With the iPhone 4S now available for pre-orders, Mashable’s Ben Parr gives smartphone users advice on which mobile carrier to choose when reserving the new device. Since Sprint and Verizon were brought into the fold this year, the release of the iPhone 4S marks the first time consumers have had the choice of provider upon an iPhone’s debut.
“The short answer is that it depends on your priorities. Some networks win on price, while others win on network speed or 3G coverage,” Parr writes in his Thursday article. “If you’re a …

While iOS’ Safari application doesn’t allow mobile web browsers to perform searches from its address bar, a new jailbreak tweak adds this functionality to Apple’s mobile Internet app. Mirroring the Google Chrome browser’s similar feature, SafariUniBar now makes it easier and more convenient to use your favorite search engine.
Talking about Google Chrome’s identical ingredient, iDownloadBlog’s Jeff says that “The OmniBar is the feature that I always end up missing the most when I’m forced to use another browser. The OmniBar is great, because it does something incredibly simple: It lets …

While iPhone 4S buyers will, as always, have the option to purchase Apple’s new smartphone tied to a carrier, the company is also allowing mobile users to buy “unlocked” phones that aren’t associated with any one network. As Apple’s official website explains, the more-expensive unlocked iPhone 4S can be used on a wide range of networks, beyond standard providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.
“If you don’t want a multiyear service contract or if you prefer to use a local provider when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best …

First announced by late Apple founder Steve Jobs (R.I.P.) at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, the company’s iCloud online backup service is due to arrive next Wednesday, October 12. The revolutionary new mobile product was officially unveiled at Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” media event Tuesday, along with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5.
iCloud is replacing the somewhat similar MobileMe service, which is being phased out by Apple after it failed to reach its potential. The more intuitive and efficient iCloud allows iPhone and Macintosh users to backup copies of …

The final version of iOS 5 will be released to the public next Wednesday, October 12, but in the meantime, jailbreakers can customize the upcoming mobile operating system’s Gold Master build by downloading two recently-updated jailbreak tools. While Redsn0w 0.9.9b3 and Sn0wbreeze 2.8b8 are both compatible with the last iOS 5 beta to be released before the real thing hits iPhones all over the world.
Sn0wbreeze only works on iDevices whose computer runs Windows, while the latest Redsn0w update includes compatibility with both Macintosh and Windows operating systems. The Redsn0w Windows …

The Siri Assistant feature is one of the major marketing points of the just-announced iPhone 4S, but jailbreakers might not have to upgrade to Apple’s latest smartphone in order to take advantage of the impressive artificial intelligence tool.
“Infamous sn0wbreeze creator iH8sn0w and John Heaton have already given a stab at porting Siri to older devices,” Joshua Tucker writes in a recent post on the ModMyi blog. “ At this time, the only component that works is the dock, and the little “bing” sound when activated.”
Assistant, the product of Apple’s acquisition …

As everybody and their grandmother already knows, Apple didn’t announce the much-hyped iPhone 5 Tuesday, and will instead trot out the iPhone 4S next week. While the iPhone 4S isn’t a major upgrade over the current model, Macworld’s Lex Friedman explains that it still should be worthwhile to many smartphone users.
“If you own an iPhone 4 today, it’s still an amazing device; the iPhone 4S hasn’t changed that. It looks good, sports the Retina display, takes nice pictures, and works well,” he writes in an article posted Wednesday. “By the …

With Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 4S, online backup service iCloud and upgraded mobile operating system iOS 5, Apple fans will be swimming in new products over the next month or so. According to Erica Sadun at The Unofficial Aple Weblog, iOS 5 will be available as a free update to Apple customers, beginning October 12.
Until then, the Gold Master build of iOS 5 can be downloaded by those with Apple developer accounts. The software development kit went through over a half-dozen beta versions since the new iOS was announced …

Even though the state-of-the-art iPhone 4S will be on shelves later this month, there’s certainly some jailbreakers who would prefer to be reminded of Apple’s yesteryear. Upcoming jailbreak tweak iSounds lets them do just that, adding classic sound effects from the company’s OS 9 and Newton to the iPhone’s repertoire.
“iSounds allows you to relive Apple’s not-so-glorious days. It’s a tweak that brings the classic sound effects of the Newton and OS 9, to the every day actions you perform on your iPhone,” explains iDownloadlog’s Jeff in a recent article. “Doing …

If you’re one of those light-sensitive iPhone users who’s blinded by the phone’s bright screen when you open a message late at night, you should consider new jailbreak tweak F.lux. Available from the Cydia jailbreak store, F.lux adjusts the brightness of your phone depending on the time of day.
“F.lux aims to solve exactly this problem by adjusting the color of your iPhone’s display to better adapt to the time of the day,” reads an iPhone Hacks overview posted Sunday. “You’d be amazed to realize how relaxed your eyes feel after …