With the expected release Tuesday of the next iPhone, some owners of the current version of Apple Inc.’s hit phone won’t sit home and grumble. They’ll sell, then upgrade.

Smartphones and other tech gear that are rendered obsolete by the latest version, or just get a little old, certainly are far too valuable to stash in a drawer and forget about. In fact, with an iPhone, you might be able to sell it for nearly the price you paid. But you have to know how to play the “recommerce” game to get top dollar.

Recommerce isn’t just for iPhones but for many of today’s tech gadgets, from BlackBerry phones to Xbox gaming consoles to laptop and tablet computers. Some consumers are seeking cash, while others just want a “green” way to dispose of their electronics.

“The very worst thing you can do from an economic and an ecological perspective is stick it in your drawer and later throw it in your trash,” said Joe McKeown, vice president of marketing and communication for phone buyback site, ReCellular.com. “It’s the right thing to do for your pocketbook and the environment.”

Used iPhones are an extreme case because they are always in high demand.

Like the price of a stock, price quotes for used iPhones fluctuate on websites that buy gadgets from consumers. Prices vary more on product-launch days like Tuesday. The difference Tuesday between selling in the morning and evening can be real money.

“We anticipate this will be the biggest event in recommerce to date,” said Kristina Kennedy, spokeswoman for Gazelle.com, which buys used electronics. Shortly after Apple announced Tuesday’s news conference about the iPhone, Gazelle’s traffic spiked. There was a period where people were locking in a price to sell their old iPhones at the rate of one every 10 seconds on the site, Kennedy said.

Compared with the launch of iPhone 4, traffic at ReCellular.com in recent days is double, McKeown said.

A survey by mobile advertising network InMobi released last week showed that 41 percent of current mobile phone users in North America plan to buy an iPhone 5 — before there was even confirmation an iPhone 5 existed.

“People just want to have the latest and greatest,” Kennedy said. “When they’re on a plane and the person sits down next to them, they want them to notice they have the iPhone 5, not the iPhone 4. There’s sort of a badge of honor that comes for the hard-core Apple enthusiasts with having the newest one.”

Many buy-back sites resell used phones — on eBay, for example — although, ReCellular.com buys and sells used phones on its own site. Consumers can check those websites if they’re in the market to buy used iPhones.

If you want to sell using a gadget buyback website, resale prices on iPhones are typically high the morning of Apple’s announcement of a new model. So, lock in a price by mid-day, Kennedy suggests. “After that, we do expect the pricing to drop very quickly,” she said. On Gazelle and some other sites, you can lock in a price and ship the phone weeks later, giving you time to buy your new phone and transfer service to it.

Owners of iPhones might be shocked to know you can sell your phone and get back most of what you paid. That’s because U.S. wireless carriers usually sell phones for less than cost and make up for it with the price of the service plan. For example, many consumers paid $299 for their 32-gigabyte iPhone 4, which retails for at least twice that. One buyback site, Cellitused.com, on Monday was offering $232 for one in good condition, and $290 for one in like-new condition, according to price aggregator uSell.com.

Upgraders can use the money to defray the cost of a new iPhone or help pay early termination fees if they will be jumping to a new wireless carrier before their contract expires. Some gadget buyers pay cash, while some store-sponsored buying programs pay in store credit.

Rob Brandenburg, 39, of Chicago is planning to upgrade from his current iPhone 4, which he says seems sluggish and “quirky” lately. “Right now, I’m having a lot of speed issues,” he said. Instead of selling his iPhone 4, he’ll pass it to his wife and probably sell her previous-generation iPhone, the 3GS, he said.

He said he would probably sell the older iPhone to a friend or use an online marketplace, such as eBay or Craigslist — or maybe he’ll just ask around. “I’ve sold a couple of them just by word-of-mouth,” he said.

Here are three primary ways to sell your iPhone or other used tech gear.

– Sell to a gadget buyback website. Selling to one of these sites can be a low-hassle option, but you might not get top dollar. Gazelle.com, for example, concentrates on being simple and fast. After you accept its offer, it will send you a box with prepaid shipping. Or you can go to a FedEx store, and personnel there will package it for free. Usually payment is issued within a week of your device arriving, Gazelle says on its website.

USell.com is an aggregator, searching prices on three different buyback sites. And ReCellular.com is among the oldest sites for selling and buying used phones. It touts 20 years in business and recirculating some 50 million phones.

– Sell it yourself. You’re likely to get a higher price for your gadget if you find your own buyer. Often that means using word-of-mouth or such online tools as eBay or Craigslist. But it can be a hassle to create an advertisement, respond to potential buyers and package and ship the item yourself. EBay has an Instant Sale section where it offers fixed payouts via PayPal.

– Retailer buybacks. Some gadget upgraders might prefer to deal with a known retailer. Electronics retailer Best Buy will give cash or store credit for trade-ins. A 32-gigabyte iPhone 4 in good condition yields $181 in cash or $279 as a Best Buy gift card. Amazon.com on Monday was offering $274 for the same trade-in. Its payout comes in the form of an Amazon.com gift card.

A word of caution: before selling, be sure to erase all your private data on such devices as computers and phones. Many devices have an option in their settings to wipe all data and restore the gadget to factory defaults. Some used-gadget buyers also say they will securely erase your data.

[Thanks: http://www.csmonitor.com]

Vodafone has the 4S listed in both black and white models, as well as 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB models of the iPhone 4 in black and white.

While we heard last week that the three iPhone 4S models have been sneaking their way into carrier inventories, this news makes it increasingly unlikely that we’ll see an iPhone 5 tomorrow.

Considering all of the inventory leaks of the iPhone 4S, you’d think that there would have been some evidence of an iPhone 5 by now (besides possibly speculatory cases made in China).

[Thanks: http://www.businessinsider.com]

Unfounded innuendo, however, is increasingly giving way to facts that indicate release of the iPhone 5 is imminent. To that end, both Bloomberg and Forbes are reporting Deutsche Telekom is already taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 in Germany.

“The parent company of T-Mobile is reportedly taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5, despite the fact that Apple has not announced details on the device’s release, price, or even its very existence,” Forbes reports. “Deutsche Telekom has not commented on the reports and is supposedly keeping the pre-ordering process low profile. The carrier is allegedly not taking online reservations and only letting customers pre-order the device in-store.”

The looming launch of iPhone 5 isn’t preventing consumers from buying the iPhone 4, which was still the best-selling phone in the U.S. for both Verizon and AT&T in August, ZDNet reports.

“Most companies have to worry about upcoming models cannibalizing sales of existing ones, but not Apple. The next generation iPhone, presumably the iPhone 5, is expected to be launched in October, so logic would dictate smart-phone buyers might wait on the new one. That’s not the case as the iPhone 4 is still outpacing other smart-phones at the two big carriers.”

A new report projects that Apple will ship more than 86 million iPhones worldwide in 2011 surpass Nokia as the global leader in smart-phone sales.

“Apple’s smart-phone shipments are projected to top 86.4 million units in 2011, up 82 percent from 47.5 million units in 2010,” Digitimes Research reports. “In contrast, Nokia’s smart-phone shipments in 2011 will decline to 74.4 million units from over 100 million in 2010.”

[Thanks: http://www.deseretnews.com]

There has been increasing speculation that the carrier could finally be getting an iPhone to offer to its subscribers, and now Sprint has scheduled a Strategy Update for Friday October 7. It has not been confirmed it is for the iPhone 5, but as AppleInsider are reporting it is around the time the handset is thought to become available for consumers.

The carrier has just sent out invitations for the event called dubbed “Sprint’s Strategy Update”, and is thought it may be about the carriers plans for its 4G network plans. There will be feature presentations by some of the top managers from Sprint, as well as a Q&A session.

While it may only be about the 4G plans for the future it could quite easily also contain news about the iPhone 5. There is a good chance that Apple will announce the handset next month in readiness for the proposed October launch date. There have even been rumors the handset could be put up for preorder at the end of September.

Normally when a new iPhone is released it is announced at Apple events, but this year we saw the Verizon version of the device announced at the carrier’s event in New York City. The iPhone 5 is rumored to be a dual-mode handset allowing for easier porting on various networks. Sprint employees were recently told to offer a “no comment” stance when replying to questions about the iPhone 5.

It makes sense for Sprint to get the chance to announce the iPhone 5 coming to their network and with an October date shouldn’t steal Apple’s thunder with details about the device. Weeks ago Apple’s Tim Cook said the company would be going through a major product transition in September, so a handset that works on all networks could be it.

Do you think the iPhone is finally coming to Sprint?

[Thanks: http://www.product-reviews.net]

Dolphin for the iPhone version 1.0 offers features like the Webzine, which presents web pages in an easy to read article format, Gestures to quickly perform custom functions, easy, one-click sharing to Facebook or Twitter, the Speed Dial to access bookmarks quickly, tabbed browsing, SideBars that contain bookmarks and tool bars, the customizable MenuBar, and customizable user agents. Users of Dolphin for Android should feel right at home with the iPhone version.

Dolphin for iPhone is free and available in the iTunes App Store now. Take a look at the video below to see the Dolphin Browser in action on the various platforms it is available.

[Thanks: http://www.mobileburn.com]

Our two combatants in this intensely unscientific test are the Scosche Switchback Surge G4 backup battery case with kickstand for iPhone 4 and the PowerSkin recharging soft case.

The battleground was the parade for Chevrolet’s 100th anniversary, part of the 2011 Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise car weekend in Detroit. With more than 1 million car lovers flocking to Motor City to view more than 40,000 custom cars, opportunities to take photos and videos were more prevalent than Chevy Small Block V8 engines. To the non-gearheads, there were a lot.

For two straight days, morning until night, I cruised Woodward in a 2011 Camaro as elite and custom cars came and went. Taking all of those photos and HD videos drains an iPhone’s battery fast. So, I went into that crazy traffic jam with both the Scosche Switchback Surge G4 and the PowerSkin charged and ready. I tested how much protection they provided, how long they lasted, and how well they recharged an iPhone in constant use.

For the uninitiated, these cases hold a battery pack and the standard iPhone USB connector. The case’s interior plug locks into the iPhone charging port as any charging cable would, transferring that backup energy supply to the iPhone.

The Switchback is a hard case equipped with a kickstand for easier video viewing. But I was taking videos, not watching them. I needed the Switchback to recharge my smartphone quickly and to give me significantly more battery life for my endless use of the camera.

Fortunately, the Switchback did that, effectively doubling the overall maximum battery life of the iPhone. Under maximum use with constant videography and photography, my iPhone 4 lasts between one hour and 90 minutes. With the Switchback in effect, I was taking photos and videos for almost a full three hours.

The Switchback provides more complete protection than the PowerSkin, providing a high-impact shell around the phone. Its primary drawbacks are its weight–which almost doubles the heft of the iPhone–and its size. With its double-shell construction, you end up with a longer and thicker phone, sacrificing the sleek iPhone design for more battery life.

The PowerSkin doesn’t offer the same level of protection, but its rubberized, soft case design (hence its name) makes it lighter and thinner. When I exhausted the Switchback, I switched over to the PowerSkin without difficulty. It charged the iPhone with the speed of a cable connection and also doubled the video and HD camera’s life. In fact, while this isn’t independently verified, the PowerSkin drove the little camera for 30 minutes longer than the Switchback.

Regardless of whether you need to take photos of 40,000 cars, the choice between these two recharging cases comes down not to their near-equal charging capabilities but to their secondary qualities. If you want maximum protection, go with the Switchback. If you want a lighter, sleeker phone in your pocket, the PowerSkin offers the better option. Both cases sell for $80 and are available online and multiple retails outlets.

Have you had any experience with either of these charging cases? Or with other portable charging solutions for the iPhone? If so, share your thoughts in the comments section.

[Thanks: http://news.cnet.com]

Why?

Well, first off, Apple manufactured most of their iPhone, iPad models in China so obviously there are every bit of possibility that the Chinese caught the iPhone 5 in the wild and clone it, just like every Chinese do.

Now, we published just yesterday of the first iPhone 5 (possible look) images from the mainland which has incorporated many of the physical attributes said to making it’s way for the next generation kind of thing from Apple. Initially it was believed that the next iPhone was going to be in the outlook of the existing model, the iPhone 4, but recent reports suggests a more 3GS style look, with a curved back. Remember that one?

In an attempt to making a profit on these recent speculations, the usual bootleggers has quickly mustered a black “iPhone 5″, which gave everyone an initial, albeit vague, of what it may look like of Steve Jobs next revelation, if the rumor mill shake is anything to go by.

Today, a Youtube video of a white version which appears closely identical to the the knockoffs we’re about just now, has been uploaded. Although probably the majority of us wouldn’t giving this running a product from such an disreputable source a serious not, it is refreshing though to see some fast releases as opposed to the, “will they, won’t they?” drama started up by Steve Jobs and co. leading up to the white model version of iPhone 4.

By the time it become an official thing by Apple, many of those who wanted the white version so desperate that they had found ways to get what they want by the many conversion kits splashed across the web pages.

Alright now, let’s just watch the show.

[Thanks: http://myona.com]

You don’t even have to turn off the iPhone to switch SIM cards, 9 to 5 Mac points out. It sounds too good to be true, especially since the case adds little bulk to your iPhone.

One convenient feature of VaVeliero’s companion app is that you can easily program your iPhone to switch SIM cards once you get off work at 6, or at any other time you like.

Unfortunately, you cannot use both SIMs simultaneously, meaning you can’t receive calls on both lines at the same time.

You’ll need another SIM card (meaning you’re on AT&T or T-Mobile) to use the dual-SIM case, but if you’re a travelling business person, you probably already have two SIM cards.

[Thanks: http://www.businessinsider.com]

Sprint’s product chief Farid Adib didn’t smile about the Sprint iPhone chatter, the way various Sprint execs did when journalists brought up the idea of changes in Sprint’s 4G network. In fact, everyone in Overland Park looked a bit weary and a bit irritated about the topic.

But analysts keep wishing, hoping, and asking about the product, because at a basic consumer level, the lack of an iPhone on Sprint doesn’t make sense. Sprint uses the same 3G network technology as Verizon, on the same frequency bands, although Sprint made it clear its phones are tuned and optimized differently. Still, Apple wouldn’t need to build new hardware for Sprint, unlike with T-Mobile USA, which uses a frequency band not available on any current iPhone.

In other words, this looks like a business decision rather than a technology issue. Most people, including many Wall Street analysts, are saying: why the heck not? It wouldn’t require new hardware, and it would open the iPhone up to millions more people. Here are some theories as to why it hasn’t happened yet.

1. Verizon has an exclusive, even though Apple says it doesn’t. You’d think Apple would be sick of long exclusives, after being trapped in AT&T’s embrace for four years. But Verizon Wireless has a lot of bargaining power. A six-month exclusive would have pushed a Sprint iPhone 4 into the summer, where it would risk running up against any iPhone coming out this fall. Apple COO Tim Cook contradicted this theory at the Verizon iPhone launch when he said the two companies had a “multi-year, non-exclusive deal.” But who knows how that language could be parsed?

2. Apple disdains Sprint. Apple execs tend to have personal feelings about U.S. wireless carriers that they don’t have about international carriers. For Apple, brand is everything, and the company doesn’t want to be associated with brands it sees as “losers.” it wants to be a winner, associated with winners. This has worked well for Apple in the past. Apple execs could simply see Sprint and T-Mobile as hopeless loser carriers headed towards extinction, and not worth the company’s time.

3. Apple is waiting until it needs a boost. Every time the iPhone comes to a new carrier, Apple sells several million more iPhones. Apple is doing very, very well now; its quarterly net income doubled this quarter. Perhaps Apple is leaving the Sprint arrow in its quiver to goose its revenue in a slower quarter.

4. It would imperil Sprint’s role as the “unlimited carrier.” Sprint is the only remaining major carrier with a truly unlimited smartphone data plan, as CEO Dan Hesse underscored in Overland Park. iPhone users are notorious data hogs. Perhaps an iPhone on Sprint would have such a painful effect on Sprint’s network, the company has chosen to keep its unlimited philosophy intact rather than introduce new plans to throttle the iPhone-carrying hordes. (I don’t really agree with this theory myself; last year, Validas did a study showing Verizon Android phone users sucked down more data on average than AT&T iPhone users.)

Why do you think there’s been no Sprint iPhone so far?

[Thanks: http://www.pcmag.com]

Before we take a look at some ideas you may be interested in our article from yesterday where we told how the absence of the US Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 5 would benefit HTC and also Motorola so hit the link if you’d like to see more on that. Although at one time it was thought the main competition for the iPhone 5 was the Galaxy S2 there is a plethora of new and upcoming smartphones that are highly impressive on the way, which could also rival the Galaxy S2. Just some of them include the Motorola Droid Bionic, the HTC EVO 3D, Motorola Droid 3 and we recently detailed leaks of a new handset not due until the fall, the HTC Eternity, which will be a Windows Phone 7 Mango handset. We even told earlier today about a rumor regarding a Galaxy S2 Windows Phone 7 edition instead of Android so there may be yet be more competition although as yet this is still unconfirmed.

Over on Top10.com a useful article by Joe Minihane details 10 pointers for Apple to consider for the iPhone 5, in order to see off the Galaxy S2 competition. Bearing in mind we recently told of smash sales for the Galaxy S2 it’s likely of course that Apple has already decided on what features and specs are needed for the iPhone 5 to stay ahead of the game, but these suggestions for must-haves may interest you. Firstly the screen size needs to be larger to keep in line with the much bigger displays on recent and upcoming smartphones and also a dual-core processor is a must. It won’t be long before people won’t consider buying a smartphone without a dual-core chip. A slimmer, slicker design would also go a long way to helping sales while 1080p video capture and also 1080p onboard editing would give it an edge over the Galaxy S2 which doesn’t yet feature this but does have 1080p video recording.

The release date is crucially important too. If iPhone buyers wait until September or October for release they will have waited far past the summer time frame when it was originally expected to launch. If it doesn’t arrive in the fall to compete for the holiday season Apple will lose out in a big way. We also spoke recently about different pricing levels for the iPhone with a cheaper option and this is seen as important, along with the fact that iOS 5.0 for the next iPhone, when it’s released, must run smoothly without glitches. We told previously about an improved camera for the iPhone 5 which we think is one of the most likely additions. Finally Minihane makes the excellent point that Apple need to resist the urge to slate the Galaxy S2, considering its present legal shenanigans with Samsung. The iPhone 5 should be good enough that this is not necessary and besides, slating other products turns consumers off.

We’d like to tack on a couple more additions wanted for the iPhone 5, one of them being 4G LTE. Although this may not be as likely as other must-haves we know it’s something that many of our readers would like to see, along with a better battery performance. Are you patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for the iPhone 5? Do you agree with these pointers or have you more ideas for must-haves that you’d like? If the iPhone 5 appears with most of the above do you think it will then be excellent competition for the Galaxy S2?

[Thanks: http://www.onlinesocialmedia.net]