It doesn't look different on the outside, but it's full of new stuff on the inside. Powered by the dual-core A5 processor, the Apple iPhone 4S ($200-$400) features iOS5 and its 200 new features including iCloud, as well as an 8-megapixel camera with all-new optics and 1080p HD video recording with image stabilization. And then there's Siri, a scarily-accurate virtual assistant. Just ask Siri a question (by naturally speaking) and it (she?) responds with the answer — no matter how strange or complex your question was. Or just tell Siri to do something — it can make calls, send texts and emails, schedule reminders, make notes, search the web, find local businesses, get directions and much more. The iPhone 4S will ship in black or white in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB models. It'll be available on October 14th on AT&T, Verizon, and now also Sprint. It might not be enough to cure our iPhone 5 sadness, but it might be enough for us to upgrade.
You would expect a product with a name like that to involve sticking things into a computer, and unsurprisingly, the Jawbone Nerd ($140) doesn't disappoint. Included with the new Jawbone Icon HD headset — which itself isn't shabby, what with its NoiseAssassin 2.5 noise cancellation technology, 10mm wideband speaker, and MyTALK app support — the Nerd enables plug-and-play use of the headset for hassle-free VoIP calls or music streaming and the ability to instantly swap back and forth between talking on your phone and talking on your computer.
Laugh in the face of thick, bulky smartphone cases with the Motorola Defy ($TBA). Thanks to its dustproof, water and scratch resistant construction, it can defy convention by going case-less in places most handsets wouldn't dare, and also offers a 1 GHz processor, a 3.7-inch display, Android 2.3, a five megapixel camera with flash, 2GB of internal storage with microSD expansion, Adobe Flash 10, and a spacious 1700mAH battery for up to 7.1 hours of talk time.
