iPhone 4S

How I factory unlocked my iPhone 4S in 10 minutes

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Recently, I've been interested in factory unlocking my still on-contract iPhone 4S. I'd heard of various services over the past few months, but never really investigated them until recently.

After asking around on Twitter, I stumbled upon Cellular Medic — one of many services available online that claims to be able to factory unlock the iPhone for a fee.

I was pleasantly surprised that the entire unlock process took a mere 10 minutes. I went from an iPhone 4S locked to AT&T, to a permanently unlocked iPhone 4S that's usable on virtually any GSM carrier. Take a look inside for a video walkthrough documenting the experience...

T-Mobile to start offering 4G micro SIM kits for unlocked iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2012

Last week, T-Mobile announced that it was going to begin offering truly unlimited data plans on September 5th. It says the plans will work in conjunction with 4G data speeds, and promises that users will never be throttled.

Well, good news today for current or potential iPhone customers on the network. According to a new report, the carrier is about to start offering 4G micro SIM kits, compatible with its unlimited plans, for unlocked iPhone users...

Apple serves iPhone 5 mod kit company take down notice

Cody Lee ∙ August 24, 2012

A few days ago we told you about the iPhone 5 mod kit. It's essentially a backplate for your iPhone 4/4S that's made to look like the two-tone rear shells believed to belong to Apple's next-gen handset.

Well either Tim Cook and company don't like the fact that the mod kit is named after its latest smartphone, or it must look a lot like it, because Apple just served the developers a takedown notice...

Mod kit lets you convert your iPhone 4/4S into an iPhone 5

Cody Lee ∙ August 22, 2012

It's extremely likely that the two-tone back panels we've been seeing over the past few months are indicative of what we'll see on Apple's next smartphone. And some folks aren't very happy about that.

But for those of you who like the design, you don't have to wait until next month to enjoy it. A new 'iPhone 5' mod kit has surfaced that allows you to convert your iPhone 4/4S into Apple's next-gen handset...

The time is ripe to sell your old iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ August 20, 2012

Apple is expected to unveil its latest smartphone next month on September 12. And though the handset won't launch until the 21st, pre-orders for the device are said to begin the same day.

For those of you who plan on selling your old iPhone to help pay for the new one, that gives you around three weeks to do so. But according to resell data, you may not want to wait that long...

Apple now matching iPhone discounts from other retailers

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2012

Last weekend we reported that Sprint, a large wireless carrier here in the US, had started discounting the iPhone 4S by $50. The move wasn't surprising, as we've seen similar discounts from other carriers and retailers.

But word is getting around today that Apple has finally joined the party, and has given its retail stores the authorization to match the discounted prices from approved major retailers and carriers up to $50 dollars...

Apple’s attention to detail extends to ads

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 7, 2012

If you're subscribed to Apple's official YouTube channel and have email notifications for new uploads enabled, an alert may have hit your inbox today saying Apple just uploaded the Siri ad starring film director Martin Scorsese (go here for a parody treatment).

And just like that, because the video has replaced the original clip, a bunch of web pages that have the original embed code in place now show empty boxes (don't worry, I already updated our article with a new code).

At first glance, the commercial is exactly the same as the original ad from two weeks ago. At closer inspection, the new version removes the AT&T branding and fixes a minuscule editing error that only the pickiest of eyes would catch. That's attention to detail for you...

Rokform v3 Bike Mount rules the trails [review and giveaway]

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated December 28, 2016

As a CES design award nominee, Rokform never ceases to impress with their array of iPhone and iPad accessories. If you happened to miss our Rokbed v3 Custom Case review and giveaway, you didn't know Rokform has an extensive list of useful items designed to enhance the overall functionality of the v3 cases.

The Rokbed v3 Bike Mount Kit works seamlessly with the included Rokbed v3 case and keeps your iPhone front and center while hitting the trails. Thanks to our friends at Rokform, we've been able to test our own and give you a chance to win a case and mount too...

Introducing Bladepad, the detachable iPhone gamepad

Cody Lee ∙ August 6, 2012

A few days ago we asked the question, "Should Apple build a game controller?" It was a pretty fair question, considering that the graphics in iOS titles are getting closer and closer to console-quality, but the gameplay isn't.

We've seen several accessory-makers try to remedy this problem by building physical gamepads, but none of them have managed to gain consumer traction. The new Gamepad, however, is hoping to change that...

Sprint heavily discounts the iPhone 4S ahead of iPhone 5 launch

Sébastien Page ∙ August 4, 2012

We just got words that Sprint was currently selling the iPhone 4S 16GB at a $50 discount, for a total price of $149.99. According to a Sprint retailer who reached out to us, the company has been notifying stores that this new pricing would be in place until September 14th.

The timing seems very appropriate as the iPhone 5 next iPhone has been rumored to be announced at an event on September 12th, and will supposedly be available for sale on September 21st...

Martin Scorsese Siri ad gets the parody treatment

Cody Lee ∙ August 1, 2012

Last week, Apple started airing a new Siri commercial featuring the popular film director Martin Scorsese. The ad was the fourth in a string of celebrity spots focused on the digital assistant.

Unsurprisingly, a parody video has just been made to poke fun at the ad. You've seen "The Samuel L. Jackson ad you were hoping for." Now, here's "Scorsese's alternate iPhone commercial..."

FLASHr: a flash notifications case for your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

It seems like a gross oversight, on Apple's part, that there's no external indicator for notifications on the iPhone. This means that unless you happen to see a push notification come through, you have to unlock your handset to see if you have any missed calls or text messages.

Apple tried to remedy this issue with a new feature in iOS 5 called LED Flash for Alerts. It uses the iPhone's camera flash to alert users that they have new notifications, but for a number of reasons, this solution is far from perfect. Enter the new FLASHr case by Phaze5...