iPhone 4S

Apple navigates low revenue, tight margin future

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 24, 2013

Tuesday's announcement by Apple that it sold more devices but with less profit during the June quarter seems to have reset investor expectations about the tech giant. The key to Apple introducing new products going forward now appears to be the ability to sustain Wall Street confidence that CEO Tim Cook can continue steering the ship effectively without the hand of late co-founder Steve Jobs.

Although overall quarterly revenue of $35.4 billion topped the consensus of $35 billion, profit fell 22 percent to $6.9 billion. As a result, Cook tried to reassure investors, announcing Apple was "laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products" set for the fall and 2014...

Older iPhones comprise almost half of Apple’s U.S. handset sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 22, 2013

Apple's iPhone 5 accounts for just over half of the company's smartphone sales, with 48 percent coming from the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, according to new research. That compares to the iPhone 4S which comprised about 75 percent of Apple sales almost a year after launch.

The figures illustrate how a larger portion of Apple's smartphone revenue is being generated by lower-cost iPhone models, a concern for investors heading into Tuesday's third-quarter financial report...

High-end smartphone market gone, warns analyst

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 22, 2013

Welcome to the commoditization of smartphones, or the Emachining of the iPhone. As the handsets move from only the hands of first-adopters to something even your grandma owns, prices are plummeting. It is to the point where one analyst declares the end of the high-end smartphone gold rush.

The average price of a smartphone has fallen nearly $100 in the past year as consumers dismiss talk of 4G and other technical debates, concentrating on just one question: is it good enough and within reach of their wallet...

Could Apple Stores sell more iPhones?

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 17, 2013

Can Apple more than triple the percent of iPhones sold at its retail stores, pumping up sales of its flagship smartphone?

While CEO Tim Cook is pushing the idea, some observers question whether the goal of selling half of all iPhones in Apple Stores is in fact attainable.

The Apple CEO says he'd like in-store sales of iPhones - now at fifteen percent - to match the fifty percent of handsets serviced by Apple Store Geniuses. Currently, around 90 percent of iPhones are purchased either through U.S. carriers or third-party resellers...

Strap-E iPhone case carries your cash, credit cards and more

Cody Lee ∙ July 14, 2013

I've long been in search of a proper wallet-iPhone case combo that would allow me to leave my conventional wallet at home. I've tried the BookBook, the HEX and several others, but have yet to find one that met my requirements for form and function.

This new Strap-E case looks interesting though. It's a slim (only adds 3mm to your iPhone) plastic, slide-on case that has durable, injection molded loops on the back that allow it to carry cash, credit cards and almost anything else you can fit in your pocket...

AT&T promotion makes 16GB iPhone 5 just $99 with contract

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

It appears that retailers are in full-on inventory clearance mode with the iPhone 5, in anticipation of a new model. Best Buy is currently taking $50 off the handset, Walmart is offering the device at a $70 discount, and it looks like AT&T wants in on the fun too.

This morning, the country's second largest carrier started a promotion that takes 50% off its entire smartphone lineup. Yes, that even includes the iPhone 5, which means that you can score an entry-level model of the popular handset for just $99 with contract...

Walmart now selling 16GB iPhone 5 for $129

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

Not to be outdone by Best Buy, Walmart has today announced a promotion that could save you big bucks on Apple's latest handset. The retailer is now taking additional $60 off the iPhone 5, taking the price of the 16GB from $189 to $129 with contract.

It's also knocking $50 off of the iPhone 4S, taking its price from $89 to $39. Again, the deal requires that you sign a 2-year agreement with either AT&T, Sprint or Verizon (T-Mobile not included). And according to reports, the price changes are permanent...

Best Buy to relaunch iPhone 4/4S trade-in offer this week

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2013

All through this month, nationwide electronics chain Best Buy has been taking $50 off its iPhone 5 handsets. This means that if you were in the market for such a device, you could score a 16GB iPhone 5 for just $150, with contract.

And it's looking to sweeten the deal. The retailer says that it's going to be relaunching its iPhone trade-in offer this week that will allow customers to trade in their old iPhone 4 or 4S for a free 16GB iPhone 5 with a 2-year agreement...

Texas firm suing Apple over call forwarding feature found in iPhone 4S/5

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Apple's no stranger to being on the defendant side of patent infringement lawsuits. In addition to its ongoing court battle with Samsung, there are a number of smaller companies hoping to squeeze some money out of the tech giant via patent suits. And today, we're adding another one to the list.

Texas-based Bluebonnet Telecommunications filed a lawsuit against Apple yesterday in an [surprise] Eastern District Texas courtroom, claiming that the call forwarding feature found in the company's iPhone 4S and 5 handsets infringes on one of its patents it has owned for over a decade...

iPhone 4S/5 users to get Wireless Emergency Alerts via AT&T

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 29, 2016

U.S. carrier AT&T announced Friday that its subscribers will soon start receiving Wireless Emergency Alerts to their iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 devices. Text notifications will include AMBER, Imminent Threat and Presidential Alerts and will be enabled following an upcoming carrier update pushed out to iPhone devices running iOS 6.1 or later.

Of the three types of alerts, users will be able to disable AMBER and Imminent Threat alerts. Presidential alerts, which are sent straight from the President, can't be turned off...

Hacked T-Mobile carrier update brings HD Voice to the iPhone 4S

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Folks with an iPhone on T-Mobile might be interested to hear that there's a new hacked carrier update available that promises a number of enhancements. It was created by the same folks who brought you hacks for Sprint, Verizon and AT&T.

This time around, the developers say that the modded update is good for more than just speed improvements. For iPhone 5 users, it adds a 4G toggle so you can switch it off to conserve battery life. And for 4S users, it adds HD Voice support...

AT&T brings push-to-talk to the iPhone 4S and 5

Cody Lee ∙ June 11, 2013

AT&T's big announcement got lost somewhere in the cracks of the onslaught of WWDC news yesterday. The carrier launched a new iPhone app this weekend that brings enhanced push-to-talk (EPTT) to the popular handset.

The app, which is aptly named AT&T Enhanced Push-To-Talk, allows iPhone 4S and 5 users to communicate quickly using next-generation VoIP technology to deliver one-to-one or group calls over AT&T's 3G and 4G networks...