If you’re resided in the UK, you may have taken notice of the new iOS 6.1, which for Vodafone has had a few problems getting pushed out fully to all the iOS handsets.

Some users may have had problems connecting to 3G whilst using iOS 6.1 on the iPhone 4S with the Vodafone network. The following statement from Vodafone gave more information on the subject:

We’re aware of an issue caused by Apple iPhone 4s handsets that have been upgraded to iOS 6.1 which impacts performance on 3G. Some customers may occasionally experience difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or to connect to the Internet. Apple is working on a solution to their software issue. These connection problems are intermittent.

While Apple’s investigations continue, we would recommend that anyone who has not yet installed iOS 6.1 on their iPhone 4s should delay doing so until Apple has confirmed that their problem has been fixed.

Vodafone has now worked on a fix with Apple, and they have now given the okay for Vodafone customers to update to iOS 6.1 on the iPhone 4S.

If you did download the 6.1 update and came across the 3G connectivity issue, it’s probably best that you follow Vodafone’s advice and update to the newest 6.1.1 for the iPhone 4S handset. How has your luck been with iOS 6.1 in the UK?

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Looking for a bargain on an iPhone or iPad for the holidays?  Walmart has announced plans to reduce its prices on Apple products for the season.

They are announcing a 16GB iPhone 5 for only $127 beginning December 17^th. Walmart also plans to cut the iPhone 4S from $89.97 down to a bargain $47.00 with 2 year agreement.

Don’t worry, Apple’s iPad is getting in on the love as well. Included are plans to slash the iPad $100 from $499 to $399. Even better, it includes a $30 iTunes gift card with purchase.  These deals are only available in-store.

Additionally, target will offer a bargain for Virgin Mobile Prepaid users, with the 16GB iPhone 4S on sale in store for $399.99 beginning December 16th.

If you are planning to upgrade your phone yourself or buy one for a friend or loved one, these are deals that can’t be ignored.

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NASA isn’t exactly getting the same level of funding that it once did, but that does not mean that you can’t perform some exploratory rocket missions of your own. Have you ever wanted to have your own homemade rocket that could then record and collect data about its flight onto an on-board Apple iPhone? With this tutorial, now you can. It starts with a relatively straightforward model rocket, complete with parachute for re-entry, but it has also been equipped with a TI Bluetooth low energy SensorTag and and iPhone 4S. That’s because while the iPhone has an accelerometer and such, but it can only record to +/-2G. That’s not good enough for a rocket, so the TI SensorTag is included in the rocket. Remember that the rocket can pull up to 8Gs during the boost phase of the flight.

There are two options for recording. You can keep your iDevice on the ground and record the data remotely or, if you’re feeling brave, you can actually attach your iPhone 4S (the instructions will have to be modified if you want to use an iPhone 5) to the rocket’s payload. And this works in tandem with the techBASIC app. Get the full tutorial on how to build your rocket, equip it with the Sensor Tag, and get it all working with your on-board iPhone by visiting byteworks.us. Yes, you can be a “scientist” too.

The post Video: iPhone Used to Measure Test Rocket Flight Data appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Apple’s beloved iPhone 4s has been dethroned as the top selling smartphone of Q3 2012, if the latest statistics coming from Strategy Analytics is to be believed. In Q3 Samsung’s Galaxy S3 captured 11% of all smartphones shipped globally. Just ahead of the Apple iPhone 4S, which captured one less percentage on global shipments. The race is close, and if Apple did not release the iPhone 5, perhaps they would have beaten Samsung on this Q3; since the iPhone 5 snapped up nearly 4% of the global smartphone market.

Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone model shipped 18.0 million units worldwide during the third quarter of 2012. The Galaxy S3 captured an impressive 11 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally and it has become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever. A large touchscreen design, extensive distribution across dozens of countries, and generous operator subsidies have been among the main causes of the Galaxy S3’s success. Apple shipped an estimated 16.2 million iPhone 4S units worldwide for second place, as consumers temporarily held off purchases in anticipation of a widely expected iPhone 5 upgrade at the end of the quarter.”

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia. However, the Galaxy S3’s position as the world’s best-selling smartphone model is likely to be short-lived. The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten off to a solid start already with an estimated 6.0 million units shipped globally during Q3 2012. We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung’s Galaxy S3 in the coming fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world’s most popular smartphone model.”

[Source]

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The iPhone 5 is the new big boy in town, but what if you aren’t quite ready to give up on your iPhone 4S just yet? The iExpander might be a great choice for you. It can make the iPhone 4 or 4S bigger, faster and stronger than ever before.

This accessory gives you double the battery life over the normal iPhone 4S, a microSD slot that can take up to 64GB cards, and an extra LED flash on the back of the iExpander that automatically fires each time the iPhone’s built-in flash does. This means better low-light photos and videos.

Now, when we said bigger, faster, stronger— we did mean bigger. The iExpander adds a little bit of bulk, at 6.3mm. Still, what it adds is probably worth the extra size and weight. Admittedly, the iPhone 4 and 4S don’t look nearly as sexy when wearing the bulky iExpander- but it still might be worth it for those that want/need more storage space.

A commitment of $70 on Kickstarter is all it takes to secure your white or black iExpander. Interested in getting into the iExpander action with your upcoming iPhone 5? The iExpander team plans to release a version for the iPhone 5 down the road. It’s also worth noting that the model in the pictures is a prototype, so it could become sleeker and less bulky in the official incarnation. Here’s hoping.

As the iExpander currently stands, what do you think?

The post iExpander Makes Your iPhone 4 and 4S Bigger and Better than Ever appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The iPhone 5 has arrived, but what does that mean for the iPhone 4S? Which is the better deal and how do they compare? While the iPhone will run you $199 for a 16GB model, you can get a 4S with 16GB of memory for just $99 with the same two year contract.

What about power under the hood, how much better is the iPhone 5 really?

Let’s take a look:

Processors

iPhone 5 has A6, iPhone 4S has the weaker A5.

Memory

iPhone 5 has 1GB, 512MB are in the 4S.

Display

iPhone 5 has a new 4-inch 1136×640 display, while the 4S has a 3.5-inch 960×640 display.

Storage

The same storage options on both: 16/32/64GB

Cameras

The iPhone 5 and 4S both have 8MP back cam.

The iPhone 5 has a 1.2MP front cam, the 4S has a VGA.

Battery Life

Very similar all around.

LTE

The iPhone 5 has LTE, the 4S doesn’t.

Lightning

The iPhone 5 has new dock connector, 4S has the older standard.

There are other specs and considerations, but these are probably some of the most important ones. It’s also worth noting that the iPhone 5 is a bit lighter. With the specs in mind, is it worth paying about $100 more for the 16GB iPhone 5?

Honestly, yes. The 4G LTE and larger screen alone make it a great move. If you have tons of money invested in older iAccessories, you might want to carefully think if you care enough about the LTE, larger screen and faster processor though.

For those that want a true budget offering at a great price and don’t care about lightning fast features, the iPhone 4 is free with a two year contract.

What do you think, interested in the iPhone 5?

The post iPhone 4S versus iPhone 5: Which is the better deal? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While a September 12th iPhone event is supposedly in the works, Apple has remained quiet about anything possibly related to a new iPhone. That being said, actions often speak louder than words.

Apple has recently started offering users an option to recycle their iPhone 4S devices for up to $345 back in the form of an Apple Gift Card. Seems pretty odd of a move considering there is no Apple product above the 4S to upgrade to, right?

This is clearly a subtle hint that the iPhone 4S era is coming to a halt. So how do you get “up to” $345? That’s for the premium 74GB White iPhone 4S, with lower models like the Black 16GB fetching just $285.

While offering a recycling program is always considered a good idea, and an environmentally responsible one at that, the fact that the offer is for the iPhone 4S indicates that Apple is planning a replacement very soon. We know it, Apple knows we know it, now we just have to wait patiently for the official reveal.

Do you plan on trading in your iPhone 4S for the new iPhone?

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What Trey DeArk and Terence Green have done here is create a case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S that effectively reflects the light from the LED flash so that it envelopes the outside of the phone. In effect, your iPhone lights up to let you know that you’ve got a new text message or Facebook update to read. Because the light is reflected in multiple directions around the phone, you’ll see the notification regardless of orientation.

But what if you actually want to use that LED flash to take a picture? There is a small cover that allows the LED light to reflect back into the case for the notifications, but you can slide that cover open to reveal the LED light again. This way, you can take photos as you normally would. Check out the Kickstarter page for more information. They plan on doing multiple colors and the early bird special gives you a free custom combo case with a minimum pledge of $30.

[Source]

The post iPhone Gets Glowing Bezel Notifications with FLASHr Case (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

I used to be a stickler for the physical keyboard. That’s why I got the HTC Legend, the Nokia E71, and the Palm Pre 2. They all had physical keyboards, because I didn’t want to wrap my head around a virtual keyboard. That’s changed now, but there are still people out there who like the physical feel of keys. And for those people, there is the QWERTY-packing Spike case for iPhone.

Designed by SoloMatrix, the Spike case is a protective case for the iPhone, except it comes with a clever bonus. The bottom half contains a QWERTY keyboard that can swing out to the front when you need it, and swing around to the back when you don’t. There are two similar designs–the Spike1 and the Spike2–the key difference being that the Spike2 allows the keyboard to flip a full 180-degrees to the back. With the Spike 1, the keyboard only swings out to the side for removal.

What’s great is that neither case requires a Bluetooth connection or external power, so your battery life should be better than the wireless alternatives. The initial run will call for versions in Pitch Black and Ice White. Solomatrix is currently seeking funding by way of a Kickstarter project. If the plan goes ahead, the expected retail will be $35 for the Spike1 and $60 for the Spike2. The current designs are for the iPhone 4/4S, but there are plans for an iPhone 5 version by January.

[Source]

The post Turn Your iPhone into a BlackBerry with the Spike QWERTY Keyboard appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

To make things even more interesting, Cricket Wireless is getting really competitive with its $55 monthly plan. This is an unlimited plan with as many minutes and text messages as you’d like to use. They say it comes with unlimited data, but their definition of unlimited is limited to 2.3GB of “fair use.”

Apple commented on the announcement: “By making iPhone available on pre-paid plans through Cricket Wireless, we are making the best smartphone more accessible to an even broader market in the US,” Apple representative Natalie Harrison told The Loop.

The non-contract prepaid price for the iPhone is roughly on par with the unlocked model that you can get in other markets, if not slightly cheaper. You can get the 16GB iPhone 4S for $499.99 or, if you want to save a hundred bucks, the regular 8GB iPhone 4 can be had for $399.99 outright.

[Source]

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