Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S only began shipping this week, but a handful of early owners have already taken Apple’s first A5-based smartphone for a test run, and they’ve got the benchmarks to prove it. The results, obtained by AnandTech, are hardly what we’d call shocking. Well, it’s a dual-core, and we actually already have the performance result of the A5 CPU from the iPad 2, so it shouldn’t run too far anyway.

In terms of Javascript performance (pictured above), the 4S measures up rather nicely against the Tegra 2-based Honeycomb competition, while out-dueling the iPhone 4 in overall CPU muscle. Geekbench results, meanwhile, clock the 4S at around 800MHz, with a score of 623. That’s about 25 percent lower than the A5-based iPad 2, but notably higher than the iPhone 4 (see graphic, after the break).

When it comes to GPU performance, GLBenchmark 2.1 tests in 1280 x 720, off-screen render mode place Apple’s new handset well above the Galaxy S II, with scores of 122.7 and 67.1, respectively. It still trails the iPad 2, not surprisingly, but the 4S’ scores show a major advantage over the iPhone 4, which registered a score of 15.3.

For more statistics and graphics, check out the source link below. Are you impressed with the result? Well, Samsung and Co. will most probably be launching quad-core handsets very soon, which will most probably crush the A5 CPU’s performance. So we can see why the Apple fans are disappointed.

SOURCE via Anandtech

With the iPhone 4S, Apple says it will deliver an iPhone that works anywhere in the world, and with fantastic reception. So…  How did they do it? One word: antennas.

Apple’s marketing guru Phil Schiller said the iPhone 4S “intelligently switches between two antennas to receive and send.” Brilliant! But vague. How exactly does a smart antenna act?

When you have a small, thin device that needs to receive and send multiple types of signals without interfering with one another, you need to get creative. As we learned from the iPhone 4 “antennagate,” even the best engineers and designers can’t always come up with perfect antenna scheme.

But antenna gurus have plenty of tricks up their sleeves, it’s just a matter of finding the best recipe—and sometimes inventing a spanking new technology. Read on to find out what they think about the new antenna.

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Though its announcement was very much over-shadowed by the death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the iPhone 4S is already proving to be a success. Apple announced that the iPhone 4S hit one million pre-orders in the first 24 hours of availability. The phone went on pre-sale last Friday through Apple, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and Best Buy.

“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”

The previous record for first day pre-orders was held by the iPhone 4, which amassed 600,000 orders on day one. The iPhone 4S boasts a dual-core Apple A5 CPU; the same dual-core GPU found in Apple’s iPad 2; an all new 8-megapixel camera capable of full 1080p HD video recording; and Siri, Apple’s new voice-controlled personal assistant. The company has also revamped the antenna system, which caused so many issues in the summer of 2010. It now has two sets that it will switch between to ensure call stability. The iPhone 4S also has a dual-mode GSM and CDMA radio, making it the first world-phone to come from Apple.

The phone officially goes on sale on October 14, which is this coming Friday.

SOURCE via Apple

Apple’s decision to simply upgrade iPhone 4S and lower the prices for the iPhone 4 and 3GS could have been a strategic mistake, or, at least, a missed business opportunity.

Analysts from IHS said that the fact that the company does not offer a true entry-level smartphone will cause Apple to “miss out on the hottest growth opportunity in today’s smartphone business.”

While the iPhone 4 is now priced at $99 and the iPhone 3GS is free with a 2-year contract, they are not considered entry-level devices as they are still fully subsidized. And, realistically, we would have to admit that $0, $100 or even $200 for a smartphone are largely irrelevant considering the monthly cost to subscribe to a voice and data plan. IHS said that Apple would need an iPhone that would cost $100 to $150 without subsidies.

“Long-term phone contracts are available with service deals in the United States and other regions where mobile network operators offer subsidies,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst, wireless communications, for IHS. “These types of business models are not as popular in emerging regions where demand is rising the fastest for low-end smartphones. To compete in the low-end smartphone market, a company must offer a product that can be sold cheaply without a subsidy. The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are still expensive if you don’t buy them with a contract.”

Still, IHS expects global iPhone shipments to total 83.6 million units in 2011 and 169.0 million in 2015. However, shipments of low-end smart phones are expected to rise to 422 million units in 2015, the firm estimates. However, it may be worth noting that Apple never had interest in a low-end, low-margin business. There is no conceivable reason to change that strategy now.

But then again, when you buy an iPhone, would you opt for the lower end model, or the higher end?

Pre-orders for Apple’s brand new iPhone 4S are live and already selling like hotcakes, even attached to carriers. U.S. customers will be pleased to learn that the company also plans to sell an unlocked version of the phone. Sadly, unlocked doesn’t mean you can use it on any network you want (despite the fact that it has a CDMA/GSM radio), just that you won’t have the usual ball and chain that is a two-year contact.

When pre-orders for the iPhone 4S went live, Apple’s web page displayed a new option for ordering an unlocked iPhone 4S.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Apple says the unlocked iPhone works ‘only on supported GSM networks, such as AT&T in the U.S.” Of course, you and your unlocked iPhone could always head over to T-Mobile, which is also a GSM carrier, but, as 9to5 Mac points out, you can only expect EDGE 2G speeds, because AT&T and T-Mobile use different 3G bands.

So, you can’t take it to Verizon or Sprint, but you can take it with you to use on GSM carriers around the world, which means you don’t need to fork out for heavy roaming costs or use a second phone when you travel. That said, how about those prices? Paying more for an iPhone than you would an iPad 2 seems a little excessive.

SOURCE via 9to5mac

On Tuesday morning, Apple unwrapped the iPhone 4S and showed it off to the world. And, though Wednesday brought incredibly sad news for the company, the device has gone up for pre-order as planned.

Now customers can order the iPhone 4S from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, and pre-orders made through Apple will ship on the October 14 release date. Price-wise, you’re looking at $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for the 64GB model.

Pre-orders are also live for those abroad, with folks in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom also able to place orders for the newest Apple smartphone.

If you haven’t know, which I’m sure you do, the iPhone 4S boasts a dual-core processor, a dual-core GPU, extended battery life, an 8-megapixel camera that shoots video in 1080p, iOS 5, iCloud and up to 64GB of storage.

SOURCE via Apple

At the Apple event with the big iPhone 4S reveal, the company took the time to highlight again its A5 processor – the same processor that’s been running in the iPad 2 since earlier this year. The leap from the Apple A4 in the iPhone 4 to the A5 is fairly significant, as it moves up an ARM generation as well as adds a second core.

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Considering the back and forth legal battle Samsung and Apple have been engaged in for the last seven months, it’s no surprise Samsung has taken issue with Apple’s latest product, the iPhone 4S. After all, Samsung had just announced the Galaxy Tab 7.7 at IFA when Apple took action to have it pulled from the show. The Cupertino-based company had already won an injunction against the Galaxy Tab in Germany and argued that Samsung’s ‘NOT FOR SALE IN GERMANY’ disclaimer on the Galaxy Tab 7.7 was not enough. Apple yesterday launched another iPhone, and it seems Samsung is determined to throw a spanner in the works.

Bloomberg today reports that Samsung plans to file two separate patent infringement suits, one each in Paris and Milan, alleging infringement of two Samsung-owned patents relating to wireless telecommunications technology. The company said in a statement that Apple continues to ‘flagrantly violate’ its IP.

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You’ve heard the rumors, and Apple has now confirmed that it will be bringing Siri voice control to its new iPhone 4S — and, yes, it will still be called Siri. That will let you use natural language to perform tasks like asking for a weather forecast or getting directions, setting an alarm or making a calendar appointment, and searching Wikipedia or Wolfram Alpha for information (among many other possibilities).

Described as a “humble personal assistant,” Siri will work in English (including the UK and Australia), French and German for now, and it’ll work with all built-in apps and over both 3G and WiFi. It’ll also be a beta to start with, and Apple promises that it “gets better” as it learns your voice. Unfortunately for current iPhone owners, however, it looks like Siri will only be available on the iPhone 4S (at least initially).

Perhaps not surprisingly, Apple appears to have pulled the existing Siri Assistant app from the App Store. There’s also somewhat curiously no mention of Siri at all on Apple’s Canadian website, although the Siri app itself was never available in Canada to begin with.

Now, what if you’ve already got Siri on your iPhone? Well, don’t get used to it, as users are receiving messages like this one indicating it will shut down for the non-iPhone 4S owning plebeians as of October 15th.

SOURCE via Apple

Well, here it is. After months of rumors, leaks and whispered secrets from anonymous sources, the new iPhone has arrived.

The Apple rumor mill has been churning out iPhone rumors for the last eight months, and now the wait is over. Well, nearly. Launched today at a special event at Apple’s Cupertino HQ, the iPhone 4S will be available from October 14 (with pre-orders starting Friday), will be available through AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, and will cost between $199 and $399, depending how much space you need. It’ll be available in black and white and in 16GB ($199), 32GB ($299) and 64GB ($399) capacities. For those wondering, no, there’s no iPhone 5.

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