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A number of people who have upgraded their iPhones to iOS 4 have found that previously stored pictures will appear grainy, as if a lower-quality version is being used. This seems to affect only pictures that were on the phone before updating; new pictures taken with the phone or uploaded to it seem fine.… Read more

Editors' note: Apple made iOS 4 available on Monday, June 21. The download is free for both iPhone and iPod Touch users, but it is incompatible with first-generation models of either device. The iPhone 3G will support most iOS 4 features except multitasking and home screen backgrounds.

Apple kicked off an action-packed week today with the full release of iOS 4, its newest operating system for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Though we've been playing with the developer's version on an iPhone 3GS since April, we wanted to wait for the real deal before offering our official take. And from what we can tell so far, our original positive impressions hold true. That's not say that everything is perfect, but iOS marks a significant and welcome jump in the iPhone's evolution.

In fact, we'll go so far as to say that iOS 4 is just as significant a development as Thursday's release of the iPhone 4. Naturally, new hardware tends to get the biggest spotlight, but iOS 4 brings a handful of crucial features--like multitasking and a unified e-mail in-box--that Apple's products have lacked for far too long (three years too long, to be exact). Indeed, it's always nice when we can check off a box on our "iPhone wish list," particularly when those additions are commonplace on competing smartphones. We also welcome the smaller changes--iOS 4 is set to offer up to 100 new features--even if they're not particularly glamorous. We'll continue to root around for those tiny things in the coming days and will list additional revisions here as we find them.

Multitasking Though you've always been able to multitask with native iPhone features like the music player, the option is now available for third-party apps. Your primary access point is a multitasking menu that's accessible by double tapping the Home button. Once there, you'll see a list of currently running applications along the bottom of the display that you can scroll through using a sideways finger swipe. The pop-up menu shows only four apps at a time, and we're still investigating whether you're limited as to how many apps you can open at once.

Managing the multitasking menu couldn't be easier. To open a running app, scroll though the menu and tap its icon once. When you're ready to end an app, first use a long press on the related icon and then click the tiny delete icon in the top left corner. Switching among apps is a simple process as well: as you move back and forth, you'll return to the exact point you left. … Read more

Apple's iOS 4 was released today ahead of the launch of the iPhone 4, which becomes available June 24. iPhone users can update to the latest OS via iTunes, but some features will not be available for the iPhone 3G and the update is not available at all for the original iPhone. iOS 4 will not be available on the iPad until this fall.

Apple says there are more than 100 new features in iOS 4, but the most notable tweaks include multitasking, with handy controls for switching apps; home screen folders that you can name by category for … Read more

You may have heard there's a new iPhone hitting stores this week. If you're planning on buying one and still have your old iPhone, why not sell it?

There's a good chance you can recoup much of what you originally paid and put it toward the new iPhone 4. Individuals, resellers, and retailers are willing to pay for old iPhones, you just need to know where to look. 

The gadget resale market, especially for the iPhone, is hotter than ever right now. Consumer electronics reseller Gazelle.com said last week that 10,000 iPhones were sold to the site in the week following the iPhone 4's introduction on June 7--and that was 10 times the number of old iPhones sold to the site following the iPhone 3GS announcement a year ago.

Your best options for making money off your iPhone include the obvious places like eBay and Craigslist, but if you don't feel like doing the work yourself, gadget resellers will do most of it for you: they'll buy your phone from you and handle the reselling themselves. And this year, iPhone retailer RadioShack is offering an incentive to sell back your old phone.

Though most places will take any model iPhone with normal wear and tear, the later the model of iPhone you're selling, and the better the condition it is in will increase the resale value. And, of course, before you part with your phone, remember to wipe it of all your personal data.

Here are some of your best options:

Gazelle.com Gazelle will buy your old iPhone and pay you depending on the condition. It'll wipe the data for you as part of the service (though you should probably do it yourself just for peace of mind). You just answer a few questions about your phone's condition and which accessories you have, and it'll spit out a price and send you a box for shipping your phone. Last week a 32GB iPhone 3GS in good condition with normal wear and tear was worth $198.

NextWorth.com Like Gazelle, it'll buy your old iPhone provided it's in decent working shape. If it's close to new, with everything in working order, a 32GB iPhone 3GS will fetch as much as $300. For an iPhone 3G in good condition, NextWorth is offering more than $100.

RadioShack The consumer electronics retailer is offering perhaps the most efficient way of reselling your old iPhone and getting a new iPhone 4. For the first time, RadioShack has been included as one of the first retail outlets to get the iPhone on launch day. And it's sweetened the deal for potential customers by adding an extra incentive.

RadioShack will let you turn in your old iPhone for store credit toward the new one. The retailer says it will pay "up to $200" for an iPhone 3GS. Just bring it into the store and an employee will plug the device's specs and condition into their system and pay based on that recommendation. That value can be put toward a new iPhone 4 the same day or kept on a RadioShack gift card for future use.… Read more

This week in particular, RadioShack has shown that it is no longer just a place to pick up cables for your new HDTV. Not only did the electronics chain announce that it will sell the iPhone 4 when the handset is released next Thursday, June 24, but also it said over Twitter this week that customers can trade in a used iPhone 3G or 3GS for store credit.

RadioShack will pay up to $200 in store credit for an iPhone 3GS and up to $100 for an iPhone 3G. Note that your trade-in value will depend on your handset's … Read more

All right, this really isn't fair. Though you've never liked it, iPhone users in the United States have accepted that your counterparts in other countries can use Apple's handset on multiple carriers and (better yet) get an unlocked device. When those countries are far away--say across an ocean--it's not so bad, but when you have to see it right next door then it's really tough to watch.

I speak, of course, of our Canadian friends who will join customers in the United Kingdom in having the opportunity to buy the iPhone 4 completely unlocked and … Read more

Editors' note: This post was updated at 11 a.m. June 10, 2010, to correct the information about the unlimited data plan for existing customers, which they can choose to keep when upgrading to the iPhone 4.

Last year, I upgraded to the iPhone 3GS (from the 3G) without much deliberation. It was obviously a decision made against my better financial judgment. But this is not new. I, and generally those who buy Apple products, do that a lot.

Apart from the fact that I was a year younger (and therefore that much less wise and patient), it was also because the 3GS was significantly faster than the 3G, and it has a compass. For the former, if you have experience with both versions of the phone, you'd surely agree with me. About the latter, it's personal, as I tend to have no idea which direction I'm headed. Literally, of course.

This year, on the other hand, mulling over whether I should upgrade has given me a neck pain. The new iPhone 4 indeed offers some exciting new features. I am sold on the new screen; my co-worker Eric Franklin, who reviews computer monitors, said it "totally blows him away" (though he has never actually seen the device). I'm also sold on the new design and the front-facing camera. (Believe it or not, I am not too keen on the gyroscope.) In short, I am not going to argue why I want to upgrade.

Instead, here are the reasons I can't see rushing to upgrade just yet.

1. No unlimited data with tethering.

As it's been widely reported, starting June 7, AT&T killed the once-mandatory unlimited data plan for the iPhone. Instead you can opt for the 200MB or 2GB plans that cost $15 or $25 a month, respectively. Of course you'll have to pay extra if you go over the limit.

This, however, only applies to new subscribers. Existing iPhone users, like me, are grandfathered in. However there's a catch: you won't be able to use tethering, which requires a limited data plan plus another $20/month.

AT&T says that tethering will be made available together with the iOS 4 (iPhone OS 4.0). It's ironic, however, that it won't be allowed on phones with existing unlimited data plan. Not a good deal.

Now, most people are actually doing fine with just 200MB or 2GB a month, but savvy users could easily exceed that, even a few times over, especially if they tether.

A lot of iPhone owners use the phone's 3G connection to download apps, music, and podcasts, as the cellular connection allows for downloading files that are 20MB or less. If you do this or stream YouTube videos regularly, you will quickly see that your monthly ration of 200MB or even 2GB is far from enough. I didn't check mine, but I have friends who average 4GB or 6GB a month.

(Even though AT&T has disabled tethering starting with iPhone OS version 3.0.1, those who stay with version 3.0, which I do, can still use this feature. You can also have your phone jailbroken to use tethering, via a free third-party app, without AT&T being able to do anything about it.)

2. You won't miss much.

This only applies to owners of the iPhone 3GS. Your iPhone will be able to fully enjoy version 4.0 of the iPhone OS (now called iOS), the biggest benefit of which is multitasking. Yes, you'll miss the front-facing camera, and hence FaceTime, but it will be a while before there are apps/services that fully take advantage of this.

Also, FaceTime is most appealing, for me personally at least, when you can video-chat on the go via a cellular connection. However, at least in the beginning, the app will only be able to run using a Wi-Fi network. And even when it can be used with a 3G connection, this will directly affect your data plan. The lack of unlimited data plan makes this a feature that you wish you didn't have when you see the bill at the end of the month.

What I sure will miss, however, is the A4 chip that's slated to offer a significant boost in performance. But nonetheless, the iPhone 3GS is already pretty snappy. I can live with that.… Read more

Here's a pickle: Do you jump on a killer iPhone deal right now or wait for the new model that may launch next month?

It's no secret that Apple will likely unveil the "iPhone 4G" at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off June 7. It may be weeks or months after it's announced before it's available, but it's coming.

Perhaps as a big push to unload its existing iPhone stock, Walmart is offering this spectacular deal: a 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97, plus sales tax in most states.

For that price, … Read more

It used to be that parents would encourage their kids to do arts and crafts projects. Now they're making them fix their cracked iPhone screens.

Just ask Brett, who you last saw building his own iPad stand for $12.40. He's my 10-year-old nephew, and his father put him to work recently to fix his cracked iPhone 3GS screen, which was apparently caused by an encounter with a set of keys. To be clear, the cracked portion you're looking at--see photos below--is only the protective layer of glass that sits on top of the LCD, not the … Read more