the 8GB touch fell $30 to $199.

While many speculated that Tuesday would see the end of Apple’s iPod classic and shuffle offerings, those remain available on Apple’s online store.

Get more information on Apple’s iPod updates

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Tim Cook Touts Lion, Mac Sales During Apple's iPhone Event

Mobile products like iPhone and iPad may get all the attention—and drive huge sales—but Macs and Lion operating system are also generating big momentum for the company, CEO Tim Cook said during Tuesday's iPhone-focused Apple event.

Cook said Mac OS X Lion—available only through the Mac App Store—had been downloaded 6 million times since it launched to the public on July 20. Cook noted that Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system took about 20 weeks to reach about 10 percent of its installed base; according to Cook, Lion hit that mark in two weeks—one-tenth of the time.

That might simply be an indication that Apple's customer base is highly enthusiastic, but other metrics show that the base is expanding. Cook said there are now 60 million Mac users around the world; the MacBook Pro and iMac have been the best-selling notebook and desktop computers in the United States, with the result that Mac has sextupled the PC industry's rate of growth in the last year—by 23 percent, compared to 4 percent—a trend that stretches back to every business quarter over the last five years. Macs now comprise one of every four PCs sold in-store, Cook said, and there's still room for Apple’s computer business to grow.

If the ceiling is still high for Macs, Cook said, the market has matured for MP3s. But the iPod remains an important business for Apple, Cook said, with 45 million iPods sold during the year ending in June; half of those devices went to first-time buyers. Apple continues to retain more than 70 percent of the MP3 player market with more than 300 million iPods sold since the first model was introduced a decade ago; Sony, Cook noted, took 30 years to sell 220 million Walkman units. And all that hardware is helping Apple on another sales front: iTunes has now sold 16 billion downloads of music and other entertainment media, making it the No. 1 music store in the world.

Cook’s recap of iPod sales came on day that Apple not only rolled out iPod nano and iPod touch updates, but when Microsoft stopped production on the Zune.

Apple's other mobile devices—in addition to attracting publicity and critical praise for the company—are also doing big business. Despite stories that the Android operating system has overtaken Apple for smartphone marketshare, Cook says the iPhone is still outselling all other models of smartphone—with a 125 percent rise in sales during the second quarter, compared to 74 percent for the entire industry. The iPhone 4 has comprised more than half of all phone sales in Apple history, Cook said, aided by its consistent No. 1 rating on consumer satisfaction surveys—the iPhone has topped the J.D. Power survey six consecutive times. Even with that success, Cook said, there's still plenty of growth potential; the iPhone still comprises just 5 percent of all mobile phones (including non-smartphones) around the world.

Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iOS Software, said that the operating system—which runs on both iPhone and iPad—now accounts for 61 percent of the mobile web market. The iPad has also ranked high in customer satisfaction, and is growing in institutional use: About 1,000 K-12 schools and 1,000 universities in the United States have distributed the tablet to their students; the iPad is also increasingly replacing paper manuals and logbooks in airline cockpits. More than 80 percent of hospitals are testing the device; 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies are doing the same.

All those iOS devices have driven app sales. Forstall said there are now half-a-million apps in the App Store, with more than 140,000 made specifically for the iPad. Apple's customers have downloaded more than 18 billion apps. And Apple has paid more than $3 billion to App Store developers.

For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2011 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

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Apps Created for Android, iPhone May Top One Million

A milestone was hit today in the market for smartphone apps. There may be a million of them out there.

If all the mobile applications ever created for the Android and iOS operating systems are tallied, they exceed that magical number, according to the app counters at Appsfire.

Unsurprisingly, only about 800,000, or 80 percent, of those apps are still active, Appsfire estimated. However, predicted that the combined total for active apps will break one million sometime in December.

Appsfire also noted that iOS apps hold a slight edge over Android apps, 52 percent to 48 percent. That gap will narrow as active apps approach the one million mark, with the split being closer to 50-50.

However, a survey of websites of other app counters didn't yield numbers as high as Appsfire's. That may be because Appsfire included apps found outside the Android market and global app numbers in its tally. The 148Apps.biz site, for example, pegged the total number of apps ever seen in Apple's U.S. App Store to be 593,492, while AppBrain pinned the current total of Android apps in the market at 282,830.

Apps in the Android marketplace can fluctuate, especially toward the end of a quarter, explained AppBrain. That's when Google typically prunes the marketplace of dubious apps at that time, it said.

While raw app numbers can be impressive--and boost the credibility of the catch phrase "there's an app for that"--the fact is that the number of bread-and-butter apps in an app store is in the ballpark of about two-dozen. For example, pollster Nielsen found that Android users spent 43 percent of their time with the top 10 apps in that market. Furthermore, they spent 61 percent of their time with the top 50 apps, Nielsen noted.

So if only a few number of apps are actually used by users, why all the posturing about "my store has more apps than your store?" From a marketing point of view, "more" is almost as attractive as "new" to technology consumers--even if the more is more of the same. For example, PCWorld's app expert, Armando Rodriguez, says that more than 900 Solitaire game apps have been written for the iPhone and 1200 for Android.

[Read: Why the Number of Apps in an App Store Doesn't Matter]

"If you were to remove all the copycat apps, you would probably end up with around the same number of apps currently available on Windows Phone 7 (30,000), which is a huge difference in terms of app variety," Rodriguez observed. "That's not to say that the WP7 platform doesn't suffer from duplicates. It does--just not on the same scale as Android and iOS."

While a million apps is quite an achievement, it may reveal more about repackaging ideas than innovation in the apps market.

Follow freelance technology writer John P. Mello Jr. and Today@PCWorld on Twitter.

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Get Street Fighter II And Final Fight On Your iPhone

Are you an App Store aficionado with a penchant for old-school pugilism? Then today may be your lucky day. Hot on the heels of the hefty update that hit Street Fighter IV: Volt earlier today, Capcom Mobile has released Final Fight and the Street Fighter II Collection for iDevices everywhere.

Final Fight looks to be a pretty faithful port of the SNES original, where the SFII collection packs in Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Championship Edition, and Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. And if that doesn't sell you, then this awesome copy on its App Store page will:

"Here the legend was begun...

Passionate soulful battles...

And now...

The masterpiece is coming back!!

The origin of fighting games!!

Hell. Yes.

Both boast Bluetooth multiplayer, virtual controls, and are available right this second on the iTunes App Store.

[Source]

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iPhone 5 Production Delays Reported

iPhone 5 production could be behind schedule, it has been reported, with the tear-shaped design seemingly causing manufacturing issues.

9to5Mac said that it had heard that there were problems on at least one assembly line with the production of the iPhone 5.

Unnamed sources confirmed to the website that there would be two new iPhone models -- an iPhone 4-alike and an iPhone 5 -- and Apple expects to have 10 million on hand at launch, likely to be October 7.

As well as a larger screen and thinner, rounder body, the iPhone 5 will have a larger screen than the iPhone 4 and is said to be "impossibly" light by 9to5Mac's source.

iPhone 5 will be 'fairly different' -- report

Meanwhile, more cases supposedly for the iPhone 5 have been leaked. After a Chinese vendor claimed it had its hands on cases for the iPhone 5 earlier this week, Stuff now claims to have some additional images of cases for the next-generation device originating from Essex-based Fonegadgets.

The cases seem to confirm a larger screen, tapered edges, a thinner design, with volume buttons in the same place as on the iPhone 4 but looking more like the iPhone 3GS volume controls, as well as a tapered, tear-drop like design.

Though we can't confirm that these cases are the genuine article, they do seem to tally with the best other evidence we have about the design of the next-generation iPhone. Hopefully we'll know for sure very soon.

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Cops Assisted Apple Search for Lost apple iphone

History does repeat itself: Bay Area Police Department verifies it assisted Apple inside a search for any lost apple iphone 5 prototype that went missing in This summer. Don’t hold your breath, though -- no photo taking evidence can be obtained this time around, because it was the situation using the lost apple iphone 4 prototype this past year.

Only a couple of hrs later after denying any participation within the apple iphone 5 prototype search, Bay Area police leaking the beans. SFPD states four of their officials supported in plainclothes two Apple researchers within the unusual search, brought by Apple’s Gps navigation trace about the device. The officials apparently never joined the man’s house, while Apple’s security authorities searched the 22-year-old man’s house and computer for just about any trace from the lost apple iphone 5.

Still doubt what unreleased apple iphone Apple was frantically seeking? Reuters has pieced it together -- even SFPD named the term document statement about the search "iphone5.doc." What’s unclear is whether or not Apple handled to obtain the lost apple iphone 5 prototype. CNet states the prototype may have been offered on Craig's list for any mere $200 (last year’s apple iphone prototype finder got $5000 for that phone, trial is ongoing).

This news of the second lost unreleased apple iphone broke the 2009 week. CNet first reported the unit went missing in a Bay Area bar in This summer 2 days later, Apple researchers and cops looked home of a youthful guy who refused ever having this type of device. They didn't discover the phone as well as apparently attempted to own guy cash, no questions requested, in return for its recovery.

Further particulars about the mysterious apple iphone prototype search originated from SFWeekly, which recognized the youthful guy whose house was looked. However in a strange twist of occasions, he stated the 4 males and 2 ladies who found his home trying to find the lost phone were impersonators -- while Bay Area police stated the department had no records of these an incident including its officials. The guy later acknowledged only Apple reps joined his home.

Even when an apple iphone 5 prototype continues to be within the wild, pictures from it are yet to come to light. This leaves us with gossips from the approaching apple iphone, stated to reach a while in October having a better processor, camera, and most likely thinner with a bigger display.

Follow Daniel Ionescu now @ PCWorld on Twitter

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8GB iPhone 4 in the Works: Rumor

Apple has started manufacturing an 8GB iPhone 4 model that could be sold alongside the brand-new iPhone 5 this fall, according to a Reuters report. The 8GB flash drives for the low-end iPhone 4 are being manufactured by a Korean company, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Rumors of a low-end iPhone debuting with the iPhone 5 are not new. The idea of a scaled-down version of the iPhone being sold alongside a new model is not new either. Apple has been selling an 8GB iPhone 3GS at a discount alongside the iPhone 4 for the past year, so it’s not going to be a surprise if an 8GB iPhone 4 hits the market this fall.

It’s unclear for how much the year-old technology in an 8GB iPhone 4 would sell for. Apple sold the 8GB iPhone 3GS for half the price of the entry-level iPhone 4 ($99, then dropped the price to $49), so we could see a similar price drop this fall. According to Reuters’ sources, the 8GB iPhone 4 is expected to “launch within weeks,” which matches previous reports that the iPhone 5 would be announced at the end of September.

Details over the features of the iPhone 5 are still conflicting. Some reports indicate the iPhone 5 would be an incremental update (also known as iPhone 4S) with a better processor and camera, but sporting the same screen size and body, while others point toward a device with a larger screen and radically different design.

Follow Daniel Ionescu and Today @ PCWorld on Twitter

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Survey: Verizon, iPhone MMS Views Increasing

A mobile platform marketing agency, Mogreet, that measures video-based MMS advertising, released its analytical report for the second-quarter 2011 analyzing consumer behavior in viewing and reacting to video advertising. The survey revealed that Verizon lead the pack in mobile messaging views by carrier, whereas Apple’s iPhone was the leading choice for viewing MMS ads by handset type.

Verizon customers were responsible for 44.2 percent of the mobile video messaging views in the survey, followed by AT&T at 37.1 percent. While by handset, the views were broken down in a different way, with Apple’s iPhone leading the field by almost twice as much as the next competitor. The iPhone earned 7.4 percent of all video messaging views, followed by the LG enV 3 at 3.9 percent, the Samsung Intensity at 2.9 percent, tying with the LG Cosmos at exactly the same percentage.

The success of mobile video messaging views is considered as a leading indicator of how frequently consumers are using video and MMS messaging services on their devices.

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