Apple’s iPhone 4S is now available factory unlocked in the U.S. from Apple.com. Why it took until November when countries like Canada and the UK got unlocked models at launch, who knows? But if you’ve been waiting to go contract and SIM-lock free, now’s your chance! (Reminder: Only the GSM/AT&T version is available unlocked, not the CDMA/Verizon/Sprint version).

Apple has also launched the iPhone 4S in 13 more countries, namely Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea.

If you grabbed a new iPhone 4S today, let us know where and which model you got! And if you need more information to help you decide and get up to speed, check out:

iPhone 4S Features

• iPhone 4S review
• iOS 5 for iPhone and iPad walkthrough

iPhone 4S Buyers Guide

• Should you get an iPhone 4S?
• Spec Wars: iPhone 4S vs. Samsung Galaxy S II vs. BlackBerry Bold 9900 vs. HTC Titan vs. Pre3
• iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, or iPhone 3GS: Which should you get?
• AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint: Which iPhone 4S should you choose?
• Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S and the limitations of CDMA
• 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB: Which iPhone 4S capacity should you get?
• Black or white: Which iPhone 4S color should you choose?
• How to sell your old iPhone before upgrading to the iPhone 4S

iPhone 4 Starters Guide

• iPhone 4S glossary
• How to setup your new iPhone 4S
• How to transfer your data over from your old iPhone to your new iPhone 4S
• How to transfer your data over from your old Android, BlackBerry, webOS or Windows Phone to your new iPhone
• iPhone 4S tips and how-tos
• iPhone Live! podcasts (with video!)

iPhone 4S apps

• iPhone 4S apps
• TiPb Top 5s

iPhone 4S accessories

• TiPb iPhone 4S Accessory Store
• Amazon iPhone 4S Accessories

iPhone 4S help

• iPhone 4S tips and how-to
• iPhone 4S forum

Dayliss and YCWB report that McGyver-like Chinese smugglers have taken to using ingenious cable and pulley systems, launched from home-spun crossbows and catapults, to smuggle iPhones and iPads back into China. M.I.C. Gadget sums up:

The iPad and iPhones were transported over a small river that separates the booming city of Shenzhen from the rural northern part of Hong Kong using an elaborate pulley system. The cable was shot across the border using a crossbow and the Apple products were flying across at night, which store in black nylon bags. The cable was suspended to a high-rise building in the Chinese border town of Shenzhen, and goods were moved several hundred meters from a small village house located in Hong Kong

No word on whether or no Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker were instrumental in helping Chinese and Hong Kong customs crack the smuggling ring, but we have our suspicions!

[Dayliss and YCWB via M.I.C. Gadget]

Video after the break.

iPad 2 just launched in Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE today and despite Wi-Fi and unlocked 3G units being snuck in from North America and Europe for over a month already, it looks like the crowds are still coming out.

Did you just get your new iPad 2? If so, if you’ve finished unboxing and you’re finally ready to go… you might just be wondering what you need to know and do next?

• iPad Starters Guide: Get unpacked, get set up, get updated, and get all the info you need for your new iPad 2!
• iOS 4.3 walkthrough: Everything you need to know about what’s new in Apple’s latest software
• Top 10 apps for your iPad: From Flipboard to Infinity Blade, productivity to utility, these are the apps and games to check out first.
• Top 5 apps to show off your new iPad 2
• How to transfer data from your original iPad to your new iPad 2
• Tips and How-tos: From beginner to ninja, everything you need to know to get more out of your iPad
• Jailbreak Starters Guide: If you want to go beyond the bounds of Apple and iTunes but aren’t sure how, we explain all the basics and help you get going.
• iPad 2 accessories: Need an extra, cable, charger, headset or anything else to make your iPad 2 perfect?
• iPad Live podcast: Your weekly dose of iPad news, reviews, and how-tos. Join us live on Sunday nights or listen any time you like via iTunes or RSS.

And don’t forget our awesome iPad Forum for extra help and expert advice! We’ve got contests and give-aways, polls and guides, bug fixes and forums, and much, much more. Bookmark TiPb now and come back often, we want to hear from you!

[Thanks for the pic, Berk! Hope you enjoy your new iPad!]

There will be no delays as Apple has just confirmed iPad 2 will be available this Friday, March 25 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Just like the US launch, online orders will begin a 1am (they don’t say which time zone?) and in store purchases will be available starting 5pm local time.

While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

Apple also announced that iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April.

If you’re having trouble deciding if you want an iPad 2, or which of the 12 models you want (no CDMA versions outside the US), check out our iPad 2 buyers guide and full on iPad 2 review. Then let us know what country you’re in and whether you’re ordering online or lining up!

[Apple PR]

Steve Jobs dropped the July 30 date for next big rollout during the iPhone 4 press conference but now Apple has gone and made it official:

Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase iPhone 4 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. iPhone 4 will be available for purchase through Apple’s retail and online stores and Apple® Authorized Resellers.

Nice to see, but we’d still prefer pre-orders, reservations, Apple Online Store updates to say something other than “coming soon”, official word on when Apple Retail Stores will be open, information from carriers on upgrade eligibility, MicroSIM availability, plans, etc.

You know, everything else required for a launch…!

Apple announced today that the iPad, already released in the US and scheduled for a wider release internationally in May, will be coming to Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore in July.

No word on pre-orders or pricing yet, but Apple says that’s coming at a later date.

If you’re in one of those countries — are you waiting for late July, did you get a US model already, or are you still waiting to be sold on the iPad?

[Apple]

Who said iPhone’s “don’t hit back”?

The Boy Geniuses Report that while China may be eunuch-izing their iPhone, the special administrative zone which is Hong Kong will be getting the full on 3G, and unlocked to boot. So any Mainlanders dreading the “just no internet” model are only a hop, skip, and ferry away from “freedom” (and the US$692/$794 price tags that goes along with it).

Do-Tse, Apple!

Anyone planning on picking up one of these little dragons?

We’ve been all over the jailbreak/unlock situation for both the iPhone 3G and the original iPhone 2G updated to 2.0, and here’s the latest.

The iphone-dev team’s pwnage hasn’t been released yet, but will be soon. According to their blog, Apple’s firmware update slowed them down a little, as has the 3G baseband, so what you’ll get short term is:

iPhone (1st Gen) with 2.0 – Activated, Unlocked & Jailbroken, (with support for third party applications). iPod Touch with 2.0 – Activated & Jailbroken, (with support for third party applications). iPhone (3G) with 2.0 – Activated, Jailbroken (with support for third party applications).

Can’t wait? Willing to risk mail order? Engadget Mobile says you can order a $1000 worth of unlocked iPhone 3G now:

According to the [Alibaba.com] wholesale goods supply site, you can just order up the “original” Apple device direct from a company called Union Camera and have them sent to whatever poorly lit dock, abandoned warehouse, or suburban safe-house you desire. The best part? They’re network unlocked.

Dunno if I’d risk it yet. How about you?

Whoa! Looks like Hong Kong’s kung fu may not be as good as we thought it was. While their rates aren’t terrible, it doesn’t seem like many people will actually be able to enjoy them, least not at launch!

Reader Janric sent this in:

Unfortunately, you need to register in 3′s website and pray that you’ll be one of the random 500 lucky ones selected for the July 11 launch. In other words, the iPhone 3G launch in HK is very limited. You can only buy it on July 11 if you are one of the lucky 500 registrants. There is no information on their website on when it can be purchased by the public. I also called 3 customer service and they don’t know when it will be available after the July 11 launch. Hopefully I can get more details after July 8 (date of the draw for the 500).

After communist party officials back in China, the local Taipans, and the Shaolin monks (‘natch), what are the odds an average Apple iPhone seeker will even get one of the units?

Could this launch get any crazier?

Probably, as the next week is likely to show us all!

Proving their kung-fu is far better than Canada‘s or Scandinavia‘s, Hutchison Telecom’s 3 brand just kicked out some positively Confucian price points:

With a 2 year contract, the low end plan will run you just HK$188 (a WOW-inducing US$24!!) for 500/500/500 (minutes, heart-to-heart minutes, and data megs), along with 25 MMS and 15 SMS (+ unlimited intra-SMS), and HK$2938 for the 8GB handset and $3738 for the 16GB.

Top end is HK$498 a month (US$42) will net you 2200/1500/Unlimited data, with 150 MMS, 50 SMS (+ unlimited intra-SMS), a FREE 8GB handset, or HK$138 for a 16GB.

By way of bitter comparison, Norway is paying US$221 for 1000 min. and 1GB, Sweden is paying US$145 for 1000/1GB and Canada is getting hosed for US$100 for 600/1GB. (AT&T is $+30 for unlimited data).

Thanks to Janric for the tip!

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Short and pro-forma sweet:

Hutchison Telecommunications Limited said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Hong Kong and Macau later this year.

Updated list:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T)

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel), Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Denmark (TeliaSonera), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Estonia (TeliaSonera), Finland (TeliaSonera), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), Hong Kong SAR (Hutchison) India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Latvia (TeliaSonera), Lithuania (TeliaSonera), Macao (Hutchison), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Norway (TeliaSonera), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil), Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel), Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

Of course, Hong Kong and Macao are nice and all, but there’s still Taiwan and the giant sleeping dragon itself, China to go.

When will they, Japan, and Antarctica drop?

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