MacRumors

Since the iPhone 4S debuted on Sprint on Friday, a number of the carrier's customers have been complaining of slow data speeds. While the issues are not universal for iPhone users on Sprint, they do seem to be affecting a substantial number of customers.

PCMag.com now reports that Sprint has issued a statement on the issue, characterizing the complaints as a "small number of reports" that the carrier is looking into.

"As always, Sprint is carefully monitoring the performance of the 3G network. We are looking into a small number of reports of slow data speeds when using the iPhone 4S, however there are also reports showing that Sprint’s network is the fastest, such as the Gizmodo report that came out earlier today. Speed tests represent a moment in time and are subject to many variables including weather, time of day, device, and proximity to a tower. Sprint will continue to monitor the feedback we are getting from our customers and will investigate and resolve any issues that may arise," the company said in a statement.

As the report notes, it is unclear exactly what Gizmodo report Sprint is referring to as supporting its case, as the site's informal speed test survey is indeed showing dramatically slower average data speeds for Sprint compared to AT&T and Verizon.

PCMag.com also notes that Sprint has already been measured to have the slowest real-world 3G network speeds of the three iPhone carriers in the United States, and thus the iPhone itself may not be having a significant effect on the carrier's network. And with some customers perhaps being new to Sprint with the iPhone, they may have been unaware of the carrier's network speeds.

Taiwan's United Daily News reports [Google translation] that Apple has received samples of 7.85-inch screens carrying the same 1024x768 resolution of the current iPad. The report (via Unwired View) claims that AU Optronics and LG Display have sent samples of the display to Apple, which is reportedly targeting a launch for the "iPad mini" early next year.

It is unclear how Apple and its developers would handle a considerably smaller screen for this iPad mini at the same resolution as the current iPad. While maintaining the current resolution would mean that iPad apps would display natively on the iPad mini, the interface elements would be somewhat smaller than on the iPad, a reduction that could introduce usability issues in some cases.

Steve Jobs had also famously panned 7-inch tablets from competitors, claiming that roughly 10 inches was the minimum screen size needed for a useful tablet.

Apple has been said to be interesting in fending of Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet, which is launching next month at a $199 price point. Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White had noted just last week that his research among Asian suppliers is indeed pointing toward Apple releasing an "iPad mini" early next year to take on the Kindle Fire. White cautioned, however, that the "mini" moniker was in reference to the device's price rather than necessarily meaning a smaller device.

Regarding Apple, our research is pointing to the unveiling of a lower priced iPad in the first few months of 2012 that is aimed at expanding the company’s market potential by tapping into a more price sensitive consumer segment. Essentially, this “iPad mini” will also fend off the recently announced Amazon Kindle Fire that addresses the low-end tablet market with a $199 price tag but could lead to bigger tablet ambitions from the online retailer in the future. The "mini" refers to a reduced price point of this iPad and not necessarily the size of the device. We believe this lower priced iPad could be priced in the mid-to-high-$200 range.

Apple is widely rumored to be preparing to introduce the iPad 3 early next year, a device which is said to carry a Retina display with 2048x1536 resolution. A smaller iPad at the lower resolution of the current iPad could enable Apple to lower entry-level price points for its tablet products if it does indeed view Amazon as a significant threat.

Last month, word surfaced that popular file storage and sharing service Dropbox may have declined an $800 million acquisition offer from Apple, instead deciding to remain independent and raise its own financing.

A new profile of Dropbox appearing as the cover story for a forthcoming issue of Forbes reveals that Apple did indeed pursue Dropbox, with Steve Jobs personally meeting with Dropbox founders Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi amid the possibility of a "nine-digit" deal.

“I mean, Steve friggin’ Jobs,” remembers Houston, now 28. “How do you even prepare for that?” When Houston whipped out his laptop for a demo, Jobs, in his signature jeans and black turtleneck, coolly waved him away: “I know what you do.”

As Jobs made his pitch for Dropbox, Houston cut things short, telling Jobs that Dropbox was not interested in being acquired.

Jobs smiled warmly as he told them he was going after their market. “He said we were a feature, not a product,” says Houston. Courteously, Jobs spent the next half hour waxing on over tea about his return to Apple, and why not to trust investors, as the duo—or more accurately, Houston, who plays Penn to Ferdowsi’s mute Teller—peppered him with questions.

Jobs reportedly attempted to follow up with Dropbox after the initial meeting, suggesting a second meeting at Dropbox's headquarters. But when Houston said that he preferred to meet elsewhere, so as to not give Jobs personal insight into Dropbox's operations, Jobs went silent. Apple of course introduced iCloud, its own syncing solution, earlier this year and went live with the service just last week.

Computerworld reports that the shutdown of a Chinese manufacturer may affect inventories of Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks.

Taiwanese company Catcher Technology has had to temporarily close down a factory in eastern China due to complaints of a "strange odor" coming from the building. Catcher is said to be responsible for 60% of Apple's uni-body aluminum casings for Apple's notebook line. In a statement, Catcher admitted that customer supplies would be affected.

"Shipments to our customers will inevitably be affected. We already asked them to make adjustments to their (casings) procurement," Catcher President Allen Horng told a news conference.

It's not clear when the plant will resume full operations. Apple obtains the other 40% of its case supply from Foxconn.

The timing is unfortunate as we've been hearing rumors that Apple was planning on a small MacBook Pro refresh as early as this week. Rumors had suggested a processor bump was due late this year, and new part numbers have suggested an imminent launch.

Memorial services for Steve Jobs continued over the weekend, with one arranged for family and friends at Stanford University's Memorial Church drawing a number of high-profile personalities to celebrate Jobs' life. According to The Wall Street Journal, the service included remarks from a number of Jobs' family members, as well as close friend and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Apple design guru Jony Ive.

Steve Jobs’s widow Laurene Powell Jobs, sister Mona Simpson and three of his children spoke at the memorial service held for the Apple co-founder on Sunday, according to two people who attended.

...

Both people who attended described the service as incredibly moving and a fitting tribute to Mr. Jobs, who was known as a tech visionary, demanding boss and a fanatic for design. One person mentioned that many speakers cracked jokes about Mr. Jobs, who died on Oct. 5 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The report notes that music for the service was provided by cellist Yo Yo Ma, folk singer Joan Baez, and U2 singer Bono, who read lyrics from an iPad.

Jobs' private funeral was held two days after his death earlier this month and an event for Apple employees will be held this Wednesday. That event will reportedly include a temporary closure of Apple's retail stores to allow employees to view a live webcast of the service.

Apple has updated its "how to buy" page for the iPhone 4S to note that Apple retail stores in the United States and Canada are now selling the device on a reservation-only basis. Customers will need to visit Apple's site after 9:00 PM each evening to reserve a phone for the following day.

iPhone 4S is available in store by reservation only. Reserve yours after 9:00 p.m. tonight for pickup tomorrow. When you come in, you’ll choose a carrier and plan, and we’ll get your iPhone up and running before you leave the store.

MacRumors spoke to a representative at one Apple retail store who noted that that location continues to sell the iPhone 4S to walk-in customers but that supplies are "evaporating". But as supplies tighten Apple seems to be pushing customers toward the reservation channel in order to minimize lines and disappointed customers.

It seems unlikely that Apple retail stores would refuse to sell unreserved iPhone 4S stocks to walk-in customers, so the company may simply be taking reservations and then distributing any remaining stock each day on a walk-in basis.

Apple is placing some restrictions on iPhone 4S walk-in sales in other countries as well, noting that it will take reservations for both on-contract and SIM-free iPhone 4S models after 9:00 PM, but only on-contract phones will be offered on a walk-in basis in those countries. Limiting walk-in sales of SIM-free handsets is likely designed to discourage mass sales into the grey market, such as in China where the devices are selling for as much as $2000.

One of the new features of the iPhone 4S has been the faster HSDPA (14.4Mbps) data support for GSM networks. This theoretically allows the iPhone 4S to see much faster download speeds when on the right mobile carrier.

In the U.S., AT&T is the only network that could take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the new iPhone 4S communications chip, though there had been some debate about how much of an improvement users might see on AT&T's network. AT&T is purposefully vague about how fast their network can run, and the rollout for the faster speeds remains limited.

Two previous iPhone 4 users have emailed us with speed results that show significant improvements with their new iPhone 4S. The first reader located in New Jersey (image right) was able to obtain 7.71 Mbps down. He reports previous speeds on his iPhone for in the 1-2 Mbps range. Another reader in Iowa (image left) shows speeds up to 5.45 Mbps. He had only previously seen as high as 4 Mbps on his iPhone 4.

The improvements may only be seen in very specific geographic areas depending on AT&T's network support. Others have seen no significant change in their network speeds after upgrading from the 4 to 4S.

AT&T has even been calling this faster HSDPA support "4G", though there is some debate on the correctness of that term. Still, AT&T's present network is capable of much faster speeds than both Sprint's and Verizon's.

Last month, word surfaced that Apple had signed on with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for production of the next-generation A6 and A7 chips destined for future iOS devices. Samsung has been Apple's manufacturing partner for the A4 and A5 chips, but several reports have been claiming that Apple has been trying to shift to TSMC in part because of strained relations between Apple and Samsung over intellectual property issues.

The Korea Times now reports that Apple will indeed primarily be sticking with Samsung for A6 production.

"Apple has been in talks with Samsung over shipment of its A6 quad-core mobile processor (AP) chips to be used in the next iPhone. It appears that Apple clearly has concluded that Samsung remains a critical business partner," an executive from an Apple parts supplier based in Korea said on condition of anonymity.

He said that Samsung has been increasing the output of the Apple-designed A6 chips in its manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas.

The apparent shift back to Samsung for the A6 is said to be tied to TSMC having issues with its production process, with Apple understandably requiring a stable component supplier as it looks toward its next-generation iOS devices.

"The manufacturing process at TSMC hasn’t been stabilized. Considering Apple's previous patterns of adopting qualified technologies, Apple isn't taking risks. Samsung offers better pricing and capacity commitment for the A6 mobile APs," said an official from a different Apple supplier.

The report also touches on the next-generation iPhone even as the iPhone 4S is only just hitting the market, reviving claims of a larger-screened "iPhone 5" design with a 4-inch display carrying the same resolution as the current iPhone.

iLounge publishes their review of the iPhone 4S and provides one of the more extensive battery comparison testing we've seen for the new model. There's been some ongoing debate in our forums about how the iPhone 4S's battery compares to the iPhone 4. In Apple's official specifications, the company claims the iPhone 4S has an improved talk time but worse standby time as compared to the iPhone 4. iLounge put the two devices to the test.

For tests with 3G Data, Audio Playback, Video Playback, and Video Recording, iLounge found that the iPhone 4S came in under the iPhone 4's battery life times. For Wi-Fi and FaceTime testing they found it to be similiar to the iPhone 4, and on Cellular Calls, they found the iPhone 4S slightly better.

For a detailed and complete list of data see iLounge's review. This graph compiles some of the data (AT&T only):

One interesting finding with 3G data was that while their Verizon 4S unit ran for the same time as the AT&T model (~ 5 hours and 54 minutes), they found the Sprint model to lag at 5 hours and 23 minutes. Comparisons across mobile providers may not be completely fair due to differences in signal strength which could impact battery life.

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Apple today announced that opening weekend sales of the iPhone 4S topped four million units, easily surpassing the 1.7 million iPhone 4 units sold during that device's debut weekend last year.

“iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend—the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever.”

Apple also announced that more than 25 million users have downloaded iOS 5, which was released last Wednesday for pre-iPhone 4S devices. In addition, over 20 million users have created iCloud accounts.

The iPhone 4S debuted in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, and the device is set to launch in an additional 22 countries on October 28th. Apple expects the iPhone 4S to be available in over 70 countries by the end of the year.

Samsung is further stepping up its legal actions against Apple's latest iPhone in a new series of legal filings on Monday.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung has filed for preliminary injunctions in both the Tokyo District Court and in the New South Wales Registry, Australia to halt sales of the Phone 4S in those countries.

"We are now counter-attacking Apple again," said James Chung, a spokesman at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung has already filed similar requests in France and Italy late last week. The action could also threaten sales of the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 in Japan.

The legal battle is ranging all over the world. However, the WSJ notes that last week Samsung had lost a request for ban of Apple products in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Apple has successfully won an injunction preventing the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. Apple has also seen some preliminary success against Samsung in the U.S. for the ongoing legal dispute.