The iPhone 4S might have disappointed many fans, and validated others of their move to Android, but it’s still a highly awaited smartphone to many people.

As the local launch dates draws near, both SingTel and M1 have already unveiled their plans and pricing for the new iPhone.

StarHub, on the other hand, is keeping mum over its plans for the device, and already some fans are speculating whether the green telco has failed to secure an agreement with Apple in time for the launch.

But let’s work with the numbers we already have. Based on the cheapest plan from both SingTel and M1, the new iPhone will cost you anywhere from $498 to $798.

M1 offers a lower monthly subscription and lower iPhone prices (with the exception of the 16GB version), but bundles 50 less SMS than SingTel.

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The engaging experience offered by smartphone apps has led consumers to prefer interacting with products and services on mobile devices. This has spawned a race among businesses to roll out consumer apps as a competitive tool to improve customer relationships.

Now, companies that have launched consumer apps are also beginning to use business apps to speed up decision-making, raise productivity and leapfrog competitors. …

As tributes pour in for one of the information world’s acknowledged geniuses, we thought it would only be right that we too remembered Steve Jobs for the way he changed computing for so many people.

His death this morning (Singapore time), when he was just 56, marked more than 20 years of endeavour to bring computing to the masses in a fun, accessible and imaginative way.

Not all his decisions and products went well with users, and not everything he touched turned to gold, but there is no doubt the former Apple CEO and founder of a company that created the iMac, iPhone and iPad had a profound influence in the way everyone used their digital gadgets today.

Here are four ways Steve has changed our computing lifestyles. …

After months of the usual hoopla from fan boys in the media and supposedly leaked images of a next great iPhone to take back the lead from Android gizmos, Apple yesterday unveiled a new model that can be best described in a word: underwhelming.

The iPhone 4S comes with improvements like a dual-core chip, a better 8-meg camera, improved notifications with the new iOS5 software and a claimed 200 new features. But an iPhone 5 this is not, and to take back market share from the Android OS is a task it is clearly not up to.

Essentially, this is an iPhone that shows that Apple has become a follower for features that have already been in the market months, even years, ago. …

Singaporeans are a cellphone-crazy lot. Even while on vacation, most will remain tethered to their smartphones, checking in from obscure locations to earn bragging rights and lapping up tips left behind by others. In this week’s app round-up, we review our favourite travel apps that will let you tap into all kind of information on the road. …

The Korean electronics giant said today that it has sold 10 million of the popular Galaxy S II phone worldwide, even as its legal battles with Apple rages across several markets around the world amid the iPhone 5′s impending launch next month.

According to Samsung, its popular Android phone has taken just five months to hit the target in “global channel sales”. It said this was helped by a doubling of demand from five million units just eight weeks ago. The feat is even more eye-catching for the fact that the Galaxy S II had only started selling in the United States in recent days, despite shipping in Asia and Europe from late April.
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The queue outside the Hong Kong Apple Store this morning – photo courtesy of Techgoondu buddy Dominic

A day before opening and as expected, the queue has begun outside Hong Kong’s first Apple Store that is scheduled to open tomorrow. But doesn’t look like a terribly crazy queue though.

So what are they queuing for? I’m guessing it’s for a chance to get one of 3,000 Apple Store HK T-shirts that they are giving out, and there’s a rumour that Apple CEO Tim Cook might be coming to town.

Oh, and if you want to meet the first to meet their Geniuses, better book a session now as the Genius Bar (located on the second floor) is open for bookings.

Apple’s iPad will continue to account for the lion’s share of the tablet market this year, with rival Android devices slowly closing in from behind.

According to latest estimates by Gartner, a technology research firm, the iPad is expected to end the year with 73.4 percent of the global tablet market, down from 83 percent in 2010.

Android’s slice of the pie will increase from 14.3 percent in 2010 to 17.3 percent this year, thanks to the success of low-end tablets in Asia and expectations around the launch of Amazon’s Android tablet. …

If you’ve been paying your credit card bills online, you should be familiar with the token PIN that’s required to access most Internet banking services in Singapore.

This security mechanism is commonly known as two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires users to enter a token-generated PIN, plus the usual username and password to access online banking sites and corporate networks.

Besides financial institutions, the Singapore government and some large corporations have also issued employees with tokens for an added layer of security. …

Tired of the same old apps on your smartphone?

In this week’s round up of the apps, we check out Canon’s Order Express and Twictures for the iPhone, as well as a number of cool apps for Android and Windows Mobile. Check out this weekend’s Goondu picks. …