For those iPhone lovers who hate two-year contracts Apple will be offering the iPhone 4S unlocked in the United States. The unlocked version is already available for pre-order on the Apple online store at unsubsidized, contract-free prices. Buyers can expect to pay a $450 premium above carrier discount prices to avoid a contract, making the iPhone 4S 16GB come in at $649 with free shipping.

This puts the 32GB at $749 and the 64GB capacity model at $849. Of course the unlocked version comes in black or white, however it will only be compatible with GSM networks around the globe. This means that iPhone 4S users in the US will be limited to AT&T or T-Mobile as a choice of carriers. Currently Verizon and Sprint will require the iPhone 4S to be locked into a two-year contract to be activated on their networks.

Apple has released the golden master (GM) version of iOS 5 to developers in preparation for the public launch next week. As usual, the iPhone Dev-Team is constantly working to improve the redsn0w jailbreak tool and now has released redsn0w 0.9.9 beta 3 for Mac and 0.9.9 beta 3a for Windows. The latest version of redsn0w can jailbreak iOS 5 GM on all devices except for the iPad 2.

Of course, the current iOS 5 jailbreak is a tethered jailbreak for most devices, meaning the iPhone must be connected to your computer when booting. If the device is rebooted without using redsn0w then iOS 5 will load up in a normal state without any jailbroken apps available (except for the iPhone 3GS using an old bootrom). As developers already know, iTunes 10.5 beta 7 is required to install iOS 5 GM.

New and existing Sprint customers can pre-order the iPhone 4 with iOS 5 for $99 starting on Thursday. The iPhone 4S can be pre-ordered at 12:01 AM PST (3:01 EST) on Friday via their online store. AT&T or Verizon customers can visit Apple’s website or call 1-800-MY-APPLE to order the iPhone 4S tomorrow.

The iPhone 4S features Apple's dual-core A5 processor, 8-megapixel camera, 1080p HD resolution video recording, iCloud and Apple's new voice command assistant Siri. The iPhone 4S is $199.99 for the 16GB model, $299.99 for the 32GB model and $399.99 for the 64GB model. All prices require a new or upgraded contract.

Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple Computer in 1976, died one day after Apple announced its new iPhone. He was 56 years old.

The Apple home page replaced its image of the newly announced iPhone 4S with a picture of Jobs and this message:

"Steve Jobs 1955-2011. Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Apple's board of directors also released a statement:

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

The new iPhone that Apple announced yesterday impressed some and disappointed others. Though not everyone was satisfied, the new iPhone 4S will hit the streets with a number of impressive, exclusive features. While the list of new features is long, those most touted by Apple are the new iPhone's speed improvements, hence the "S" moniker, for speed. What many customers don't realize is that a one of the main speed improvements in the iPhone 4S won't apply to Verizon and Sprint customers.

As Apple informed us at yesterday's keynote, 3G data download speeds on the iPhone 4S are up to twice as fast as the iPhone 4. This is a result of the fact that the iPhone 4S is capable of HSDPA download speeds up to 14.4Mbps, while the iPhone 4 has a max of 7.2Mbps. The important thing to note here is that Verizon and Sprint are not HSDPA networks. The iPhone 4S will run on CDMA on Sprint and Verizon, not HSDPA, and thus will have the same download speed capability as the iPhone 4.