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Apple iPhone 4s Comprehensive Review

3:05 AM Article by Unknown

Review Apple’s design language is easily recognisable: clear glass or plastic that’s spray-painted from the inside, a frequent use of aluminium, stainless steel and any colour so long as it’s white or black. But the new iPhone takes this familiarity further, by making the iPhone 4Salmost identical to last year’s iPhone 4.

Apple's iPhone 4S: external tweaks are subtle, the main changes are internal

Of course, it’s not the first time this has happened – the 3G was followed by the matching 3GS. But for the millions who had been eagerly anticipating an iPhone 5 since, ooh, June this year, it came as a big disappointment. So, was that disappointment justified or should you upgrade without hesitation? Read on.

The cosmetic differences are few so you won’t need to hear much about the iPhone 4S’s design. It’s the same slim, solid and classy machine with components precision-tooled to the micron, not the millimetre, and the same buttons as every iPhone: a home button, volume, ringer and power buttons.

Some older cases might not fit due to a slight shift of the buttons

One change is the position of the black lines on the steel band that edges the phone. Those black lines are functional, and are indicative of a whole new antenna. This aims to address the dropped calls and spotty signal of last year’s model. Not everyone suffered from a poor signal but if you did, then you’ll be pleased to hear the new set-up works splendidly, giving the iPhone something which performs like one of the strongest antennas around.

So it reliably makes and receives calls – hurrah! Signal strength and battery life, the bare minimum for a phone, are both strong with clear voice quality. Daily charges are still recommended but it won’t need a lie-down by lunchtime, unlike some smarties. So what else is new?

The camera has been overhauled optically and captures stills at 8Mp

The only other cosmetic alteration is situation of the volume buttons and ringer switch. They’ve also moved just enough to mean that some cases, including early editions of Apple’s own bumper, won’t fit. The buttons match the positions on the Verizon iPhone 4 sold in the US and newer bumpers are designed for both versions. But if you’re planning to recycle last year’s case, depending on when you bought it, it may not fit.

Internal affairs

Other changes, and there are several, are all internal. First of all, there’s a new processor. Well, not quite new, it’s the A5 chip found in the iPad 2. Just as it made the second iPad much faster than the first, the peppy A5 ensures the iPhone fast and responsive. Though the iPhone 4 rarely kept you waiting for long, here applications launch in a trice and content is downloaded fast – though this may be partly due to the improved antenna, too.

The A5 CPU has yet to show its strengths with third party apps

The CPU is swift, but its potential has yet to be fully realised yet – Apple promises performance that’s twice as fast but graphics that are seven times better. We need to wait for the improved games apps – that developers are coming up with now – to really notice the difference. Since the iPhone continues to have the one of highest pixel density ratings of any mobile, these visual treats should be worth waiting for.

The camera has also had an upgrade. It’s now 8Mp, which is good but not exceptional. The differentiators come in other forms: where the iPhone 4 had an array of four lenses, the 4S has five, promising sharper detail. The aperture is wider (f2.4) and the sensor has its wiring hidden around the back instead of on the front, where it is on most sensors. Both these aim to suck more light in through the lens, improving picture quality.

Sample Shots

Wide mode – low resolution

And the processor is no slouch here, either, speeding up autofocus and rapidly readying the snapper for the first shot with subsequent photos captured even more quickly. Features like face recognition, auto exposure and auto focus controlled by one setting are now available. Not all of these are firsts, but they work well.

The new operating system, iOS 5, helps you get snapping more quickly by including a shortcut to the camera from the lock screen. You’ll find a more detailed exploration of the new software, which is also available on the iPhones 4 and 3GS, here.

Vocal performance

Much has been made of Siri, the new key feature launched with the iPhone 4S. It’s not the first voice-recognition application but just as FaceTime was far from the first video calling application, Apple aims to provide the best voice interface. Siri was available in the US App Store already, but those servers no longer respond if you launch that app now. Apple liked the company so much, it bought it, as Victor Kiam used to say.

Siri originally appeared on the App Store until Apple acquired it

So does it work, and do you need it? Well, it mostly works pretty well. Its microphone does best in quiet environments and worst when it’s noisy or you’re trying to show it off to someone. Then it fails to understand what you’ve said.

In the UK, it’s limited for now because mapping and business data doesn’t extend beyond the States, though this will follow. So you can’t ask directions or distances between places as you can in America. Switching to US English and adopting your best accent works splendidly… but only if you’re in the US at the time.

Voice commands can be executed for any number of tasks

It can still do a lot. Say “Text my wife” and it will. First time, of course, you have to tell it which of your contacts is your wife – come on, it’s not psychic – but then it’ll remember. Then dictate your message and it’ll send it. Ask it to remind you to pick up the milk when you leave the office and it’ll use the phone’s location information from GPS and Wi-Fi to ping you a reminder as you walk out the door.

Siri is integrated throughout the phone’s features, and third parties can build functionality into their apps, so its potential may grow quickly. Sometimes it’s quicker to type a message, but for hands-free use when driving, say, it’s decidedly useful. Especially since you can talk to it very freely. Ask if it’s chilly tomorrow and it knows to seek out weather information and comment on whether tomorrow’s temperature qualifies as warm or cold.

The iPhone 5 could be some way off, so it's make your mind up time

Or ask it for share values and you can follow up asking it to compare two stocks. It’s highly sophisticated and though at times it seems to be a glorious, cool gimmick, this will change. One thing that hasn't changed though, is that the iPhone still doesn't offer an FM radio – something that appears on just about all competing smartphones.

Verdict

So should you buy an iPhone 4S? For 3GS users, the answer is an emphatic yes. It’s less clear-cut for iPhone 4 owners, especially if you have a contract to buy your way out of. But if you suffered from poor call quality before, the 4S will restore your faith in the iPhone. Even if you didn’t, the upgraded performance and coolness of Siri and the improved camera are pretty compelling.

If you’re wary of buying the 4S in the belief that a radically different iPhone is on the horizon, the fact is, beyond Infinite Loop, nobody knows – and really, don’t believe anyone who claims otherwise.

Apple's new talker looks the same on the outside, but its dual-core CPU delivers significant changes in capabilities.

Suggested Price: £499 (16GB), £599 (32GB), £699 (64GB)

More Info: Apple's iPhone 4S page

How to Jailbreak iPhone 4s / iPad 2 on iOS 5.0.1

8:23 AM Article by Unknown

Dear Readers, this is my first article on Jail-breaking. So I would try to make it as simple as can. This exploit is about Jailbreak 5.0.1 untethered. and will work on these.

Supported devices :

iPhone 4 (GSM – CDMA)
iPhone 3GS
iPod touch 4G
iPod touch 3G
iPad 1+

Steps:

Step 1

First of all connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer and open iTunes then Restore to iOS 5.0.1.

Step 2

Next Download Greenpois0n Absinthe from Here and run in under Administrative privileges.

Step 3

Connect your iPhone 4S / iPad with your PC via USB.

Step 4

Simply click on "Jailbreak" button follow the steps appear on the greenpois0n screen.

Step 5

Once completed, you should see an Absinthe icon on the Home screen. Tap the Absinthe icon, it will open GreenPois0n site, and will then reboot your device. Once it loads again, the Cydia icon will have replaced the Absinthe icon.That is all, now you have jailbreak iPhone 4S / iPad 2 On IOS 5.0.1

How to Jailbreak Your iPhone & Install Cydia

11:05 PM Article by Unknown

So, you’ve heard about jailbreaking, and it sounds intriguing. And dangerous. (But mostly just intriguing.) Here’s how to hack your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad—yes, iPad—into an unrestricted, freshly empowered mega-machine.

Jailbreaking: The What and the Why

In buying an iProduct, you’re accepting that its fate will be dictated by Apple. They control what kind of apps you install on your device, which of the hardware functions you can exploit to their full potential, and which carrier you can use your iPhone with. They’ve loosened up on at least one of those fronts in the last year or so, expanding the types of apps available in the App Store, but many—screw that, most—of the same restrictions still apply. Want to install an app that Apple hasn’t explicitly approved? Sorry. Want to use an app over 3G that’s been designated for Wi-Fi? Nope. Want to tether your phone? Run applications in the background? Change your device theme? Install system-wide gestures? No. Such. Luck.
Enter jailbreaking. In technical terms, to jailbreak is to enable a device to run code, meaning programs or system modifications, that hasn’t been sanctioned by Apple. Its roots reach back to a time when there were no apps for iPhone OS, and a clever group of hackers zeroed in on some exploits gave people their first way to install apps on their devices, by way of an underground App Store called Installer. It used to be that you could hack your device simply by visiting a webpage. That was two years ago. Since then, the iPhone and iPod Touch have been given a legit App Store, Apple has closed one security hole after another, and jailbreaking has become alternately more and less difficult, depending which device and software version you have.

Supported Devices & Firmwares
All firmwares (upto iOS 5)

iPod touch 3G
iPod touch 4G
iPad 1
iPhone3GS
iPhone4 (GSM)
iPhone4 (CDMA)

Now, lets get started…

Procedure
Step 1: Download the new Redsn0w 0.9.9b7 from below.
Download for Windows :

Download for Mac :

Step 2: In order to just jailbreak your iOS device, simply click on “Jailbreak” button and follow the standard onscreen instructions to enter DFU mode in order to install Cydia on your device.

If you are not using any Beta firmware (like iOS 5), Redsn0w 0.9.9 will automatically fetch all the important bits from the required firmware files without bothering you to download those large IPSW files.
If you are using iOS 5 Beta firmware, you will need to provide the .IPSW firmware file manually.
Step 3: That’s it! You are done with the jailbreak. Optionally, you can use extra features found under “Extras” option. This includes options such as entering DFU mode, booting in tethered mode (required by all tethered jailbreaks: iOS 4.3.5, 4.3.4, iOS 5), fetching, verifying or using SHSH blobs, changing boot logos and more.
WARNING !! iOS 4.3.5 & 5 users don’t turn off/reboot your phone after jailbreaking.
Unfortunately for iOS 4.3.5 & 5 users have to go through tethered mode everytime they wish to reboot their idevices. Don’t worry, it’s actually nothing. To enter tethered boot mode, connect your idevice to PC and go to Extras option in Redsn0w. You’ll find tethered boot there.

FAQ

What are the Downsides?
As mentioned before, there is a real risk of bricking your device, or losing data. But beyond that, there are stability issues with some jailbreak apps, and using apps like Backgrounder can seriously diminish your battery life. Also, flaunting your new found ability to tether your phone by running, say, torrents through your 3G connection is a good way to get in trouble with your carrier.
What about future software upgrades?
Apple’s software updates almost always break jailbreak. When they come out, hold off on upgrading until the jailbreak community develops a hack, or an upgrade path. Upgrading to new software versions after a jailbreak often means installing a patched version of the update, specifically for jailbreakers.
Why did I click that “Make My Life Easier” button?
If Apple does thwart jailbreak in its next software update (likely), and you accidentally upgrade, you could be locked out of jailbreaking forever. Seriously! Why? Because as of late, Apple has been cracking down on jailbreakers by forcing their devices to authenticate with official servers every time they’re upgraded or downgraded.
What this prevents, specifically, is restoring to older versions of the iPhone/iPad software, which contain the security holes necessary for jailbreaking. By keeping users from downgrading, Apple essentially locks them out of jailbreaking once they’ve upgraded to an un-jailbreakable OS.
The button you pressed in Cydia remotely saves what’s called an SHSH blob, which is the “Go!” signal passed from Apple’s servers to your specific device. In the event of a later downgrade, iTunes can be spoofed into thinking that Apple has approving the device’s software change, when in fact it’s just the Cydia store’s servers giving the green light. The downgrade process is something we won’t have to worry about until Apple issues another update, after which I’ll update this guide. Until then, you can get a rough idea of how this whole thing by reading Saurik’s (the guy behind Cydia) blog post on how it works.
Will It Work With OS 5.0?
Surprisingly, yes! OS 5.0 builds seem to respond well to jailbreaking with the Redsn0w tool.