Category: I-phone

We’ve all had a number of lingering questions after today’s event. Here’s a quick summary of some of the more frequently asked questions we keep getting on our tip line.

Will Siri be available on the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4?

As far as we can tell, Siri is an iPhone 4S exclusive feature.

Will Siri be available outside of the US?

Siri will be available outside the US. Where? We can’t entirely tell yet. Siri mentions vary on out-of-US Apple websites. The French and British sites discuss Siri, but not Canada. (Thanks, Jean-Philippe Bousquet) We have no word as to how well Siri will work in Scotland.

Why does the iPhone cost so much in my country?

Probably because your country does not follow the US subsidy model, where prices are discounted in exchange for a contract commitment.

When can I buy an unlocked and/or out-of-contract iPhone

Apple’s site suggests the unlocked unit will be available for sale at the same time as the contract/locked units. We have contacted US Apple support and received conflicting information (we were told that these units would only be made available in Canada). We have sent a query to Apple PR for a clarifying statement. We have not heard back, and we probably won’t.

When does it go on sale? When can I buy one in person?

Pre-orders start October 7. We don’t know what time of day. Last time Apple offered iPhone pre-orders, it was early in the morning east-coast time. We’re guessing 7AM or 8AM ET.

The iPhone arrives in stores on October 14th. Probably with lots of lines at Apple’s stores. If history holds, you’ll also be able to get in line at AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon stores in the US.

How much will out-of-contracts likely sell for?

Kelly Hodgkins tells us that Verizon is listing the 16GB unit for $649, the 32 for $749, and the 64 for $849. Compare and contrast that with the Late 2010 64 MacBook Air, which you can buy for $749 (slightly refurbished) or the May 2010 Macbook 2.4 with 250 GB (SATA) for $849. You can also pick up a brand new Mac mini for $599 (less for refurbished models). You can buy a first generation iPad with 3G for $399, and a current generation 16 GB iPad 2 with 3G for $579.

Will Siri run on iPad 2? It has the same processor

Apple says: “Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.” So even with the same processor, it doesn’t look promising.

Will all iPhone 4 cases work with iPhone 4S?

Apple’s site says yes, but again we’re not sure. Other than the weight (3 grams more), the dimensions appear to be the same. Most concerns seem to be about the camera, but we’re hearing nothing yet about any differences there in external case access.

Apple says:

Do existing iPhone 4 accessories work with the new iPhone 4S?
Yes, all iPhone 4 accessories work with iPhone 4S.

What size storage will be available for iCloud?

5 GB free — and you can use that up like *that* if you do iCloud backups (vs computer backups). From there 10GB $20/yr, 20GB $40, 50GB $100

Why do some iPhone 4 first-day adopters have immediate upgrade ability rather than February 25th?

They pay a lot more per month than you or I do. Us “bottom feeders” (at $65 a month or so) have to wait longer.

Will unlimited data be grandfathered in?

Wait and see. Definitely unlimited data on Sprint if rumor holds true. For AT&T, we’re not sure.

When does iOS 5 ship?

iOS 5 will launch October 12th

iPhone 4S Announcement FAQ originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Online marketing and analytics firm Webtrends kept a close eye on the Apple event and announcements yesterday. Not surprisingly, the iPhone 4S was a huge buzz generator for the day, with almost half (585,306 out of 1,223,060) of the total online mentions made about Apple.

Excitement or curiosity about Siri followed the iPhone 4S at a distant second place with just 77,220 mentions, followed by the iPod touch announcements. The improved camera in the iPhone 4S also garnered a good amount of buzz — after seeing the beautiful gallery of photos from the iPhone 4S on the Apple website, I can see why.

What got the least amount of interest from the announcements? Newsstand. That seems to mirror the widespread malaise of online newspapers and magazines that will be readable through Apple’s portal beginning with the availability of iOS 5 on October 12.

iPhone 4S was top online buzz generator yesterday originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s a summary of what happened today during Apple’s iPhone event, with links you can follow to more in-depth coverage. You can check out Apple’s keynote for yourself if you like, but our summary will probably go a lot quicker for you.

Apple announces the iPhone 4S: The top story for today, Apple’s next-gen iPhone is an all-internal upgrade that looks externally identical to the iPhone 4. The handset will be available for pre-order on October 7, and it launches in the US and a few other countries on October 14. As virtually everyone expected, the iPhone 4S will launch on Sprint in addition to AT&T and Verizon. Evidence on Apple’s site suggests unlocked models will be available, but pricing info for contract-free handsets isn’t available yet. The iPhone 4S has a faster A5 processor with much-improved graphics performance, improved battery and wireless performance, and a vastly improved 8 megapixel camera. Exclusive to the iPhone 4S is Siri, a new and powerful voice interface. Speaking of which…

Apple (re)introduces Siri as iPhone voice control assistant for iPhone 4S: By far the biggest new feature announced today, Siri looks like it will revolutionize voice control on the iPhone. Siri is able to understand natural language inquiries and quickly look up information, generate appointments and text messages, and even take dictation. You may never need to type on your iPhone again. Reportedly the existing Siri app will go dark on October 15, so the service will definitely be exclusive to Apple’s newest iPhone after that.

iOS 5 available October 12: The iOS 5 “gold master” seed was released today to developers, and it will be available to everyone else on October 12. iOS 5 will be a free download that will run on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S; all models of iPad; and the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. Apple’s free replacement for MobileMe, iCloud, is also going live to everyone on October 12. Meanwhile, the App Store is now officially welcoming apps compatible with iOS 5.

Apple refreshes iPod touch lineup with new colors: With the only apparent changes being a new white model and a price drop for the entry-level model, the iPod touch received only a very modest update today. No mention was made of the iPod touch being updated with the A5 processor, which marks the first time the line hasn’t kept pace with the iPhone’s processor.

Apple refreshes iPod nano, lowers price: The iPod nano also received a very modest update; aside from new clock faces, integrated fitness functions, a slightly revamped UI, and a price drop, the nano is largely the same as last year’s model. The new UI and clock faces appear to be available to 2010 model iPod nanos via a software update, so if you have last year’s model already there doesn’t appear to be any reason to upgrade.

8 GB iPhone 3GS now free with contract, iPhone 4 price dropped: You can now pick up Apple’s two-year-old iPhone 3GS for free if you sign up for a two-year contract. That may sound like a great deal, but by 2013 the iPhone 3GS is probably going to seem like it’s a UNIVAC. You’re better off spending the extra $99 to get an iPhone 4 instead; it’s the same capacity, but with a much-improved processor, Retina Display, and a far better camera. Sure, the iPhone 3GS is free, but in our opinion you get what you pay for with that model.

Other new services and products:

• Apple announced a Find My Friends app that will work via iCloud, which should make stalking locating your friends much easier — no more “I’m over by the thing, next to the other thing” directions.
• Another new app that had us alternately scratching our heads and cracking jokes: Cards will enable you to send photos to Apple, which it will then turn into postcards and mail out for you for a modest fee.
• To comply with EU standards, Apple will release a dock connector to micro USB adapter on October 14. Available on Apple’s online UK store, it’s relatively inexpensive at only £8.
• The sequel to Chair’s hugely popular Infinity Blade will be released December 1. Infinity Blade 2 demonstrated the hugely improved graphical performance of the iPhone 4S — I can’t wait to see how this looks in person.

Apple kicking butt, taking names:

• Apple’s largest store in Asia had over 100,000 visitors in its opening weekend.
• OS X Lion has sold 6 million copies since its July 20 debut, 80 percent more than Snow Leopard.
• The iPhone 4 accounts for half of all iPhone sales, ever, and iPhones now account for 5 percent of worldwide handsets — not just smartphones, all phones.
• iPads are “showing up everywhere,” including 80 percent of US hospitals and 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
• Despite arguably stagnant features over the past couple years, the iPod still accounts for 70 percent of the portable music player market, and iTunes is the number one music store.
• The App Store has served more than 18 billion app downloads, with more than 500,000 total apps and 140,000 iPad-specific apps.

To be honest, with the exception of Siri there doesn’t seem to be much new and exciting coming out of Apple’s event today. The iPhone 4S is, as the name implies, an iterative update to the (admittedly hugely successful) iPhone 4, while the iPod lineup has seen only very modest updates. Given Apple’s massive success as of late, the company can afford to rest on its laurels for awhile — but not for too long.

Roundup of today’s iPhone event coverage originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Draft 8, the industry-standard scriptwriting software, has finally come to the Mac App Store. Even for those of you who have never written a movie script, you’ve seen the fruits of labor of the app used by those writers. Before Christian Bale utters a menacing threat to a criminal in a Batman movie or Ashton Kutcher cracks a joke on Two and a Half Men, their words were written on Final Draft.

AMong its features, Final Draft 8 includes Scene View, which allows writers to drag and drop scenes in the order they want them to appear in the script, split-screen writing so you can be at two places in your script at once and Format Assistant, which checks to make sure your layout and more applies to industry-standard rules.

Now while I love Final Draft, it’s important to note that the version released on the Mac App Store is the same one that’s been available for a while now. There are no big new features that should warrant owners of the current version to switch.

However, if you are thinking of buying Final Draft 8, do it through the Mac App Store and not through the website. Until Final Draft 8 became available on the Mac App Store, the software had one of the most burdensome registration processes ever. Instead of relying on a serial number for registration, users had to enter challenge and authorization codes online or over the phone, and if you lost one of those codes (as I have in the past) it was easier to buy a new copy of the software than trying to get the people at Final Draft to reactivate your copy. Users who buy Final Draft through the Mac App Store never have to worry about this again.

While I do recommend that anyone who writes scripts for a living use Final Draft, that’s not to say the software is without its drawbacks. First off, the UI is beginning to show its age. Also, there is cheaper software, such as Scrivener, that gives Final Draft a serious run for its money. But the main problem I have with Final Draft is they are usually slow to adopt new technology. This is no more apparent than using the software in OS X 10.7 Lion. As it stands now, Final Draft doesn’t take advantage of Lion’s new features such as Versions, iCloud document syncing, full-screen support and Auto Save. It also doesn’t take advantage of Lion’s Dictionary panel or scroll bars.

The people at Final Draft told me that full-screen support and Auto Save are coming in a future version of the software, but Versions and iCloud document syncing will not be. The reason for this is that Final Draft is developing their own proprietary solution called Final Draft Connect, which will act as an online project-management solution. This makes sense because Final Draft isn’t just a Mac app. Its got a massive Windows userbase as well. However, it would be nice if Final Draft would also implement Versions and iCloud document syncing in addition to its proprietary solution.

Final Draft 8 is available on the Mac App Store for US$199.99. That’s 20% off its normal $249.99 price. The sale runs until the end of October.

Daily Mac App: Final Draft originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although it’s not on Apple’s support site yet, Macstories reports that a software update is available for the 6th generation (2010) iPod nano, updating the software to version 1.2 with the following features:

• Easier navigation with two icon sizes
• Fitness feature with built-in accelerometer that’s easier to set for running or walking. This works out of the box or with the Nike + iPod sport kit.
• Additional clock faces

These were all features announced for the refreshed iPod nano line at today’s event. The update is available via Software Update if you own a 6th-generation nano and is expected to be available through the support site soon.

Software update brings new features to 2010 iPod nano originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How do you top an Apple product announcement? Easy — you get product editors for two top Apple blogs together to talk about all the new goodies. My special guest on today’s TUAW TV Live is none other than the App Editor for The iPhone Blog (TiPB.com), Leanna Lofte!

Leanna started with TiPB about the same time I began work here at TUAW in 2008, and is also based in the blogger-rich state of Colorado. She began writing as a forum app reviewer, moved on to accessory reviews, and was named App Editor this year. As she notes, “if you’re an iOS app or game developer, I should be in your favorites!”

As usual, I’ll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we’ll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you’re unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel.

The chat is now available as well on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.

TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT: Leanna Lofte of TiPB visits the TUAW Studio originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As expected, Apple has posted the keynote for today’s iPhone event. You can stream it over the Internet by pointing your browser to Apple’s event website. To watch the video, you’ll need to use a Mac with Safari 4 or 5 and Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion, an iOS 3 or later device with Safari, or a PC QuickTime 7 on Windows. Enjoy!

Apple iPhone 4S keynote now available for streaming originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European Union regulations require cell phone vendors to include micro USB connectors as a means of standardizing charging options for cell phones, a necessary move to cut down on the plethora of mutually incompatible charging options that have proliferated through the mobile phone industry. Rather than alter the iPhone itself, Apple has instead begun offering a micro USB adapter that connects via the existing 30-pin dock connector. Thus far it appears to be available only in the UK Apple Store, and at £8.00 it seems fairly inexpensive as far as Apple’s accessories go. It will be available on October 14.

The adapter will allow you to sync and charge any iPhone (except the original 2007 model) via a micro USB cable connected to your computer, and you can charge your iPhone from a charger with a micro USB connection. This means you no longer have to rely on Apple’s somewhat expensive dock cables if the one that comes with your iPhone breaks and you don’t have a spare.

EU regulations do allow for Apple to offer the adapter instead of altering the iPhone itself, so Apple is now in full compliance with the standards.

Apple unveils dock to micro USB adapter to comply with EU standards originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s nothing like major corporations acting like a bunch of kids on a playground. As you remember, Samsung and Apple have been locked in a patent infringement lawsuit for quite some time. Apple is trying (quite successfully, I may add) to block the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10 tablet in several countries, so now Samsung is playing tit-for-tat and wants to block sales of the brand new iPhone 4S in France and Italy.

Samsung said in a statement that they’ll file a pair of preliminary injunction requests in Paris and Milan, stating that the iPhone 4S infringes on two patents related to WCDMA standards for 3G-enabled devices. The South Korean manufacturer plans to make a major assault on the 4S, stating that it will pursue injunctions in other countries as well. Samsung wasted no time in sending out marketing materials panning the 4S while touting the Galaxy S II Android phone.

The statement from Samsung states “Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology. We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.”

Apple has already successfully blocked (for now) the Galaxy tablets in Germany, as well as some Samsung smartphone models in the Netherlands. Samsung says that Apple hasn’t paid licensing fees for some of its patents relating to wireless technology, while Apple says that Samsung never demanded a license fee until last year, being mum before that time because Apple is a huge Samsung customer.

In addition to the iPhone 4S, Samsung is claiming that the iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 all infringe on its wireless-technology patents. Stay tuned to TUAW as we keep track of the latest shots fired in what is becoming a full-fledged war between the two companies.

Samsung wants to block iPhone 4S sales in France, Italy originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 8 MP camera is one of several new hardware features present in the iPhone 4S. It’s a significant upgrade that’ll entice many shutterbugs to drop their current phone and switch to Apple’s latest handset.

If you are on the fence or are just interested in seeing how the 4S camera performs, then you must check out this sample gallery of photos on Apple’s website. Yes, the gallery is chosen by Apple and it has the best of the best photos, but still it’s nice to examine the quality of images that this new shooter is capable of producing.

To check out these photos, point your browser to Apple’s website and click “view the gallery” on the right side of the page. Drool over the images for a while and let us know what you think in the comments.

Apple shows off iPhone 4S camera with new gallery originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung didn’t waste any time comparing its flagship Samsung Galaxy S II handset to Apple’s recently announced iPhone 4S. The South Korean manufacturer sent out a note to the press detailing why its Android handset is superior to Apple’s latest offering.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S II display has 42% more screen area than the iPhone 4. It notes that “screen size benefits scale by AREA (length x width), not just diagonal.” The Galaxy S II is also the thinnest handset on the market and has faster HSPA+ network speeds than the iPhone 4S.

Not surprisingly, Samsung couldn’t help but point out Android is supposedly an “open ecosystem” while iOS is limited to single manufacturer’s storefront or app store. Of course, the Korean manufacturer failed to mention all those Trojan horses and other malware that are lurking in this open system of apps.

Samsung takes a swipe at iPhone 4S already originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following the announcement of Infinity Blade II at Apple’s media event, Epic Games has released content pack #4 in an update to the the original Infinity Blade game. The new pack comes with “new magic rings, swords, shields, and helmets” as well as a “fierce and deadly RookBane!”

On top of that, the update comes with a sneak preview of Infinity Blade II and Infinity Blade: Awakening, a book written by Brandon Sanderson (which coincidentally is now available on the iBook Store and the Kindle Store).

The update is free (and waiting for you now in the updates section of the App Store) if you’ve purchased the game.

Infinity Blade update with content pack #4 available now originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in 1987, Apple produced a concept video describing a product known as Knowledge Navigator. Knowledge Navigator is a computer app with bow-tied personal assistant that would let you interact with your device using your voice and natural language. You can check messages, find appointments, share documents and more.

Sound familiar? It should as it’s surprisingly similar to Siri, the natural language personal assistant Apple introduced at its iPhone 4S event yesterday. Not only is Knowledge Navigator like Siri, the scenario in the concept video also takes place in September 2011. Look at the date on the professor’s calendar, it says September 16 and he’s looking for a five-year-old article that was published in 2006. This September 16 date, which was chosen 23 years ago, is eerily close to Apple’s October 4, 2011 announcement. Check out the video below, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Apple’s Knowledge Navigator, Siri and the iPhone 4S originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wildings is the first mobile title from Metamoki, which is traditionally a social gaming company. Still, the game is pretty dynamic anyway. It reminds me a lot of Battleheart actually, which is an iOS game that I really love, though Wildings isn’t quite as polished or complex.

The idea is that you control a set of creatures trying to defend a nest of baby birds, and you can guide your troops in real-time around the screen as you fend off attackers. You collect suns as you go (in a mechanic borrowed from Plants vs. Zombies, apparently), and then later on, those suns can be used to power your various abilities, doing things like slowing down attackers or even clearing them off the screen.

The action is fun and pretty well done, though the only real innovation is that you can tap faster on incoming enemies to take them down quicker. The game also has a relatively slow curve, too — you have to collect boat pieces one by one to go off to other islands and get your troops upgraded, and the game isn’t real clear on just how many pieces you need to move on.

Still, for the low, low price of free (which is what the game is on sale for right now), it’s definitely worth a download. Wildings isn’t exactly the most finished game around, but if you like the Battleheart-style of gameplay and want to try something new, check it out.

TUAW’s Daily iPhone App: Wildings originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although it missed out on getting the original iPhone, New Zealand was the first country on Earth to sell the iPhone 3G. Unfortunately that wasn’t the only way NZ distinguished itself during the iPhone 3G launch; thanks to local telco Vodafone NZ, the country also featured some of the highest handset prices and most expensive plans anywhere in the world. New Zealand lost its “first kids on the block with the iPhone” crown in 2009, as the iPhone 3GS came out in NZ just under a month after its launch in the United States. Although a year had passed, nothing had changed on the pricing front; Vodafone’s handset subsidies remained pitifully lacking compared to other countries, and plan prices remained staggeringly high compared to what Kiwis were getting for their money.

In 2010, the iPhone 4 once again launched in New Zealand a little over a month after its US debut, but the NZ launch was an unmitigated disaster. Even on the day of the launch, conflicting reports from Vodafone NZ made it unclear whether the iPhone would launch in New Zealand at all. No official numbers were ever released on the number of iPhone 4 units available on launch day, but I know my local retailer received perhaps a dozen units before it sold out — that’s 12 iPhone 4 handsets in a city of over 80,000 people.

Nothing has ever been conclusively proven, but the most popular (and most likely to be true) theory is that last-minute pricing disputes between Vodafone and Apple resulted in Apple threatening to cancel the New Zealand launch if Vodafone didn’t agree to offer customers lower handset prices. Vodafone reportedly capitulated at first, and handset subsidies for the iPhone 4 were initially much more generous (a relative term) compared to earlier iPhone launches. Vodafone NZ turned around and raised iPhone 4 handset prices anyway several months later.

Apple has to have taken notice of these shenanigans, and the proof is in the now greatly delayed New Zealand launch of the iPhone 4S. While our neighbors across the Tasman will see the iPhone 4S reach Australian stores on October 14, with 22 more countries following two weeks later, New Zealand won’t see the iPhone 4S until December at the earliest. For those keeping score, this means that in only three years New Zealand has gone from being first in the world to see a new iPhone to being lumped in with the “70 more countries” category, also known as Apple’s “Meh, whenever we get around to it,” tier for iPhone launches. Even when the iPhone 4S does finally make it here, there’s every reason to suspect the NZ launch will be just as big of a bungled debacle as it was last year.

It’s my suspicion that NZ’s newfound low-priority status for the iPhone 4S launch comes as a direct result of Vodafone NZ’s inflated handset prices — or looking at it the other way, its terrible handset subsidies — and the company’s inflexibility in negotiations with Apple. Representatives from Vodafone NZ consistently take a “blame Apple” approach when called to task for things like high handset prices and fumbled launches, but their sister company handles launches with aplomb in Australia and manages to offer handsets at a fair price for the market.

To be fair, Apple is not entirely blameless here either. The prices Apple charges for its gear in New Zealand approach extortionate levels when compared to other countries’ pricing, even after accounting for taxes and import duties. Apple still offers unlocked iPhone 4 units at a starting price of NZ$899, roughly comparable to what I expect the price for an unlocked iPhone 4S to be in the United States. Apple’s continued refusal to establish any official retail presence in a nation of four million potential customers, while simultaneously opening stores in sparsely-populated markets like Alaska, is also profoundly baffling. However, I believe most of the blame for the delayed iPhone 4S launch falls to Vodafone NZ’s attitude toward both Apple and its own customers; in the end, it’s those customers who are paying the price, in more ways than one.

Given its position as the number one smartphone vendor in the world, Apple can afford to play hardball with virtually any wireless carrier. If my appraisal of the situation between Apple and Vodafone NZ is even close to being accurate, then it should serve as a cautionary example for other carriers. The carriers need Apple far more than Apple needs them — Sprint dropping 20 billion dollars on an iPhone deal is proof enough of how badly carriers need Apple, but Apple kicking Vodafone NZ to the bottom of the iPhone 4S availability ladder is just as much proof of how little Apple needs the carriers. Wireless providers play hard to get with Apple at their own peril… but, sadly, also at the peril of their customers.

Opinion: Delayed New Zealand iPhone 4S launch shows the perils of drawing Apple’s ire originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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