MacRumors

Following the introduction of early upgrade programs from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile earlier this year, a leaked document from Sprint (via CNET) shows that the mobile carrier is planning to roll out “Sprint One Up”, a program that allows its customers to upgrade their handsets and tablets at regular intervals. The program is reportedly set to launch on September 20, which is also the first day of availability for Apple’s new iPhone 5s and lower-cost iPhone 5c.

All of the carrier programs principally work the same, with a few nuanced differences. Sprint's One Up lets customers pick up a phone with no money down and pay for the device in 24 monthly installments. A phone that costs $649.99, for instance, will cost $27 a month (with the difference tacked on to the 24th payment). If a customer leaves the service early, that person is on the hook for the balance of the device cost, due the following month.

The program also states that customers can upgrade to a new phone by trading in the device after a year of service, with Sprint’s Unlimited, My Way or All-In plan eligible for the program. One Up also provides a $15 discount on the service plan, which allows for an unlimited talk, text, and data plan that costs $65 a month at minimum.

Current customers who have been on contract for at least a year are also eligible for the program, and also must trade in their existing phones unless they are already eligible for a discounted upgrade. The program does not apply to Sprint prepaid customers and does not discontinue Sprint’s other upgrade program, “Upgrade Now”, which allows customers to upgrade for a set fee.

While the unlocked yellow 16 GB iPhone 5c was the first model to run out of launch-day stock through Apple's U.S. online store, several additional unlocked models of the device are now experiencing similar shortages. Supplies of carrier-specific models do remain available for pre-order with delivery on launch day of this Friday, September 20.

Among the unlocked iPhone 5c models, the $549 16 GB models are seeing the most significant shortage, with all five colors currently showing shipping dates of September 25. The 32 GB model of the unlocked green iPhone 5c is showing a similar September 25 shipping date.

Outside of the United States, iPhone 5c pre-order availability remains good, with all markets showing availability for Friday delivery (other than outlying areas where delivery may take up to several days longer) with the exception of Hong Kong, which quickly saw all models move to 1-2 week shipping estimates after Friday's pre-order launch.

Apple's iPhone 5s launches this Friday, but Apple is not offering pre-orders for the device. Instead, customers will be able to purchase the device at Apple's retail stores, which will open at 8:00 AM local time on Friday, or order through Apple's online stores beginning on launch day. Rather than a single worldwide launch time for online iPhone 5s orders as was seen for iPhone 5c pre-orders, Apple appears to be staggering times in the various markets in order to ensure that online ordering begins before retail stores open for the day.

For example, iPhone 5s orders will begin in Australia at 2:01 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time, which corresponds to 9:00 AM Pacific Time Thursday in the United States. U.S. orders will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on Friday, while UK orders will begin at 12:01 AM British Summer Time.

Customers in China and Hong Kong will also be able to make reservations starting tomorrow for the ability to make in-store purchases beginning on Friday.

Microsoft has posted seven new videos to its Windows Phone YouTube page, as part of a new series it calls 'A fly on the wall in Cupertino'.

The ads purport to show iPhone 5c and 5s product pitch meetings with characters that bear a striking resemblance to Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, though the Jobs-esque character is called Tim several times.

If the executive in the videos is intended to resemble Steve Jobs, then they would appear to be in very poor taste. It's not at all clear how the videos -- which don't ever explain how Windows Phone is better than iOS -- help Microsoft achieve its stated goal of getting users to switch to its platform.

- A fly on the wall in Cupertino
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Colours
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Polycarbonate
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Innovative materials
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: The phone for everyone
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: Fingerprint reader
- A fly on the wall in Cupertino: 8-megapixel camera

Update 12:42 PM PDT: Microsoft has pulled the videos from YouTube. The video embedded above is from a backup a viewer saved.

Microsoft gave this statement to The Next Web: "The video was intended to be a light-hearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we’ve decided to pull it down."

While Apple and its carrier partners launched pre-orders for the iPhone 5c today at 12:01 AM, the company is not offering pre-orders for the new iPhone 5s model, despite both models becoming available next Friday, September 20.

In an email sent out to Apple customers today promoting the start of iPhone 5c pre-orders, the company also confirmed that orders for the iPhone 5s will similarly go live at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on September 20. (In an apparent error, the company's email says Pacific Standard Time, but Daylight Saving Time remains in effect until early November.)

With no pre-order process for the iPhone 5s, orders will simply ship when they are ready, and supplies are expected to be tight.

For those who want to make sure they are able to obtain the iPhone 5s on launch day, Apple will be opening its retail stores at 8:00 AM local time to begin sales. Lines will undoubtedly be long as customers will likely be lining up early to give themselves the best chance at securing their preferred models.

Six hours after it became available for pre-order in ten countries, most configurations of Apple's new iPhone 5c remain available for launch day delivery on the Apple Online Store and through mobile phone carriers.

Specifically, Apple's website is showing that the phone has slipped to 1-2 weeks delivery for customers in Hong Kong, with the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom still showing delivery fulfillment of September 20 except for outlying areas in some countries.

Major U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile still have the phone available for pre-order, with all configurations still available. The only sign of weakness spotted so far is at Sprint, which notes that it may not be able to make delivery of all orders on September 20, with the yellow 32 GB model apparently under the tightest supply.

We’ll do our best to get it to you by 9/20; but because of high demand, some phones will ship in up to 2 weeks. iPhone 5c yellow 32GB will ship in up to 3 weeks. A tracking number will be sent when your phone ships.

Apple is offering the 16GB iPhone 5c on most carriers for $99 with a new two-year contract, while the 32GB version of the phone is selling for $199. The unlocked GSM version of the 16GB iPhone 5c is available for $549, while the 32GB version of the 5c retails for $649.

Following today's start of pre-orders, the iPhone 5c will become available next Friday, September 20. Apple’s other flagship device, the iPhone 5s, will go on sale in store and online the same day and will not have a pre-order period.

Update: Some seven hours after the start of pre-orders, Apple's U.S. online store has experienced its first launch-day sellout, with the unlocked yellow 16 GB model currently showing an estimated shipment date of September 25.

Apple has started taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5c in 10 countries around the world, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Pre-orders are available directly from Apple in most countries via the Apple Online Store and the Apple Store iOS App [Direct Link]; historically, the iOS app has been more resilient against traffic surges than the online store.

In the U.S., Apple is selling the 16GB iPhone 5c on most carriers for $99 with a two-year contract, while the 32GB version is $199. T-Mobile is offering the 5c for $0 down plus 24 monthly payments of $22 per month.

There is also an unlocked GSM version of the 5c available for $549 (16GB) and $649 (32GB). All models come in blue, green, pink, yellow and white.

The iPhone 5c will go on sale next Friday, September 20, and the initial crop of orders should arrive that day. The iPhone 5s will have no pre-order period and will go on sale the same day.

In the U.S., pre-orders are available from:

Apple:
- Apple Online Store
- Apple Store iOS App [Direct Link]

Carriers:
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Sprint
- T-Mobile

Third-Party Resellers:
- Walmart (In-Store Only, offering the iPhone 5c for $79)
- Best Buy (In-Store Only, must purchase $50 gift card to pre-order, can be used towards cost of phone)
- Radio Shack (In-Store Only)
- Target (In-Store Only)

Apple and Burberry have announced a partnership that will see Burberry using Apple's new iPhone 5s to capture its Spring/Summer 2014 runway show.

The show, which takes place on September 16, will showcase the improved camera capabilities of the iPhone 5s as Burberry uses it to shoot photos and videos of the event.

Apple® and Burberry today announced that iPhone® 5s is being used to capture and share beautiful photos and video before, during and after the Burberry runway show in London on Monday, September 16.

Using the all-new iSight® camera on iPhone 5s, Burberry is shooting high quality photos and video for runway and beauty looks, product details, and backstage moments. The collaboration is reimagining how Burberry engages consumers, paving the way for significant changes in how they capture and share their content.

Apple's iPhone 5s camera offers several improvements over the iPhone 5 camera, including an increased sensor size and an f/2.2 aperture, both of which provide a 33 percent increase in light sensitivity for clearer shots, especially in low-light conditions. The phone also includes a "True Tone" dual-LED flash, built-in image stabilization, and new camera modes.

Burberry will begin showcasing photos and videos on its social media channels and its website beginning today. The fashion house also plans to broadcast the event on Monday, September 16 at 2:30 PM GMT+1.

Apple's iPhone 5s, which will not be available for pre-order, can be purchased from Apple and several third-party retailers on September 20.

Microsoft is now accepting trade-ins for Apple iPads at its retail stores. The promotion sees Microsoft giving gift cards worth at least $200 for the iPad 2 and newer, meaning purchasers need only spend $149 to get an entry-level Microsoft Surface RT tablet.

How to redeem this offer

- Bring in your gently used iPad 2, 3, or 4 and get a minimum of a $200 gift card to the Microsoft store.

- Looking to upgrade your tablet? Check out the Surface RT or Surface Pro.

The offer is valid until October 27, 2013 at Microsoft Retail Stores in the U.S. and Canada, with a limit of one per customer.

Microsoft has been aggressively trying to compete with Apple in the tablet market in recent months; Microsoft has run a number of anti-iPad television advertisements in addition to a recent price cut to its tablets.

After a lengthy beta period, Apple today released the final version of OS X 10.8.5 (build 12F37) after seeding the ninth beta, build 12F36, to developers last week. The update, which can be accessed via the Mac App Store, includes fixes for Mail, AFP file transfer performance, screen savers, and Xsan.

-The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.5 Update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. This update:

- Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail from displaying messages
- Improves AFP file transfer performance over 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Resolves an issue that may prevent a screen saver from starting automatically
- Improves Xsan reliability
- Improves reliability when transferring large files over Ethernet
- Improves performance when authenticating to an Open Directory server
- Addresses an issue that prevented a smart card from unlocking preference panes in System Preferences
- Contains the improvements included in MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0

- OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.5 (273.72 MB)
- OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.5 (Combo) (831.13 MB)

Alongside OS X 10.8.5, Apple has also released security updates for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard:

- Security Update 2013-004 (Lion) (113.23 MB)
- Security Update 2013-004 Server (Lion) (161.17 MB)

- Security Update 2013-004 (Snow Leopard) (331.5 MB)
- Security Update 2013-004 Server (Snow Leopard) (406.49 MB)

The update also includes Safari version 5.1.10 for OS X Snow Leopard (48.40 MB), which contains security fixes and is recommended for all Snow Leopard users.

Apple is also working on the next version of OS X, Mavericks, which is expected to debut in the fall. Mavericks includes multiple new features like a tabbed Finder, full screen dual monitor capabilities, Safari improvements, and new apps for both Maps and iBooks. Apple has thus far released seven Developer Previews of the new operating system.