Apple

Five new regional US carriers will join C Spire Wireless on April 20 and begin offering the iPhone to customers. The complete list includes nTelos in Virginia, Appalachian Wireless in Kentucky, Cellcom from Wisconsin, and two Alaskan carriers, GCI and Alaska Communications.

GCI is the only carrier with a GSM network, so they will be the only ones launching the iPhone 3GS alongside the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. iPhone fans looking for options besides wireless giants AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will find pricing will come in below the big players, too.

The idea that SIM cards could disappear is looking less likely, as smartphone manufacturers RIM, Nokia and Apple have submitted competing proposals for a next-generation subscriber identity module. The European Telecommunications Standards Institutes (ETSI) has scheduled a vote to decide between the competing designs.

Apple's proposed nano-SIM card is pictured above from The Verge, inside the outline of a standard SIM card. When it comes down to it, the Apple design is much like current micro-SIM cards, except with less plastic around the edges. In contrast, both competing designs from Nokia and RIM are redesigned more like an SD card.

More evidence of LTE connectivity on the next iPhone has surfaced in a document acquired by AppleInsider. Apple is reportedly reviewing parts that were submitted by suppliers, a key step in deciding which components will be used in the iPhone 5.

The information comes from a research note produced by investment firm Barclays. The firm contends that Apple is expected to include the Qualcomm MDM9615 LTE chip in the next generation iPhone, which supports 4G data connections and voice. In contrast, the LTE hardware found on the new iPad is the Qualcomm MDM9600, which only supports data connections.

Everyone is looking forward to the super quick LTE capable iPhone 5 this fall, right? Maybe everyone except for wireless carrier Sprint. Unfortunately, word on the street is that Sprint faces problems, including possible bankruptcy should Apple launch the next generation device with LTE.

Problems for Sprint are already likely given the fact that Apple has shipped the new iPad with LTE, in both Verizon and AT&T flavors. Notice the lack of a third-generation iPad for Sprint. The main problem here outside of spectrum issues remains that Sprint's LTE network is coming online this year, putting the carrier behind its major rivals by a year and a half.

Even disclaimers and beta software status hasn't prevented Siri from sparking a new lawsuit against Apple. iPhone 4S users including Frank Fazio, who is suing Apple in a California class action suit, have observed that Siri does not always work on their devices exactly how it works on television.

They claim that Apple is providing "false and misleading" advertising and that the iPhone 4S without Siri is simply a more expensive iPhone 4. Of course, this ignores the fact that the iPhone 4S has several hardware upgrades from its predecessor and Siri is just one feature of many available in Apple's mobile operating system iOS 5.