AT&T

Waiting to buy an iPhone 4S could have its perks. After all, if you're out of your mobile contract and you've decided to see how things pan out with the new iPhone, there will be more information out there in the coming weeks. Choosing a carrier is no different, and now that the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are available on three different wireless networks there are more factors involved in the decision.

For some, comparing the costs of each carrier's calling and data plans will be a primary concern. Others will jump right to the big question: who has the fastest download speeds?

When it comes to battery life, Apple's official iPhone 4S specs are a little bit dodgy. According to Apple, the iPhone 4S has one-hour of extra 3G talk time than its predecessor, but the same battery life as the iPhone 4 when it comes to basically every other feature. iLounge decided to investigate how the iPhone 4S improves upon the iPhone 4 in some categories, and how it falls short in others. The tech site put the devices through an extensive battery test and discovered the iPhone 4 actually has a slight edge over the 4S when it comes to battery usage.

In a 3G Data test the iPhone 4S failed to outlast the iPhone 4 in Audio Playback, Video Playback, and Video Recording. The iPhones were pretty even for FaceTime and Wi-Fi with the iPhone 4S clocking in slightly better for Cellular Calls. The chart above shows some of the comparisons for AT&T.

As savvy customers have learned that replacing a lost, stolen or broken iPhone at unsubsidized prices can run as high as $749, many customers choose to protect their investment with an iPhone insurance policy or extended warranty. In the past, we've warned our readers many times about buying overpriced iPhone insurance and extended warranty coverage from their wireless provider. The options offered by AT&T (AT&T Mobile Protect) and Verizon (Verizon Total Equipment Coverage), which are provided by a third party company named Asurion, were traditionally overpriced and offered poor value compared to independent iPhone insurance and warranty providers.

As the iPhone 4S arrives in customers hands today, we thought it was time for an update. For one thing, the information we provided previously is out of date. As independent providers such as Worth Avenue Group and SquareTrade have grown rapidly over the past few years, and as these companies have continued to receive excellent approval ratings from customers and consumer advocacy agencies such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the major providers have taken notice and made their coverage options more competitive. Apple has even gotten in on the game with their new AppleCare+, which adds accidental damage protection to existing AppleCare coverage.

Now that the iPhone 4S will be available on three different US carriers, it's time to revisit data and voice plans available with each company. Aside from differences in their networks, AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint have a variety of pricing structures available to meet your mobile needs. Overall, with AT&T and Verizon offering the iPhone for some time now the two competitors have similar pricing, although Verizon offers more tiers for data and messaging.

Sprint enters the game with higher prices for single and family voice calling, however their data option is cheap and simple. A flat ten bucks every month gets you unlimited data and messaging. AT&T and Verizon charge extra for text or MMS message packages and stopped offering unlimited data plans on the iPhone long ago. It remains to be seen if Sprint's unbeatable data plan pricing can attract iPhone 4S customers looking for unlimited data.

Having sold over one million iPhone 4S pre-orders, Apple has decided to open their stores early to meet the demand of the best selling iPhone ever.

“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”

All 245 Apple retail stores in the US will open at 8 am local time on Friday, October 14. Good news if you plan to get up really early or camp out the previous day. Bad news if you have to work, or are a late sleeper.

Apple asks that you upgrade your existing iPhone to iOS 5 and bring it along if you plan to replace it. You will also need the social security number of the account holder, photo ID, your carrier password and Apple ID and password.