Apple launched its new iPhone 4S in San Francisco but stopped short of releasing an improved iPhone 5. Apple also confirmed the new iOS 5 software will be available from October 13 in Australia.

The iPhone 4S  is powered by the new A5 chip, the same in the iPad 2, which allows the iPhone to run twice as fast and process graphics seven times faster than the iPhone 4. It has an eight-megapixel camera, longer battery life and a new antenna that automatically changes between transmit and receive to maintain a consistent signal.

Apple brags the device now has eight hours of 3G talk time, 14 hours of 2G talk time, six hours of 3G browsing, nine hours of Wi-Fi browsing and 10 hours of video.

The device also has both CDMA and GSM, which will allow users to roam on overseas networks using the same phone. Apple calls it a “world phone”.

It is great to see that the camera has been given a significant upgrade, with better white balance, the ability to record video at 1080p HD, and new face-recognition technology. Colour sensors have also been given an upgrade, with sharpness up by 30%, while double-tapping the home button now opens the camera.

AirPlay Mirroring will now also be included which although not exactly new for tablets , it does mean that iPhone 4S customers can play games on their iPhone while streaming through an Apple TV to a television set.

The 4S will debut on October 14. Australia has now joined the elite group who access the iPhone 4S early. Other countries include the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany and Japan.

In terms of pricing the iPhone 4S will cost $799 for 16GB, $899 for 32GB and $999 for 64GB outright.

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Get the best unlimited deal in town – with a tiny 30-day commitment instead of lock-in contract. Enjoy unlimited standard national calls, voicemail, messaging and unlimited national access to social networks like Facebook and popular shopping sites like eBay. Plus get a huge 4GB worth of data (all within Australia). If you’re a chatterbox or frequent texter, with amaysim UNLIMITED you can focus on your friends instead of worrying about the cost.

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Live Connected

We offer the most competitive SIM only deals in Australia and all our mobile services run on the Optus Mobile Digital Network so you can be assured of great 3G coverage. Live Connected was founded with one really clear vision. Help you live connected with the people you care about without having to worry about your mobile bills. To achieve this we looked for where we could take costs out of the business so that we could pass these savings onto you.

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TPG Mobile Plans

Sign up with TPG Mobile and you will receive the following benefits:* The ability to switch your mobile phone number for use on our new Mobile plans. We support number porting from prepaid and postpaid plan. * Online billing, which gives you a complete breakdown of your call charges to assist you in tracking your daily spend. * Ability to bring your own unlocked mobile phone (BYO) or purchase a phone from TPG at super cheap prices. * No contract.

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Think Mobile	At Think Mobile our philosophy is simply better value for our customers. We offer award winning plans that are simple and easy to understand backed with exceptional customer service and absolutely no compromise for value. We pride ourselves on offering the best Customer Service and we do this by providing local knowledgeable and friendly staff.

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We offer No Contract Plans. We don’t really have Mobile Cap Plans (we don’t like Cap Plans) Just straight call rates – the cheapest in town! We are a SIM Only, Online Only, Virtual Mobile Operator on the Vodafone Network – (just the largest Mobile Carrier in the world). Kiss offers a pre-post-paid service. This means you pay up front and use your credit until you run out (which could be next year – just remember we do charge an access fee of 25c per week). It also means you get to see your charges online! It is the prepaid when you are not having a prepaid service. Never run out of credit again!

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Value – 2 – Calculated as the number of 2 min calls (inc flag fall) that can be made within the free credit (covering calls outside of network) provided each month. If no call credit is included, it covers the number of 2 min calls made with $50.

Virgin offers both the Topless $89 no contract plan and the Fair Go and Big Caps which start at just $19 per month with no contract period, data and plenty of credit. BYO phone and the monthly charges reduce by $10!

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*BYO (Bring Your Own phone) Plans provide a discount of $10 per month
^ Charged per minute

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The latest battle in the iPhone war is on. The first plans for the new iPhone 4 were announced last night, and while market heavyweight Telstra is attempting to showcase its reliability to gain new customers, rival Optus is continuing with its strategy of delivering cheap prices and higher broadband quotas.

However, both companies have increased their mobile data limits in a move Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi says is evidence the market is shifting towards an American-style model with “unlimited” plans.

“There are some compelling offers now on hand, and I think it follows very much in line with the trend where telcos are offering consumers more value for their dollar.”

Optus is now offering 1GB of data on its cheapest plan, the $49 cap, while 2GB are included on the $59 and $79 caps. The $89 “unlimited” plan will come with 3GB of mobile data.

Telstra, which traditionally hasn’t seen the iPhone as a major selling point and is wary to hand out mobile data, also upped its previous efforts. The $49 cap will come with 200MB, while the $79 and $99 plans will come with 500MB each.

Telstra’s full range:

Optus’ full range:

Apple also announced in a quick statement overnight it will sell the gadget unlocked for $859, with the 3GS model to drop to $719.

Fadaghi says the market is now heading into a situation where telcos will battle over who can offer the most, for less, in order to take a slice of the huge demand for iPhones.

“You’re seeing Optus provide unlimited access to certain apps like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on, and we’re kind of edging towards unlimited access to certain apps. Particularly the ones integrated with a ‘communication’ experience.”

“I think the telcos have a very good experience now with users and their smartphones, and people are starting to see how much data they’re using. What we’re seeing is a better understanding of that, and they are building data products around that.”

However, while Fadaghi says some unlimited plans are well within the realm of possibility, he highlights key differences between the Australian and American telecommunications markets, where he says telcos are imposing caps due to certain network restrictions.

“The reason they’re bringing down the caps in the US is due to network capacity, in order to provide a good service for consumers. While here we have a scenario where networks have more capacity available to them, and they want to use that on getting new customers.”

Optus and Telstra are certainly keen to highlight the differences between their two offerings.

Optus consumer marketing director Austin Bryan said in a statement the deals would provide the best value for money.

“Optus has developed what we believe are the most compelling plans and offers for consumer and business customers in Australia to make the most out of the feature packed new iPhone 4.”

Telstra, however, opted to promote the speed of its Next G network.

“We know our iPhone 4 customers will love the speed and coverage available on the Next G network as they browse the mobile net, update their social networks and send email on the move,” consumer executive director Rebekah O’Flaherty said in a statement.

Both Optus and Telstra will be hosting midnight launch events at selected stores, with Telstra publishing its full list online. Optus will hold midnight events in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

But the fight certainly isn’t over, with VHA set to announce prices for the Vodafone and Three brands tomorrow. Three’s prices will most certainly undercut the other telcos as the brand targets a youth-based market.

All Australian iPhone 4 owners will also be entitled to a free case, after Apple said it would distribute “bumpers” to customers in order to address a faulty antenna issue.

Telstra’s iPhone announcement comes just days after it cut fixed-line prices by nearly 50%. However, those price cuts could put Telstra in a bit of a bind, after rival telcos said the move was anticompetitive.

A complaint has been lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission by rival telcos, including iiNet. The complaints state Telstra is abusing its power as a major player in the wholesale market.