If the camera on your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS has stopped functioning you can DIY repair it in about 20 minutes and it’ll cost you far less than getting an out-of-warranty repair from Apple, or giving up and buying a new iPhone. All you need are the right tools, the right parts, and the right guide. Just like taking care of your old car can keep it on the road for years to come, taking care of your older iPhones can keep them in service for you, or the family and friends you hand them down to, or keep their value higher for resale.

Here’s how.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What replacing a camera will fix

• Distorted pictures *A blacked out camera lens

It’s always worth first trying an iOS restore to rule out a possible software issue before performing a hardware repair. Also, if you cracked the actual glass over the camera lens this won’t help you. You’ll need to replace the actual back housing of your device instead.

What you need for a DIY camera repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A sad iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS
• A replacement camera assembly – iPhone 3G camera, iPhone 3GS camera
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger
• A SIM removal tool or paperclip

Power off your iPhone

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process. I highly recommend using the suction cup method unless your screen is cracked above the home button for some reason and you can’t get a proper seal with the suction cup.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the digitizer assembly is by using a suction cup.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

ONLY use this method if your screen is cracked above the home button. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it. And while you’re at it, replace that broken screen!

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly and set it aside.

Remove your SIM card

Using your SIM tool or a paperclip, either works, remove your SIM card and tray from your device.

Unclip cables from the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, use your pry tool to pop up the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will just pop up the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to pop up both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Remove your logic board

1. Remove the 8 screws outlined in the video that hold the logic board in place. One of the screws is under a Do not remove sticker at the bottom right by the dock connector. Obviously you’ll have to remove the sticker to get to it.

2. Make sure you place the screws in an order you will remember. They are different sizes in some instances so you’ll need to make sure you put them back in the correct order.

3. Notice the screw holding the camera in place has a metal bracket underneath it. Just take care not to lose this as you’ll need to put it back during reassembly.

4. Gently pop your camera up with your spudger or pry tool.

5. Insert your pry tool in the space between the dock connector and logic board and gently pry upward to loosen the logic board.
6. Gently grab the bottom of the logic board and slide it out downwards to remove it.

Remove the old camera and connect the new one

The camera on both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is connected by a single cable attached to the under side of the logic board. Pop off the old camera with your spudger or pry tool and connect the new one.

And… done!

All that’s left to do is to put your iPhone back together. You can watch the complete repair and re-assembly on video below. And if you run into any issues or have other suggestions about mods or repairs you’d like to see us cover, you can check out our brand new mod and DIY forum.

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

Not only did more smartphones sell this quarter than ever before, but Apple was responsible for all three of top sellers — iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS

IDC has released a new report showing overall smartphone shipments grew a staggering 54.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 thanks to overwhelming demand for the iPhone 4S. Rising popularity has helped push the iPhone 4S to become the number one selling smartphone in the world. Not only did Apple absolutely own the top selling spot, but they owned the top 3 spots as well. That’s right, second only to the iPhone 4S in popularity was the iPhone 4, followed up by the iPhone 3GS according to NPD Group.

Apple climbed back into the market leadership position with the launch of its iPhone 4S worldwide, and in the process it reached a new shipment volume record for itself and for the entire industry for a single quarter. Although the iPhone 4S disappointed some detractors by lacking 4G LTE connectivity or a different size screen, demand was high for the device. In addition, the combination of holiday seasonality, the delay in product launch from 3Q to 4Q, and the addition of multiple mobile operators helped drive volumes higher.

This comes after some voiced concern over setting expectations too high for the iPhone 4S, and many worried whether it was a significant enough upgrade to attract customers in large numbers. A better 8MP camera with a faster Apple A5 chip, a more reliable antenna, and Siri seem to have been more than enough to drive sales.

Something to watch for as well — Vendors shipped a total of 157.8 million smartphones worldwide last quarter and one out of every 3 mobile phones shipped was a smartphone. This shows a continuation of the trend that should, in short order, lead to the day when all phones are smartphones.

How many iPhones will Apple be able to sell then?

Source: IDC, Fortune, NPD

Apple has been forced to remove almost all 3G-enabled iPhones and iPads from its online store in Germany, including the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad 2 WiFi + 3G, but NOT including iPhone 4S due to an injunction won by Motorola Mobility. Foss Patents reports:

The leading German news agency, dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur), quotes an official Apple statement according to which the company has just removed, as a result of an injunction Motorola won in Mannheim over a FRAND-pledged patents declared essential to an industry standard, several 3G/UMTS-capable products from its German online store: the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 4 (but not the iPhone 4S), and all 3G/UMTS-capable iPads.

This all stems from Motorola’s December win around a FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) patent pertaining to 3G/UMTS standards. In addition, iCloud users in Germany will no longer have access to push mail over iCloud MobileMe, and will instead need to rely on manually pulling email messages from Apple’s servers.

The iPhone 4S was not included because of the difference in the 3G chip configuration. Also, all of the affected units will still be sold through local retailers, including official Apple Stores.

The EU, however, is taking an interest in cases like this, where FRAND patents may or may not be being misused.

The enforcement of a FRAND-pledged standards-essential patent is a major issue. The European Commission is already investigating Samsung because it also “sought injunctive relief” (though unsuccessfully to date) based on such patents. Motorola could be investigated over the same issue, but since the EU is also reviewing Google’s proposed acquisition of MMI, it presumably prefers to focus on the merger review, at least for the time being.

Like the injunctions Apple has won and lost against Samsung, this is far from over.

Source: FOSS Patents

[UPDATE]

SlashGear reports the injunction has been suspended, and all Apple 3G-enabled products, including iPhones and iPads, are once again available on Apple’s online store.

”All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple’s online store in Germany shortly” the company told us in a statement. “Apple appealed this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago.”

iCloud is still unavailable in Germany, however, as the suspended injunction in question only pertains to the 3G/UMTS patents involved.

Source: SlashGear

Want to jailbreak and unlock but need to know how to tell what bootrom your iPhone 3GS is running? There are two numbers in your settings that will be a dead giveaway as to what bootrom your phone has. You’ll need to know how to determine your bootrom in certain situations if you want to achieve a software unlock.

1. Open up Settings

2. Tap on General

3. Go to About
4. If you scroll down a bit you’ll see your serial number and your model number.

You can use one of these two numbers to determine if you have an older or newer bootrom.

Model number method

The easiest of the two is the model number. If your model number begins with MC, you have a newer bootrom. As you can see above, my serial starts with an MB. I have an older bootrom.

Serial number method

Another way you can check is by looking at the 4th and 5th digits of your serial number. If it is lower than around week 35, your bootrom is older. I’d say the model number method is the most efficient but you can use both to determine your bootrom version.

If you have other jailbreak questions or run into issues, check out our jailbreak and unlock forums as well!

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

As you might expect, anyone in the market for an iPhone is leaning towards the latest and greatest. A recent survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners shows that 89% of U.S. consumers who bought an iPhone between October 14 (the day the iPhone 4S launched) and December went with the 4S, while 7% picked up an iPhone 4, and 4% bought a 3GS. Of the iPhone 4S buyers, 21% bought the 64 GB model, 34% went with 32 GB, and 45% bought the 16 GB version. The CIRP co-founder, Mike Levin, provided some additional context to the study.

“An amazing 19 percent of all iPhone buyers upgraded from the iPhone 4, a phone barely a year old at the time of the launch. Forty-two percent of iPhone buyers broke existing carrier contracts to get the new iPhone 4S. And 19 percent of these iPhone 4S buyers sold their old iPhone in the secondary market. Early upgrades, broken contracts, and selling used phones — all allow buyers to purchase the new iPhone 4S, when conventional wisdom suggests that these users would follow the two-year contract cycle, or at least purchase the cheaper models.”

Quick show of hands – how many of you upgraded from the iPhone 4 to the 4S? Know any friends who did? Any regrets? Other surveys show iPhone 4S satisfaction is through the roof, so I doubt it.

Source: AllThingsD

YouTube Link

If your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS is having trouble charging, picking up a signal, or has a dead mic or speaker – replacing the dock assembly should remedy any of these problems. It can also solve issues with an unresponsive home button. A DIY dock assembly repair is an easy enough fix if you’ve got the right tools and about thirty minutes to spare.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, TiPb nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What replacing a dock assembly fixes

• Microphone
• Dead speaker
• Charging port
• Wifi and 3G antennas
• Unresponsive home button (This problem can be caused by two issues – the dock connector or digitizer assembly. If replacing the dock connector does not correct the issue, try replacing your digitizer assembly.)

What you need for a DIY dock assembly repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A sad iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS
• A replacement dock connector assembly (while the repair is very similar for both 3G and 3GS users, the part is different so make sure you order the correct one for your device) – iPhone 3G dock assembly, iPhone 3GS dock assembly
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger
• A SIM removal tool or paperclip

Power off your iPhone

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process. I highly recommend using the suction cup method unless your screen is cracked above the home button for some reason and you can’t get a proper seal with the suction cup.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the digitizer assembly is by using a suction cup.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

ONLY use this method if your screen is cracked above the home button. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it. And while you’re at it, replace that broken screen!

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly and set it aside.

Remove your SIM card

Using your SIM tool or a paperclip, either works, remove your SIM card and tray from your device.

Unclip cables from the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, use your pry tool to pop up the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will just pop up the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to pop up both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Remove your logic board

1. Remove the 8 screws outlined in the video that hold the logic board in place. One of the screws is under a Do not remove sticker at the bottom right by the dock connector. Obviously you’ll have to remove the sticker to get to it.

2. Make sure you place the screws in an order you will remember. They are different sizes in some instances so you’ll need to make sure you put them back in the correct order.

3. Notice the screw holding the camera in place has a metal bracket underneath it. Just take care not to lose this as you’ll need to put it back during reassembly.

4. Gently pop your camera up with your spudger or pry tool.

5. Insert your pry tool in the space between the dock connector and logic board and gently pry upward to loosen the logic board.
6. Gently grab the bottom of the logic board and slide it out downwards to remove it.

Remove the old dock connector

3G owners

1. Remove the two screws on either side of the bottom of the dock connector.
2. To remove the dock connector gently pull it up and out.
3. Take note of how the brackets for the screws go above the screw holds in the casing. You’ll need to make sure this is how you line up the new dock connector.

3GS owners

1. Remove the two screws on either side of the bottom of the dock connector.
2. Remove the screw underneath the number 4 cable holding the dock connector into the casing.
3. To remove the dock connector gently pull it up and out.
4. Take note of how the brackets for the screws go above the screw holds in the casing. You’ll need to make sure this is how you line up the new dock connector.

And… done!

If you followed all the steps above correctly you should be able to power on your phone and be on your way! Test the dock connector out to make sure it’s fully functional by checking wifi, placing a test call, and attempting to charge it.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@imore.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

The Samsung Galaxy Ace, a new entry level Android phone, looks an awful lot like the iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS. Samsung has a history of copying Apple’s design so this really shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Motorola and HTC both do far better jobs at providing real hardware alternatives to the iPhone, but Samsung’s growth in recent years sadly shows there’s probably a bigger market for Android lovers who want iPhones — even retro iPhones — not running iOS.

Kudos to Samsung. Instead of putting a lot of money and effort into design and marketing, they can spend it rapidly updating their existing phones to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Oh, wait…

Source: Cult of Mac

If your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS is no longer holding a charge, and always running out of power, replacing the battery is a moderate level DIY repair. If you’ve got the right tools and parts, it shouldn’t be too difficult to swap out that old battery for a brand new one on your own. It’ll take a little bit of patience and about 30 minutes of your time.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, TiPb nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you need for a DIY iPhone 3G/3GS battery swap

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A sad iPhone 3G or 3GS
• A new battery – iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A pry tool or spudger
• Sim removal tool or paperclip

Power off your iPhone

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process. I highly recommend using the suction cup method unless your screen is cracked above the home button for some reason and you can’t get a proper seal with the suction cup.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the digitizer assembly is by using a suction cup.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

ONLY use this method if your screen is cracked above the home button. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it. And while you’re at it, replace that broken screen!

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer & LCD assembly and set it aside.

Remove your SIM card

Using your SIM tool or a paperclip, either works, remove your SIM card and tray from your device.

Unclip cables from the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, use your pry tool to pop up the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will just pop up the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to pop up both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Remove your logic board

1. Remove the 8 screws outlined in the video that hold the logic board in place. One of the screws is under a Do not remove sticker at the bottom right by the dock connector. Obviously you’ll have to remove the sticker to get to it.

2. Make sure you place the screws in an order you will remember. They are different sizes in some instances so you’ll need to make sure you put them back in the correct order.

3. Notice the screw holding the camera in place has a metal bracket underneath it. Just take care not to lose this as you’ll need to put it back during reassembly.

4. Gently pop your camera up with your spudger or pry tool.

5. Insert your pry tool in the space between the dock connector and logic board and gently pry upward to loosen the logic board.
6. Gently grab the bottom of the logic board and slide it out downwards to remove it.

Remove the old battery

There is nothing holding the battery down but adhesive. Gently use your pry tool to loosen the battery from the back of the device. Run it along the sides and gently pry up taking care not to bend or damage the battery. They are secured with quite a bit of adhesive so you may have to use a little bit of force to remove it. Just take care not to bend the casing either.

Insert the new battery

Most replacement batteries will come with adhesive already on them. Simply remove the backing from the adhesive and place the battery in the device taking care not to trap any loose cables underneath it. Push down firmly to make sure the adhesive stays in place.

Replace the logic board

1. Make sure there are no cables in the way. I typically tuck the number 4 cable into the frame (refer to video) so it does not get stuck underneath the logic board.

2. Start by positioning the top of the logic board below where the SIM tray sits and start sliding it upwards into place.
3. Once the top is in place, you can place the bottom of the logic board into its place. Just make sure no cables are stuck underneath the logic board where they should be on top.

Insert your SIM card and tray

The easiest way to make sure the logic board is in place is to replace your SIM card tray at this point. If it slides in easily, you’re right on track. Don’t force it if it doesn’t want to go in. That means you don’t have the logic board lined up correctly. Remove it and try again. The SIM tray will also help keep the logic board in place as you replace screws in the logic board.

Reposition and snap down your camera

Once the logic board is positioned right, you can reposition and snap down your camera again.

Replace the logic board screws

Replace the eight screws your removed earlier that secure the logic board. Just make sure you replace the metal clip over the camera before replacing the screw that holds it in place.

Reconnect cables to the logic board

1. Towards the top left of the logic board, reconnect the two cables labeled 5 and 6.

2. Towards the bottom of the logic board, 3G owners will only see one cable to the left labeled 4. 3GS users will see two cables (one on each side of the dock connector) labeled 4 and 7. 3G users will reconnect the number 4 cable while 3GS owners will need to reconnect both the number 4 and 7 cables.

Reassemble the digitizer

1. Begin with the number 3 cable that clips down. Getting it seated can be a bit tricky. Use a plastic spudger to guide it in the opening if needed. Then push back down the clip that holds it in place.

2. Next push down the number 1 and 2 cables onto the logic board.
3. To snap the digitizer assembly back in place, start at the top and make sure it is lined up. Once the top is pushed down and flush, snap the bottom into place on each side of the home button.
4. Replace the two dock connector screws.

And… done!

If you followed all the steps above correctly you should be able to power on your phone and be on your way! I recommend you drain the battery completely and do one full charge. You also may notice you’ll need to reset the time and date on your device. Battery pulls tend to reset the clock.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

pod2g has updated his blog with more details on how the Corona untether actually works. If the deep inner workings of exploits such as this interest you, it’s definitely something you’ll want to check out.

Using a fuzzer, I found after some hours of work that there’s a format string vulnerability in the racoon configuration parsing code! racoon is the IPsec IKE daemon (http://ipsec-tools.sourceforge.net/). It comes by default with iOS and is started when you setup an IPsec connection.

Now you got it, Corona is an anagram of racoon .

Corona will untether all current A4 devices that were previously tethered under iOS 5.0.1. Still no more news on when a jailbreak will be available for A5 devices, namely the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

Source: pod2g

Heard about the untethered jailbreak for the original iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch 4, and older models running iOS 5.0.1 and curious how to use it on your own device?. This jailbreak won’t yet work with newer, Apple A5 chipset-powered devices, namely the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, but if you own anything earlier, you’re in luck.

Supported devices

• iPhone 4 (GSM & CDMA)
• iPod touch 4th generation
• iPad (orignal model)
• iPhone 3GS

What you need

• A supported device – please note this will not work for iPhone 4S or iPad 2
• A Mac or PC
• redsn0w 0.9.10b1 – Mac, Windows

Untether via the Corona Cydia package

If you’re already tethered jailbroken on iOS 5.0.1, you can untether your jailbreak using the Corona package in Cydia.

Untether via redsn0w

If for some reason you’d prefer using redsn0w to untether, you may do so. Just run the version of redsn0w linked above over your existing jailbreak. When prompted what you want to do, just uncheck Install Cydia since you already have it installed. Let redsn0w do its thing and you should be untethered when it completes.

Jailbreak your device

If you’re not jailbroken at all, perform the following steps –

1. First Launch redsn0w

2. This version and other newer versions of redsn0w should automatically detect what version of iOS you are running. No need to manually browse to a firmware file this time. Just click Jailbreak and follow the prompts.

3. Next redsn0w will prompt you to only continue when your device is powered off. If it isn’t already, power your device off while it’s connected to the computer.

4. Next you will be guided through putting your device into DFU mode. Follow the steps and redsn0w will take care of the rest.
5. After redsn0w finishes doing it’s thing, you’re done!

Common issues and how to solve them

Stuck on Apple logo or in recovery mode

Some users seem to be experiencing this issue. Performing a clean restore in iTunes and then attempting to jailbreak after a clean install should alleviate this issue.

redsn0w fails

First attempt to select a custom IPSW under Extras in redsn0w and navigate to the iOS 5.0.1 IPSW to see if this fixes the issue. If it still fails, try a clean restore in iTunes and then attempt to jailbreak again.

If you’re running into other issues, make sure to check out our jailbreak and unlock forums for further help troubleshooting common and not so common jailbreak issues.

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com.

Thanks to pod2g and all his hard work, an untethered jailbreak is now available for the original iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch 4, and older models. Both redsn0w and Corona have been updated to support the new, untethered jailbreak.

A few days ago, @pod2g gave the untether to both the iPhone devteam and the chronic devteam. We’ve put it into redsn0w 0.9.10 and PwnageTool, and the chronic devteam put it into a Cydia package (the same set of exploits is in all three).

Unfortunately, Apple A5 chipset-powered devices, namely iPhone 4S and iPad 2, are still in jailbreak limbo.

Because those devices cannot use geohot’s limera1n exploit to inject the untether, they require exploits above and beyond those used for this release. Keep following pod2g on twitter or his blog for any progress reports!

Hit the source links below to start jailbreaking iOS 5.0.1 untethered, and if you need any help jump on into our jailbreak forums.

Source: Dev-Team Blog/redsn0w, Chronic Dev-Team/Corona, donate to @pod2g

iPhone jailbreak developer chpwn, along with the help of planetbeing and Ryan Petrich, have released Spire — a legal way to port Siri to currently unsupported iOS devices like iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

Spire uses a new method to obtain the files necessary for Siri, so it doesn’t have the copyright issues encountered by previous attempts. Similarly, rather than directing all traffic through a specific proxy server (and the associated privacy issues), Spire allows you to specify your own proxy server.

Available in Cydia now, and if you need extra help, jump into our jailbreak app forum.

Source: chbwn blog; proxy FAQ

Foxconn is planning to double the size of their iPhone factory in China at a cost of $1.1 billion dollars, according to Chinese news site China Daily.

The base will be centered on the Foxconn Science Park in Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan, increasing its current production lines to 95, said the Henan provincial development and reform commission during a conference. The expansion plan, costing 7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), is expected to bring $20 billion in sales revenue in 2012, the commission said.

Foxconn is Apple’s largest contractor and this new plant will be employing around 130,000 workers who will subsequently be able to pump out around 200,000 iPhones per day. That’s around 18 million iPhones per quarter.

Add in other contractors, and consider that Apple has the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S currently available in the retail market, and it gives us a hint at Apple’s own estimates on the amount of iPhone sales we’ll be seeing throughout 2012.

Approaching 100 million.

Source: China Daily

pod2g has handed over his A4 untethered jailbreak to the Chronic Dev Team in order to concentrate on Apple A5 chipset devices, namely the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. The Chronic Dev Team will test and finish his A4 untether for release as soon as possible.

I need to focus on A5 and hope I can find a path quick, and I have the feeling that chronic-dev could help me. I gave all the details to the chronic dev team so that they can finish, test, integrate and release the A4 jb ASAP. I’ll put all my energy from now on on the A5

This comes after accomplishing an untethered jailbreak for all A4 devices as well as overcoming a cache issue for A5 devices.

There are tons of users on both Apple A4 chipset and A5 chipset devices. While many people are waiting for an A5 jailbreak, A4 users have been waiting even longer. It also makes sense that no jailbreak developer wants to burn an exploit that Apple may patch in iOS 5.1. I see this as being a good scenario and the best option for both A4 and A5 users if it results in jailbreak tools for both even faster.

redsn0w has been updated to version 0.9.9b9d in order to fix a few bugs. This update comes right after an update to ultrasn0w and after adding support to redsn0w for iOS 5.0.1.

iPhone3GS owners in our comments section below noticed a problem with the untethered jailbreak available for the old-bootrom 3GS. We’ve corrected that problem in 0.9.9b9d. If you have an old-bootrom 3GS and have already used last night’s redsn0w on it, you can re-run it again without losing anything. Just use this new version, go to Extras->IPSW and manually select the 5.0.1 IPSW, then go back and Jailbreak it again (but you can uncheck Cydia because it’s already installed).

Keep in mind this jailbreak is still tethered unless you have an iPhone 3GS with the old bootrom. You can grab the updated version via the links below then check out our guide on how to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 via redsn0w. If you have questions or run into issues, check out our jailbreak and unlock forums as well!

Download links: Mac, Windows Source: Dev-Team blog

The latest version of ultrasn0w has just hit Cydia with support for unlocking additional devices under iOS 5.0.1. You’ll need to have a compatible baseband in order for the unlock to work. Below is a list of compatible devices and basebands.

This version supports the following devices and basebands on iOS 5.0.1 –

• iPhone 3GS – 04.26.08 – 05.11.07 – 05.12.01 – 05.13.04 – 06.15.00
• iPhone 4 – 01.59.00

If you’re planning on upgrading from an older firmware, make sure you preserve your baseband with a program like sn0wbreeze if you need an unlock. Then follow our guide on how to unlock your device via ultrasn0w on iOS 5.0.1. If you need more help, make sure you check out our jailbreak and unlock forums too.

TmoNews is reporting that some unlocked iPhone users may be picking up T-Mobile’s 3G network in small areas of the Pacific Northwest — specifically limited pockets in Nevada, Utah and California — due to spectrum reallocation under the 1900MHz band.

Most unlocked iPhone users are relegated to 2G due to most of the T-Mobile 3G network running on the AWS spectrum of 1700MHz/2100MHz. We’re not exactly sure what they’re reallocating the spectrum for, however, multiple reports have surfaced from Howard Forums detailing a jump in speeds and, more specifically, the 3G network indicator popping up in the statusbar on their unlocked iPhone.

It’s possible that T-Mobile could be testing spectrum allocation for new devices or simply to expand their network range for existing devices that already support the 1900MHz band, but again, there’s no concrete evidence on what precisely they’re up to. If you’re lucky enough, however, you may be able to hop onto their 3G network depending on the area you’re in.

Source: TmoNews via Howard Forums 1, Howard Forums 2

Famous Chronic Dev-Team member, pod2g, has confirmed that his untethered jailbreak is working on pretty much all devices with an Apple A4 system-on-a-chip running iOS 5.0.1. On top of A4 devices, he’s also got an untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 on the AppleTV 2 working.

Just to be clear, these are the devices:

• iPad (original)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPod Touch 4G, 3G
• iPhone 4

Just like many of you, I’m hoping the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are added to this list sooner rather than later. There’s been no mention yet of any exploit supporting A5 devices nor a release date for a jailbreak tool for A4 devices. We will update as soon as we hear something.

Source: pod2g

Shattered the glass on your iPhone 3G or 3GS, or have a touchscreen that has stopped responding, and wondering how easy a screen replacement is to DIY? Well, you’re in luck — a screen replacement is a relatively easy repair to perform. You’ll just need a few tools and a new digitizer assembly to make your broken iPhone 3G or 3GS good as new! This repair can also fix an unresponsive home button as well.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Never use any type of conductive tool to pry or lift cables. Always use a plastic pry tool or spudger. And of course, make sure your device is powered off before beginning any repair work.

What you’ll need

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have the proper parts and tools for all your repair needs.

• A broken iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS
• A new digitizer assembly (while the steps for this repair are the same for both phone models, the part is different so make sure you order the correct assembly for your device) – iPhone 3GS digitizer assembly, iPhone 3G digitizer assembly
• A #00 Phillips screwdriver
• A suction cup
• A plastic pry tool or spudger
• A metal spudger/spatula or razor blade (you’ll only need this if the suction cup method won’t work depending on where the glass is cracked)

Power off your phone

First things first, power off your device. Hold down the power button and slide to power off. Once the device is completely off, move on to the next step.

Remove the dock connector screws

Using your #00 Phillips screwdriver, remove the 2 screws located on each side of the dock connector.

Remove the old digitizer assembly

This part can be a bit tricky so please do this with extreme care so you don’t tear any cables during the process.

Suction cup method (recommended):

The easiest way to remove the old digitizer is by using a suction cup to pull up the old screen.

1. Position the suction cup on the screen directly above the home button.
2. Using your other hand, hold down the frame while gently pulling up on the suction cup.
3. The goal is to get the bottom of the digitizer loose. Do not pull directly up. There are 3 cables attached in the top right of your iPhone. You do not want to tear these. Just pull up until the bottom of the assembly pops out.
4. After you have the bottom up you can remove the suction cup.

Spudger/razor blade method (only use this method as a secondary method):

If your screen is cracked above the home button, a suction cup may not create a seal strong enough for you to pull the digitizer up. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a razor blade or spudger in order to remove it.

1. Starting in the bottom left hand corner, insert a plastic spudger and gently pry up. Once the first side is starting to pop up, do the same on the bottom right side.
2. Run your pry tool along the bottom of the device in order to pop up the bottom of the assembly. Take special care around the home button area.

Remove the cables that attach the digitizer assembly to the logic board:

Once you have the bottom of your digitizer assembly popped up we can remove the cables attaching it to the logic board.

1. Gently lift up your digitizer enough to have a clear view of the 3 cables in the top right of your iPhone.

2. With your plastic spudger or pry tool, you’ll need to pry up the first two cables that attach the digitizer and LCD. They should be labeled with orange stickers numbered 1 and 2. Simply pop them off the logic board gently.

3. Underneath these cables you’ll see one other labeled as cable 3. This one is a bit trickier as it is clipped down. You’ll need to gently pop up the clasp holding it into the fastener. It is a tiny white clip. Simply pop it upwards and the number 3 cable should then slide right out.

4. Remove the digitizer assembly and set it aside for LCD removal.

Remove the LCD from the old assembly and place it in the new assembly

1. There are 6 screws holding the LCD in place. They are all the same size. Three on the left side of the frame, 2 on the right side of the frame, and 1 on the top right holding down the induction flex. Remove all 6 screws with your #00 Phillips screwdriver and set them aside.

2. Next use your pry tool to slowly work the LCD out of the old assembly on the left and right sides. It should come out fairly easily. Just take special care not to scratch it while removing it. The LCD and back plate will remove in one piece as they are glued together.

3. Re-position the LCD and frame in the new assembly and replace all 6 screws in the new assembly. Make sure to remove any protection film on the inside of the new assembly before putting in the LCD. This is also a good time to check for dust between the LCD and new digitizer. I use air duster when necessary to make sure none gets stuck on the inside of the device.

Reassemble the digitizer

1. Begin with the number 3 cable that clips down. Getting it seated can be a bit tricky. Use a plastic spudger to guide it in the opening if needed. Then push back down the clip that holds it in place.

2. Next push down the number 1 and 2 cables onto the logic board.
3. To snap the new digitizer assembly back in place, start at the top and make sure it is lined up. Once the top is pushed down and flush, snap the bottom into place on each side of the home button.
4. Replace the two dock connector screws.

And… done!

That’s it! You now have a brand new digitizer on your iPhone 3G or 3GS! Turn your iPhone back on and test the digitizer. If the touchscreen is unresponsive, remove the digitizer again and verify that the number 2 cable is pushed down all the way onto the logic board and seated correctly. Also test your proximity sensor while making a call and make sure it is functioning properly.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

Apple has been pushing the sale of its 8GB iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 pre-loaded with iOS 5 globally, and besides, AT&T has also been promoting iPhone 3GS to contract subscribers with zero subscription rates, the sources revealed.

Source: Digitimes

Fairly or unfairly, Google’s Android often gets knocked for having a lagging or stuttering user interface when compared to Apple’s iOS on iPhone and iPad. TiPb’s previously guessed that this stemmed from very early architectural decisions made by Apple, who had a full screen, multi-touch UI — albeit it a highly limited one — in mind from the outset, as opposed to Google who originally had Android set up as a BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Standard, and Nokia competitor that had no need for high performance, sophisticated UI rendering.

That might turn out to be pretty much the case. In response to a Google+ post about hardware acceleration by Android engineer Dianne Hackborn, ex-Google intern Andrew Munn breaks down why Android’s way of handling graphics and event processing hinders the OS from offering users a more fluid, lag-free UI.

Android UI will never be completely smooth because of the design constraints I discussed at the beginning:

• UI rendering occurs on the main thread of an app
• UI rendering has normal priority

The iPhone changed things by introducing a dedicated thread with high priority for handling UI rendering, redirecting all power (CPU and GPU) to handling UI element rendering in realtime based on touch input. The result? Smooth-as-butter UI elements, transitions and animations as soon as you touch the screen — even on older hardware when paired with the latest iOS 5 software. The drawback: everything else, from app downloads to content rendering will pause so the UI can keep that high frame rate, high quality redraw pace.

Munn does disclose that he was only an intern with Google’s Android team and never actually got his hands on the raw Android source code, so this could be taken as supposition.

Indeed, our own resident Mobile Nations Android guru, Jerry Hildenbrand from Android Central says there might be a bit more to it:

The way it stands now, as long as you have free resources to run multiple UI threads [in Android] the UI is amazingly smooth — easily as smooth as the iPhone or WP7 phones. Problem is that nobody sets resource management up in a way to keep them free. A simple customization to the linux lowmemkiller kernel parameter fixes it, at the expense of huge memory hogs like Facebook or HTC applications. One day, when we have Octocore 12NM Cpu’s, DDR3 RAM, and huge batteries this way will prove better. For now, you have to hack at it.

So Android can be set up to prioritize UI, if that’s what’s wanted, but it’s not automatic like iOS. That might annoy user experience snobs, like our friends on the Iterate podcast but it might be a fine tradeoff for those with other priorities, like the big screens, different skins, and high customizability that Android’s design does allow.

Hit the source for a full technical breakdown.

Source: Dianne Hackborn, Andrew Munn

If you’ve updated your iPhone 3GS to iOS 5 or 5.0.1 and lost your unlock we can help you get it back. The actual jailbreak will be tethered but you’ll still be able to unlock and continue using your device in the mean time until an untethered jailbreak solution is released. iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S users should steer clear of this as it will not work.

Devices supported

• iPhone 3GS

What you’ll need

• RedSn0w 0.9.9b5 or later, we recommend the most current version which is RedSn0w 0.9.9b8 – Mac Link, Windows Link
• A working SIM card (doesn’t matter what carrier as long as it’s activated and working)

Jailbreak with RedSn0w and Install the iPad baseband

You’ll follow the same steps are you would to jailbreak via Redsn0w except for one difference. Instead of just checking Install Cydia you’ll need to check off Install iPad baseband. RedSn0w will warn you that this can not be undone. Agree and continue the jailbreak process.

Boot Tethered

After jailbreaking you’ll need to perform one tethered boot before unlocking. Simply launch RedSn0w again and click Extras. Check the box for Just boot tethered right now. You’ll be walked through DFU mode and your phone should reboot.

Install UltraSn0w

After your phone reboots you’ll need to perform the following steps to unlock it:

Known Issues

A few users have seen issues where their phone will not obtain service after using ultrasn0w on iOS 5 or iOS 5.0.1. If you have this issue, launch RedSn0w once more and choose jailbreak again. Instead of going through the whole process this time, you only want to check Deactivate. Do one more tethered boot and you should be good to go!

If you need more help, visit our TiPb jailbreak & unlock forums for answers to many common questions and to ask your own!

Update: Some users are pointing out that using RedSn0w 0.9.9b8 is breaking GPS functionality again but using RedSn0w 0.9.9b7 doesn’t. So if you’re having that issue, try using the beta 7 version instead. Thanks to all that tipped this!

If you’re currently running iOS 5.0.1, you can jailbreak via RedSn0w 0.9.9b8. This one is also tethered like the previous beta versions of RedSn0w for iOS 5. It’s also worth noting that unlockers should stay away from this one unless they’re okay with being tethered. iPhone 4 users should stay away from any newer stock iOS firmware versions altogether in order to preserve their baseband.

Be advised that not all jailbreak apps and tweaks have been updated to support iOS 5 yet. If you’re alright with running tethered and don’t mind a few bugs here and there, follow along for a quick walkthrough.

If you’ve used RedSn0w before, you’ll be right at home. It’s not too much different than jailbreaking any other firmware version you may have used it for previously.

Devices Supported

• iPod touch 3G
• iPod touch 4G
• iPad 1
• iPhone3GS
• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPhone 4 (CDMA)

And I can’t say this enough times, if your device is not listed above, please do not attempt to jailbreak any device but the ones listed above. iPad 2 and iPhone 4S users will have to sit this one out.

What you need

• iOS 5.0.1 installed on your device
• RedSn0w 0.9.9b8 – Mac Link, Windows Link

1. First Launch RedSn0w

2. This version and other newer versions of RedSn0w should automatically detect what version of iOS you are running. No need to manually browse to a firmware file this time. Just click Jailbreak and follow the prompts.

3. Next RedSn0w will prompt you to only continue when your device is powered off. If it isn’t already, power your device off while it’s connected to the computer.

4. Next you will be guided through putting your device into DFU mode. Follow the steps and RedSn0w will take care of the rest.
5. If you’re on 5.0.1, you will need to manually navigate to an iOS 5.0 firmware file (not 5.0.1). RedSn0w will fail to identify the build on iOS 5.0.1. So do this when RedSn0w fails just like you had to with all other previous versions that didn’t automatically detect an IPSW. Just navigate to an iOS 5.0 file for your device instead of 5.0.1.
   Update: You can use redsn0w 0.9.9b9b for native iOS 5.0.1 support now and not have to point to a 5.0 IPSW. Download links for the newer version of redsn0w are here: Mac, Windows
6. After RedSn0w finishes doing it’s thing, you’re done!

7. Next you may need to perform a tethered boot. If you do, simply open RedSn0w again and click Extras and then Just Boot
8. Your phone will perform a tethered boot and you should be good to go!

RedSn0w has also thrown in a little bonus for Windows users. You can copy the redsnow.exe file to your desktop or anywhere you like and rename it something like justboot.exe. As long as you have the word “boot” in the file name you can just double click that file to perform a quick tethered boot with RedSn0w.

That’s it boys and girls. If you need any help, be sure to check out our TiPb jailbreak forums. Until next time, happy jailbreaking!

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com.

• Insert original carrier AT&T SIM cardDial 611 for AT&T customer service hotline and drop the call
• Turn on Airplane Mode
• Take out AT&T SIM card
• Insert T-Mobile SIM card
• Make sure WiFi is off ( also tap on ‘Forget this Network” to make sure it doesn’t connect automatically later)
• Switch off Airplane Mode and iPhone will search for network. This is followed by the Apple splash screen appearing.
• Activation Required will be displayed on the screen
• EDGE network will activate automatically – notice the ‘E’ on the top left corner of the screen
• Wait for about 20-30 seconds and turn off the phone
• Turn on iPhone and the same Activation Required screen will be displayed
• When you see one signal bar, tap on Use Cellular Connection
• Eject SIM card
• Activation Required screen will be displayed the second time
• Insert SIM card
• Unlocked!

Source: 9to5Mac, @Chronic, Danielscalab.com

Thanks to chpwn and Steve Stroughton-Smith, Ryan Petrich has successfully shown off a proof-of-concept Siri port on iPhone 3GS. It doesn’t work as well as the iPhone 4 Siri port, mind you, but that’s easily overshadowed by the sheer coolness factor.

Whether due to beta-status, server load, Nuance licensing restrictions, or simple product differentiation, Apple has chosen to keep Siri exclusive to the iPhone 4S, so no word on how or when, if ever, this will come to an iPhone 3GS near you.

Source: @ryanpetrich via @stroughtonsmith

We have another device that I think is going to dramatically change those people that are on smartphones and quick messaging devices, the [iPhone] 3GS, which is free with a 2-year contract. We’ve seen a tremendous, tremendous demand for that device even though it’s a generation old. And actually, we’re getting more new subscribers coming on the 3GS on the average than other devices. So we also have an inventory sold out on that device.

Source: Seeking Alpha via MacRumors

The iPhone Dev-Team has gone ahead and updated UltraSn0w as planned with full support for unlocking your iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 under iOS 5.

UltraSn0w 1.2.4 is available in Cydia now and supports iPhone 3G and 3GS basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01, 05.13.04, and 06.15.00. Remember, If you’re trying to unlock your iPhone 4, the only baseband currently supported by UltraSn0w is 01.59.00.

You’ll need to jailbreak your iPhone running iOS 5 before getting started. It’s possible to preserve your baseband on the iPhone 4 while still updating to iOS 5 by using the latest version of Redsn0w for Mac (a Windows version is in the works).

Got any questions? Just jump into our jailbreak and unlock forums to help you along the way!

Source: iPhone Dev-Team

iPhone Dev-Team member MuscleNerd has gone on the record stating a port of Siri to other iOS devices outside of the new iPhone 4S will require piracy, and likely won’t ever see the light of day as a consequence.

Anyone hoping for a “port” of Siri from iPhone4S: pending a very low-level A5 exploit, it likely can’t be done without piracy

(only way to extract Siri files from iPhone4S filesystem without pirating is to have the main FS keys, requiring low-level exploit)

Essentially, the only way to get Siri working on other iOS devices would be to take the required files from an iPhone 4S and transfer them onto the other device manually. It’s also possible that Apple may flag such devices since Siri talks to Apple’s servers to complete certain tasks.

On the other hand, piracy in the jailbreak community has been running rampant lately, so it’s also possible we could see this come from other, less ethical jailbreak developers.

Source: MuscleNerd

New tests conducted over at AnandTech reveal that Apple has chosen to underclock the A5 system-on-a-chip nestled inside the iPhone 4S to ~800MHz, just slightly slower than the iPad 2‘s 1GHz, but still far better than the iPhone 4‘s A4 SoC — by margins as high as 73%.

Using some of the integer and fp tests of published Geekbench scores we can already conclude that Apple is shipping a lower clocked A5 in the iPhone 4S than it does in the iPad 2 [...] Based on the Geekbench results it looks like the iPad 2 is clocked around 25% higher than the iPhone 4S, pegging the latter’s clock speed at 800MHz.

They go on to speculate that the reduction in processor speed is attributed to power-saving methods used by Apple, just as they did with the A4 chip in the iPhone 4 when compared to the original iPad.

The tests also reveal a slightly lower-clocked SGX 543MP2 GPU chip, but it’s safe to say that the iPhone 4S is easily the fastest smartphone on the planet — we just can’t wait to see how games like Infinity Blade 2 perform on this thing!

Source: AnandTech

Maybe you’ve decided to get an iPhone but you’re still not entirely sold on the $199+ iPhone 4S. Maybe the $99 iPhone 4 or free-on-contract iPhone 3GS seem like cheaper options? Fair enough. That’s why Apple currently has 3 iPhone models on the market, with 3 different levels of specs, and at 3 price points.

Over the lifetime of a contract, you’ll be paying a couple thousand dollars, so it’s important to run the math on this and see what suits you best. Let’s do that now.

2011 iPhone product line

For the last few years, when Apple’s introduced a new iPhone, they’ve kept the previous year’s model around, with reduced storage, and at a reduced price point. This year, they’ve kept the last two years’ models around, and they’ve reduced the price point of the oldest one to zero.

iPhone 3GS 8GB – Free on contract

2009′s iPhone 3GS with 8GB of storage fills Apple’s budget smartphone slot right now, and fills it at the lowest price point ever. It’s still a good phone, especially compared to the typical candybar or flip feature phones (dumb phones) that typically come free with carrier contracts. It still has the App Store and the Safari browser, and most of what iOS 5 has to offer.

What it doesn’t have is a crystal clear, pixel-free Retina display, a front-facing camera for FaceTime video calls, the ability to shoot HD video, and the premium build and power of the higher end models.

If you literally have no money in your pocket walking in and really want an iPhone, if you’re shopping for a teen and don’t want to risk a higher end phone, if you’re brand new and just dipping your toes into the smartphone market and don’t want to dip too deeply, iPhone 3GS can be a good starter smartphone.

• iPhone 3GS review

iPhone 4 – $99 on contract

2010′s iPhone 4 with 8GB of storage is Apple’s new low-cost iPhone option. Externally, it’s almost identical to the new iPhone 4S, so much so that almost no one will be able to tell which one you have at a glance. It has the same Retina display and front-facing FaceTime camera for video calls, along with a snappy Apple A4 processor and a good quality, 5 megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p HD video. It also runs almost everything iOS 5 has to offer.

What iPhone 4 doesn’t have is the 2x faster, 7x more graphically powerful Apple A5 processor, the great 8 megapixel, 1080p camera, or the artificially intelligent Siri voice control system of its newer, better brother. Also, 8GB of storage may not get you very far with a device this good at gaming, media, photos, and video.

If you absolutely can’t scrape together the $199 needed for an iPhone 4S, but want something better than the iPhone 3GS, this is your middle ground. With the new software update, it’s still a great iPhone. It’s just not the best iPhone any more.

• iPhone 4 review

iPhone 4S – $199 and up on contract

2011′s iPhone 4S is the new king of the hill, the new flagship in Apple’s line of mobile devices. It has everything the previous generations had to offer and more. The new Apple A5 processor gives it 2x the speed and 7x the graphics power of the iPhone 4. The new camera gives it 8 megapixel photos with more light sensitivity and better sharpness, and 1080p video. The new Siri voice control system provides a natural language interface so you can literally talk with your iPhone, ask it to do things for you, and it will answer back and do them.

Apple offers iPhone 4S at three price points depending on the amount of storage:

• 16GB – $199
• 32GB – $299
• 64GB – $399

If you know you want a top of the line iPhone, with every feature and function Apple provides, then you want an iPhone 4S. If you’re not sure which iPhone 4S you want, or on which carrier, or in which color, then fret not, we’ve got you covered.

• 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB: Which iPhone 4S capacity should you get?
• AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint: Which iPhone 4S should you choose?
• Black or white: Which iPhone 4S color should you choose?

Up-front savings vs. total cost of contract

Before you make up your mind, it’s important to remember that while the iPhone 3GS is free and the 64GB iPhone 4S is $399, all of those prices require a 2 year contract in the US (other countries may have longer or shorter contract terms).

When you combine voice and data plans, text and other packages, the sum could easily work out to $2000 or more over those 2 years.

$100 or even $399 isn’t as big an amount when you consider the 24 month carrier commitment and total cost of ownership of your phone.

Any questions?

If you’re still not sure, hit up our iPhone Forums to get the help you need to make up your mind.

• iPhone 4S Forums
• iPhone 4 Forums
• iPhone 3GS Forums

Some news from Let’s Talk iPhone event today will please a lot of people don’t need the latest, greatest devices out there. Rather then removing the iPhone 3GS from their device line up, you’ll now be able to pick one up for free with carrier agreements and the oft rumored, and now freshly announced iPhone 4 8GB will be going for $99. At the new price point for the Apple iPhone 4 8GB, we’re not envisioning Apple having any trouble moving those devices the iPhone 3GS may be a harder sell but fact is — it remains a competitive device for the market.

Note: iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will be available on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon in the US. iPhone 3GS will reman AT&T only as there’s no CDMA version. (Sorry, free-sters!)

Sn0wBreeze for Windows users has now officially been updated to support iOS 5 beta 6 users. We reported the old version of Sn0wBreeze already working for some users, yet others had complications. But the tool has now been updated to officially support beta 6.

Yes the jailbreak is still tethered (with the exception of old bootrom iPhone 3GS users). This version of Sn0wBreeze not only lets you jailbreak iOS 5 beta 6, it will also allow you to skip the UDID check. This basically means you can install the beta without having a developer’s license. (We don’t condone this but to each their own.) Sn0wBreeze will also preserve your baseband like before and allow “hacktivation”. The following devices are supported –

• Original iPad
• iPhone 3GS (if you had the older bootrom it will also be untethered)
• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPhone 4 (CDMA)
• iPod Touch 3G
• iPod Touch 4

Keep in mind that not only is iOS 5 still in beta but that these jailbreaks are also beta. So if you’re not afraid of some bugs and are already aware of the risks involved, simply hit the link below to download the updated version of Sn0wBreeze.

[Sn0wBreeze 2.8b6 download link]

Jailbreaker iH8tsn0w has announced the availability of sn0wbreeze 2.8b1 which will jailbreak iOS 5 beta 1 for the following devices:

• iPhone 4 (AT&T/GSM)
• iPhone 4 (Verizon)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPod Touch 4
• iPod Touch 3
• iPad 1

iPad 2, of course, is not yet supported. Also important to note, this is a tethered Jailbreak and is for developers only, it will not hacktivate or otherwise circumvent UDID checks. So if you haven’t given Apple your $99, you need not apply.

If you are a developer interested in Jailbreaking to, for example, experiment with making your own widget, and you decide to give sn0wbreeze a try, let us know how it works for you.

[@iH8sn0w, hat tip to iJailbreak]

So when exactly will you get iOS 5 on your device? That’s easy — it’ll be available this coming fall with a developer seed arriving today. And what devices will be capable of running iOS? That’s another easy one as well. It’ll support all the same devices as last time. For those of you who might not remember what they were last time:

• iPhone 4
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad
• iPad 2
• iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen)

No rumor season would be complete without an off-the-cuff, out-of-the-blue tweet from Eldar Murtazin and this one about the two year old iPhone 3GS not getting iOS 5 doesn’t disappoint:

Just one comment. Apple iPhone 3Gs wont be upgradable to iOS 5.x. iPhone 4 will.

iOS 5 is expected to be revealed at WWDC in June. Although the iPhone 3GS is currently still on the market, Apple has previously discontinued software updates for older iOS devices like the original iPhone 2G — and more recently the iPhone 3G.

And who knows, if iOS 5 requires a minimum of an Apple A4 chipset to run at acceptable performance levels, then maybe Murtazin might have something. We’ll have to wait for WWDC to find out.

What do you think, iPhone 3GS owners?

UPDATE: Some folks are pointing out that Murtazin said iPhone 3Gs, not iPhone 3GS, as in he meant the plural form of iPhone 3G. And since they didn’t get iOS 4.3, it stands to reason they wouldn’t get iOS 5. If that’s the case, it’s a pretty obvious thing to tweet…

[@eldarmurtazin via MacStories]

According to retail checks by Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley, Apple’s iPhone 3GS (which originally launched in 2009 and was stripped down in 2010), and original iPad (2010) are outselling many brand new Android phones and devices just now hitting the market.

“At AT&T, our checks indicated new Android smartphones primarily gained share from Windows 7 smartphones but not from the iPhone. Our checks indicated modest share gains for the HTC Inspire, but the Inspire gained share from the Windows phone 7 smartphones and the Motorola Atrix. As such, the iPhone 4 remained by far the best selling smartphone at AT&T and the 3GS remained a strong selling smartphone due to its $49 price.”

Is this a reflection of Apple’s hardware quality, platform longevity, and reputation for timely and consistent software updates, or just a reflection on people liking cheap and discounted gear? (Old BlackBerry Curves offered on BOGO (buy one get one) promotions used to top of the smartphone sales charts, right?) Maybe a bit of both?

Either way, with the annual Google I/O developers conference kicking off today (check Android Central for complete coverage), it’ll be interesting to see not only what Google announces, but what Apple rumors somehow leak around the same time…

If you’ve picked up an iPhone 3GS or original iPad lately, how are they working for you? And what made you choose them over newer Apple or Android kit?

[via Digital Daily]

A new app called Onavo claims to be able to shrink your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4’s data consumption. The app works by compressing the data usage from other apps, web browsing sessions and even email; which allows users to double or even triple the usage of their existing data plans. The app works while at home and abroad according to Guy Rosen, one of the app’s co-founders.

“Mobile data doesn’t come for free,” said Rosen, co-founder and chief executive, Onavo. “At home and abroad iPhone users must put up with capped or metered data plans. Travellers are hit the hardest, with data roaming costs effectively turning most smartphones into dumb phones. Onavo gives you the confidence to use your iPhone without being held back by data costs. It’s a no brainer – it simply saves you money. We believe Onavo will become a must-have travel and utility app for any iPhone user.”

The free app will only work with downloaded data at this stage and does not support streaming services such as YouTube  or VoIP; but it is working on that. The app has already won the Best Mobile Start-Up and the People Choice awards at The NextWeb Startup Rally 2011.

BlackBerry makers RIM have long touted the data compression technology of their NOC-based system as a competitive advantage when users have capped plans, and browsers like Opera Mini have likewise used proxy, cache, and compression technology as a way to market themselves to the data starved.

According to Onavo, they’re accomplishing this without violating any Apple private-API or background rules.

After installing Onavo you are prompted to install a configuration profile which allows the data to be redirected through Onavo’s servers (hosted on Amazon EC2, currently in the United States – more locations to come). Once the data is streamed through our servers we are able show you insights into your data usage, and (if you choose to), compress the data, thus sending much less data back to the operator, causing the user to pay less for his or her data usage.

There are also configuration tips, see the Onavo link below. Would you consider using an app like this? Are privacy concerns an issue when your internet traffic is delivered via a third party server? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Free - iTunes link, via The Telegraph,  Onavo]

Update: Here’s a statement from Onavo on how they work:

Who is Onavo? Onavo is a VC-backed startup, aimed at helping users take back control of their phone’s data usage, understanding what’s costing them and helping to reign in these costs. Onavo is currently available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1 3G, and iPad 2 3G. A list of supported devices & operators is available on our forum. At the moment, we do not support Verizon.

How does the app work? After downloading Onavo from the App Store, you are prompted to install a configuration profile (proxy) which allows the data to be redirected through Onavo’s servers (hosted on Amazon EC2, currently in the United States – more locations to come). Once the data is streamed through our servers we are able show you insights into your data usage, and (if you choose to), compress the data, thus sending much less data to the operator, resulting in a lower data consumption from the user, and lower costs of course. One of the compression techniques we’re using across all apps (among other things) is decreasing image quality, which can be controlled by the user.

Privacy and security We take our user’s privacy very seriously so we store only the bare minimum necessary to support the service. Onavo acts similarly to any router/operator on the internet which your data passes through. Only metadata (types of applications, etc…) of the traffic, aggregated and anonymized, is stored for two purposes:

• Showing the user his/her data usage and savings statistics
• Generating aggregated data in order to improve the service

Onavo currently supports downloaded HTTP traffic, meaning no encrypted, sensitive information (SSL) is passed through our servers, nor VoIP/Video services such as YouTube/Hulu or Skype. One exception is Exchange Mail traffic, which requires the user’s explicit approval.

To avoid any doubt, Onavo does not store any content of the data. A user can always request to delete all of his/her data from our servers.

Business model Onavo is free for a time-limited offer, following our launch on April 29th. In the future, the app will come at a cost. As Onavo helps users save money we are confident that it will be justified to ask for a small fee in exchange for use of the service (that will be low enough that you still save overall). We will not sell the data or introduce ads to Onavo.

If you are a huge Steve Jobs fan and also can’t get enough of the Star Wars film franchise, then your dreams may have just come true. Society 6 has just released a rather unique iPhone case that has Steve Jobs cast in a carbonite case.

The case is meant to resemble Han Solo being frozen and imprisoned in carbonite by Darth Vader, in the film “The Empire Strikes Back”, this time however, it is Steve Jobs instead of Han.

The case is available now from Society 6 and comes in  iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G flavors. It is manufactured in one piece from impact resistant flexible plastic. Society 6 also do a few other similar products including t-shirts and laptop / iPad skins.

Now if anyone fancies picking one of these up, they should do so quickly. We can’t see Apple or Steve being too impressed with these!

[TUAW]

Our sister site, Android Central has received a document showing that from April 3, AT&T will be increasing the early pricing for iPhone. There is no mention specifically of AT&T in the document however Android Central know their stuff and identified it via the abbreviations and wording used.

Looking at the screenshot, the price to get an early upgrade to any of the current iPhones will increase by $50. That means you’re looking at $299 for the 8GB iPhone 3GS, $449 for the 16GB iPhone 4 and $549 for the 32GB iPhone 4.

Any price increase is hard to swallow but if you take into account other smartphone’s such as Android and Windows Phone will be hit by $150 increases, it makes it a little easier!

Does this change anyone’s upgrade plans?

[Android Central]

AT&T has been offering iPhone 3GS 8GB at $49 lately but Bell and Telus in Canada now have it on sale for $0 for a limited time. Sure it comes with a typically ridiculous 3-year contract, sure you can get the much better iPhone 4 on sale on the same networks for $159, sure you can get an unlocked iPhone 3GS straight from Apple for $549, but if you absolutely, positively have to have an iPhone for FREE (with contract!) get on over to Bell or Telus before the sale ends.

Anyone think iPhone 3GS at $0 is compelling? Want it on your network?

[Bell and Telus]

New to iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and trying to figure out how to change the default search engine to something other than Google? For many users Google is synonymous with web search but if you prefer Yahoo! or Microsoft Bing, it’s an easy change to make. And we’ll show you how after the break!

If you want to change your default search engine from Google to Yahoo! or Bing, here’s what to do:

• From the home screen, tap on the Settings app
• Tap on Safari.
• Tap on Search Engine.
• Select the new Search Engine.

Once you quit settings, your selection will remain the default Search Engine until you change it again.

Bonus Tip: Just because you set one search engine as default for the search field doesn’t mean you can’t use others. Just enter their URL (google.com, yahoo.com, bing.com, etc.) in Safari and you can use any one you wish, whenever you wish.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Google has updated two of its apps, Google Latitude and Google Places. The apps are designed to help you connect with the people you care about at the places you love!

Google Latitude now has the added feature of check-ins, which allow you to see where your friends are on a map as well as choose to continually share your location information. When this setting is turned on, your location and check-ins will be done automatically; you will also be checked out when you leave so your friends know you have left. This is an opt in service and runs in the background on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad’s with 3G.

[Free - iTunes link]

Google Places has also been updated and it now supports thirty different languages. Wherever you are and whatever language you speak, you can now get personalised recommendations for places to visit.

[Free - iTunes link]

If you want to have your whole life visible to your close friends, these app updates may be of interest. The question is, do you want your friends to know your every move? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Google Mobile Blog]

So you have jailbroken your beloved iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, installed lots of tweaks and now find it to be unstable, or you need to take your device into an Apple Store for service, what do you do? To find out how unjailbreak please stay with us after the break.

The good news is that reversing the Jailbreak process is relatively simple and painless, follow the steps below and your iPhone will be back to its virgin like state!

1. Fire up iTunes on your Mac or PC.
2. Connect your device via the USB cable.
3. Either cancel the automatic backup with the on-screen slider or let it complete.
4. Click on your device in the left column of iTunes on your PC or Mac screen.
5. Click on Restore, select Backup if you cancelled it in step 3, if you didn’t cancel it, select Don’t Back Up.
6. Your device will now be restored back to factory settings and the Jailbreak removed.
7. When complete, select the backup you just created and iTunes will re-install all your apps and settings, leaving your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch how it was before venturing to the dark side!

UK news paper, The Sunday Times is reporting that Jonathan Ive, the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple, wants to return to the UK to live! Ive is the principal designer of the iMac, MacBook, unibody MacBook Pro, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

Ive supposedly wishes to commute to Cupertino from his home, which is based in Somerset, England, and the Apple board is not exactly thrilled by the idea. A friend of Ive’s family has allegedly confirmed the dispute and told The Sunday Times:

“Unfortunately he is just too valuable to Apple and they told him in no uncertain terms that if he headed back to England he would not be able to sustain his position with them.”

[Cult of Mac]

FIFA 11 has received a major update and now offers multiplayer gaming over Bluetooth and WiFi. FIFA 11 is a highly successful football (soccer) console game, spanning many years and the release for iOS devices was a fantastic port but always lacked multiplayer.

This latest update, as well as offering a few bug fixes, addresses this missing feature and you can now challenge your friends to games or play with them in a co-op format. The games can only be played when you are in the same vicinity as your friends, as the multi-player is Bluetooth based or on the same local WiFi connection. No facility for over the internet games at this stage, which is a little disappointing!

The game is available right now from the App Store and is available for iPhone and iPod Touch. A separate HD version is available for the iPad; this has not received the multi-player update yet.

[iTunes-Link]

AT&T is airing a new — that’s right, new! — commercial for the 2010 iPhone 3GS 8GB highlighting it’s recently lowered price of $49. AT&T also has a new logo treatment at the end, which has also been attached to their previous iPhone 4 “anniversary” commercial.

Is it odd for AT&T to be advertising a phone that’s been on the market, in one form or another, for for roughly 19 months now? Is the $49 price point so attractive compared to the $199 starting point for iPhone 4 that AT&T feels it’s worth the marketing dollars — even over newer Android and Windows Phone devices?

Or is AT&T simply touting something else Verizon can’t match — a bargain iPhone?

(We’ll replace the above video with the official AT&T version as soon as it’s posted).

It looks likely that iOS 4.3 will not be arriving until March. The evidence, although a little sketchy, comes from The Daily! No it is not an article in the app, but a subtle change in the subscription information. When The Daily was originally launched, you were given two weeks of free access. It was free because iOS 4.2 does not have the subscription services required to enable regular billing.

Now when you check your subscription information within The Daily, it is now showing as valid through 28 Feb 2011. As it is not a leap year this year, we can glean from this, that the earliest you can subscribe on a paid basis to The Daily will be the 1st March. Is this because iOS 4.3 will not be available until then? It’s starting to look that way; despite the rumor that it would hit today. Looks like we will have to wait just a little bit longer for iOS 4.3!

[Macerkopf.de]

New to the iPhone and curious how to change your text message (SMS) tone? Apple is not overly generous when it comes to customizing alert tones on your iPhone. Ring tones are completely customizable but email tones can’t be changed from the default unless you jailbreak. Text messages are somewhere in the middle — you can personalize them but not customize them (yet). Read on after the break to find out how!.

Changing the default SMS/Text tone

To change the tone you hear for all incoming texts:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Sounds
3. Tap Text Tone
4. Choose new tone (A preview of the tone will play when tapped)

That’s all there is to it. All new text messages will trigger the new tone when they arrive.

Changing an individual contact’s SMS/Text tone

To set a personalized SMS/Text tone for an individual contact:

1. Launch the Contacts app (or Phone app and choose the Contacts tab)
2. Scroll to the contact you want to personalize
3. Tap on their name to bring up their contact page
4. Tap edit
5. Tap on Text Tone
6. Choose a new tone

Now, when that specific contact texts you, you’ll get their specific tone. It’s a great way to differentiate family from friends, for example.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

According to the New York Times, Apple has rejected a few apps recently including Sony’s Reader app, based on the way content is purchased for use within the app. Sony’s Reader app is an eBook platform similar to Apple’s own iBooks app and the Amazon Kindle app. Content can be found and purchased outside the app, bypassing Apple’s iTunes Store and therefore bypassing Apples slice of the pie.

According to Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading division, Apple told him that from now on, all future in-app purchases would have to go through Apple and this includes eBooks. Currently the Amazon Kindle bypasses the App Store too; when you select Kindle Store from within the Kindle app, you are taken to a web page where you can select, buy and pay for your book. This happens outside of iTunes and the App Store; Apple does not take any revenue from Kindle book purchases, but that now looks set to change.

Maybe this change is coming with the new magazine subscription service we expect to be implemented in iOS 4.3 and the launch of The Daily newspaper. Either way, this is another blow to the consumer, who will no doubt end up paying more and have less control of their content. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

[The New York Times]

Netgear CEO Patrick Lo has spoken out over Apple’s closed ecosystem and the ego of Steve Jobs. Speaking at a lunch in Sydney Australia, Lo questioned the future of Apple’s closed system, in the face of mounting competition from Google’s “Open” Android operating system.

Once Steve Jobs goes away, which is probably not far away, then Apple will have to make a strategic decision on whether to open up the platform. Ultimately a closed system just can’t go that far … If they continue to close it and let Android continue to creep up then it’s pretty difficult as I see it.

What’s the reason for him to trash Flash? There’s no reason other than ego.

Lo did not stop with Apple, he also claimed that Microsoft had fallen too far behind with the Windows Phone 7 platform and that it was now game over.

Strong views, but are they fair? Do Apple need to open up the platform to continue the growth needed to see off Android? Do Apple care about the iPhone being the number one selling smartphone? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[Sydney Morning Herald]

North Point iBand has put together a band using only iPhones and iPads and recently AT&T hired them to perform at its 2011 Business Solutions event. The band performed Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer as well as the Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feelin.

The band use a series of apps, all available in the App Store to create the music with their iPhones and iPads some of which are:-

• iGog – Drums
• Bassist – Bass Guitar
• Guitarist – Lead Guitar
• Pocket Organ – Keyboards

[Cult of Mac]

We received a lot of questions and conflicting reports about whether or not the new iOS 4.3 personal hotspot feature would work on iPhone 3GS and the answer — from a software standpoint as of beta 2 — is… kinda.

Personal hotspot replaces tethering in the iOS 4.3 Settings system and while iPhone 3GS does indeed show the new Personal Hotspot feature it doesn’t show the Wi-Fi option available on iPhone 4. Yup, Bluetooth and USB are the only options, same as were previously available under Tethering.

Now whether or not Apple adds the feature in for iPhone 3GS users when iOS 4.3 goes into general release, and whether individual carriers like AT&T choose to implement it or not we don’t know. But as of now, there is Personal Hotspot, just no Wi-Fi, and that means 1 device only, not 5.

For more see our iOS 4.3 walkthrough.

UPDATE: Per comments below, no Wi-Fi option for iPhone 3GS under iOS 4.3 beta 2.

YouTube user antoninygaard seems to have been able to go into iOS 4.3 beta and manually enable the multitasking gestures meant for iPad developer testing (as well as the mute/orientation lock toggle!) We heard Apple was testing them internally but he’s got both running on his iPhone 3GS.

We already know Apple won’t be giving them to end users for iPad much less iPhone any time soon but check out the video below and let us know what you think. Are the multitasking gestures usable on a screen that small?

[Engadget]

According to a Boy Genius source, and as reported yesterday, iOS 4.3 will definitely be coming to all iPhones and include the Hotspot feature which we saw at the Verizon event yesterday. Accoring to the source, the OS version will be 8F5148b and will have a baseband 04.08.00.

The release will not be until sometime in March however; so do not expect it to hit GSM devices as soon as the Verizon iPhone is launched, we are going to have to wait a little while longer. Also like we said yesterday, we imagine that the feature will be very dependent on your carriers approval, as will any surcharges for it. Maybe AT&T will take the opportunity to be an early adopter to keep existing customers and attract new ones too, here’s hoping!

Just as a refresher, the Personal Hotspot feature will allow up to five Wi-Fi devices to connect to and share your iPhone’s cellular data connection.

[BGR]

Apple is now selling the 8GB iPhone 3GS for $49, half the price is was just a week ago, matching AT&T’s recent price drop.

While the hardware is 18 months old, the iPhone 3GS is fully updated to iOS 4.2.1 and runs it well. You’ll miss out on FaceTime, the Retina Display, and the higher quality cameras for stills and video, but not much else. As a budget smartphone goes, it’s killer. Still, $49 compared to a $199 iPhone 4 is peanuts when you compare the total cost with a 2 year contract. Oh, and this one won’t run on Verizon…

Check out our complete 8GB iPhone 3GS review and let us know, up front savings make it compelling for you?

[Apple]

AT&T is set to offer new iPhone 3GS’s to customers willing to sign up for a new 2 year service contract and data plan for just $49. The iPhone 3GS will be available from AT&T stores as well as Apple stores starting this Friday.

Currently AT&T offers a brand new iPhone 3GS for $99 with a 2 year service agreement, but also offer refurbished models for $49. Now however that it is set to change, with new models being offered at the refurbished price. The iPhone 3GS is still a very capable handset and can run the latest iOS 4.2.1 software with the omission of a few features.

Normally when these price reductions take place, AT&T and Apple are accused of dumping stock for a new product launch. Don’t think this is the case this time; we are still six months away from the expected launch of the next iPhone.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

[Chicago Breaking Business]

When placed in the dock, your iPhone or iPod Touch will be charged, but also automatically backed up. The backup is for photographs and contacts only. Unfortunately you cannot backup any applications, music, video, SMS, Email etc. To enable the backup process, you also need an app from the App Store called SuperHero which is free. The app launches automatically when you place your device in the dock. The dock is connected directly to a power outlet and has no facility to connect to a Mac or PC should you want to sync to iTunes.

The included 4GB SD card can be replaced with a larger capacity card should you need more storage for your photos and contacts; also more than one device can be backed up to the same SD card.

The Iomega SuperHero should be available worldwide later this month for around $70 and is compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 as well the 2nd generation iPod Touch and above.

Can you see yourself using a dock like this? Is it too limited as a backup solution? Let us know in the comments!

[cnet]

RunKeeper Pro has been made available to everyone for free today. The offer lasts until the end of January 2011 so don’t delay, go and grab yourself a copy of this fantastic app for free.

In an effort to encourage more people to get off the couch, and as a show of appreciation to the RunKeeper community for your terrific support for the last two and a half years, we’re making the RunKeeper Pro app (usually $9.99 USD) free to download now through the end of January!

What more do you need to kick-start your fitness goals for 2011!

[iTunes Link]

iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad having problems or just being buggy and unresponsive and curious how to restart or reset it? Strange as it sounds, just like a computer, restarting or resetting can solve a host of problems. We’ll show you how after the break!

Update: Re-Spring iPhone 4S with Siri

iPhone 4S can do a very quick re-Spring (relaunch of the Springboard, or Home screen system) thanks to Siri.

1. Hold down the Home button
2. Say “Restart”

You’ll see your iPhone 4S screen go dark briefly, then come back.

Restart your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad

The first thing to try is a simple restart.

1. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button until a red slider appears on the screen.
2. Slide your finger across the slide and the iPhone will turn off.
3. Turn the iPhone back on again by pressing the Sleep / Wake button until the Apple logo appears on screen.

It will take a little bit till your iPhone turns back on this is normal dont worry.

If the problem is still there after a power down or if the power down option failed due to a freeze up, there is another option. You can reset your iPhone. Don’t panic, your normal data will not be wiped.

Reset your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad

1. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time for at least 10 seconds.
2. Ignore the red slider that appears on the screen and keep holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears.

That’s it, iPhone will restart and hopefully all your problems are cured.

The two methods are slightly different, the first method is a soft reset only and leaves running programsin memory. The second method completely powers down your iPhone and also clears the RAM and cache.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Apple has just released a significant update to its iBooks application for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. New in version 1.2 is the ability to experience fully illustrated books, be they children’s picture books or books of beautifully designed art, you can now enjoy them in all their glory within iBooks. Another new feature is the ability to organise your books and PDFs into personal collections, this is also synched over the air to your other iOS devices if you have them.

Air Print has also been enabled if you have one of the few printers that work with this; you can now print PDFs and notes you have written in iBooks. Apple also claim to be able to fit more text to the screen by automatically hyphenating text, this is only available if your device is updated to iOS 4.2

There is no question that iBooks is a beautifully presented application, the only problem is the lack of content in the iBooks store.

[iTunes Link]

BGR has received word from a tipster that Best Buy will be offering Apple’s iPhone 3GS to customers for free. This particular offer will only be valid tomorrow, December 10th, and is available to customers who are looking to start new lines, additional lines, or use their qualified upgrades.

So if you are in the market to fetch yourself a free iPhone you might as well take a ride to your local Best Buy retailer tomorrow and pick one up.

[BGR]

MuscleNerd from the iPhone Dev Team has confirmed via Twitter that he has managed to get an untethered jailbreak working for iOS 4.2.1 devices. Currently the only jailbreak available for iOS 4.2.1 involves tethering your device to a Mac or PC in the event that your device needs a reboot. This could be problematic if you are out and are away from your notebook or desktop machine.

ipt4g 4.2.1 untethered JB w/4.2b3 kernel … Wastes no exploits, but upcoming @comex JB maybe better

In order to use this method, you must have had your SHSH blobs saved with Cydia or TinyUmbrella, as the exploit uses iOS 4.2 beta 3. No news on the release date of this yet, or Comex’s upcoming jailbreak, but we will let you know as soon as we find out.

The jailbreak will work with all iOS devices, the question is, do you want your 4.2.1 jailbreak right… or simply right now? Video after the break.

[MuscleNerd]

Graviboard, a springboard tweak for jailbroken iPhones and iPads, has just been released on Cydia. This tweak is quite stunning visually as it brings different levels of gravity to your springboard icons. The level of gravity (earth, moon, zero gravity, etc.) and how the tweak is activated can be set in the settings menu. While this tweak is activated you can also interact with your icons by grabbing them and throwing them against each other. You even have the option of being able to launch your apps while they are flying around. Graviboard can be purchased on Cydia right now for $2.99.

Video after the break. Let us know what you think of this latest Jailbreak tweak by leaving us a comment below!

Radio Shack is offering $50 in savings on the purchase of a new iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS at their retail locations (i.e. offline only) until December 11. Better yet, if you have a good condition iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS you want to trade in, they’ll give you another $75 or $125 off respectively. Darren Murph of Engadget does the math on that:

you could walk in today, hand over your 3GS, and walk out with an iPhone 4 for $25 (plus activation fees)

Apparently they’re eating the discount to gain some marketing attention for their wireless business. But chances are you don’t care why — they had you at cheap. Anyone taking them up on the offer?

[Engadget]

Air Video, a fantastic app that can transcode and stream video content from your Windows PC or Mac straight to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, has just been updated to include support for multitasking and Retina display. 

Your Windows PC or Mac needs a small piece of software installed to communicate with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad but once setup you can stream native iOS video content (MP4 and M4V) instantly to your device (rather than having to sync it over first via iTunes). Air Video will convert non-supported video formats (AVI, MKV, etc) and either store them for later viewing or stream them on the fly so you can watch now rather than waiting for later.

This is done with one click on your iOS device; no other software is needed for the conversion. You can also setup specific folders for the converted videos to be stored in and choose what order they appear on your device.

Air Video is an excellent app that gives me instant access to over 2TB of media on my Windows Home Server. Do you use it? Let us know what you think in the comments!

[$2.99 - iTunes Link]

Epic Games has announced that the long awaited iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad game, Infinity Blade, will be in the App Store on December 9. The game will be available for the iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, as well as third- and fourth-generation iPod touch devices at a cost of $5.99.

Infinity Blade will be the first full game to utilize Epic’s Unreal Engine 3. Epic Citadel, already available in the App Store, is a short demonstration level showing  the power of the Unreal Engine on iOS devices. If you haven’t seen it, it is free and definitely worth a look. [Free - iTunes Link]

Infinity Blade is an RPG (Role Playing Game). You are a Knight in a giant 3D Castle environment, in search of a God-King, battling various enemies to gain new weapons and powers in your quest.

So mark your calendar, this is one great looking game, my iPad is twitching with anticipation, who’s getting this one when it hits?

[Joystiq]

MuscleNerd and the iPhone Dev-Team have released their long awaited update to Ultrasn0w which will use iPad’s old baseband (06.15.00) from iOS 3.2.2 to unlock anyone stuck at basebands 5.14.01, 5.14.02 or 5.15.05 for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Ultrasn0w requires you to be jailbroken and to use pwnagetool to upgrade your baseband firmware to iPad’s 06.15.00 baseband. Ultrasn0w is then available to unlock that baseband and can be downloaded for free from Cydia.  Please read this entire post and also read iPhone Dev Team’s blog.  If you are unsure about any of the following instructions or warnings, please head on over to our forums! 

iPhone Dev-Team gives the following instructions:

We’ve been busy updating both PwnageTool and redsn0w to make the baseband update as seamless as possible.

1. First up is “PwnageTool 4.1.3 Unlock Edition”. It has a special dialog box which will ask you if you want to update to the iPad baseband. You must already have the iPad 3.2.2 IPSW on your computer (see the above link)….so just point PwnageTool at it (or let it find it on its own if you’re in “simple” mode).
2. Directly after PwnageTool 4.1.3 is available, the official ultrasn0w repo http://repo666.ultrasn0w.com will be updated with ultrasn0w 1.2, which covers iPhone 4 baseband 01.59.00 and iPhone 3G/3GS basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01, 05.13.04 and now 06.15.00.
3. Finally, we’ll release an update to redsn0w today for those without Macs and can’t run PwnageTool. The new redsn0w will give you the option to update your baseband to 06.15 too.

Also, iPhone Dev-Team issues this warning:

WARNING — YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF UPDATING TO 06.15.

1. There is no way to come back down from 06.15, and there’s no hiding the baseband version from Apple. You’ll be voiding your warranty in a very obvious way.
2. If some future baseband comes out with a critical fix, you won’t be able to update to it if it remains down in the 05.xx sequence (then again, you wouldn’t update to it if you wanted to keep your unlock anyway).
3. Starting with FW 4.2.1 if you have 06.15 on your iPhone you won’t ever be able to restore to stock firmware (it will fail). You’ll need to only restore to custom IPSWs (then again, if you’re unlocker you should already be doing that).

Certainly don’t update to 06.15 if you don’t need to! Only do this if you need the unlock and you’re stuck on 05.14 or 05.15, and you’re willing to assume the above risks. iPhone3GS users with old bootroms who want to go to 4.2.1 should not use this PwnageTool! Update to stock 4.2.1 first, then use the upcoming redsn0w to update your baseband.

Unlocking your iPhone allows you to use any GSM carrier which would still limit you to AT&T and TMobile in the US. iPhone 4 users will still get a badge on Cydia notifying them of the update and can download and install it to remove the badge, although it will have no affect. Word is that an unlock is being developed for the iPhone 4 as well, however no time table has been given.

UPDATE: iPhone Dev-Team has just released the following update: The new redsn0w 0.9.6beta5 is out. It gives both Windows and OSX users the ability to flash the iPad 06.15 baseband on iPhone3G or iPhone3GS. It fetches the baseband files directly from Apple for now (the only IPSW you ever point it at is the stock IPSW for the FW on your iPhone right now). There may be a long delay while it’s doing this (their servers are currently getting pounded).

• OSX (SHA1 a322ec2c9e91993eca21abaf2e655bb44de3d7d4)
• Windows (SHA1 7250416e17c3aea9838cdfc73712b38b025e2ed0) (Windows 7 and Vista users, please run redsn0w as Administrator in “XP Compatiblity Mode”)

If you do flash your baseband via redsn0w, please keep it plugged into USB the whole time. You don’t want your battery to die during the flash process!

Will you be jailbreaking for this new unlock? Are you finally able to update to 4.2.1? Let us know how it’s working for you by leaving a comment below!

We mentioned this back during the betas, but it’s worth a mention again as many iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS owners out there finished their iOS 4.2 update yesterday only to discover something missing — the new text tones! Yes, for some reason Apple has chosen to only make those available on iPhone 4. No iPhone 4, no new text tones.

But why, you ask? We’re wondering the same thing. We know this can’t be performance-related, that’s for sure. This makes us curious about what an email response from Steve Jobs would look like on the matter.

(Not that the new text tones are anything to write home about — check out the video after the break if you want to hear them in action.)

Any iPhone 3G or iPhones 3GS owners out there feel left out in the cold and care to speculate?

When Apple announced Find my iPhone was going free this morning they seemed to restrict it to 2010 hardware: iPhone 4, iPod touch 4, and iPad, but now it looks like there may be a way to get it working on iPhone 3GS and other unsupported devices. In fact, Apple.com tells you how:

Create a free Find My iPhone account on any iPhone 4, iPad, or iPod touch (4th generation) running iOS 4.2. Once you create an account on a qualifying device, use your Apple ID and password to enable Find My iPhone on your other devices running iOS 4.2. Find My iPhone is not available in all countries.

UPDATE: Looks like there may be a limit of 3 free accounts per 2010 iOS device.

[Find my iPhone page via @jsnell]

Well known media player manufacturer Xtreamer, has just launched a new media player, called the iXtreamer. It is aimed squarely at iOS users because not only is this a media player, it also has a dock on the top which accepts virtually all iPod / iPhone devices as well as the iPad. When a device is in the dock, it offers a full charging solution; but more importantly, provides access to your music, video and photo libraries all via your HD TV. The iXtreamer has its own on screen UI to access and play your content via a remote control from the comfort of your living room.

Experience your iPad music collection on the spectacular artistic GUI on your TV screen with amazing picture quality of HD video and crystal clear sound clarity of 7.1 CH digital audio. Use your iPhone or the included remote control to navigate through your entertainment choices using crisp, animated HD menus.

Now combine this with a media player that can also play content from a local hard drive, USB Drives or network attached storage and the package starts to look particularly attractive. File support is well covered, the iXtreamer supports, BluRay image files, MKV, AVI and a lot more besides, all in 1080P HD. YouTube access is also included along with internet radio and TV streams.

Xtreamer has big plans for the device; they are currently investigating the possibility of getting access to apps and games on your iOS device and showing them on your HDTV too. They do state that this will depend on Apple’s willingness, so I think you can rule that one out for the foreseeable future.

This does look like a very good media player with some special features to attract iOS users. The iXtreamer is currently priced at 199 Euros ($270). Shipping is available worldwide and it is available now.

Although this has much greater file support than the Apple TV, does it offer enough for the extra cost? Let us know in the comments!

[Xtreamer]

SPB Software has just announced that its popular TV viewing application is now available for the iPad. SPB TV was previously only available for the iPhone and iPod Touch but has just been updated to a universal binary. 

SPB TV gives you access to more than 150 subscription free TV channels, integrated TV guide, video on demand, adaptive bandwidth control and channels from 17 European countries.

It can be downloaded from the App Store for free and there is no monthly subscription fee. The app is ad-supported: an advertisement is shown while the stream is buffering and when a user opens a new channel.

[Free - iTunes Link]

iTunes 10.1 is now available for download on both Mac and PC. In preparation for the impending release of iOS 4.2, Apple has released the newest version of iTunes which will be necessary to install the new firmware. Also, iTunes 10.1 brings AirPlay to the Apple TV and provides for a number of important stability and performance improvements.

Have you found any other improvements? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Apple.com/iTunes/

iPhone Dev team posted a quick reminder for all jailbreakers and unlockers as iOS 4.2 release is imminent:

By all accounts, we’re within a few days of Apple’s official public release of Firmware 4.2. Here’s what you need to know:

• Thanks to geohot’s limera1n exploit, and our original pwnage2 exploit, and @pod2g’s ipod2g-MC exploit, absolutely all devices at all iOS firmware versions are capable of being jailbroken.
• The untethered jailbreak of those very latest FWs and latest devices depends on @comex hacks. His hacks so far extend only to 4.1 and 4.2beta3. He’s working on a way to extend it to 4.2 and beyond. Just wait for him to work out his method.
• iPhone 3G and 3GS unlockers will be covered by our upcoming unlock. Stay away from any updates to Apple FW until our official release and you’ll be okay. Just stay away from all Apple IPSWs
• iPhone4 unlockers are not left out in the cold. @sherif_hashim has found some very promising avenues to pursue. Those will be explored as soon as possible after all the 4.2 madness.

What does this mean to you?

• If you’re an unlocker, just stay where you are. Please, just stay where you are. Any mistakes you make now may be permanent.
• If you only care about the jailbreak and you’re absolutely sure you have your personalized 4.1 SHSH hashes, feel free to experiment but keep in mind that any mistakes you make may result in your losing pictures or notes or bookmarks that you’d rather keep. Honestly unless you love living on the bleeding edge, it’s better to just wait for official updates from Cydia/redsn0w/PwnageTool.
• Don’t buy or donate to any unlock or jailbreak scammers. Every legitimate solution you will find for unlocks or jailbreaks will be offered without an extended hand. That’s how this community works. It’s about freedom, not donations.

It looks like an untethered jailbreak is right around the corner. All X-Gold 608 devices (iPhone3G, iPhone3GS, iPad3G) will have a new unlock, and iPhone4 isn’t too far behind… Please let us know what you are looking forward to….

[iPhoneDevTeam Blog]

Semaphore has updated TinyUmbrella (4.1.13) to allow for the saving of iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs for the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad. This is the first time SHSH blobs are being saved for a beta release and the significance is as of yet unknown, but semaphore tweeted that it might be used to assist the untethering of future jailbreaks. Since the release of iOS 4.2 is imminent, iOS 4.2b3 signatures will not be available for long.

You can download TinyUmbrella from the link below to save both iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs regardless of what firmware you are currently on and I recommend doing so immediately just in case they are needed down the line…

[TinyUmbrella]

iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd has announced on his twitter feed that Cydia creator Saurik and jailbreak dev Chpwn are hard at work on a Cydia update just in time for the release and jailbreak of iOS 4.2.

What changes are coming, if any, have not been specified but loading speed reduction and user reviews have long been rumored. What changes would you like to see? Let us know by leaving a comment or discussing it in our Jailbreak Forum!

[@MuscleNerd]

Comex has announced on his Twitter feed that iOS 4.2 will be an untethered jailbreak. While current devices can be exploited and jailbroken for their lifespan without the possibility of a patch, the ability of the jailbreak being untethered was still at issue.

An untethered jailbreak differs from a tethered jailbreak in that a tethered jailbreak must be connected with a computer after each and every reboot of the device. Comex has developed userland exploits for Star, Limera1n, and Greenpois0n, keeping them all untethered.

While Comex has stated that people with their iOS 4.1 SHSH blobs saved should be able to keep their jailbreak untethered for 4.2, he did not say that would be the case for all users. The reasoning for this has not been revealed but anyone wanting to jailbreak iOS 4.2 should make sure they get their 4.1 blobs saved immediately. iPad users should save their 3.2.2 blobs just in case those are required as well.

Also in a separate tweet, Comex has stated that there might be a delay with the release of the jailbreak due to Cydia compatibility issues which are currently being worked on by Chpwn.

Are you waiting for the release of iOS 4.2 to jailbreak? Let us know your thoughts on this story below…

[@Comex 1, 2]

Are you an iPhone 3GS user who’s wondered how-to enable HD video recording without having to upgrade to an iPhone 4? Well, if you’re not afraid of Jailbreak and are comfortable with SSH, there is a new hack available to let you get your HD on. Now the iPhone 3GS simply doesn’t have the same quality camera as the iPhone 4, but this tweak will take your video recording from a measly 640×480 to 1080×800.

To install this tweak, ensure you are jailbroken and follow the steps below:

• Download the HD Video files to your computer.
• Go to Cydia and install OpenSSH on your iPhone 3GS.
• Connect your 3GS to your computer and make sure iTunes is NOT running.
• Download and install Cyberduck for Mac or WinSCP for Windows.
• Cyberduck Settings

• • Server: The IP address of your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Settings –> WiFi –> <Your Network Name>
  • Username: root
  • Password: (your SSH password, because you remembered to change it from the default “alpine”, right?)
  • Protocol: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)
• WinSCP Settings

• • Hostname: The IP address of your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch. Setting –> WiFi –> <Your Network Name>
  • User name: root
  • Password: alpine
  • Protocol: SCP

• Navigate to /System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/ directory and copy the N88AP.plist file from the HD Video files you downloaded earlier and paste it into the folder you navigated to.
• Now navigate to /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Celestial.framework/N88/ directory and copy AVCapture.plist, CameraRollValidator.plist and MediaValidator.plist from the HD Video files you downloaded earlier and paste them into the folder you just navigated to.
• Reboot your 3GS and you now have HD video recording.

A word of caution, if you are not an experienced user who has SSH’ed into your phone before be very careful as this can cause issues and require a restore if done incorrectly. As always do this tweak at your own risk. If you have an iPhone 3GS and you do this mod let us know how it worked for you and how the install process went for you.

[Redmond Pie]

Tips of the day range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Target has announced that it will begin selling iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS throughout 846 retail stores beginning on November 7th. Target will also offer quick in-store activation for purchasers and “expert support” to all of their customers.

At Target we continue to offer our guests the best in electronics so we’re happy to add iPhone to our Target Mobile offerings

This will instantly expand access to the iPhone 3GS and the newer, more popular iPhone 4 to an even broader number of shoppers, especially getting into the holiday season.

So anyone planning to stop by Target for an iPhone?  Let us know in the comments!

[Target]

There is an endless list of apps that allow you to make video calls with your iPhone 4, and aside from Apple’s FaceTime, most of t hese are also compatible with the 3GS, but it can be quite awkward to video call without a front facing camera.

Korean company, PLAYMASS, have produced a new accessory that can solve the problem, iSeeU.

iSeeU clips onto your i Phone 3GS, and flips open to reveal a series of mirrors, that allow you make a video call using the rear facing camera. One neat thing about iSeeU is, you can easily swivel it off to the side to switch the cameras, so that you can still show your friend what the rear facing camera would normally see.

iSeeU is available in 5 colours, black, white, blue, pink and green, and comes with a stylish carry case, so you can easily store it away when you’re not using it.

PLAYMASS is now offering the iSeeU accessory to pre-order on their website for $24.95. They will be shipping later this month. Will you be getting an iSeeU clip to video call with friends? Will this stop you from upgrading to an iPhone 4?

Video after the break.

[PLAYMASS via Newteevee]

by George Lim

Formula and Ion cases are the latest additions to the Element Case line:

The Formula, a three piece, break apart-slider case, features flared corners, exposed fasteners and universal compatibility with any dock or iPhone accessory. Molded from high-impact polycarbonate, Formula will be available initially in a matte-black, rubber tone finish that offers the ultimate meld of function and fashion.

The Ion, a form-fitting silicone case, features a massively thick silicone housing for iPhone with a high, flared lip over iPhone’s front glass and complete protection from any angle in the event of a drop. An inlaid Carbon Fiber backing features printed graphics coated in a pure resin finish, preserving the beauty of the Carbon within and giving added protection for the iPhone’s back.

Currently available in limited quantities for iPhone 3GS for $59.95, they’ll be coming for iPhone 4 in October. Check them out at elementcase.com.

The Vapor case for iPhone 4 is already available, of course, and Element Case was kind enough to give four of them away to TiPb readers. Without further ado, the give aways go to:

• gadgetgirl
• jOn-a-Roll
• 2k3sgm
• randall814

Congrats to them, thanks again to Element Case and everyone who entered, and stay tuned to TiPb for even more give aways soon!

HDR photography for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G wasn’t something Apple provided under iOS 4.1, but that doesn’t mean 3GS and 3G users have to be left out of the fun (if you’re jailbroken that is).  Redmond Pie has a great guide up showing how to enable the HDR camera option provided you’ve jailbroken them under iOS 4.1 and aren’t adverse to SSHing and editing some files.  The process really isn’t that difficult, but as always, if you’re not comfortable altering files on your iPhone, we don’t recommend it.  So hit up the source link for a detailed walk-through.  And if you’re not sure if it’s worth it yet, read our take on HDR photography on the iPhone 4 or our full iOS 4.1 guide.

[via RedmondPie, Thanks to Geo Coldz for sending this in!]

While we won’t know for absolutely certain until the final release version of iOS 4.1 for iPhone arrives sometime this week (maybe Wednesday), it’s looking like HDR photography will be exclusive to iPhone 4 and not available for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS users.

HDR photography requires separate 3 pictures be taken as simultaneously as possible — regular, overexposed, underexposed — and then combined together and tone mapped to produce the final image. iPhone 4 with its Apple A4 chipset and 512MB of RAM certainly takes photos much faster than iPhone 3GS. Traditionally Apple would rather not provide a feature at all than do it poorly on older hardware (e.g. no 15 fps video recording on iPhone 3G), so is this just another case of that?

There are HDR apps that work on older iPhones, though not in the same, speedy, integrated way as the built in iOS 4.1 version.

If it does indeed turn out there’s no HDR photography for you, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS owners, does that seriously harshen your iOS 4.1 mellow? Or are bug fixes, TV rentals, AVRCP Bluetooth, Game Center, and the other features enough to keep your childlike sense of wonder intact?

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already head on over and register now!

• For those of you using an iPhone 3GS and updated to iOS 4, how has your battery life been treating you?

• Some of our forum members are reporting their iPhone 4′s are heating up to a uncomfortable level. Have you had any heat issues with your iPhone 4?

• With the latest web-based jailbreak many of you are just beginning to learn about all of the great apps available if you jailbreak. If you want to find more or simply want to share some great apps you are aware of, do so here: Top 5 Jailbreak Applications.

• The comparisons between Android and iPhone are inevitable. But more specifically for those who have used both, why do you prefer one or the other?

See you in the forums!

If your iPhone 4 is locked to AT&T or another carrier, good news — the ultrasn0w unlock is now available to set you free.

Those who ponied up full price for an international, factory unlocked iPhone 4 direct from Apple need not apply. Those who chose subsidies and the lock that came with it, get your Jailbreak on and head over to Cydia. If ultrasn0w doesn’t show up immediately, search for repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com.

Version 1.0-1 of ultrasn0w works for:

• iPhone4 baseband 01.59
• 3G/3GS basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01 and 05.13.04

Remember, you’ll need a microSIM card if you plan on jumping to another carrier, and in the US that means manually cutting down your T-Mobile SIM to microSIM size.

As always, Jailbreak and unlock will void your warranty and could cause other problems with your device. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t do it. If you decide to go ahead, let us know how it works for you.

[Dev Team]

Otterbox Commuter Case for iPhone 3GS strikes the perfect balance between convenience and protection. If you’re rocking Apple’s other big smartphone release this year, the $99 iPhone 3GS (or the unlocked iPhone 3GS, depending on where you live), or still lucky enough to have a 16GB or 32GB iPhone 3GS from last year, this case should be on your radar. (It also fits the iPhone 3G.)

Confession: I thought I’d hate it when it first arrived. I don’t know why exactly, maybe it was fear of layers bulk, uncertainty about dual color schemes, dunno, but I was not looking forward to testing out the Otterbox Commuter. Then I put it on.

AD&D analogy time — If skins are the chainmail of the case world and the Otterbox Defender is the full plate armor (yes, even the pink one), the Commuter is the in-between, plate-mail option. It’s strong but still a but flexible, solid and secure but still snug and light.

Like plate-mail it comes in two layers, the silicone that you slip on first, and that has covers for the 3.5mm headset jack and 30-pin dock connector, and the plastic shell that goes over it. Together they provide protection against scrapes and scuffs and minor impacts.

The Otterbox Commuter also comes in a ton of colors — yellow, white, blue, green, brown, burgundy, and black. (Yes, I’ll spare you the strained surcoat analogy).

Again, not as big as the Defender, not as thin as a skin, I found myself leaving it on even after my typical week-long review period was over. Since I’ve been carrying an iPhone 4 around as well, maybe I was a little more concerned about my iPhone 3GS getting damaged, maybe I started to like the look, or maybe I wanted my fellow SPE editors to think I had an imaginary, super-secret iPhone 5 prototype hidden in a fancy camo case (I’ll never tell!)

But leave it on I did.

If you’re looking for a combination of protection and convenience, something strong but still light, check out the Otterbox Commuter Case for iPhone 3GS available now from the TiPb iPhone 3GS accessory store.

Pros

• Good level of protection, including minor impact
• Covers headset jack and dock port
• Includes screen protector

Cons

• Dual layers means slightly more bulk

While iPhone 4 has stolen the spotlight these days, iPhone 3GS is still equipped with a great camera, especially for a phone. However, we never imagined a photographer using the iPhone 3GS during a professional photo shoot. Lee Morris, a professional fashion photographer and writer for f stoppers, has done just that!

The idea behind the shoot was to prove to his readers that a professional camera is not required to get professional photos. He assembled a team of professionals including professional model, Olivia Price, hair and makeup artists, a retoucher, and videographer, all of whom volunteered their time for the project. Morris also used his a studio and lighting equipment.

Morris also admits to using photoshop in post production. He claims that Photoshop is a “necessary tool” for his line of work. “I am in the business of making money and my clients do not care if I got it perfect in the camera or made it perfect in post, they simply want a perfect image.”

Morris made sure to stress that the point of this shoot was to show that a photographer should not be limited by his camera; in fact, “the most expensive camera in the world is capable of taking bad pictures.” He does a great job proving his point, but your average low budget photographer will not be able get the same results without the thousands of dollars of studio equipment that Morris used. He did mention that he may do a similar shoot in the future using only natural light. I would find that much more interesting and believe it would make a bigger impact. I also hope he uses an iPhone 4 next time!

Nevertheless, the images Morris produced are stunning and even more impressive because they were taken with an iPhone 3GS. You can see the entire set of high res photos on Flickr.

Follow us after the break to see a video of the shoot!

[f stoppers via 9To5Mac]

Yes, we’re really reviewing the iPhone 3GS 8GB, Apple’s other huge smartphone release for 2010. It went on sale the same day as iPhone 4, in many more countries around the world than iPhone 4 did, and importantly — in the US it’s now $99 on AT&T contract.

Let that sink in for a moment. A couple weeks ago iPhone 3GS was still one of the best smartphones on the market. Since making it’s debut in June 2009 (when we reviewed the original), it’s stood the test of time against the Palm Pre, BlackBerry Storm 2, Motorola Droid, Google Nexus One, Palm Pre Plus, HTC Droid Incredible, and Evo 4G. Sure, other phones began pulling ahead in terms of raw specs and feature sets, but iPhone 3GS maintained its edge through a combination of overall elegance, usability, and ecosystem.

The only other thing that’s changed between then and now — aside from the price drop and reduction of storage that came with it is — the arrival of iPhone 4.

For many people who want an iPhone, iPhone 4 will be the easy choice. But just like last year when Apple dropped the iPhone 3G to $99, it’s not the only choice.

Total cost of ownership (TCO — what you pay including the phone and the carrier contract) be damned, some people want a budget smartphone. Some people want to walk into the store, drop not a penny more than $99, and walk out with an iPhone. This year, those people can do just that and what they’re leaving with is not only an iPhone 3GS, but an iPhone 3GS running iOS 4.

And that’s worth a review.

UPDATE: As of October, 2011, the iPhone 3GS 8GB is now free on contract.

iPhone 3GS hardware

In almost every way the 2010 iPhone 3GS is identical to the original 2009 iPhone 3GS. The only difference is that, while the original iPhone 3GS came in 16GB and 32GB, and in black and white models, the 2010 iPhone 3GS comes only in 8GB and only in black. (And it no longer indicates the size on the back of the device).

We did a complete iPhone 3GS hardware review when it debuted last year. Regular readers can skip ahead right now. New readers, here are the basics.

Screen

iPhone 3GS has an oleophobic coating that won’t make it harder to smudge your screen but will make it easier to wipe those smudges off. At 480×320 it’s not as big as some of the new Android phones. Likewise, it’s not as sharp as the quadruple density Retina Display on iPhone 4, but it’s still plenty sharp enough to run those hundreds of thousands of apps in the iTunes App Store and browse the countless pages of the Internet on Safari.

Performance

A snappy ARM Cortex A8 CPU and PowerVR SGX GPU power iPhone 3GS. This is essentially the same guts as iPhone 4 but not wrapped up in Apple’s special speed-boosting, power-sipping A4 system-on-a-chip.

What that means is performance is still very good. It’s not quite as fluid as the latest, greatest iPhone, and it doesn’t get quite as much battery life, but it’ll get you through a day of light to moderate use, and there are tons of battery packs and chargers on the market to handle even hardcore road warriors.

RAM is 256MB, half what’s in iPhone 4, but aside from the number of web pages and apps it can keep in memory at one time, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in daily use.

Where you might notice some speed differential is data. iPhone 3GS has the same HSPDA 7.2Mbps 3G downloads but no HSUPA highspeed upload, so sending your pics to friends or the cloud will take longer. Likewise, it has 802.11 B/G Wi-Fi but no N. If you have an N router, that means you don’t get to take advantage of the extra range and speeds.

Camera and video

A 3 megapixel camera with VGA-quality video recording tops out iPhone 3GS. That’s the bad news. No 5 megapixel, big, back-illuminated sensor with 720p HD recording like iPhone 4. The good news is, iPhone 3GS still takes better pictures and records better video than it has any right to.

For internet use, it’s just fine. For well-lit still, it’s downright serviceable. Tap-to-focus and the rest of the software has a lot to do with that, however.

Form factor

Outside iPhone 3GS still has the same look as last year as well, which was also the same look as 2008′s iPhone 3G, but if you’re in the market for a budget smartphone you’re no doubt aware that having the same form factor means you can use all the same accessories everyone has been making, buying, and reselling for the last 2 years. That’s a huge market and a cheap aftermarket right there.

As to the design itself, it might seem a tad dated compared to the double glass and stainless steel slab of iPhone 4, a little chrome around the edges and rounded along the back, but it’s still nicer looking than many more modern competitors. It’s got that Apple aesthetic while others are looking more like our old 1980s Hasbro toys but with little of the transforming fun.

It still feels solid, it still feels slippery. It’s still got just the right heft and just the right feel in the hand.

You get the idea. The hardware here isn’t the story. (Other than how much you get for $99.)

iOS 4 software

The 2009 iPhone 3GS shipped with iPhone 3.0 software. the 2010 iPhone 3GS ships with iOS 4. On the surface, that difference might just seem like a new name and a few new features, but as is often the case with Apple updates, it ends up being more than the sum of its parts.

We’ve done a massive iOS 4 walkthrough on the iPhone 3GS and aside from hardware specific features like FaceTime, Retina Display, and gyroscope support, the bottom line is iPhone 3GS users are getting the same software that makes iPhone 4 great.

Again, frequent readers can skip ahead. New readers, here are your highlights.

Everything you need to know about iOS 4 on iPhone 3GS in 10 minutes

YouTube link

Multitasking

Multitasking is the big new feature here. Apps have to add support for it, but when they do you get fast app switching so you can leave a game, answer an SMS, then go back and keep playing right where you left off. You get task completion so you can start uploading your pictures to Facebook or Flickr, go check your Twitter feed, and they’ll just keep going while you’re gone. You get background audio to listen to Pandora while you surf the web, background location to get TomTom directions while you take a call, and background VoIp to answer a Skype-like call even when you’re not in the app. You get local notifications for alarms. And you get widget-like controls for orientation lock and background audio playback.

It’s not full on desktop class multitasking, but it’s a good compromise between what most users want to do, and preserving battery life and performance while doing it.

Folders

Folders let you organize your apps into groups of up to twelve. That means app fanatics are no longer constrained by the 180 available slots on the 11 home screens. 2160 is now the limit. Drag and drop folder creation and addition and smart folder naming (using App Store categories as the foundation), make it super simple to use, even if it will ultimately prove too simplistic for power users.

Apple will probably have to abandon their app launcher-centric interface eventually, but they’re doing a good job preserving user orientation and context, and expanding it step by step in the meantime.

Wallpaper

iOS 4 takes a baby step towards customization with separate wallpapers that can be set for either the lock screen, home screen, or both. Yes, you can finally have your iPhone background, your way. (Or Apple’s way if you prefer, they include a bunch of new wallpapers that look good without clashing with the icons you’ll invariably have on top of them.)

Mail

Multiple ActiveSync accounts let you have your work Exchange and your home Google accounts pushed effortlessly to you at the same time. It just works.

A unified inbox lets you look at all your new mail, all at once, if you so choose. Threaded messaging lets you keep track of an entire conversation, even if its possible to lose track of where what message is in what conversation at the same time.

And more…

Expanded data detectors that recognize package tracking numbers, spell check and correct, Bluetooth keyboard support, Spotlight search now includes Google and Wikipedia, tap-to-focus for video recording, search suggestions and increased HTML5 support in Safari, and the list goes on and on.

And Apple’s not stopping. Coming later this year, Game Center is supposed to be Xbox Live! for iOS with leader boards, achievements, and a social network tying you together with all your friends.

Most importantly, iOS 4 on iPhone 3GS performs well. We’ve had almost no lag, almost no freeze. Everything from transitions to typing, app launch to game performance has been smooth and snappy.

It may not seem like it if it’s your first iOS device, or once you get used to iOS 4, but if you ever switch back to iPhone 3.0, you quickly appreciate just how much of a “new phone” iOS 4 makes the iPhone 3GS.

Where the $99 iPhone 3GS fits

At $99 iPhone 3GS 8GB isn’t competing against other high-end smartphones. It’s not going up against whatever’s the best Android phone of the week or taking on BlackBerry‘s flagship in the Enterprise.

It’s competing against low end Windows Phones, BlackBerry Pearl and older Curves, past-their-prime Androids like Hero, some of which better serve niche requirements but none of which really match iPhone 3GS in terms of the whole package. Still capable hardware running iOS 4 is a tough combination to beat, especially at $99.

About the only other interesting phones at that price point are the currently deeply-discounted Palm Pre (Plus) and Palm Pixi (Plus). They’re pretty much last year’s hardware with this year’s OS, like iPhone 3GS, and they’re excellent products but they don’t have the ecosystem iPhone and iPod has. They don’t have iTunes media or the huge App Store. If you’re on Sprint or Verizon, they’re a great alternative. If you’re on AT&T, they’re a carefully considered choice.

(Note, we had a whole paragraph here about the value of iPhone 3GS vs. Micosoft’s new KIN platform at the budget price point, but Microsoft went and canceled it already. The only take away from that sometimes it pays to invest in a device and ecosystem you can reasonably expect to be around for a while.)

If you had an older iPhone, however, or you’ve been using an iPod touch or iPad and want to get in on the iPhone, a lot of the accessories (cables, headsets) and likely all the apps and media you’ve already bought will just work with iPhone 3GS. That’s a huge savings on ecosystem.

So, if AT&T is a good carrier for you, $99 for an iPhone 3GS is almost too good a deal to pass up. About the only thing you need to consider is that pesky total cost of ownership (TCO) we mentioned at the beginning. Unlike cheapy messenger phones, iPhone 3GS requires a real data plan. Even with AT&T’s new capped, tiered plans, a 2 year contract on both data and voice, with SMS and other options will run you a couple grand. $99 up front sounds great, but the difference between $99 iPhone 3GS and $199 or $299 iPhone 4 over those two years is tiny.

If the plan isn’t a problem but the up front cost really is, iPhone 3GS 8GB ($99) is half the price of iPhone 4 16GB ($199), and a third the cost of iPhone 4 32GB ($299).

If you want a second or third (or even fourth) phone for the family, if your tween wants to move up from the iPod touch, if you just want another iPhone as backup or for development, the up front savings could well be worth it.

One more thing…

You can also get the iPhone 3GS 8GB SIM-free and unlocked directly from Apple around the world, even in countries where iPhone 4 won’t be available until the end of July or September.

Since an officially unlocked iPhone can be updated or used without any of the concerns associated with a Jailbroken and unofficially unlocked iPhone, if the higher price (around US$600 but prices vary by region) doesn’t dissuade you, it’s great for travelers or for those who want to use an iPhone in areas where none is yet sold.

Conclusion

If you’re getting an iPhone and up-front cost isn’t an issue, get an iPhone 4. The small difference in price is more than made up for by the step up in hardware, and features like FaceTime. If you’re not convinced, read our iPhone 4 review and talk about it in our iPhone Forum before you decide.

If $99 is really the limit for you, iPhone 3GS with iOS 4 is an amazing budget smartphone, arguably the best on the market when you take hardware, software, and ecosystem together.

It seems one sharp reader over at AppleInsider has noticed that the iPhone 3GS does indeed recognize FaceTime URLs under iOS 4. 

Now most people familiar with how these URLs work will understand how this is possible.  Ever noticed if you’re in a regular web browser and there’s a link to e-mail someone, you’ll see in the bottom progress bar a path that contains a URL that will say something to the effect of:  mailto://user@emailaddress.com?  Well, Apple uses a similar interface.

A reader by the name of Felipe Baez started to look a little deeper into how FaceTime was actually working and figured out the scheme is quite similar to the typical schemes Apple uses for apps such as the phone, e-mail, and SMS apps.  If you try and use one of these links on a 3GS running iOS4, it will recognize it as a FaceTime link but won’t currently do anything.

Could this potentially lead to hacks for FaceTime to work on a 3GS? Obviously a 3GS does not have a front facing camera, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be opened up to where 3GS users can view and converse with iPhone 4 users.  As of now, the audio on the 3GS won’t even work, but I’d guess it’d only be a matter of time before another sharp reader or developer finds a way around that.  Whether or not it would require a jailbreak is anyone’s guess.  Hey maybe a way to use the regular camera in the 3GS could become an option.  The jailbreak community is strong and I don’t doubt this is something that could potentially interest a lot of them. Thoughts?

[Apple Insider]

You want iPhone 4 pictures? You can’t handle iPhone 4 pictures! Okay, over-dramatic much. How about iPhone 4 vs. every other gadget we can find?

We’re starting with Dieter’s iPhone vs iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 2G, Palm Pre Plus, Nexus One, and Droid X and we’ll be adding more Android, some BlackBerry and everything else we can get our geeky little hands on.

If there’s any device you want in particular, let us know in comments and we’ll add it to the list.

Full mega gallery, after the break!

BGR claims to have content his hands on a copy of Apple’s internal support memo for handling iPhone 4 antenna band reception problems.

The gist is: they’re to stick to the talking points, probe to make sure it isn’t a different problem (i.e. not related to covering the lower left side of iPhone 4 or lower right side of iPhone 3GS), only escalate if it’s a different issue and they can’t resolve it, and NOT to give out any goram free bumpers!

No mention of mentioning or not mentioning an impending iOS 4.0.1 software fix either.

[BGR]

iMovie has been modified to run on iPhone 3GS, making the previously iPhone 4 exclusive app just a tad less exclusive:

David Romhan Torres: I just make iMovie for iphone 4 run on an iphone 3GS, it’s very simple just download it from iTunes, modify info.plist file and change the Minimum system version to 3.0.0 and front-facing-camera to false

If iMovie can run on an iPhone 3GS, why did Apple make it iPhone 4 exclusive? Probably for the same reason there’s no video recording or wallpaper on an iPhone 3G. Apple is very quick to cut off older hardware when they think it will have any impact at all on user experience. iPhone 4 has double the RAM and a faster processor and that’s what Apple decided to make the cut off point.

And just like 3rd parties came up with video recorders for the 3G, iPhone 3GS has had video editors for a while already (ReelDirector, obviously), and will obviously continue to do so. Just not Apple’s. It’s how they roll.

Taimur over at Redmond Pie gave the iMovie for iPhone 3GS port a whirl and you can check out the results in the video below.

[Redmond Pie]

Though it got completely buried under the hype and hysteria of the iPhone 4 launch, Apple also released another “new” smartphone last week — the $99 iPhone 3GS 8GB running iOS 4.

Sure it’s “last year’s model” in many ways, but a week ago it was still the best iPhone on the planet, holding up extremely well to much newer devices running other operating systems on other carriers. Now it packs iOS 4 punch with multitasking, folders, unified and threaded email, and all the other bells and whistles, and it’s $99.

It makes absolutely no sense when you consider the costs of the accompanying voice and data plans under a 2-year contract run into the thousands of dollars, but getting below the magical $99 price point smashes a huge psychological barrier.

It also means Apple has something beyond competitive again in the budget $49-$149 smartphone space. For new entrants into the market wanting to upgrade from a feature phone (and quite possibly an iPod touch) to non-geeks of all kinds who just want a music, internet, and app phone, its going to be hugely appealing.

Since the iPhone 3GS shares the same basic design as iPhone 3G, accessory makers get a 3rd year on the market for their skins, cases, molded docks and chargers, and other accessories — unprecedented in the modern smartphone space. More and more accessories will no doubt start targeting iPhone 4, just like a handful of apps are iPhone 4 only now, but a new iPhone 3GS owner will still find 225,000 apps and a mountain of gear available to them. Ad to that the integration into the rest of Apple’s ecosystem, everything from iTunes media to Apple Store customer service, and appealing rapidly becomes compelling at the $99 price point.

And here’s the one more thing — unlike the iPhone 4 right now, it’s available in many, many countries internationally, and unlocked in most of them outside the US. So, while a cheap, carrier subsidized iPhone 3GS is an option, so is a CAN$549.00, AUS$719, £419.00, €519.00 officially SIM-free, unlocked iPhone 3GS. It’s an expensive option to be sure, but for those who hate contracts or love to travel, its cheaper than an iPhone 4 and around the same price as an unlocked Nexus One. That might also appeal to developers who want a second iOS phone but not the contract to go with it.

Apple launched two new smartphones last week and even though iPhone 4 sucked all the air out of the coverage, the $99 iPhone 3GS 8GB is just as important in its own right.

YouTube link

Just heard from one of the folks we know who updated his iPhone 3GS to iOS 4 yesterday only to lose his AT&T data connection completely. Today, when he could no longer even place calls, he contacted AT&T who, after several escalations, informed him there are isolated incidents of iPhone 3GS on iOS 4 with unlimited data plans no longer being able to connect to the network.

They told him they’re working with Apple to fix it, and put him name on a contact list so they could let him know when it was resolved.

Our question is — how isolated is isolated? How’s your AT&T unlimited data post iOS 4 update?

Finally, iBooks for iPhone arrives! I have been enjoying iBooks on my iPad for some time now. With iBooks for iPhone many more people can enjoy portable reading with their phones. How does iBooks measure up? Keep reading to find out!

After updating to iOS4 for iPhone 3GS I promptly downloaded iBooks. Apple has done a fantastic job with the application and it translates very nicely to the small screen. Let’s start off with actually getting a book on your device. When you first launch the app, it asks if you want it to sync with other devices to keep bookmarks, notes, etc. in sync. Next, you are presented with a blank bookshelf. The promised Winnie the Pooh book is free, but you have to get it yourself. So to do that, I tapped the store icon and the app rotated in 3D very smoothly to reveal the iBooks store. From here you can find any Featured books, the New York Times Charts, Search and review your purchases.

Tap a book you are interested in and and you can download a sample (the samples typically contain at least one whole chapter, but sometimes more) or purchase the book. So, I went to the search option and looked up Winnie the Pooh. After finding the book, I tapped the “Free” button, the store flipped back to reveal my bookshelf, or Library, and it proceeded to download. About 10 seconds later I had Winnie the Pooh on my iPhone.

To begin reading just tap the book and you are taken to the first page. To go back to the Library, tap the icon in the top left. To view the Table of Contents and Bookmarks, tap the icon next to that. Simply tapping the left to right side of the page turns it. You can’t scroll up or down; that’s not very book-like. You can tap and hold on any text to bring up a few different tools. Some of the more useful ones are Highlight, Dictionary and Note. You can tap highlight and iBooks applies a highlight to the text. Tap again and you can add a note or change the note color.

If tapping the side of the page doesn’t excite you, the page can be manually turned by tapping and holding the bottom right corner and turning the page like a real book. The effect is gorgeous and it really is impressive. At the top of the page you have more choices beyond returning to the Library or the Table of Contents. You can adjust font size, change the font, adjust brightness (especially helpful at night) and a new feature- sepia color. This is particularly nice as it dulls down the very bright background and makes it a little easier on the eyes. Next, you can search within the iBook, but it doesn’t stop there. You can also search in Google and Wikipedia right from the search page! When done reading, you can tap the top right corner of any page and place a bookmark. All bookmarks, notes and highlights are accessible from the Table of Contents page.

Another new feature that Apple added with this release of iBooks is the ability to read PDFs. You can add PDFs a couple of ways. First, you can add a PDF in email to iBooks directly from the mail app. Second you can add PDFs to the Books section in iTunes and sync them over. Once a PDF is added, you see a PDF button next to Book on the top of the Library. Tap the PDF button to look at your PDFs and they are beautifully rendered. Scroll your finger along the bottom to view the different pages or Tap the Table of Contents button to get a zoomed out view of all PDF pages. Search, bookmarks, etc., work with PDFs as well.

They only real chink I can find in iBooks armor is there is no option for landscape in iBooks or PDF view. This is disappointing since on the iPad app, you get a two page view. I understand this may not be possible with the screen real estate, but just like the web, sometimes landscape is preferred. Many apologies. I was impatient waiting for my 3GS to rotate. Many thanks to the commenters on this post for pointing this out.

This is a must-buy free app for Apple. You have access to more than romance novels. Technical references abound and can come in really handy when you need them and viewing PDFs is very convenient. If you would like to know more about iBooks for iPad, check out our earlier review.

[Free- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Beautiful layout
• Fast
• Wonderfully animated
• Great tools for navigation
• Easy to use

Cons

• No landscapeI was too impatient with my device for it to rotate
• Can’t export notes
• Can’t copy text

A year ago today many of us were standing in line outside our local Apple Store waiting to get our geeky little hands on the iPhone 3GS, then king of the mobile space. Twice the speed, video recording, and VoiceControl were the killer features, even if the form factor was unchanged.

Over the last twelve months, iPhone 3GS has served us well, and at its soon-to-be $99 price point, rocking iOS 4, no doubt it will serve many budget smartphone shoppers well for another year to come. (Seriously, we feel bad for the Pixi, Kin, Pearl, and others in its new space).

So, on the cusp of iPhone 4‘s release, we wish iPhone 3GS a happy birthday.

If you’ve been using an iPhone 3GS over the last year, let us know how it’s worked for you.

Apple has posted an FAQ (frequently asked questions) page concerning the new SIM-free (i.e. unlocked) iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 they’re selling for the first time in international Apple Store like UK, France, and Canada.

Bottom line? They’re really, truly, 100% unlocked and will work on any GSM carrier for which you have a miniSIM (iPhone 3GS) or microSIM (iPhone 4). You’ll pay full price for them, of course, but for those who absolutely don’t want a contract, or for frequent international travelers, this is huge.

(Note: No T-Mobile US 3G. Sorry folks, even though iPhone 4 is pentaband, T-Mobile’s 3G band isn’t supported. It hurts. Sorry).

Here’s the cover:

Buy your iPhone from Apple commitment-free.

It works with the carrier of your choice. Buy your iPhone from the Apple Online Store and choose your own GSM carrier. You can change carriers at any time.

It’s easy to set up. Get a compatible SIM (iPhone 3GS) or micro-SIM card (iPhone 4) and select a plan from the carrier of your choice. Then insert the card and set up your iPhone using iTunes on your Mac or PC. With a few clicks, you can start making calls.

It works internationally. Because this iPhone is commitment-free, you can purchase a micro-SIM or SIM card and service from a local carrier at your destination. Or check with your home carrier regarding international roaming charges.

Full FAQ after the break!

[Apple.com iPhone 4 FAQ, via @havvac]

Does iPhone work with any SIM card or carrier worldwide?

iPhone 3GS works with SIM cards and iPhone 4 works with micro-SIM cards from compatible carriers, including prepaid cards. Non-GSM carrier networks do not support iPhone. Availability of 3G data depends on carrier support for the radio frequencies used by iPhone.

Where can I get a SIM or micro-SIM card?

You can get a SIM or micro-SIM card from any carrier offering iPhone plans.

How do I get started using iPhone to place and receive calls?

First, insert an activated SIM or micro-SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes to complete set up.

Do I need an iPhone-specific service plan?

iPhone may require large amounts of data usage. Please contact your carrier to ensure that you have an appropriate service plan to support iPhone.

Do I need to commit to a long-term contract for my iPhone?

Buying a commitment-free iPhone from the Apple Online Store allows you choose your own carrier and change carriers at any time. iPhone may also be available at a reduced initial price with a contract directly from your wireless carrier.

Does iPhone support tethering?

Yes. You can share the fast 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac or PC and connect to the Internet from just about anywhere — no Wi-Fi required. Contact your carrier for details.

Are iPhone 4 and iPad micro-SIM cards interchangeable?

No. Your iPad micro-SIM card will not work with your iPhone.

Will all iPhone features work with my carrier?

Visual Voicemail requires carrier support and may not function on your carrier’s network. Please read this Support article or contact your carrier for more details.

Why does the price of iPhone from the Apple Online Store differ from its price from a carrier?

Carriers typically sell the iPhone with a contract that subsidizes the initial purchase price of the phone. By purchasing your iPhone without a contract, you can use any SIM or micro-SIM card from a compatible carrier, including your current one.

Can I use my iPhone outside my home country?

Yes. iPhone is enabled to work on carrier networks using GSM around the world. Because the iPhone sold by the Apple Online Store is commitment-free, you can purchase a SIM or micro-SIM card and service from a local carrier at your destination. Or check with your home carrier regarding international roaming charges.

If I buy iPhone from this Apple Online Store, can I ship it to another country?

No. Orders placed through this Apple Online Store can be shipped only within the country of purchase. You can also shop for friends and family in countries where iPhone is sold. Just visit the local store of the country where you want your products delivered.

With just two weeks to go before WWDC, Boy Genius Report is reporting that Apple has ceased shipments of the iPhone 3G to AT&T stores. Now throw in the fact that new orders for the device are not being accepted and it’s a pretty good sign the iPhone 3G’s days are numbered.

“Could this mean we might see the iPhone 3GS drop to $99 and make way for a new model? Or maybe the 3GS would disappear altogether? We’re not sure, but we’re about to find out.”

It’s a funny thing that BGR mentioned the price drop of the iPhone 3GS because as of today Walmart is dropping the price of the 16GB version to $97 with a two year service agreement. It appears as if the iPhone 3GS is about to replace the iPhone 3G as the budget iPhone. Keep an eye out for Apple to drop their price in two weeks…

[BGR]

Big week for Apple patent pr0n, as in addition to getting a patent for the original 2007 iPhone 2G design, Steve Jobs, Jonathan Ive, et al are not being granted a patent for the 2008/2009 iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS design as well. And not content with hardware alone, Apple has filed for patents on almost all their Home Screen and App Store icons (we couldn’t find Calendar, which means its either too generic or we just couldn’t find it).

So fair warning to all the iClone manufacturers without prior art or $40 billion in the bank — start visual differentiation plans now.

As to the icons, at almost 1000×1000 pixels and with detail to match, it shows just how obsessive Apple is when it comes to their products and while other OS and devices may use the same app-launcher paradigms, they don’t seem to be slaving over every last detail — in art, consistency, multitouch panel quality, and touch detection software quality — Apple is putting in. Just amazing. (Except for those diagonal stripes).

Gallery after the break!

[Patently Apple, GoRumors via Engadget]

Our sibling site Android Central has just published a full review of the Verizon Droid Incredible — the latest Google superphone Android competition to the iPhone. (And yes, it does seem like they’re coming more than once a month now — we feel bad for Phil!).

It’s pretty much a gussied-up Nexus One with Sense UI, which you’d think would make it a Desire but it bumps a few specs (like an 8mp camera with dual LED flash) and a CDMA radio (which the Nexus One was supposed to do but hasn’t yet, and the iPhone keeps being rumored to do but hasn’t yet either).

All three devices are by HTC, who Apple is suing for patent infringement, and their ability to keep dropping high-end Android bombs like this is likely the reason why. Say what you want about software fragmentation, highly restricted app storage, and OLED screens you may or may not be able to see out in the daylight, the absolutely relentless improvements in UI and hardware both is very much in keeping with the robotic nature of the brand.

Apple of course is widely expected to counter this summer not only with the multitasking iPhone OS 4 (see our complete preview and feature walkthrough), but with 4th generation hardware leaps of its own — front facing camera, huge 960×640 display, and only Jobs knows what else.

Whether those iPhone on Verizon rumors finally pan out along with it, or in September, or only in 2011 we don’t know, but our advice to potential buyers remains the same as in our iPhone vs. Nexus One: which should you buy?. Check that post for details, but in broad strokes:

• If you have to get a new phone right now and you want AT&T, the 2009 iPhone 3GS (see our review) remains head of that class. If you want Verizon, however, the Incredible is certainly a credible choice. The original Droid has a hardware keyboard (lackluster though it may be) and the Nexus One has the Google rather than HTC Sense UI (though who knows when it will actually ship?) so it’s an embarrassment of Android riches over in Big Red land. (If you’re on Sprint, it’s EVO 4G ‘natch).

• If you can wait until the summer and aren’t fussy about carriers, Google may have another (two, three?) Androids on the market by then, but we have a sneaky suspicion Apple and iPhone HD (it won’t be called iPhone 4G) along with iPhone OS 4 will be the ones to watch in 2010. Again.

Head on over to Android Central’s complete Verizon Droid Incredible coverage for more, and let us know what you think — is it incredible?

If you have been in search of a tough case that offers dual layer protection while keeping a slim profile the Case-Mate Hybrid Case for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G [TiPb Store Link - $29.95] may just be the case you have been looking for. For the full review follow us after the break!

Getting your iPhone snug and secure in the Hybrid case is a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it. It’s just a matter of two steps 1) put the silicon skin on, and 2) attach the outer hard shell. It may take you a few tries to get the volume rocker seated properly but once that is done you are good to go. My only real gripe with using the silicon skin is that it attracts dust so be prepared to clean it quite often if you are a neat freak like myself. At the end of the day, however, I am happy to trade a cleaning or two for top of the line protection.

The Case-Mate Hybrid feels absolutely great in the hand with it’s textured outer shell. It gives you just the right amount of grip to make sure your iPhone won’t easily go flying out of your hand. And in the worst-case scenario, if you happen to have one of those moments where a drop is out of your control, rest be assured your device is very well cushioned by the the 2 layers of protection the Hybrid is constructed of.

Along with two layers of protection Case-Mate also delivers one sweet look with the grey outer hard shell in combination with the black form-fitting soft silicone skin. The case wraps completely around the device leaving the screen, camera, headphone jack, vibrate switch, and 30-pin charging/sync port open. Meanwhile, the power button and volume buttons are covered and very well protected. It would have been nice if Case-Mate tossed in a cover for the 30-pin port but that is something I can get over with the over all quality of the case.

With a few minor annoyances aside, Case-Mate has done a fantastic job with this Hybrid Case for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G, which you can purchase the TiPb store for $29.95. It has a little something for everyone. If you are a hard shell case guy/gal or a silicon skin guy/gal this is perfect combination giving you the best of both worlds and you should definitely consider picking one up. As picky as I am with my cases, I promise you this one is a winner.