iPhone 4S Announcement FAQ

We've all had a number of lingering questions after today's event. Here's a quick summary of some of the more frequently asked questions we keep getting on our tip line.

Will Siri be available on the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4?

As far as we can tell, Siri is an iPhone 4S exclusive feature.

Will Siri be available outside of the US?

Siri will be available outside the US. Where? We can't entirely tell yet. Siri mentions vary on out-of-US Apple websites. The French and British sites discuss Siri, but not Canada. (Thanks, Jean-Philippe Bousquet) We have no word as to how well Siri will work in Scotland.

Why does the iPhone cost so much in my country?

Probably because your country does not follow the US subsidy model, where prices are discounted in exchange for a contract commitment.

When can I buy an unlocked and/or out-of-contract iPhone

Apple's site suggests the unlocked unit will be available for sale at the same time as the contract/locked units. We have contacted US Apple support and received conflicting information (we were told that these units would only be made available in Canada). We have sent a query to Apple PR for a clarifying statement. We have not heard back, and we probably won't.

When does it go on sale? When can I buy one in person?

Pre-orders start October 7. We don't know what time of day. Last time Apple offered iPhone pre-orders, it was early in the morning east-coast time. We're guessing 7AM or 8AM ET.

The iPhone arrives in stores on October 14th. Probably with lots of lines at Apple's stores. If history holds, you'll also be able to get in line at AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon stores in the US.

How much will out-of-contracts likely sell for?

Kelly Hodgkins tells us that Verizon is listing the 16GB unit for $649, the 32 for $749, and the 64 for $849. Compare and contrast that with the Late 2010 64 MacBook Air, which you can buy for $749 (slightly refurbished) or the May 2010 Macbook 2.4 with 250 GB (SATA) for $849. You can also pick up a brand new Mac mini for $599 (less for refurbished models). You can buy a first generation iPad with 3G for $399, and a current generation 16 GB iPad 2 with 3G for $579.

Will Siri run on iPad 2? It has the same processor

Apple says: "Siri is available in Beta only on iPhone 4S and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply." So even with the same processor, it doesn't look promising.

Will all iPhone 4 cases work with iPhone 4S?

Apple's site says yes, but again we're not sure. Other than the weight (3 grams more), the dimensions appear to be the same. Most concerns seem to be about the camera, but we're hearing nothing yet about any differences there in external case access.

Apple says:

Do existing iPhone 4 accessories work with the new iPhone 4S?
Yes, all iPhone 4 accessories work with iPhone 4S.

What size storage will be available for iCloud?

5 GB free -- and you can use that up like *that* if you do iCloud backups (vs computer backups). From there 10GB $20/yr, 20GB $40, 50GB $100

Why do some iPhone 4 first-day adopters have immediate upgrade ability rather than February 25th?

They pay a lot more per month than you or I do. Us "bottom feeders" (at $65 a month or so) have to wait longer.

Will unlimited data be grandfathered in?

Wait and see. Definitely unlimited data on Sprint if rumor holds true. For AT&T, we're not sure.

When does iOS 5 ship?

iOS 5 will launch October 12th