Virgin Mobile USA officially launching iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 on June 29

Today, Virgin Mobile USA has confirmed that it's going to sell Apple's iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. It will do it starting June 29, hence a bit earlier than initially rumored. Virgin Mobile will become the second US pre-paid carrier to offer the iPhone, after Cricket Wireless, which is going to launch it on June 22.

Unfortunately for Virgin customers, iPhone prices will be significantly higher than on Cricket: $649 (iPhone 4S 16GB), and $549 (iPhone 4 8GB). You'll be able to choose plans starting at $30 per month.

Virgin Mobile lets you register for further details on its iPhones here.

Another smartphones that's reportedly going to be released by Virgin this month is the HTC One V. This runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and will be way cheaper than the iPhone: just $200.

Apple's iPhone 4 and 4S to be available from Virgin Mobile on June 29th

Virgin Mobile on Thursday formally announced the future availability of Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S smartphones. The 8GB iPhone 4 will retail for $549, while the newer 16GB Phone 4S will cost $649 with no contract. Both handsets will be eligible for Virgin Mobile's unlimited data and messaging plans that start as low as $30 per month. “This month marks Virgin Mobile USA's tenth birthday," said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. "And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone. That is the essence of 'A Higher Calling.' " The two iPhone models will be available online and through RadioShack, Best Buy and select local retailers on June 29th. Virgin Mobile's press release follows below. Virgin Mobile USA to Offer iPhone on June 29 Plans as Low as $30 Per Month WARREN, N.J. - June 7, 2012 – Virgin Mobile USA announced today it will offer iPhone to its prepaid customers beginning Friday, June 29. Virgin Mobile will offer iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S with its Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans as low as $30 per-month on the Sprint® Nationwide Network. iPhone will be available without a contract and with no fees for activation or roaming. New and existing customers can purchase iPhone at www.virginmobileusa.com, RadioShack, Best Buy and select local retailers. iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible features including Apple's dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all-new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5.1, the world's most advanced mobile operating system, and iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk unlimited data and messaging plans for iPhone start at $35 per month for access to Sprint's Nationwide Network, and customers can receive a $5 per-month plan discount when they register for automatic monthly payments with a credit card, debit card or PayPal account, making iPhone available for as low as $30 per month. Customers can also use their iPhone as a mobile hotspot through Virgin Mobile for an additional $15 per month. "This month marks Virgin Mobile USA's tenth birthday," said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. "And what better way to thank our fans for ten years of loyalty than by giving them exactly what they want: the perfect plan for the perfect phone. That is the essence of 'A Higher Calling.'"

PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit for iPhone 4x4S Review

We all know that a screen protector will help keep your iPhone's display as pristine as the day you bought it. But installing one can be a huge pain in the butt. First you have to make sure the screen is clean so you don't install the protector over dust particles. That's actually the easy part. The difficult part is getting it lined up correctly and bubble free. There are many screen protector brands on the market. Some require water to install and some are dry apply. But none of them are as easy to apply as the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield Kit for iPhone 4x4S. Their install method is pure genius. Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view. First of all, this is how my iPhone 4S looked before I installed the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield. You will notice that I have a screen protector installed (I don't recall the brand – it probably came with a case I reviewed), but there are bubbles. Those dreaded bubbles. Argh… No matter how careful you are it's almost impossible to avoid them. With the PureGear protector, bubbles are a thing of the past. The packaging is actually a fixture that has been designed to align your iPhone and the screen protector for perfect installation. Just tear the paper tab on the back and pull off the outer cover / instructions. What you're left with is a plastic tray that has the screen protector attached to it. Also included is a microfiber cloth to polish the phone's screen and a special roller. The protector lifts up to reveal a tray that holds an iPhone 4x4S. PureGear also offers versions of this kit for the Motorola Droid 4 and Motorola Droid Razr. Included with the kit is a dual roller that you use to install the protector. If you've ever installed other screen protectors, you have probably used a credit card to smooth out the protector. I like this roller a lot better. With the iPhone's screen wiped off with the microfiber cloth and firmly seated in the holder, the protector can flop back over the phone as shown above. Then all you have to do is place the special roller between the “rails” and roll it down the length of the phone. As you guide the roller, it separates the top layer as it sticks the protector to the phone. The trick is to roll it slowly without stopping. I know this because I screwed up 2 protectors in the process of writing this review. With my first try, I didn't roll it without stopping. I rolled it a few inches, snapped some pictures for the review, rolled it a bit further, took some more pictures, etc. I ended up with a protector that had several bubbles that would not go away. I knew the problem was completely my fault, so I pulled off the protector and installed a 2nd one that PureGear sent me. This time I rolled it in one continuous motion. I thought it had installed perfectly till I looked closely and noticed that t was not lined up correctly with the home button. Darn it! I emailed PureGear to tell them about my experiences and they agreed to send me another one. That is a concern that you only get one shot to get the protector installed correctly. You won't be able to peel it up and reseat it. As they say, 3rd time is the charm. My last try was a complete success. When you're done, you're left with a piece of plastic that you have to peel off. You might notice that the dual roller looks different in this picture when compared to the earlier pictures. I think the new design may be based on the fact that people were having some issues with the protector not lining up correctly like I did on my 2nd try. This 3rd time it lined up just fine though. Here is the finished product. No bubbles and perfectly lined up with the home button and the speaker at the top.The protector is slightly smaller than the display, meaning that it should work great with bummer cases. If you click the image to zoom in, you might notice a couple spots along the very top edge. They disappeared after 24hrs leaving me with a perfectly protected display. The protector is made of an industrial strength film that has self healing technology. It feels smooth and looks clear. Installing the PureGear PureTek Roll-On Screen Shield is easier and faster than any protector I've ever installed. As long as you pay attention to what you're doing and don't go too fast, you should end up with great results.

Camera-free iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 now on sale in Singapore

Singapore-based wireless carrier M1 began offering camera-free iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S handsets on Friday. The Singaporean government does not allow its soldiers to carry phones equipped with cameras, but requires that all men serve two years in the military. M1 no doubt wanted to address those potential customers who wanted iPhones but could not carry one with a camera. The camera-free iPhone 4 starts at $449 while the high-end iPhone 4S is priced at $974. According to CNET Asia, Singtel and StarHub are also planning to offer camera-less iPhones, although it's unclear when the device will be launched on those carriers. It is unclear if or when camera-free versions of the iPhone will become available outside Singapore.

Give Your iPhone 4x4S a New Look with MetalliCover

If you're tired of a plain black or white iPhone 4 or 4S but don't want a plastic skin, give a look to MetalliCover‘s metal skins. You'll cover both the front and back of the phone with these stainless-steel plates;  they'll add only 0.2″ thickness and 0.7 ounces to your phone.  The plates are laser etched with geometric, floral, or even animal print designs, and they are available with an optional gold plating.  A professional-grade 3M backing adhesive holds the plates securely to your phone, but they remove easily with the edge of your fingernail without leaving sticky residue behind.  You'll also receive a matching wallpaper for your iPhone with purchase of a MetalliCover.  Stainless steel designs are $25.95; gold-plated versions are $89.95.

Zero Chroma Teatro-S for iPhone 4x4S Review

I reviewed an iPad 2 case from Zero Chroma yesterday, and here's a companion case for your iPhone.  The Teatro-S for iPhone 4x4S case incorporates the rotating theater stand used in the Vario-SC case for the iPad 2. How does it stack up against its big brother? The Teatro-S is designed for iPhone 4 or 4S and fits models from AT&T or Verizon.  It's made of a hard plastic, and it's available in black, white, or pink.  The case is a hard shell that snaps over the back.  The corners of the iPhone are covered to protect against damage.  The interior is lined with felt to prevent scratches on the iPhone's back. The case is 4.5″ X 2.25″ X 0.45″ thick.  It weighs 0.85 ounce.  It doesn't add much bulk to the iPhone, and it doesn't change how the iPhone feels in hand very much.  I usually use the Bumper case, so the iPhone 4 feels a bit smaller and a bit slipperier to me in the Teatro-S case than in the Bumper. You'll notice two holes at the bottom of the case (left side of photo).  These holes allow you to attach a wrist strap.  The Zero Chroma website says a wrist strap is included with web orders, but I didn't receive one. The shiny, circular area is the rotating theater stand. The edges of the case wrap to the front of the iPhone.  This will lift the front glass off the table if you lay your phone facedown, but it doesn't interfere with the touchscreen operation.  It leaves the front camera, the ambient light and proximity sensors, and the home button completely open. The headphone jack, top microphone, and sleep/wake button are completely open.  I had no trouble using them. The mute and volume buttons are easy to use.  Note that there's a slight hump added to the back of the iPhone to make room for the rotating theater stand.  It's about 1x16″ thicker than the area at the top of the case. The speaker, bottom microphone, and docking connector are all completely exposed.  I had no trouble charging my phone while it was in the case. The back camera and flash have a very large opening.  The Teatro-S caused no problems when taking pictures. This picture also gives you a good view of the rotating theater stand in the closed position. These two views show the stand pulled out and ready for use.  The stand ratchets open, and Zero Chroma says there are 14 angles you can achieve with the stand.  It also rotates 360 degrees, with stops at 12-3-6-9.  The foot has an anti-slip rubber strip to prevent the iPhone from sliding around on the table. Here are examples of both portrait and landscape orientations.  Both were very stable.  No matter your height or the height of the table, you should be able to select an angle that's comfortable for watching videos or hands-free reading. Zero Chroma says this low angle is good for gaming, but I think it would also work for typing in the landscape orientation. I like the Zero Chroma Teatro-S case for my iPhone 4.  It doesn't feel much different in my hand than the caseless iPhone 4.  It offers protection without obscuring any of the ports or controls, and it gives me a stand that works for almost any position I could imagine without having to lug around a separate stand.  That sounds like a bargain to me.

Porting Siri to iPhone 4 now legal following iOS 5.0.1 update

IPhone 4 owners looking to take advantage of Apple's Siri software from the iPhone 4S now have one less barrier standing in their way. Sure, plenty of tricks have been available in the past that allow users to hack Siri onto an iPhone 4, but until now they were illegal. Apple's recent iOS 5.0.1 update, however, has a decrypted ramdisk, which means users can legally port files to the iPhone 4 that were previously encrypted and protected by Apple's public distribution policies. Apple may re-encrypt the files in iOS 5.1, which is expected to launch in the near future, so move quick if you want to take advantage of this loophole. 

Spy on nearby keyboards with your iPhone 4's accelerometer

Ever plopped your cellular down next to your laptop? According Georgia Tech researchers, that common scenario could let hackers record almost every sentence you type, all thanks to your smartphone's accelerometer. They've achieved the feat with an impressive 80 percent accuracy using an iPhone 4, and are dubbing the program they've developed, spiPhone. (Although the group initially had fledgling trials with an iPhone 3GS, they discovered the 4′s gyroscope aided in data reading.)

If the software gets installed onto a mobile device it can use the accelerometer to sense vibrations within three-inches, in degrees of “near or far and left or right,” allowing it to statistically guess the words being written — so long as they have three or more letters. It does this by recording pairs of keystrokes, putting them against dictionaries with nearly 58,000 words to come up with the most likely results.

The group has also done the same with the phone's mics (which they say samples data at a whopping 44,000 times per second vs. the accelerometer's 100), but note that it's a less likely option given the usual need for some form of user permission. Furthermore, they explained that the accelerometer data rate is already mighty slow, and if phone makers reduced it a bit more, spiPhone would have a hard time doin' its thing.

The good news? Considering the strict circumstances needed, these researchers think there's a slim chance that this kind of malware could go into action easily. Looks like our iPhone and MacBook can still be close friends…

Studio Neat Glif iPhone 4x4S Tripod Mount and Stand Review

The Glif from Studio Neat is a handy little gadget for iPhone 4x4S owners that are aspiring photographers and videographers. It allows you to attach your iPhone to any standard tripod and also doubles as an easily adjustable stand. Let me show you how it works.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

The Glif is made of semi flexible recyclable rubberized plastic that has been molded specifically for the iPhone 4x4S.

There's a trough to hold the iPhone securely.

And a 1x4″-­20 threaded socket so that you can attach it to a tripod.

Your caseless iPhone is held in place in either portrait…

or landscape orientation as seen here. I have a protector on both sides of my iPhone and it still works with the Glif.

Here we see the Glif attached to the top of a tripod.

It's very handy to be able to use a tripod with your iPhone. I have been using my phone to take short product demo videos and have found the Glif to be the perfect thing to allow me to shoot video easier when it's attached to a tripod.

When you're not using the Glif with a tripod, it doubles as a stand that can be used in portrait orientation as long as you keep the Glif as low as possible. Placing it higher up on the iPhone's side will cause it to tip over to one side.

The stand works best with the phone in landscape orientation as seen above.

The Glif is a simple product that is very useful. It's made well enough that it should last longer than you'll probably own your iPhone. It's handy to keep in your gear bag to use as a stand and for those times when a tripod will help you get that perfect shot or capture video.

Siri Made To Work On iPhone 4, Still Needs Some Polish!

The feature is new in iOS 5 and if you had noticed, it was designed particularly for the iPhone 4S that sports a faster dual-core processor with an enhanced graphics GPU, making all your affairs with Siri possible. Smoothly.

Even as the (now old) iPhone 4 supports the new iOS, it will not be able to run Siri officially (that's putting it nicely). While that has upset many of us, 9to5Mac in collaboration with developer Troughton-Smith has worked to get Siri to work on iPhone 4. It's working now. Head past the break to catch it in action.

At first, the Siri for iPhone 4 wasn't working as smooth as expected. It was rather sluggish, in performance which, by 9to5Mac, is due to the absence of a special graphic driver that's present in iPhone 4S and missing in the iPhone 4.

According to 9to5Mac:

The iPhone 4 hardware can support the Siri artificial intelligence system, as the A4 processor is said to be powerful enough. We are not entirely sure why Apple is making Siri an iPhone 4S exclusive but it could be due to special microphone support, or because the A5 may allow it to run slightly quicker.

However, hard work yielded and Siri was later reported to work almost perfectly fine. Sad, there's no tutorial of how that's done. Nevertheless, we now know that running Siri on iPhone 4 is possible albeit unofficially.

According to a report, Siri for iPad 2 is already in the pipeline. It should render as good performance as the iPhone 4S since both the devices have the same A5 dual-core chipset under the hood.

In the meantime, we are going back to chat with Siri. It's really fun to use and amazing. If you too have been using Siri on your new iPhone, share your experiences or any witty questions that you've asked Siri. We'd love to hear from you, as always.


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