iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4, 4S and 5 will be available to T-Mobile customers starting on April 12th. Online pre-orders will open on April 5th through T-Mobile.com. All three iPhone models will be offered contract free for a small down payment. Qualifying customers can nab an iPhone 4 through T-Mobile's new Simple Choice Plan for $15, and pay it off in $15 monthly installments for 24 months. The iPhone 4S will cost $70, and the iPhone 5 will set you back $100. Both the iPhone 4S and 5 will cost $20 per month until they device is paid off in two-years. The $15 and $20 monthly payments will be added on top of any normal data service charges. You can read more about T-Mobile's new no contract service plans here.

UPDATE: The iPhone 4 and 4S will only be available in "select markets".

T-Mobile claims its new "uncarrier" model gives cell phone users more freedom, but customers will have to finish paying for their device if they decided to switch carriers, or upgrade to a newer model. However, customers will be able to keep making monthly payments, or trade-in a device for "fair market credit". All phones will also be sold locked, so people will need T-Mobile's permission if they decided to keep the phone and move to a new carrier.

Accessory maker BodyGuardz is offering 15% off all their smartphone and tablet cases for Presidents' Day. The sale starts today and ends Monday, February 18th. The sale includes cases and screen protectors for the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, iPad and iPad mini. Non-Apple devices include the Samsung Galaxy S3, BlackBerry Z10 and Google Nexus 7.

BodyGuards offers many different skins, screen protectors, and stylish cases including its popular Armor Art lineup. The ultra-thin and durable Armor Art skins feature a lot different and interesting custom prints. The basic Armor lineup only features three colors, but are PVC based film / carbon fiber skins which protect your phone from scratches and dings. The mykase series not only protects your iPhone from drops and bumps, but also features a system of interchangeable plates so you can mix and match styles on the fly.

Apple has released iOS 6.1.1 to fix a bug only affecting iPhone 4S devices. The iOS 6.1.1 changelog simply reads: "This update fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S". The over the air update was only sent to iPhone 4S owners. The update comes after European carriers such as Vodafone, had to warn users not to update to iOS 6.1 because of "difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or to connect to the Internet."

The good news is Apple did not patch the untethered evasi0n jailbreak in iOS 6.1.1. Planetbeing, one of the hackers who helped release evasi0n, tweeted that the jailbreak still works on iPhone 4S devices running iOS 6.1.1. Planetbeing added that the evad3ers will be releasing an updated version of the jailbreak which recognizes iOS 6.1.1 is supported.

Case-Mate is offering 20% off its new line of Olo smartphone cases. The line features a variety of colorful and playful cases for the iPhone (4, 4S and 5 only) Samsung Galaxy S3 and even the newly introduced BlackBerry Z10. There are three categories of Olo Cases available: Sleek & Slim, Just for Fun and Rugged Protection.

There are six Sleek & Slim cases available for various Apple and Android smartphones, and three Rugged Protection cases available for the iPhone, some Android devices and even the iPad. However, the Just for Fun cases are what really make Case-Mate's Olo line standout. The group offers 24 different cute cases with various animal and other custom designed prints, such as the cupcake case pictured above. All the Just for Fun cases are made of impact resistant, flexible silicone and feature easy-to-hold grips to protect against bumps and falls.

AT&T announced earlier this month that iOS 6 users with an LTE device and a "tiered data plan" would be allowed to use FaceTime over a cellular connection. While a step in the right direction, AT&T's new restrictions still left out those with grandfathered unlimited data plans and older devices. However, it looks like AT&T may have had a change of heart.

According to Cult of Mac and MacRumor forum users, grandfathered customers with unlimited data plans, and those with the iPhones 4S can now use FaceTime over a cellular connection. Cult of Mac reader Michael B. was one of the first to notice the change:

"I have AT&T grandfathered unlimited data. Rebooted my phone and now FaceTime is enabled. Woohoo! Looks like AT&T’s accountants figured out that they’ll make a bundle on overages with everyone making phone calls in High Def."

Striiv has launched a new wearable Play Smart Pedometer which works with the free Striiv iPhone fitness app. The Striiv Play Pedometer uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to your iDevice to help you easily keep track of your fitness activities wirelessly. Its built-in rechargeable Lithium ION battery allows for up to one week of usage on a single charge, and its nickel-plated clip fastens to any workout gear or clothes.

The Striiv Play plus app allows users to measure their activities like walking and running, play games and share their achievements with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

If you have you ever wished your iPhone was more like Batman's utility belt then you should check out the ReadyCase Indiegogo campaign. The surprisingly thin case (less than 3mm thick) not only protects your iPhone, but it also crams in a multi-tool, a USB memory stick, a kickstand, a headphone clip and three lenses for the iPhone camera.

The case ships with a knife / screwdriver / bottle opener multi-tool, your choice of 8GB or 16GB memory stick (which doubles as a kickstand) and an integrated lens ring for attaching a variety of lenses (a macro lens, a fish eye lens and a wide angle lens) specifically designed to work with the iPhone. The case keeps is slim pocket-friendly design by allowing you to snugly attach the multi-tool and memory stick to the back of the case, and the headphone clip eliminates knotted cord headaches by keeping your EarPods tangle free.

The iPhone 5 is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the other iPhones, but the price has remained the same. Apple will offer the iPhone 5 for $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), and $399 (64GB) on September 21. Pre-orders for the next-generation iPhone open on September 14. If you're looking to upgrade from the now discontinued iPhone 3GS, but $200 is out of your price range, you can now nab an iPhone 4S for $99, or receive a free iPhone 4 with a new contract.

Even though the next-generation iPhone will be the sixth smartphone released by Apple, it's still being called the "iPhone 5" by most Apple fans. It's almost like Apple users have already forgotten about the disappointing iPhone 4S and its even bigger disappointment Siri. This is probably why the iPhone 5 is expected to enjoy record sales this holiday season. Many longtime Apple users skipped the iPhone 4S in anticipation of a 2012 iPhone 5 release. This means a lot of iPhone owners will be coming off two-year carrier contracts when the iPhone 5 becomes available in the fall. And there are also the iPhone 4S owners who have already dumped their devices for the iPhone 5. That adds up to a lot of people waiting for a new iPhone.

The hoopla surrounding the iPhone 5 is carryover from last year's next generation rumors. Dreams of a tear-dropped shaped iPhone may be gone, but the new iPhone is still expected to receive a complete body makeover. Part leaks have shown that the new iPhone could feature a chrome-plated metal frame and 8-pin dock connector. The iPhone 5 is also rumored to be 2mm thinner than the iPhone 4S, and to feature a 4-inch, 16:9 screen. The current models feature a 3.5-inch display.

It's well known that Sprint had to commit at least $15 billion to Apple to become the third major U.S. carrier to carry the iPhone. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a group of reporters that taking the risk was the "right decision".

“You really don’t want to be on the outside. The No. 1 thing was getting the call from Apple that they were interested in at least having the opportunity, Hesse said at Sprint’s Kansas headquarters. "We committed to $15.5 billion over four years in purchases. That’s a large commitment. We saw no reason to bet against Apple. Today, looking back, I think it was the right decision.”

Hesse also said he would be interested in adding the iPad to Sprint's roster in the future.