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Extensive List of Siri's Dictation Commands for iPhone 4S [iOS Blog]
Oct 16, 9:27PM
Many of the voice commands for Dragon Dictation also work in Siri's Dictation service on the iPhone 4S. The new speech-to-text service allows users to press a microphone on the keyboard in any application and then utilize Siri's speech recognition to enter text.
Jim Rhoades of Crush Apps has made an extensive list of commands that Siri's dictation service understands:
"new line" - move to the next lineSee Rhoades' post on the Crush Apps blog for the full list of Siri dictation commands.
"all caps" - make the next word all uppercase
"all caps on/off" - turn caps lock on or off
"smiley" or "smiley face" or "smile face" - :-)
"frowny" or "frowny face" or "frown face" - :-(
"Off Contract" AT&T iPhone 4Ss Already Come Unlocked
Oct 16, 2:47AM
For those awaiting an unlocked iPhone 4S, it seems that Apple is already selling them at retail stores as simply "Off Contract" devices. "Off Contract" devices are sold at full retail price and don't lock you into a contract with AT&T.; The prices for these models are $649, $749 and $849 for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB iPhone 4S models.
The finding was noted by 9to5Mac and had also been discussed in the MacRumors forums where multiple users noticed that iTunes informed them of the "Congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked" message from iTunes:
I really have no idea. Part of me thinks it was some kind of glitch. The only thing I can think of is that a paid full price and didn't extend my contract. I ordered through Apple too. I wish there was a way I could confirm it, but I don't have any T Mobile or foreign sims laying around lol - BFW122083
The same thing appeared on mine when I did a restore... I am wondering if it came like this from the factory because I paid the full $849.99 for a 64 GB because my AT&T; contract was not eligible for an upgrade...- mjcxpThe common thread was that they were purchased as off contract devices. Developer @stroughtonsmith has since verified this by purchasing one himself.
Meanwhile, it seems Sprint iPhone 4Ss are also come GSM unlocked according to @gruber who was able to successfully use a Canadian SIM card in his Sprint iPhone 4S. However, Sprint has promised to lock them at a later date.
So, It's the Next iPhone That Will Be a Complete Redesign...
Oct 15, 9:42PM
Only a day after the iPhone 4S launch and rumors of the next Apple iPhone have already started. CNet reports that it's actually Apple's next iPhone that will get a major redesign. Of course, we've heard that before.
Mockup based on previous rumors
CNet cites two sources for the news. First is a research note from analyst Ashok Kumar at Rodman & Renshaw. Kumar claims that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with the next iPhone from concept to final design. Kumar recites features that have been circulating previously, including a slimmer profile and larger screen size.
CNet, however, also has their own source who seems to have very similar information:
Another source, who I spoke with this week and who claims to have knowledge of the redesign, said the iPhone 5 is a "complete redesign. This is a very large project that Steve dedicated all of his time to. He was not that involved in the 4S because his time was limited."Most have already expected that the next iPhone will be a case redesign. With the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple seems to have established a pattern for their releases. A new design (iPhone 3G, 4), and then one with internal improvements (3GS, 4S).
Apple Caused iPhone 4S Activation Issues? [iOS Blog]
Oct 15, 9:26PM
Tales of activation problems on all three U.S. carriers were widespread yesterday. An InformationWeek article claimed that the problem was not with the carriers, but instead was on Apple's end -- specifically with iTunes activation: It was suggested to me by someone with knowledge of the situation that Apple's servers are most likely to blame for the problems. An employee at one of the three major carriers who asked not to be named told me in an email, "Yes, my IT people aren't happy. The activation issue is out of the Apple stores ... on all carriers."An article on iSource.com claims Apple had a "system issue" around 11:30AM Pacific time that affected activation of all iPhones.
Regardless of the difficulties, it seems iPhone 4S launch day was a success for Sprint, AT&T; and Apple -- though Verizon oddly didn't announce any launch-day sales figures -- with most customers getting their activation issues worked out, eventually.
Sprint iPhone Users Complaining of Slow 3G Data Speeds
Oct 15, 9:24PM
Some Sprint customers are reporting slow data speeds now that the iPhone has finally launched on the country's number three network.
There is a lengthy thread on Sprint's discussion boards, with iPhone 4S owners reporting extremely slow data speeds on launch day. Some report having difficulty using Siri over 3G because Sprint's data network was being so unreliable. One user said his Samsung Epic Touch with 4G turned off returned 3-times faster speeds than his iPhone 4S in the same location. Another Sprint user claims that his new iPhone and his Evo 3D are both slow.
A thread in the MacRumors forums shows that while some users are having poor data speeds on Sprint, others are having no problems, so it could be a signal strength or location issue rather than a widespread network problem. Gizmodo's unscientific speedtest survey is showing dramatically slower speeds for Sprint than either Verizon or AT&T.; Sprint is the only U.S. iPhone carrier that offers unlimited data to new customers.
It's unclear if this is just launch-week jitters, a more widespread problem with Sprint's network, or something in between -- as more and more Sprint iPhones arrive in the wild, we should get a clearer picture of Sprint's ability to handle lots of new data-hungry iPhone customers.
How Apple Approached Developing Siri's Personality
Oct 15, 5:23PM
Many readers are now enjoying some of the quirkier responses coming from Siri, Apple's intelligent assistant built into the iPhone 4S. The Wall Street Journal spoke with one of the co-founders of the original Siri and how they approached instilling Siri with personality:
"There were many conversations within the team about whether it should be gender neutral" or "should have an 'attitude,' " said Mr. Winarsky, who didn't go to Apple, and still works at SRI. The result, before the software was bought by Apple, was "occasionally a light attitude," he said.According to a different person who actually worked at Apple on the Siri project, Apple focused on keeping Siri's personality "friendly and humble -- but also with an edge". According to their source, they were thinking "How would we want a person to respond?" while developing the software.
The Siri group is said to be one of the largest software teams at Apple and the crafted responses are to try to forge an emotional tie to customers. MacRumors forum readers are posting their favorite responses in this discussion thread.
Siri launched as an exclusive feature for the iPhone 4S and allows users to speak questions and requests directly to their iPhone.
iPhone 4S Launch Sends Apple Stock to Its Highest Close Ever
Oct 14, 10:33PM
Apple's stock price closed at its highest price ever today, closing at $422.00 as Sprint and AT&T; announced record iPhone Sales. It wasn't an all-time high price for the stock, however. That was reached during intraday trading three weeks ago on September 20, at $422.86.
Apple's fourth quarter earnings will be announced next Tuesday, October 18th at 4:30PM.
iPhone 4S Launch to Double AT&T's Record for Activations in One Day
Oct 14, 9:59PM
Following Sprint's announcement of record sales, AT&T; also announced a very busy sales day. AT&T; didn't break out sales totals for the iPhone, but reports it is seeing record activations. As of 4:30 pm ET today, AT&T; had already activated a record number of iPhones on our network – and is on-track to double our previous record for activations on a single day. These record volumes may produce slower activations for some customers, though our systems continue to run at record levels.AT&T; was Apple's launch partner in 2007, and the exclusive partner until Apple launched the Verizon iPhone earlier this year.
AT&T; hit this record despite their activation servers having difficulties handling the unprecedented demand. iPhone 4S owners reportedly had difficulties with activations on multiple carriers, and not just AT&T.;
iPhone 4S Launch Breaks Sprint's One Day Sales Record
Oct 14, 9:32PM
The iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S broke the "device family" one-day sales record today, according to the company. The milestone was breached by 1pm Eastern. Sprint didn't break out sales totals for the iPhone, but Sprint's product chief said today was the company's "best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history." Sprint attributes the strong sales to their "truly unlimited" data plan.
Sprint is the only U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data to new customers. Earlier today Moody's downgraded Sprint's credit rating "citing impacts on the wireless carrier's liquidity and leverage from its decision to invest in its own fourth-generation network assets and the expected phase-out of its failed partnership with Clearwire Corp." according to the WSJ.
This is first time that Sprint has carried the iPhone line. The iPhone was originally an AT&T; exclusive in the U.S. and only expanded to Verizon in early 2011. Sprint is now one of three mobile carriers to offer the iPhone in the U.S.
iPhone 4S Photos Begin Appearing on Flickr, Comparisons with iPhone 4
Oct 14, 8:52PM
Photos taken by new iPhone 4S owners have begun appearing on Flickr. Apple has touted Flickr's Camera Finder in the past to show how popular the iPhone 4 is as a camera. Photos of eggs, a remote control and a parking garage have been posted and all look very impressive.
iPhone 4S on left, iPhone 4 on right
iLounge have also posted a number of comparison shots between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S cameras, including this pair of shots of peacock feathers. Left is the iPhone 4S, right is the iPhone 4.
Image courtesy iLounge
First iPhone 4S Image Sensor to Be Identified Comes from Sony
Oct 14, 7:44PM
Sony markings on iPhone 4S camera sensor die
While iFixit performed the first thorough teardown of the iPhone 4S yesterday, Chipworks has now turned its more powerful equipment on the chips themselves, notably identifying Sony as the manufacturer of the 8-megapixel camera sensor in the first iPhone 4S they examined.
In order to get our readers the device manufacturer as soon as possible, rather than going through a fuming sulfuric acid chip deprocessing we chose to use our infrared microscope to look through the structure of this image sensor. What you see are the die markings on the base layer of the image sensor. The image isn't beautiful, but it's enough to tell us that Sony is in our particular iPhone 4S.OmniVision has historically been the supplier for the image sensor in the iPhone, but comments from Sony CEO Howard Stringer earlier this year started rumors that Sony might take over production for the iPhone 4S. Later reports had said the two companies would be splitting the load with OmniVision handling up to 90% of production, but issues at OmniVision were later said to have led to Apple shifting orders to Sony. Weak financial guidance from OmniVision further fueled rumors that it had lost at least a substantial portion of the iPhone business.
As Chipworks notes, a single test unit is not sufficient to establish the balance of production should Apple be employing a dual-supplier solution for the iPhone 4S camera sensor. But Sony is at least involved in production this time around, and additional results should give a better picture of where Apple's orders have fallen.
EA and Gameloft Games On Sale for iPhone 4S Launch [iOS Blog]
Oct 14, 6:48PM
Game studios EA and Gameloft are discounting many of their games in honor of the iPhone 4S launch. EA runs sales every month or two, and this is October's sale. EA is offering up a number of its more technically impressive titles aimed at iPhone 4S buyers, including the lowest price ever for Madden 2012. EA:
Madden NFL 12 – $4.99 → $2.99
Dead Space – $6.99 → $.99
The Sims 3 – $6.99 → $.99
Battlefield Bad Company 2 – $2.99 → $.99
Fight Night Champion – $4.99 → $.99
RISK – $2.99 → $.99
The Sims Medieval – $4.99 → $.99
SHIFT 2 – $4.99 → $.99
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – $4.99 → $.99
Need for Speed Undercover – $2.99 → $.99
Real Racing – $2.99 → $.99
Dragon's Lair II Time Warp – $2.99 → $.99
Scrabble – $1.99 → $.99
Tetris – $2.99 → $.99
The Sims 3 Ambitions – $4.99 → $.99
The Sims 3 World Adventures – $4.99 → $.99
Transformers: Dark of the Moon -$2.99 → $.99
Gameloft:
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard – $6.99 → $.99
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD – $6.99 → $.99
NOVA 2 – $6.99 → $.99
NOVA 2 HD – $6.99 → $.99
Dungeon Hunter 2 – $6.99 → $.99
Dungeon Hunter 2 HD – $6.99 → $.99
Shadow Guardian – $5.99 → $.99
Shadow Guardian HD – $6.99 → $.99
Spider-Man: Total Mayhem – $6.99 → $.99
Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD – $6.99 → $.99
A Variety of iPhone 4S High Definition Sample Videos
Oct 14, 6:28PM
One of the other major new features of the iPhone 4S is the inclusion of a 1080p capable camera. Several sample videos are starting to appear to demonstrate the new iPhone 4S camera. Some are being uploaded only as high as 720P into YouTube, while others are a full 1080P. You can click on the bottom right resolution button in YouTube to switch modes.
Here's a sampling:
- iPhone 4S vs Cannon 500D/T1i on a city sidewalk
- iPhone 4 and 4S video side-by-side showing stabilization.
- A parrot
- Indoors and Outdoors
- Comparison between iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S outdoor video.
- Inside and Outside
Speed Comparison Video of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
Oct 14, 5:48PM
YouTube user Eurosausage posts a comparison video highlighting how much faster the iPhone 4S is than the iPhone 4 at launching apps.
While app launching is a basic task that doesn't show off high-performance graphics and other capabilities, it is one of the most common tasks initiated by users that forces users to wait for the system. The video offers comparison of a significant number of apps, giving a good picture of the everyday performance improvements users can expect in upgrading from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S.
(via @wcontemporary)
Siri Allows Transcription Corrections by Keyboard
Oct 14, 5:19PM
With Siri on the new iPhone 4S having some problems recognizing speakers with heavy accents, it's important to note that users are able to tap Siri's transcriptions of their voice input and edit them to correct errors or change parameters. The tip is gaining some publicity from App Advice, who picked up on it from @mattgemmell.
For example, let's say you want to know where the nearest Italian restaurant is located, but then change your mind. Instead, you're hungry for American food.While in some cases it may be easier to simply speak a new question or request rather than edit a previous one, the feature should be useful for those situations in which Siri is only slightly off in its transcribed text or when only a very minor change in the original request is required to obtain follow-up information.
To do so, you would say (or text): Siri, where is the nearest Italian restaurant.
Once Siri gives you an answer, you can adjust the question as follows: Siri, where is the nearest American restaurant.
Steve Jobs Tribute Haircut At Fifth Avenue iPhone Launch [iOS Blog]
Oct 14, 4:59PM
This young man, in line for the iPhone 4S at Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store, has a unique tribute haircut to Steve Jobs. On one side, Jonathan Mak's Steve Jobs tribute logo, and Albert Watson's famous photo of Steve Jobs from Fortune in 2006. On the other, he has Apple's famous "Think Different" slogan emblazoned.
No word on who actually did the impressive cut. The photos were snapped by navigation app maker CoPilot.
Thanks to MacRumors forum member kfury77 for the tip
Update: The artist who did the work was TheJohanRuiz
Siri on Android vs. iPhone [iOS Blog]
Oct 14, 4:36PM
Siri stays tactful when responding to questions about Android. But when pressed for which is the best phone, she's not modest:
thanks @JonShanny and octatonic.
iPhone 4S Seems to Fix 'Death Grip' Antenna Issue
Oct 14, 3:51PM
One of the big controversies surrounding the launch of the iPhone 4 was related to its antenna design. Several customers reported issues with significant signal loss when holding their iPhone in a natural way. The complaints grew louder until even Consumer Reports stated that they couldn't recommend the iPhone 4 due to the signal issues. Not all customers saw the problem, as the issue seemed to be related to regional signal strength.
Apple even held a press conference to address the controversy. Apple, however, focused on a related but separate issue during their press conference. They discussed normal signal attenuation while gripping any phone tightly, and rightfully pointed out that all mobile phones exhibit this behavior to some degree. The other iPhone 4 specific issue which wasn't addressed during the press conference was the effect of simply bridging the left lower antenna break also causing problems for some. This video from 2010 best demonstrates the effect.
Early testing and reports from iPhone 4S users seem to show that the signal drop from tightly gripping the iPhone has been diminished or even eliminated. One user tested their iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S from the exact same spot and found no signal drop at all in the iPhone 4S while gripping tightly with their left hand and covering the band.
The above picture tries to demonstrate the reduced effect, but even the iPhone 4 attenuation is rather minimal as compared to the worst case scenarios we've seen.
The iPhone 4S is known to have significant antenna upgrades, allowing it to switch antennas to maximize their signal. iSpazio also posted a video showing little effect from the "death grip" on the 4S, though the video shows the demonstrator holding it in the wrong hand for the demonstration. Typically the effect is most seen when holding the iPhone in your left hand to bridge the lower left antenna gap.
Regardless, this should be good news for anyone interested in an iPhone 4S. We expect to hear more real world experiences as more readers get their iPhone 4Ss activated.
Update: InsanelyGreatMac does a great followup video showing the issue seems definitely improved on the new iPhone 4S.
AT&T Activations Servers Overloaded with iPhone 4S Launch
Oct 14, 3:34PM
As has happened in the past, it seems AT&T;'s activation servers are having problems with the large influx of activations with the iPhone 4S launch. A quick search of Twitter shows many having problems activating their AT&T; iPhone 4Ss due to server issues. A discussion thread in our forum also mirrors the complaints.
With the iPhone 4S launched now across the entire U.S., we are at the peak of simultaneous AT&T; iPhone 4S activations. AT&T; has had similar issues in previous launches. Japanese carrier Softbank was reported to have similar issues during their launch this morning.
Survey of Regent Street iPhone 4S Line Reveals Record Crowd and Other Tidbits
Oct 14, 3:32PM
UK insurance firm Protect Your Bubble today conducted a survey of the iPhone 4S line at Apple's Regent Street retail store in London, finding a record line of 778 people just as the store opened for sales.
Analysis of the data, comparing against previous Regent St exit polls on the iPhone 4, iPad and iPad 2 launches, shows that the crowd of 778 people for the iPhone 4S comfortably beats the previous record holder of 668 for the original iPhone 4; 662 for the iPad 2; and 451 for the original iPad.The company has also put together an infographic highlighting a number of pieces of data collected in surveys of the crowd. Among the most interesting results:
- 53% of those in line were there because they missed the pre-order window, while an additional 7% thought the iPhone 4S was only available in-store. A substantial fraction of the crowd was also there primarily for the experience, with 18% saying that simply wanted "to be there" and 11% noting that they were there because they were "die hard Apple fans".
- Nearly half of the crowd was upgrading from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, while 35% were lining up to purchase their first iPhone.
- The new 8-megapixel camera was cited most frequently (37%) as the "standout feature" of the iPhone 4S, with Siri (34%) registering in a strong second place. But 33% of the crowd viewed Siri as a gimmick rather than a truly useful feature.
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