4s

Sprint sweetens the deal for iPhone 4S

Sprint is upping the ante to move the iPhone 4S to customers as many expect Apple to unveil the next generation of the popular smartphone next month.

After a price drop last week, the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier is now packaging a $100 gift card with the purchase of any smartphone by new customers over the Internet. Apple plans to match the deal by offering Apple Store credit for the same amount, Business Insider confirmed.

The new promotion, which is good until August 26, comes less than a month before the expected launch of the new iPhone on Sept. … Read more

How tweets reveal where you live

Monday's top-story rundown knows where you live:

Just when you think it's safe to tweet, here comes WeKnowYourHouse.com. The site is a social media experiment designed to show how easy it is for tweets to be used against you. If a Twitter user has location turned on, and they send a message with the word "home" in it, then the site will display it along with a Street View image of the location. Similar to PleaseRobMe.com, it showcases how some users may not be aware of how much information they are sharing.

But you … Read more

Target, Best Buy latest iPhone price cutters

Apple's iPhone is now cheaper at a host of stores.

Over the weekend, Best Buy cut the price of Apple's iPhone 4 to $50 with a two-year contract, down from its original $100 price tag. Target has taken it one step further and cut the price of the iPhone 4S to $149.99 with a two-year contract, according to its mobile store. However, Target's weekly flyer, sent out yesterday, still lists the iPhone 4S at $179.99.

CNET will contact the Target sales department when it opens to determine its current price on the iPhone 4S.

Regardless, … Read more

Beware the allure of Apple's Retina Displays

Apple's Retina Displays are drop-dead gorgeous. But be careful what you wish for.

Like many, I got the third-generation iPad because of the 2,048-by-1,536-pixel-density Retina Display. And, like many, I didn't see a huge difference at first.

That was then. Now it's painful to pick up my Dell laptop with its 1,366x768-pixel 13.3-inch display and Windows 7 fonts (note: font-smoothing utilities go just so far).

And while my 11.6-inch MacBook Air fares better than the Dell (it packs the same number of pixels but into a smaller area giving it a higher PPI … Read more

Apple retail stores reportedly price-matching iPhones

Apple will match the price of an iPhone from another authorized retailer if you buy it in an Apple store, according to a new report.

Citing an anonymous source, MacRumors this morning says it's now a quiet policy at Apple's stores to price-match with a handful of third-party authorized sellers and carrier partners so that users can buy a new phone in an Apple store versus going elsewhere to get the same deal.

Per a purportedly leaked photo of the new policy, that amounts to a savings of $49.01 on the 8GB iPhone 4, as well as … Read more

Apple's iPhone 4S drops to $149 with Sprint

Apple fans may be quick to read into this: over the weekend, Sprint dropped the price of its iPhone 4S from $199 to $149.

Could this be in anticipation of the iPhone 5?

Sprint's $50 price cut, first reported on by AllThingsD, comes before competing carriers have dropped their prices. AT&T's iPhone 4S is still $199, as is Verizon's.

According to AllThingsD, rumor has it that the price slash is a Sprint promotion but with Apple's approval. A spokesperson for the carrier told CNET that the price drop is simply a back-to-school promotion.

Apple … Read more

Samsung will pay you up to $300 for your phone

Samsung Electronics is looking to press its momentum with the Galaxy S III smartphone.

The Korean electronics conglomerate said it will offer up to $300 for an existing smartphone if you switch to one of its phones. You can check out the offer here.

Samsung has emerged as a dominant player in the smartphone business, taking the crown away from Apple. While Apple has its limited iPhone lineup, Samsung has been able to take the lead on the back of a wide variety of smartphones. But its flagship Galaxy S III has proven to be a blockbuster around the world. … Read more

Apple reportedly to unveil iPhone 5, iPad Mini on Sept. 12

Apple consumers could perhaps see the debut of both the new iPhone and an iPad Mini come September.

Citing "sources who have proven accurate in the past," blog site iMore says that Apple will announce the two devices at a special event on Wednesday, September 12. The iPhone 5 itself would then go on sale 9 days later on Friday, September 21.

This latest report follows a tidbit last week from French site App4Phone.fr (English translation), which pointed to a September 21 release date based on intel from Chinese manufacturing sources. The spacing itself jibes with last … Read more

How to make HD movies on your iPhone 4 or 4S

Fancy yourself the next Christopher Nolan but only have a smartphone-size budget? Let me walk you through the apps, accessories, and workflow you need to shoot beautiful movies on your iPhone 4 or 4S. Action!

With the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, Apple made HD movie-making cheap and accessible. They let us shoot video in glorious hi-def (up to 720p resolution on the iPhone 4 and 1080p on the iPhone 4S), and quickly and easily upload our footage to a watching world.

While Apple's top-selling smartphones are capable of recording top-notch video, their svelte bodies don't lend themselves … Read more

iPhone case turns you into a Vulcan

The deluge of smartphone cases out there means you can choose from nearly every color and style imaginable. But as far as we know, only one delivers Spock ears.

Etsy artisan Jeff Chris currently sells a $15 "Spock ear design" iPhone 4/4S case that features the familiar elven sideburns and pointed ear commonly seen on most Vulcan profiles. The silicone rubber case comes in either black or white, and should illicit gazes of wonder and curiosity as you mindlessly chatter away while walking in public. Just make sure to look both ways so you live long and prosper. … Read more