Despite the grumblings of analysts, Apple's iPhone 5 launch was an unqualified success, and it's not over yet -- the handset will arrive in another batch of countries around the world this Friday, even while Cupertino struggles to keep up with demand here in the U.S. If you haven't been able to get your hands on one quite yet, read on to find out how to get one as early as tomorrow -- and why the Verizon model might be the best choice for world travelers.
If you happen to be a frequent world traveler, it seems that the iPhone 5 model offered by Verizon Wireless may be your best bet. According to Associated Press, the carrier is shipping its iPhone 5 models with an unlocked nano-SIM slot, which means the handset can use any GSM service -- including AT&T or T-Mobile in the U.S. Unlike last year's iPhone 4S which came SIM locked out of the box but could later be unlocked after a period of time, new FCC regulations on LTE are apparently to thank for the change. There's one small downside: LTE service on this model iPhone 5 is only compatible with Verizon, so you'll only get 3G or "faux G" service on AT&T here.
Unless your second-generation Apple TV is jailbroken with aTVFlash, you'll want to download and install a new version 5.1 update released by Apple on Monday. The update adds Shared Photo Stream compatibility with the black media box as well as iTunes account switching, perfect for family members who want to be able to go back and forth between different accounts. Apple TV users can now search for movie trailers and the version 5.1 update brings three new screen savers as well as support for advanced network options.
Reuters is reporting that a riot at the Foxconn plant in Taiyuan, China temporarily shut down manufacturing of iPhones early Monday in a brawl that involved around 2,000 of the company's 79,000 employees at that location. The riot included overturned cars and smashed windows, but apparently the damage wasn't severe enough to shut down work for long. Foxconn claims that work will resume today and despite early reports of several deaths, the company has only confirmed 40 injuries.
9to5Mac is reporting that Apple has launched Personal Pickup for the iPhone 5 on Monday night, offering customers the opportunity to buy their handset online between 10pm and 4am every night for in-store pickup the following day. Any remaining inventory will be then be available for in-store pickup on a first-come, first-served basis. With the iPhone 5 selling out almost everywhere and online availability from Apple delayed up to three weeks, this seems like the best way to go for now.
According to MacRumors, the free ride is coming to an end. Apple has notified former MobileMe customers via email that their free 20GB storage bump will go bye-bye on September 30, 2012, leaving those users with the same 5GB free storage as every other iCloud member. The email appears to be aimed at those users currently using more than the default 5GB, detailing how to free up storage or the steps required to keep your current storage plan, which will require forking over cold, hard cash come this Sunday.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
