By Josh Ong

Published: 09:14 PM EST (06:14 PM PST)

A new teardown analysis of the iPhone 4S claims that the parts for the 16GB version of Apple’s iPhone 4S cost $188, or just 50 cents more than the iPhone 4.

As noted by AllThingsD, IHS iSuppli conducted the breakdown to arrive at this year’s numbers. The bill of materials for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 4S models estimates costs of $188, $207 and $245, respectively. iSuppli’s estimate for the 16GB iPhone 4 last year was $187.51.

According to the report, the iPhone 4S’s dual-core A5 processor costs $15, while the new dual-mode Qualcomm chip brings the cost of the cellular chipset to around $14 to $15.

German chipmaker Infineon, purchased by Intel last year, lost out on the iPhone 4S. Since its baseband processor has been replaced by Qualcomm’s offerings, the company now appears to have just one small part in Apple’s new handset.

“It’s almost like Apple threw them a bone with a 50-cent part after they lost a much more high profile chip that cost about $10,” said analyst Andrew Rassweiler.

The 8-megapixel camera is believed to cost $17.60, though Rassweiler noted that tracing the part back to its supplier has proved difficult. A previous teardown discovered a Sony sensor, but Largan and Omnivision are also listed as potential suppliers.

The firm also discovered in the course of its breakdown that, at least for the model it had, Apple went with Hynix for its flash memory. It has been speculated that, due to its complicated legal dispute with Samsung, Apple has begun shifting component orders away from the South Korean electronics giant.

However, Samsung appears to continue to be the manufacturer for the A5 processor. “The markings are the same as what we saw in the iPad 2,” Rassweiler noted. The A5 may have helped Apple to cut down on the number of chips in its new smartphone, as noise-cancellation processing previously handled by a separate chip has been moved to the A5.

It should be noted, however, that Apple itself has derided the credibility of third-party BOMs.

“Let me begin by suggesting that you don’t put a lot of credence in these third-party reports that you see. It’s always amazing to me the cost categories and the components that never seem to make it into the reports,” Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said last year when asked about the cost structure of the iPhone 4.

Also, iSuppli’s estimates don’t take into account business costs such as research and development, shipping and marketing.

The iPhone 4S is off to a fantastic start, selling a record 4 million in its first weekend of availability. Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday that the device’s launch was better than the company’s “wildest dreams.”

In fact, the handset is selling so well that the Cupertino, Calif., company is now requiring that potential in-store buyers make reservations online. Currently, all iPhone 4S models are listed with shipping estimates of 1-2 weeks on Apple’s online store.

An earlier teardown of the iPhone 4S revealed a larger battery and the new baseband chip.

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 08:19 AM EST (05:19 AM PST)

The debut of Apple’s latest smartphone on Friday has drawn huge crowds at Apple stores around the world, including a long, rain-soaked line at the company’s flagship Fifth Avenue store.

Today the iPhone 4S launches in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., France, Germany and Japan. Stores have opened at 8 a.m. local time to begin selling the device, which features Siri voice recognition and a speedy dual-core A5 chip.

In the U.S., at Apple’s flagship store in New York City, a long line braved poor weather to be among the first to get their hands on the iPhone 4S. AppleInsider reader Ryan sent along photos and video (below), and noted that the line wrapped around two sides of the block as of 7:30 a.m. For comparison, the iPhone 4 launch crowd was four sides of the block, though weather conditions were better.

The iPhone 4S is available in black and white, and in capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. It starts at $199 with a new two-year service contract in the U.S.

This year marks the first time a new iPhone will debut on three carriers in America. In addition to AT&T, which has carried the iPhone since 2007, the iPhone 4S is also available at launch on Verizon and Sprint.

Australians were the first in the world to buy the iPhone 4S at an Apple Store, and TechGuide was on hand in Sydney, where a large crowd was cheered on by Apple employees for the start of sales. Customers were handed cards to help them identify the color and capacity of the iPhone 4S model they planned to buy.

Many customers turn to waiting in line at retail stores to buy the iPhone 4S on launch day because online orders sell out quickly. Almost immediately, Apple sold out of its initial run of preorders, and customers hoping to get a handset on launch day were given a shipping estimate of one to two weeks.

Apple announced earlier this week that it set a new record by pre-selling one million iPhone 4S preorders on the first day. That topped the 600,000 preorders of the iPhone 4 sold in one day 2010.

Analysts expect the iPhone 4S to be a hot seller beyond this launch weekend, throughout the holiday buying season and over the next year. A set of recent predictions from Wall Street analysts called for 3 million sales on the launch weekend, and 25 million this year.

By Neil Hughes

Published: 01:17 PM EST (10:17 AM PST)

The new iPhone 4S features a redesigned antenna design that allows for better reception and faster wireless data speeds, a tweak that should further distance Apple from the “antennagate” controversy that occurred around the launch of the iPhone 4.

Leading up to Friday’s launch of the iPhone 4S, AppleInsider will offer a closer look at some of the features of the next-generation handset. Given that the ‘S’ in the device’s moniker was never officially defined by Apple, we offer five potential definitions. Today: ‘S’ is for Signal, with a newly redesigned antenna.

‘Antennagate:’ A brief history

Soon after the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010, it was discovered that covering the bottom left of the phone, where two separate antennas meet, could reduce cellular reception with the device. In low-signal situations, this could result in a dropped call.

The ensuing media firestorm prompted Apple to uncharacteristically hold a special press conference last July, where the company announced it would give away free cases to iPhone 4 customers for a limited time.

The controversy stemmed from the fact that the iPhone 4 has a unique design where the metal edges of the device also serve as its antenna. Any reception issues could be resolved by adding a case to the phone, which prevented users’ skin from touching the antenna and causing signal attenuation.

Apple also noted that competing smartphones experience similar issues with reception, and shared videos on its website showing decreased reception when holding a BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Droid Eris, Samsung Omnia II, and even the iPhone 3GS.

For all the noise around it, the so-called “antennagate” didn’t prove to be much of an issue for consumers. Apple eventually removed its website created in response to the controversy, and ended its free case program. The iPhone 4 went on to become Apple’s best selling smartphone in the company’s history, achieving a record 20.34 million sales last quarter alone.

With “antennagate” now well behind it, Apple has introduced a tweaked antenna on its iPhone 4S handset — a modified, multifunctional design that promises better reception and even faster data transfer speeds.

An ‘intelligent’ antenna

In its promotional materials, Apple has stated that the iPhone 4S is “the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to transmit and receive, so call quality is better.” However, the company has not gone into great detail to explain exactly how the dual-antenna system works.

In his review of the iPhone 4S, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop noted that the dual-antenna design is exclusive to Apple, and in his experience it boosted signal not only on calls, but also general reception.

“To be perfectly clear — this is an Apple-only technology,” he wrote. “While other companies can receive on dual antennas, no other company can transmit and receive on dual GSM and CDMA antennas.”

Scpencer Webb, CEO of antenna design firm AntennaSys, told Gizmodo that he thinks that Apple may have come up with a unique algorithm for distributing antenna signals for the iPhone 4S. With this, Apple could implement a selective processing method where the handset would choose the better signal offered by the phone’s two antennas, all while meeting radio-frequency emission requirements from the Federal Communications Commission.

While Apple has promised the new antenna will improve reception and call quality, it won’t be a fix-all for network woes. For example, Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal found in his testing on AT&T's network that he still experienced a number of dropped calls. However, a colleague testing identical iPhone 4S hardware on Verizon’s network experienced no such problems.

But Edward Baig of USA Today said he din’t experience any dropped calls in his testing of the iPhone 4S on AT&T's network. He described call quality with the iPhone 4S as "generally quite good."

HSDPA speeds, world phone for GSM roaming

Improvements to the iPhone 4S antenna don’t stop with its proprietary dual-antenna technology. Changes to the design of the phone have also made it HSDPA compatible.

That means that maximum download speeds on an HSDPA GSM network are up to 14.4Mbps. That’s double the maximum speed of 7.2Mbps possible with the iPhone 4.

HSDPA speeds can, under the right circumstances, be comparable to some true 4G LTE networks. In his testing of the iPhone 4S, Mossberg said he experienced 4G speeds in areas where AT&T has deployed its HSDPA network.

“In numerous tests at three different locations in the Washington suburbs, I averaged download speeds of nearly 7 megabits per second — better than in prior tests on Sprint and T-Mobile 4G phones,” he wrote.

While 4G-like speeds may be possible in some areas with GSM carriers like AT&T, the upgrade does not apply for customers of CDMA carriers, like Verizon and Sprint in the U.S. Verizon customers who upgrade from an iPhone 4S, for example, will achieve the same speeds as with the iPhone 4.

Because of this, AT&T is believed to be pushing Apple to add a "4G" indicator to the iPhone 4S status bar. However, AT&T's HSDPA network is not "true" 4G long-term evolution, or LTE.

Beyond additional speed for some, the new iPhone 4S design and accompanying antenna will allow for more flexibility. The iPhone 4S is a “world phone,” which means that both GSM and CDMA customers will be able to roam worldwide on GSM networks.

Previously, if a customer bought the CDMA-only iPhone 4, released on Verizon’s network earlier this year, they could not roam outside of the country, such as in Europe where CDMA networks are not common. The inclusion of both GSM and CDMA radios in the iPhone 4S will allow those customers to use their handset worldwide more easily.

For more, see the previous installments of AppleInsider’s “Inside Apple’s iPhone 4S” series, included below:

Inside Apple’s iPhone 4S and its A5 CPU: ‘S’ is for Speed

Inside Apple’s iPhone 4S and its 8MP camera: ‘S’ is for Shutter

Inside Apple’s iPhone 4S: ‘S’ is for Siri voice recognition

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 01:08 PM EST (10:08 AM PST)

As promised, Apple on Wednesday issued iOS 5, the next generation of its mobile operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with wireless syncing, iCloud support and the new Notification Center.

Before users can update to iOS 5, they must be running iTunes 10.5, which was publicly released on Tuesday. Once installed, an iOS device can then be updated to version 5.

For many, the install of iOS 5 will represent the last time they tether their iOS device to a computer via USB to back up, sync and update through iTunes. Going forward, the software update will allow users to accomplish all of those tasks wirelessly, without the need to use a cable.

iOS 5 is available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, first-generation iPad, fourth-generation iPod touch, and third-generation iPod touch. Most of the downloads weigh in at more than 700 megabytes, but future delta updates delivered wirelessly will be much smaller, and will be capable of being installed directly from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

An update is also available for the Apple TV, bringing wireless mirroring functionality over AirPlay.

The release of iOS 5 comes two days ahead of the launch of the iPhone 4S, which will also feature the next-generation operating system. The software update was received positively in AppleInsider’s in-depth iOS 5 review.

The golden master built of iOS 5 was released to developers last week, representing the same final code that was made public on Wednesday. That has given developers time to make sure their applications can be updated and ensure compatibility with iOS 5 and its new features.

In all, iOS 5 packs more than 200 new features. The most noteworthy among them is Notification Center, which allows users to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between iOS devices; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase newspapers and magazine subscriptions.

The full list of iOS 5 features highlighted by Apple are:

• Notification Center: All your alerts. All in one place. You get all kinds of notifications on your iOS device: new email, texts, friend requests, and more. With Notification Center, you can keep track of them all in one convenient location. Just swipe down from the top of any screen to enter Notification Center.

Choose which notifications you want to see. Even see a stock ticker and the current weather. New notifications appear briefly at the top of your screen, without interrupting what you’re doing. And the Lock screen displays notifications so you can act on them with just a swipe. Notification Center is the best way to stay on top of your life’s breaking news.
• iMessage: iPad and iPod touch join the conversation. With iMessage, we’ve created a new messaging service for all iOS 5 users. You can send unlimited text messages via Wi-Fi or 3G from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to anyone with one of those devices. iMessage is built into the Messages app, so you can send text, photos, videos, locations, and contacts. Keep everyone in the loop with group messaging. Track your messages with delivery receipts and optional read receipts, see when someone’s typing, and enjoy secure encryption for text messages. Even start a conversation on one of your iOS devices and pick up where you left off on another.
• Newsstand: A custom newsstand for all your subscriptions. Read all about it. All in one place. iOS 5 organizes your magazine and newspaper app subscriptions in Newsstand: a folder that lets you access your favorite publications quickly and easily. There’s also a new place on the App Store just for newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And you can get to it straight from Newsstand. New purchases go directly to your Newsstand folder. Then, as new issues become available, Newsstand automatically updates them in the background — complete with the latest covers. It’s kind of like having the paper delivered to your front door. Only better.

• Reminders: A better way to do to-dos. Next time you think to yourself, “Don’t forget to…,” just pull out your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and jot it down. Reminders lets you organize your life in to-do lists — complete with due dates and locations. Say you need to remember to pick up milk during your next grocery trip. Since Reminders can be location based, you’ll get an alert as soon as you pull into the supermarket parking lot. Reminders also works with iCal, Outlook, and iCloud, so changes you make update automatically on all your devices and calendars.

• Twitter: Integrated right into iOS 5. iOS 5 makes it even easier to tweet from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Sign in once in Settings, and suddenly you can tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps. Want to mention or @reply to a friend? Contacts applies your friends’ Twitter usernames and profile pictures. So you can start typing a name and iOS 5 does the rest. You can even add a location to any tweet, no matter which app you’re tweeting from.
• Camera: Capture the moment at a moment’s notice. Since your iPhone is always with you, it’s often the best way to capture those unexpected moments. That’s why you’ll love the new camera features in iOS 5. You can open the Camera app right from the Lock screen. Use grid lines, pinch-to-zoom gestures, and single-tap focus and exposure locks to compose a picture on the fly. Then press the volume-up button to snap your photo in the nick of time. If you have Photo Stream enabled in iCloud, your photos automatically download to all your other devices.
• Photos: Enhanced photo enhancements. Turn your snapshots into frame-worthy photos in just a few taps. Crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye without leaving the Photos app. Even organize your photos in albums — right on your device. With iCloud, you can push new photos to all your iOS devices. So if you’re taking photos on your iPhone, iCloud automatically sends copies to your iPad, where you can quickly touch them up before showing them off.

• Safari: Even better site-seeing. iOS 5 brings even more web-browsing features to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Safari Reader displays web articles sans ads or clutter so you can read without distractions. Reading List lets you save interesting articles to peruse later, while iCloud keeps your list updated across all your devices. On iPad, tabbed browsing helps you keep track of multiple web pages and switch between them with ease. And iOS 5 improves Safari performance on all your iOS devices.

• PC Free: Independence for all iOS devices. With iOS 5, you no longer need a computer to own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Activate and set up your device wirelessly, right out of the box. Download free iOS software updates directly on your device. Do more with your apps — like editing your photos or adding new email folders — on your device, without the need for a Mac or PC. And back up and restore your device automatically using iCloud.
• Mail: Your inbox is about to receive some great new features. Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts. Create indents in the text of your message. Drag to rearrange names in address fields. Flag important messages. Even add and delete mailbox folders on the fly. If you’re looking for a specific email, you can now search in the body of messages. And with iCloud, you get a free email account that stays up to date on all your devices.

• Calendar: Get more perspective on your schedule with year view on iPad and week view on iPhone and iPod touch. Tap to create an event and drag to adjust the time and duration. Add, rename, and delete calendars directly from your device. And view event attachments without leaving the Calendar app. iCloud lets you share calendars with friends and family, and it keeps your events in sync on all your devices.

• Game Center: iOS is the world’s most popular gaming platform. With iOS 5, you can get your game face on with even more Game Center features. Post a profile picture. Meet your match with new friend recommendations based on the games you play and the players you already know. Discover new games without leaving Game Center. And size up an opponent on the spot with new overall achievement scores.
• Wi-Fi Sync: Wirelessly sync your iOS device to your Mac or PC over a shared Wi-Fi connection. Every time you connect your iOS device to a power source (say, overnight for charging), it automatically syncs and backs up any new content to iTunes. So you always have your movies, TV shows, home videos, and photo albums everywhere you want them.
• Multitasking Gestures for iPad: iOS 5 includes a few new moves and shortcuts to help you get around even quicker on your iPad: Using four or five fingers, swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar, pinch to return to the Home screen, and swipe left or right to switch between apps.
• AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2: Wow your audience in the board room, classroom, or living room. AirPlay now supports video mirroring. Which means you can wirelessly — and securely — stream whatever’s on your iPad 2 to your HDTV via Apple TV. Everyone in the room sees exactly what’s on your iPad display up there on the big screen — even when you rotate iPad from portrait to landscape or zoom in and out on photos.
• Accessibility: iOS 5 comes with innovative new features that make it easier for people with mobility, hearing, vision, and cognitive disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices. iOS 5 works with specialized hardware accessories. The LED flash and custom vibration settings let you see and feel when someone’s calling. And improvements to VoiceOver include custom element labeling. These are just a few of the ways iOS 5 continues making advances in the field of accessibility.

For more on iOS 5, see AppleInsider’s extensive coverage of the operating system update in Inside iOS 5, parts of which are included below:

Built-in Twitter integration makes tweeting a snap

LED flash on calls, custom accessibility gestures & vibrations

Calendar improvements help make iPhone, iPad PC-free

iTunes Tone Store will offer more text alert options

Notification Center, banner alerts

Inside Apple’s move to open up SMS-style messaging to not-mobile clients

Reminders app offers location-aware to-do lists

Safari Reader, private browsing, tabs on iPad

PC Free setup, keyboard shortcuts

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 08:35 AM EST (05:35 AM PST)

Apple on Monday announced that its new iPhone 4S sold one million preorders in its first 24 hours of availability, setting a new record for the company.

“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day preorders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”

The million sales surpass the previous single-day preorder record of 600,000 set by the iPhone 4 when it launched in 2010. Total sales on the launch day of the iPhone 4 reached 1.7 million, which tied the sales record previously set by the iPhone 3GS.

Of course, the iPhone 4 eventually went on to become Apple’s best-selling smartphone in its history. Total iPhone sales reached 20.34 million in the last quarter alone, a record for the company.

The first indication that the iPhone 4S would break records came on Friday, when AT&T announced that preorders had topped 200,000 in the first 12 hours of availability. That number was the highest sum ever for any handset sold by the company, which is the second-largest carrier in the U.S.

Since preorders became available last Friday, Apple quickly sold out of handsets available on this Friday’s launch date. New orders placed through Apple’s website are given an estimated wait time of one to two weeks before the handset will ship.

The iPhone 4S will be available at all 245 Apple retail stores in the U.S. beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 14. It also marks the first time that the handset will be available from wireless provider Sprint, which is joining AT&T and Verizon as an authorized carrier.

The iPhone 4S is available in either black or white for $199 for the 16GB model, and $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the new 64GB model in the U.S. In addition to America, it will be available in Canada, Australia, the U.K., France, Germany and Japan this Friday, making it the fastest iPhone roll-out Apple has ever had.

Availability of the iPhone 4S will expand worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

By Sam Oliver

Published: 08:19 AM EST (05:19 AM PST)

Apple’s margins are predicted to grow with this Friday’s launch of the iPhone 4S, with manufacturing margins north of 70 percent for the handset.

Analyst Chris Whitmore with Deutsche Bank believes Apple achieves a bill-of-materials cost of $170 for the 16GB iPhone 4S, and $220 for the 32GB model. For the new 8GB iPhone 4, he thinks Apple’s materials cost is about $140.

“This suggests manufacturing margins on the iPhone 4S are 71-73% (vs. ~38% for iPod touch) and should support attractive corporate margins for AAPL for multiple quarters,” Whitmore wrote in a note to investors on Monday.

Apple also achieves a greater dollar subsidy from its carrier partners for iPhone purchases. The 16GB iPhone 4S subsidy is estimated to be $450, while most competing devices are estimated to garner less than $350.

Those subsidies allow Apple to reach a $199 price for the 16GB iPhone 4S with a new two-year service contract. That’s in line with competing 3G devices, and about $60 less expensive than 4G phones like the Samsung Galaxy S II ($229 with contract), Droid Bionic ($299) and HTC Thunderbolt ($249).

“We expect customers who do the math to opt for the iPhone,” he said of the price of the iPhone 4S, along with monthly service fees. “In addition, those who don’t do the math will likely reach for the lower upfront acquisition cost of the 4S compared vs. these Droids.”

Preorders for the iPhone 4S began last Friday, with carrier AT&T announcing that day that it sold 200,000 handsets in the first 12 hours. That makes it the most successful iPhone launch ever for the carrier, which is the second largest in terms of subscribers in the U.S.

The initial iPhone 4S stock was quickly depleted by early Saturday morning. Customers who now order Apple’s next smartphone are now quoted an estimated shipping time of one to two weeks.

Whitmore believes the iPhone 4S will keep Apple the “smartphone gold standard,” and will allow it to keep the largest share of smartphone sales versus other hardware vendors. Deutsche Bank has reiterated its “buy” rating for AAPL stock, along with a price target of $530.

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 04:10 PM EST (01:10 PM PST)

Facebook Monday afternoon revealed it is set to launch its long-awaited official application for the iPad, as a free download on Apple’s App Store.

Though it is not yet available to download on the App Store, the software was outed Monday afternoon in a story from Reuters. The software arrives alongside support for social games, like Zynga’s Farmville, on the mobile versions of the website.

As for the mobile games, the company’s iPhone application will not support the “Credits” currency for social titles, because of Apple’s terms of service for software available on the App Store. Third-party application developers will be required to support Credits in the mobile versions of their Facebook games.

Of course, Apple does not control content available in the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad, meaning players of games like Farmville will be able to purchase credits by accessing the mobile version of the website rather than the devoted application.

Facebook has touted that its new application is a “new way to experience” the social networking service. Features of the official iPad application include:

• Enjoy bigger, better photos: Your photos take on new life on the iPad. They’re big, high-res and easy to flip through—like a real photo album.

• Focus on what matters: With less on the screen, it’s easier to zoom in on your friends’ photos, updates and stories.
• Navigate anywhere, fast” Just tap, slide or pinch to get from one screen to another and back again in no time.
• Never lose your place: Use simplified navigation to send a message, see your notifications or browse your bookmarks without switching screens.
• Play games on the go: Play your favorite Facebook games wherever you are, and on a bigger screen.
• Tap to send messages: A simple dropdown menu makes it easy to scan and send messages without visiting your inbox.

Rumors have existed for months that Facebook has been working on a version of its iOS application designed to take advantage of the 9.7-inch display of the iPad. In the absence of an official Facebook application, options like “MyPad” and “Friendly” have sought to fill the void.

An official site set up for the Facebook for iPad software links to the existing Facebook application for the iPhone on the App Store. That means that when it’s available, iPad support will come from a universal application with support for both the iPhone and iPad included.

A full-fledged iPad application was found hidden within the existing Facebook application for iPhone earlier this month. It could be enabled and accessed through a tweak, though the social networking service quickly blocked access for unauthorized users.

Prior to last week’s iPhone 4S event, there were rumors that Facebook could release its official iPad software to coincide with the event, but those claims proved to be inaccurate.