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Buy the iPhone 4S or wait for 5?

A

Aristor

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 28, 2011
30
0
San Diego, California, or New York City, New York.
Hello, I recently became eligible for an upgrade (Currently using the LG Envy 3) and I have decided to go with the iphone, after loving both my iMac and iTouch. Now my question is should i buy the 4S or wait for 5?

I am in no hurry to switch; as long as the 5 is released within the next 8 months (before contract runs out and I have to pay a few hundred dollars to get an iPhone 5).

I will rarely actually use the phone for texts/calls. It's more for emergencies and entertainment. (Apps/music/movies/ect)

I will use a ton of internet; mostly wifi so data plans aren't huge, but the faster it can load web pages the better.

I honestly could not care less about cameras.

I travel often so I am frequently away from a source of power; therefore an increased battery life would be excellent.

Thanks!
 
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At this point I would just wait.....it's going to be another 6 months and personally I like to have the latest and greatest.:D I really like my 4S, but if you can wait, than you should because I think the 5 will be totally different in design than the 4 and 4S.
 
Should be about 6 months when the iPhone 5/6 (or whatever it's going to be called) will be released. You said you have an iPod Touch and will use mostly wifi. So I would just stick with that and count down the months until the new iPhone will be out. You'll then have the device that everyone will be drooling for, even iPhone 4S owners such as myself.
 
As much as I like to buy stuff when I want it I have to say wait.

If you buy now you'll have to love it for the next 20 months or so, depending on your contract/upgrade period. That's a lot longer than waiting for October now.
 
Actually, iPhones have higher resale value than most phones. You can buy it now, make sure you take good care of it. Sell it before the iPhone 5 is announced (you can sort of get a feeling that it's coming by checking out MacRumors on a weekly basis) and then pay the difference to buy the iPhone 5.
 
If you didn't have an ipod touch, I would say definitely get the 4s now. Since you do, wait!
 
I have a black berry and I am waiting for the iPhone5. My BB is crap and I am not crazy about being dependable of a device like an iPhone. If I am going to, at least let me get one that does not look like a brick like the current ones.
 
Maybe I missed something, but if you're rarely going to use it as an actual phone, and pretty much only use it as an iPod Touch, why not just stick with your iPod or get a newer generation one?
 
Anything anybody posts at this point is complete speculation - nobody knows what it will have or if it will be a big upgrade.

You should make your decision based on the information available, I.e. does the 4S do enough for you or not?
 
If you can wait, I would.

If you need it now, buy it and sell it later. That's the beauty of buying Apple, reselling it is so easy and you don't really lose that much. That's what I'm doing with my Black 64GB iPhone 4S.
 
If one always waited for whats new out around the corner, then one would never make a purchase !

Noone knows whats going to be included on the next iPhone.
Noone knows what its even being called.
Noone knows whats it going to look like.
Noone knows when it will be released.

Forums are full of threads of what its all going to be like ,which is great as this generates wants and needs, and genuine excitement.

If you really wanted a 4 or 4s then you would have just gone out and upgraded.
If you can make do with what your using for the time being then just sit back and enjoy the ride !
 
I would get the 4S now.

Most likely the 5 will have LTE and poorer battery life. LTE will not help you with primary functions on WiFi that you posted. And in general battery life gets worse on newer phones-better camera and maybe a bigger screen

This was the concerns in your OP. Can almost be certain battery life will be the same or wores on the 5. Wifi speeds will be good on the 4 as the 5.

If I'm wrong youu can always sell the 4 for the same subsidized price or more than you bought for. Just keep it in good condition.
 
You'd be an absolute fool to wait for the iPhone 5 when the iPhone 7 is only two years away. From what I hear, even the iPhone 6 will beat the iPhone 5.

Personally I'm going to live in a cave and give up my mobile until Apple finally pull their finger out and give us the iPhone 10, no point wasting time with anything less.
 
If the life cycle follows


iPhone 3G redesign major software update
IPhone 3Gs same design, major hardware update
iPhone 4 redesign better screen resolution major software update
iPhone 4s same design major hardware update
iPhone 5 redesign screen improvements larger screen possibly 4inch vice versa

My contract ends in July but I can upgrade a month earlier I am waiting this out
 
I think it's silly how people ridicule one for asking about waiting. Sure these threads get old, but it is a perfectly legit question to bounce off friends and help you sway one way or the other. It is valid that one wants a phone now, but doesn't want to get juked with a better phone that comes out a few months later with much better options for practically the same price and contract.

The problem is apple has not released a major upgrade for a while.

Personally I say the chances of a new release this year is pretty good. With that being said, the update should be fairly decent with 4g and also rumors of a bigger screen and maybe a few more cool features, but it is all speculation. All the talk about 4g draining the battery, well we had to wait this long to even have that option so hopefully it will be minimal drainage or the option to toggle when necessary which would save plenty of life for those who need it. It is all speculation and here say anyway.

so with that being said, my advice is to wait, but there are no guarantees in life and you could just be waiting around forever or for something that wasn't even worth the wait like the 4s.

Stupid comments like wait for iPhone6 or 7 is just smartasses. Obviously when there is a rumor for a new phone or when an upgrade is long over due such as apple, then the question is valid when getting ready to upgrade.
 
Sorry if I've offended but the question is a silly one - all that anyone replying can tell you is what the OP has already guessed - yes there will be a new iPhone out later this year. Yes it will be "better" than the current one. That's not soothsaying or inside knowledge (*nobody* has that whatever they say) it's just common sense.

As far as what will make the next iPhone better, the only consistent thing about the predictions people make about iPhone specs is not one of them is ever really right - we can all reel off a wish list, but until Tim Cook's up on stage it's all just BS. Sorry, but it is.

And whatever happens, next year it'll all happen again, and this year's "new iPhone" will be old.

The real point is, if you don't look at the iPhone 4S right now and think "that's the phone for me, I've got to have that ASAP" then of course you shouldn't pay lots of money to own it right now. Wait till the next one. Or see what else is out there. Decision made.
 
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