Well after its advertised launch time, Apple has now begun accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 4S at their online Apple Store. Preorders are also available directly from Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. The servers, however, seem overloaded at the time of publishing so may take a while to get your orders in.

The iPhone 4S was introduced earlier this week and includes an A5 processor, faster graphics, an improved 8MP camera as well as the new Siri Voice Assistant.


The iPhone 4S comes in 3 different capacities 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, priced at $199, $299 and $399 respectively with contract. Carrier options in the United States include AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. We posted a detailed price comparison chart earlier today.

Those upfront prices assume that you qualify for a carrier-subsidized device. If you are presently in a contract with your carrier, you may not qualify. Apple provides this online tool to see what your pricing would be.

Apple reveals that in the U.S., the iPhone 4S will be available unlocked starting in November.

The iPhone 4S will also be available in-store on October 14th.

Update: Apple seems to having trouble with accepting pre-orders:




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Photo courtesy of Robert ScobleThe LA Times provides some new details about an internal project at Apple designed to take the company succesfully into the future despite the premature passing of Steve Jobs.

We first heard details about this "Apple University" project back in May when it was revealed that Steve Jobs had hired dean of Yale School of Management Joel Podolny to run an internal group featuring business professors and Harvard veterans to prepare employees for life at Apple after Jobs.

The LA Times cites an anonymous former Apple executive who describes the reasoning behind the project:"Steve was looking to his legacy. The idea was to take what is unique about Apple and create a forum that can impart that DNA to future generations of Apple employees," said a former Apple executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve his relationship with the company. "No other company has a university charged with probing so deeply into the roots of what makes the company so successful."Podolny left his position as Yale Business School dean and moved into an office between Steve Jobs and Tim Cook after he accepted the position in 2009. Podolny, himself, was personally influenced by Steve Jobs and Apple and even described writing his first computer program on an Apple II. In his farewell to Yale students, he wrote "While there are many great companies, I cannot think of one that has had as tremendous personal meaning for me as Apple".

Jobs reportedly identified specific tenets at Apple that he believed was responsible for Apple's success. Those included accountability, attention to detail, perfectionism, simplicity, and secrecy. Jobs is said to have personally overseen the creation of the courses and had sustained an interest in it since its inception. According to the LA Times, Jobs' other successful company, Pixar, also uses a similar corporate University model.

Steve Jobs passed away on Wednesday, October 5th.


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PC Mag has put together a nice comparison of voice and data service plan options for the iPhone 4S on the three U.S. carriers that will be offering the device: AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.


At the top, the chart shows pricing for the three standard voice tiers used by carriers (450 minutes, 900 minutes, and unlimited), all paired with unlimited texting. The second section compares pricing for various buckets of data usage, and while different carriers have different cutoff points, the chart allows users to compare pricing at any given usage level. Sprint of course is offering unlimited data for the iPhone, requiring only a $10 "premium data" surcharge on top of the basic "Simply Everything" charge of $99.99 per month.

Some users may also be interested in mobile hotspot offerings, which allow them to use their iPhones as access points to 3G data for Wi-Fi enabled devices. Mobile hotspot functionality is included in higher-level data packages (4 GB and above) from AT&T and Verizon, while it is a separate $29.99 per month add-on for Sprint's unlimited data service.

Users looking to get the best deal on service for the iPhone 4S will need to gauge their data needs ahead of time, as different carriers offer strengths in different areas. High data usage customers may find Sprint appealing, as it is the only carrier offering unlimited data. Sprint's pricing makes it the best deal all the way down to only 2 GB of usage, but low-use customers might be interested in AT&T's $15/month data package offering 200 MB of data as a cheaper option.

As PC Mag notes, users will also need to weigh the pros and cons of each carrier's network, and users should also be aware that Apple's new iCloud service may result in them using more data than they do currently, depending on how much data they move up and down through the service.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific time tonight/tomorrow morning.


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With WolframAlpha having just made a splash earlier this week for its role in the Siri personal assistant included in the forthcoming iPhone 4S, Stephen Wolfram's look back at how Steve Jobs influenced him over the course of 25 years is particularly relevant.

Wolfram, who gained fame for his development of the computational software Mathematica in the 1980s, was introduced to Jobs in 1987 when Jobs was at NeXT and Wolfram was developing his software. The two held a number of discussions, perhaps the most notable of which resulted in Jobs suggesting that the software be called Mathematica. Wolfram describes Jobs' approach to product naming:I’d actually considered that name, but rejected it. I asked Steve why he thought it was good, and he told me his theory for a name was to start from the generic term for something, then romanticize it. His favorite example at the time was Sony’s Trinitron. Well, it went back and forth for a while. But in the end I agreed that, yes, Mathematica was a good name. And so it has been now for nearly 24 years.But Jobs' contributions went well beyond the software's name, extending to a number of suggestions to improve its usability.As Mathematica was being developed, we showed it to Steve Jobs quite often. He always claimed he didn’t understand the math of it (though I later learned from a good friend of mine who had known Steve in high school that Steve had definitely taken at least one calculus course). But he made all sorts of “make it simpler” suggestions about the interface and the documentation. With one slight exception, perhaps of at least curiosity interest to Mathematica aficionados: he suggested that cells in Mathematica notebook documents (now CDFs) should be indicated not by simple vertical lines—but instead by brackets with little serifs at their ends. And as it happens, that idea opened the way to thinking of hierarchies of cells, and ultimately to many features of symbolic documents.Jobs and Wolfram continued their relationship, with Mathematica eventually being included with every NeXT computer, several of which made their way to Switzerland where Tim Berners-Lee used them to develop and launch the World Wide Web.

Wolfram goes on to discuss several other interactions with Jobs, including the dating advice Wolfram offered to Jobs after he met his future wife Laurene and the advice Wolfram received from Jobs questioning why Wolfram would include quotes from high-profile sources on the back cover of a book he was writing.At the time, all sorts of people were telling me that I needed to put quotes on the back cover of the book. So I asked Steve Jobs if he’d give me one. Various questions came back. But eventually Steve said, “Isaac Newton didn’t have back-cover quotes; why do you want them?” And that’s how, at the last minute, the back cover of A New Kind of Science ended up with just a simple and elegant array of pictures.Wolfram's summary of Jobs offers a similar take to that of others who have shared their perspectives on Jobs' life, citing his "clarity of thought" and willingness to take bold steps.To me, Steve Jobs stands out most for his clarity of thought. Over and over again he took complex situations, understood their essence, and used that understanding to make a bold definitive move, often in a completely unexpected direction.Steve Jobs died yesterday at the age of 56, and we've been collecting condolences and remembrances in our main article on his passing.


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Time Magazine has cancelled its previously scheduled print run this week in order to put together a retrospective issue on Steve Jobs. In it, Walter Isaacson -- Steve Jobs' biographer -- writes a preview of what's to come, via Fortune.
In the early summer of 2004, I got a phone call from him. He had been scattershot friendly to me over the years, with occasional bursts of intensity, especially when he was launching a new product that he wanted on the cover of Time or featured on CNN, places where I'd worked. But now that I was no longer at either of those places, I hadn't heard from him much. We talked a bit about the Aspen Institute, which I had recently joined, and I invited him to speak at our summer campus in Colorado. He'd be happy to come, he said, but not to be onstage. He wanted, instead, to take a walk so we could talk.

That seemed a bit odd. I didn't yet know that taking a long walk was his preferred way to have a serious conversation. It turned out that he wanted me to write a biography of him. I had recently published one on Benjamin Franklin and was writing one about Albert Einstein, and my initial reaction was to wonder, half jokingly, whether he saw himself as the natural successor in that sequence. Because I assumed that he was still in the middle of an oscillating career that had many more ups and downs left, I demurred. Not now, I said. Maybe in a decade or two, when you retire.

But I later realized that he had called me just before he was going to be operated on for cancer for the first time. As I watched him battle that disease, with an awesome intensity combined with an astonishing emotional romanticism, I came to find him deeply compelling, and I realized how much his personality was ingrained in the products he created. His passions, demons, desires, artistry, devilry and obsession for control were integrally connected to his approach to business, so I decided to try to write his tale as a case study in creativity.The release date of the book has been moved up twice, and is now October 24th. After Jobs resigned as CEO in August, he knew the end was near. The WSJ reports that Isaacson's last interview was roughly four weeks ago, and "Jobs indicated at that time that he knew he was going to die soon."

9to5Mac has another touching excerpt from Isaacson's Time Magazine essay, which will hit newsstands tomorrow, that reiterates the love Steve Jobs had for his family, especially his children:
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? “I wanted my kids to know me,” he said. “I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.”Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson will be released on October 24th. It is available via preorder from Amazon/Kindle, the iBookstore, and elsewhere.


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With the death of Steve Jobs, a number of observers have addressed concerns over the future of Apple by noting that the company's roadmap is almost certainly already set for the next several years, and Jobs would obviously have played a key role in setting those plans in motion.


Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone 4 (Source: Matthew Yohe)
And while it should not come as a surprise, Jobs is said to have been playing a key role directing development of not only the iPhone 4S set to debut next week, but also the next-generation iPhone. Word of Jobs' involvement comes from Masayoshi Son, president of Japanese carrier Softbank, who noted to Reuters that "even after [Jobs'] death the work that he spearheaded will come out to the world".


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Following yesterday's sad news regarding the death of Steve Jobs, AllThingsD reports that Simon & Schuster has bumped up the release of Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs to October 24th. The book had previously been scheduled to be released on November 21st.


The book, which was fully authorized by Steve Jobs and is based on over 40 interviews with Jobs and interviews with over 100 of his friends and family members, was already of strong interest to Apple fans and has seen a massive increase in demand since yesterday, registering as the #1 selling book at Amazon with a sales gain on the order of 40,000% over the past 24 hours.


The book, which was still being updated in late August to reflect Jobs' resignation as Apple's CEO, will include full details on his life. The Wall Street Journal reports that Isaacson last interviewed Jobs four weeks ago, at which time Jobs knew that he would die soon. The final interview will be included as a scene at the end of the book.

Steve Jobs clearly had a significant impact on people around the world, and Isaacson's biography will offer the closest look yet at the popular yet intensely private man. With the cooperation of Jobs, the book may bring some closure for fans, registering as Jobs' final and most personal "one more thing".


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Sprint has updated its website with information on its iPhone offerings, beginning immediate pre-orders of the new 8 GB iPhone 4. Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S start tomorrow, in line with the schedule set by Apple and being followed by other carriers in the first round of launches.


In its press release announcing the iPhone launch, Sprint touts its service plans offering unlimited data, a feature not offered by other U.S. iPhone carriers.“Our unlimited data plans are the perfect fit for iPhone customers,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “Sprint’s unlimited data plans provide more value than metered plans from other carriers. Our customers can take advantage of the innovative features of iPhone without worrying about overage charges or surprises on their bill.”Sprint's plans include unlimited data and messaging (text, photo, and video), as well as unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to and from any mobile phone in the United States. Three different plans with varying amounts of calling time are available:

- 450 Minutes: $79.99/month
- 900 Minutes: $99.99/month
- Unlimited: $109.99/month

A mobile hotspot option is also available for $29.99 per month, offering up to 5 GB of data for hotspot services through the device, which can support up to five Wi-Fi connections simultaneously.


As on other carriers, Sprint is offering the iPhone at the following price points, all with two-year agreements:

- 8 GB iPhone 4: $99.99
- 16 GB iPhone 4S: $199.99
- 32 GB iPhone 4S: $299.99
- 64 GB iPhone 4S: $399.99

As with Apple, iPhone 4S pre-orders through Sprint will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific time tomorrow.


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Apple's website announces the sad news that Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has passed away. Jobs was 56 years old, and had been struggling with complications related to pancreatic cancer over the past several years. Apple leaves the following message on their website in tribute to Jobs:
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.comSteve Jobs narrated this unaired version of Apple's famous Think Different ad in 1997:


Apple's board of directors released this statement:We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s 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.From Robert Scoble: "Flags half staff at Apple headquarters. Sad day in Cupertino."


Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech, where he addresses his mortality. An inspiring speech, excerpt from Observer.com.No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Statements and Reactions

Steve Jobs' family has issued a 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 Steve's 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.Tim Cook
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 Steve’s 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 Steve’s 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.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.President Barack ObamaMichelle 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 planet’s 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 Steve’s 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 Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.Microsoft Cofounder Bill Gates
I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ 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, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.Warren BuffettHe was one of the most remarkable business managers and innovators in american business history.Facebook founder Mark ZuckerbergSteve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.Disney President Bob IgerSteve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an "original," with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.Google Chairman Eric SchmidtSteve Jobs is the most successful CEO in the U.S. of the last 25 years. He uniquely combined an artists touch and an engineers vision to build an extraordinary company... one of the greatest American leaders in history.California Governor Edmund BrownSteve Jobs was a great California innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish. Few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives. Anne and I wish to express our deepest sympathy to Steve's wife, Laurene, and their entire family.Dell Founder Michael DellToday the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the Apple team.Arnold SchwarzeneggerSteve lived the California Dream every day of his life and he changed the world and inspired all of us.Former Yahoo and Autodesk CEO Carol BartzIt’s the ultimate sadness. First of all, it’s a young person who was revered, sometimes feared, but always revered. In a way, it’s kind of prophetic; everyone was hoping he could be on stage yesterday. He was a very special person, and he didn’t get to where he was by having people like him all the time. He got to where he was because he had a vision and a purpose. It’s easy to try and please everyone, but he kept to his principles.Google Cofounder Larry PageI 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 familyNYC Mayor Michael BloombergTonight, America lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein, and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come. Again and again over the last four decades, Steve Jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon. And Steve's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and iPads: it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization. In New York City's government, everyone from street construction inspectors to NYPD detectives have harnessed Apple's products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively. Tonight our City – a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius – joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping Laurene and the rest of the Jobs family in our thoughts and prayers.New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.Steve Jobs was a visionary and a wonderful friend of The New York Times. He pushed the boundaries of how all providers of news and information interact with our users. I am among the many who deeply regret his passing.AT&T CEO Randall StephensonWe are saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was an iconic inventor, visionary, and entrepreneur, and we had the privilege to know him as partner and friend. All of us at AT&T offer our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife, family, and his Apple family.House Minority Leader Nancy PelosiSteve Jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live, an innovator whose products brought joy to millions, a risktaker who wasn’t afraid to challenge the status quo, and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time.

His sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle. His courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many. I hope it is a comfort to those who loved him, especially his family, that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time.News Corp. CEO Rupert MurdochToday, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation. While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I’m reminded of the stunning impact he had in revolutionizing the way people consume media and entertainment. My heart goes out to his family and to everyone who had the opportunity to work beside him in bringing his many visions to life.Google Cofounder Sergey BrinFrom the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.

On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple.Softbank CEO Masayoshi SonI am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was truly a genius of our time, a man with a rare ability to fuse art and technology. In centuries from now, he will be remembered alongside Leonardo da Vinci. His achievements will continue to shine forever.Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, John Lasseter
John Lasseter, Pixar and Ed Catmull, DisneySteve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.George LucasThe magic of Steve was that while others simply accepted the status quo, he saw the true potential in everything he touched and never compromised on that vision. He leaves behind an incredible family and a legacy that will continue to speak to people for years to come.Steve Wozniak


Some are leaving flowers at Apple Stores in tribute:


Source:


At Apple HQ:


Neighbors leaving messages:



From Cupertino (thanks H.P.)


Good Reads

- A nice article by Walt Mossberg of his relationship with Jobs.
- Article by Brian Lam on the lost iPhone 4 and his conversations with Jobs.I thought about the dilemma every day for about a year and half. It caused me a lot of grief, and stopped writing almost entirely. It made my spirit weak. Three weeks ago, I felt like I had had enough. I wrote my apology letter to Steve.- John Markoff writes the NYTimes' Steve Jobs Obituary
- Harry McCracken pens Time Magazine's Steve Jobs Obituary
- Steven Levy writes about Steve Jobs for Wired
- My Neighbor, Steve Jobs - A great piece written before his death.While Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal and CNET continue to drone on about the impact of the Steve Jobs era, I won’t be pondering the MacBook Air I write on or the iPhone I talk on. I will think of the day I saw him at his son’s high school graduation. There Steve stood, tears streaming down his cheeks, his smile wide and proud, as his son received his diploma and walked on into his own bright future, leaving behind a good man and a good father who can be sure of the rightness of this, perhaps his most important legacy of all.- A great video retrospective of Jobs' career:


- Palo Alto's Patch site has photographs from the growing tribute outside Jobs' Palo Alto home, including one of this small flower pot which Jobs' wife Laurene placed on the fence outside their home:




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As noted by CNET's Roger Cheng, Phone Scoop, and AllThingsD, Sprint has confirmed that it will indeed be offering unlimited data for the iPhone when it launches on the carrier.“We will be offering the benefit of our unlimited plans that start at just $69.99,” said spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein. Sprint’s $69.99 plan includes unlimited data and 450 voice minutes as well as unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. Unlimited calling and data costs $99 a month.The new iPhone 4S is scheduled to debut on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon in the United States on Friday, October 14th, with pre-orders beginning this Friday, October 7th. Sprint will also join AT&T and Verizon in offering the low-capacity 8 GB iPhone 4, with information on Apple's site listing Sprint's availability for that device as "coming soon".

Sprint has been surprisingly quiet since yesterday considering that it has reportedly committed to purchase billions of dollars' worth of iPhones from Apple, with no mention of the iPhone yet appearing on the carrier's website. AllThingsD notes that Sprint is in fact "very excited" to begin offering the iPhone, but is making sure all of its plans are in order before beginning its promotional blitz.


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TUAW publishes an extensive list of phrases that the new Siri personal assistant functionality for the iPhone 4S is capable of understanding. The list, broken down into categories, outlines the various types of information and tasks Siri can deal with and provides some interesting insight into how users can help Siri learn to understand their requests.

For example, several demonstrations of Siri have included users referring to other people by their relationships (wife, dad, etc.) rather than by name. Informing Siri of those relationships is as easy as telling the system what they are, and Siri will remember those associations from that point on. Example voice input using relationships includes:- My mom is Susan Park
- Michael Manning is my brother
- Call my brother at workAnother interesting and flexible use of Siri is in the creation of notes, a feature that allows users to make records of a wide range of content on their devices.Creating and finding notes

- Note that I spent $12 on lunch
- Note: check out that new Alicia Keys album
- Find my restaurant note
- Create a reading list note
- Add Tom Sawyer to my reading list noteAnd while the example phrases show how users can make requests of and provide information to Siri, the examples are just that – examples. As demonstrated yesterday, Siri is capable of understanding natural language, allowing users to ask essentially the same question in a number of ways without needing to employ specific syntax.


Siri's example input phrases are broken down into the following categories:

- Address Book: Querying Contacts, Finding Contacts, Relationships
- Calendars: Adding Events, Changing Events, Asking About Events
- Alarms: Setting Alarms, Checking the Clock, Using a Timer
- Email: Sending Messages, Checking Messages, Responding to Messages
- Friends: Checking Up on Friends
- Maps: Directions, Local Businesses
- Messages: Sending Texts, Reading Texts, Replying to Texts
- Music: Playback
- Notes: Creating and Finding Notes
- Phone: Phone Calls
- Reminders: Requesting Reminders
- Stocks: Checking Stocks

The full list of example phrases is included at TUAW, but Siri's capabilities extend even beyond the items included on the list, as evidenced by demonstrations of Siri searching the Internet, Wikipedia, and Wolfram Alpha for specific information.


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comScore today released the results of its latest survey of mobile phone usage in the United States, revealing that Apple is quickly approaching a 10% share of the U.S. mobile phone market. Among the top mobile phone manufacturers, Apple led the pack in growth between the three-month period ending in May and the period ending in August, growing by 1.1 percentage point to hit 9.8% of the U.S. market.


Looking specifically at smartphones and measuring platforms instead of manufacturers, Apple checked in at 27.3% of the market, up 0.7% over the prior period but trailing Android's 5.6 percentage point growth.


The reports also highlight the rapid deterioration in Research in Motion's market share. Apple and RIM had been neck and neck in share just four reports ago, covering the February-April 2011 period, but RIM has fallen to under 20% of the smartphone market as Apple has surpassed 27%.

comScore's surveys track installed user base rather than recent sales as tracked by many other firms. As a result, comScore's numbers react more slowly to changing trends in mobile phone sales than shorter-range measures of recent sales. But comScore's numbers would be more accurate reflections of actual consumer usage given typical upgrade cycles on the order of 18 months for average users.


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In what should have come as no surprise to most observers, Apple yesterday introduced its new iPhone 4S without LTE 4G capabilities. The company had previously acknowledged that the first generation of LTE chips had required handset design compromises that Apple was unwilling to make, and analysts had noted that Apple-suitable LTE chips weren't likely until early 2012.

AnandTech takes a closer look at the status of LTE chip development, describing how a slower-than-expected transition to new 28-nanometer chip processes has left a number of companies unable to release the devices they had originally hoped to launch in 2011.As you may have heard however, the move to 28nm at both TSMC and Global Foundries isn't really going all that smoothly. The jump from 4x-nm to 28nm is a very big one, so it's not unexpected to have pretty serious teething problems as the process ramps up. I suspect that an aggressive 28nm roadmap that didn't pan out probably caught a lot of SoC and smartphone vendors in a position where they couldn't ship what they wanted to in 2011.As in earlier reports regarding Apple's likely LTE chip plans, AnandTech points to Qualcomm's MDM9615 modem as the chip to watch for. The MDM9615 will be the first chip to offer both LTE and voice services in a single chip.


But with the MDM9615 not scheduled to begin shipping in quantity until the second quarter of next year, AnandTech suggests that an LTE-enabled iPhone wouldn't appear until the third quarter of 2012.Qualcomm's current roadmaps show the 28nm MDM9615 arriving in Q2 2012. The 9615 finds itself in a smaller 10x10mm package and is voice enabled as well. Apple (and all other smartphone makers) could replace the MDM6600 with the MDM9615 and have a "single chip" LTE solution for smartphones.Apple's next-generation A6 system-on-a-chip is also said to be on track for a second quarter debut, and while such a schedule raises questions about Apple's plans for the iPad 3, it would line up nicely to allow Apple to launch a new iPhone based on the A6 and LTE about a year from now.


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Yesterday, Apple released their next generation iPhone called the iPhone 4S. Some were understandably disappointed that the rumored tapered "iPhone 5" design (shown below) was not released.


The design was first revealed back in April, but gained more traction after cases started appearing from various Chinese accessory manufacturers in June. In fact, we heard that many of these suppliers were 100% confident that this would be the new iPhone design. So much so that large distributors were offering money back guarantees to retailers that these cases were correct. This, of course, led to a proliferation of cases into retailers as well. As the media event approached, however, there was no real evidence that Apple was actually producing this design.

One report suggested that a lost Apple prototype from a Foxconn factory was the source of the case designs. This is a story we're inclined to believe. We had heard that this design is an actual Apple prototype that was in development, and not just a product of someone's wild imagination.

So, there is some hope that we will ultimately see the design in the future, though it's also possible that this exact design will never make its way to production. This scenario has happened before, where case makers jump the gun based on a leaked prototype. Most notably, back in 2009, case makers started producing cases for a then-unreleased iPod touch with camera. A prototype of exactly such a device was also leaked. Apple, however, released a camera-less iPod touch in 2009, and waited until 2010 to release one with a further redesigned camera. So that 2009 prototype never made it into production, but was verified to be legitimate.

The "iPhone 5" moniker will also have to wait until the next iPhone's release. At this point, Apple seems to have established a pattern for their iPhone releases with external design changes seemingly scheduled every two generations (Original iPhone, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S). We've heard nothing about when the next generation iPhone will arrive, but if we had to guess, we'd think Apple would stick to a late fall schedule again in 2012.


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Making good on its previous plans to target Apple's new iPhone in an attempt to ban sales of the device over intellectual property infringement, Samsung has announced that it will indeed file requests for preliminary injunctions today in France and Italy.Samsung Electronics will file separate preliminary injunction motions in Paris, France and Milano, Italy on October 5 local time requesting the courts block the sale of Apple’s iPhone 4S in the respective markets.

Samsung's preliminary injunction requests in France and Italy will each cite two patent infringements related to wireless telecommunications technology, specifically Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets.Samsung notes that it plans to file additional requests in other countries as it reviews the situation. Samsung's efforts are part of an escalating patent dispute between the two companies that has seen Apple win delays in the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Tab device in Australia and Germany.

Today's announcement from Samsung does not cite the specific patents it will accuse the iPhone 4S of infringing upon, but it is likely that they will be patents already being used by Samsung in a Dutch lawsuit against Apple seeking the ban of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, and original iPad.

Apple has argued that those patents are essential enough to the basic operation of 3G wireless technologies that they should be subject to FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms requiring Samsung to license them under reasonable terms. Apple's position is that Samsung has not been offering reasonable terms for the patents, and the two parties have been unable to reach an agreement on their licensing.


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Apple today introduced the iPhone 4S, the company's next generation iPhone. The iPhone includes a number of improvements including an improved camera, A5 processor, faster graphics and support for the Siri intelligent assistant software.


The iPhone 4S will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, October 14 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4S beginning Friday, October 7. In the U.S., the iPhone 4S will be available on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. Apple support representatives are telling customers that pre-orders will begin online at 12:01 a.m Pacific (7:01 a.m. GMT).

iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Existing iPhone owners can check their upgrade eligibility using this tool.


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Today, Apple announced that iOS 5 would be released to the public on October 12th. In the meanwhile, they have seeded the final Golden Master copy to developers and are now asking developers to submit iOS 5 applications for inclusion in the App Store.

Apple has already been quietly approving many iOS 5 applications, but this gives developers a chance to test against the final shipping version of iOS 5. iOS 5 delivers over 200 new features to customers and will be available for a free download on October 12th. iOS 5 is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, and the 3rd and 4th generation iPod touches.


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With media members in attendance at Apple's iPhone 4S event having had the opportunity to spend some time with the new hardware following the presentation, hands-on reports and first impressions are beginning to come in.


Engadget highlights the improved internal specs of the iPhone 4S, noting that everything "just feels zippier".We were able to spend a few quality moments with the refreshed iPhone 4 here at Apple's campus, the Sprint flavor no less, and as you might expect... it's an iPhone 4. But S-ier. Much in the same way that the 3GS improved the overall experience of the 3G, the 4S does likewise compared to the existing 4. The dual-core A5 chip is a laudatory improvement, and whisking about pages, loading the camera application and launching -- well, just about everything -- just feels zippier.Engadget was also impressed with the Siri personal assistant feature, describing their attempts to "psych it out" without success, as Siri "never faltered" in bringing up the requested information and transcribed voice input perfectly.

The BBC has also posted a brief video hands-on with the iPhone 4S, showing off a demonstration of the Siri functionality.


Finally, SlashGear also spent some time with the iPhone 4S and similarly found it to be very quick, with webpages rendering "instantly" and pinch-to-zoom being "silky smooth". SlashGear was also impressed with Siri's performance.Apple’s new voice-control assistant, Siri makes promises that we’ve learnt to be wary about over the years, but after a brief test we’re surprisingly impressed. Easily activated, with a new microphone icon on the regular on-screen keyboard, Siri managed just what it did on-stage during the keynote. We could ask it local information, such as the weather or to find nearby stores, while online searching and complex questions for Wolfram Alpha were handled with little delay. Speed can be the killer for services like this – people just won’t wait if their phone takes 30 seconds to look up an answer – but Siri delivered in just seconds.Apple will begin taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4S this Friday, with the device going on sale in the first batch of countries on Friday, October 14th. Pricing comes in at $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB, and $399 for 64 GB on contract, with both black and white models available in all capacities.


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Apple already posted the video stream for their iPhone 4S introduction today. Amongst the product introductions:

- Two New Apps: Find My Friends and Cards
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- Apple Introduces iPhone 4S with A5 Chip, Faster Graphics, Siri Voice Assistant
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Apple has built significant antenna upgrades into the iPhone 4S, saying in the press release announcing the phone that it is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. We spoke to Spencer Webb, owner of AntennaSys, about the antenna history of the iPhones. He wrote extensively about the AntennaGate issues with the original iPhone 4 last year.

"With the iPhone 4," Webb explained, around the steel band "we had one cell antenna at the bottom. On the top, we had another antenna for GPS and Wi-Fi." This turned into Antennagate.


With the Verizon/CDMA iPhone, Webb believes Apple's designers "moved the GPS and Wi-Fi antennas beneath the back glass and turned the top antenna into a second antenna for the cell phone." This brought spatial diversity to the iPhone. This design helps solve the Antennagate problem, because the phone can switch between the antennas depending on signal conditions.

"If you cover up an antenna, you're probably not covering up both antennas," Webb explains. "Spatial diversity on the receiving side is required for use with the Verizon network."

The Verizon iPhone had 'receive diversity' -- it used two antennas for receiving data, but may have only transmitted on the bottom antenna. With the iPhone 4S, Apple claims to have both 'send and receive diversity' for GSM and CDMA. They're using this diversity as the solution to the antenna problem.

"The iPhone 4S may indeed be the first phone to have diversity on both the send and receive sides, and that is a decently big deal. They still have the antenna around the rim, though, so it's evolutionary, not revolutionary."

Image via This Is My Next


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