Why did you get or waiting to get an iPhone 5?

cnguyen0320 · Nov 8, 2012

I'm comparing the iPhone 5 to my iPhone 4 and seriously, I'm not seeing the big deal. The three biggies between the two are: LTE vs 3g, 4in vs 3.5in screen, and A4 vs A6. I guess LTE is important but wifi is everywhere and with limited data plans, it doesn't matter as much as it's made out to be since a lot of us rely on wifi more than data. The screen size, I have used them side by side... Basically minimal difference, not worth $200 by itself. Actually I found it harder to type in landscape with the iphone 5. A4 A6 is where the biggest emphasis is put I think when comparing the difference between the two. The thing though, is that with every new phone, its speed is gonna get faster and faster. What I'm saying is that Apple is gonna say "yep we're faster" next year and the next year after that but so can every other phone manufacturer. So the speed will always be increasing and honestly, I think we can all wait an extra second for apps to open. Anyway, I'm trying to see why I should get an iPhone 5 other than that my two year contract is up.

So why did you get the iPhone 5 or why are you waiting impatiently for the iPhone 5 to come back in stock?

DMH3006 · Nov 8, 2012

basically upgrading from iphone 3G so i got the latest one

if the iPhone 4 you have satisfies your needs then there's really no reason to change,most of us just like having new gadgets to mess with

lovetamarav · Nov 8, 2012

I upgraded from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5. I like the bigger screen, and the phone is much much faster IMO. It's a huge difference. Siri is a nice feature but not what sold me on the phone. I also like the feel better.

mohsy90 · Nov 8, 2012

You basically stated the exact reasons why people want the iPhone 5. The phone is lighter, thinner, faster, and larger screen + LTE. All valid reasons to buy. Yes, we can all wait an extra second. But that mentality just does not apply to the real world.

iPhone 4 is 2+ years old, so most are due for an upgrade and prefer to get the next generation device. By all means keep your old phone for the next 2 years and let your upgrade go to waste.

cnguyen0320 · Nov 8, 2012

mohsy90 said:
You basically stated the exact reasons why people want the iPhone 5. The phone is lighter, thinner, faster, and larger screen + LTE. All valid reasons to buy. Yes, we can all wait an extra second. But that mentality just does not apply to the real world.

Yeah I know but my point is there isn't any HUGE improvement. I guess that just means Apple built my iPhone 4 to last me forever which is bitter sweet. I get a great phone that lasts forever but I cannot convince myself to get the awesome new phone that I want but don't need.

Black Magic · Nov 8, 2012

cnguyen0320 said:
I'm comparing the iPhone 5 to my iPhone 4 and seriously, I'm not seeing the big deal. The three biggies between the two are: LTE vs 3g, 4in vs 3.5in screen, and A4 vs A6. I guess LTE is important but wifi is everywhere and with limited data plans, it doesn't matter as much as it's made out to be since a lot of us rely on wifi more than data. The screen size, I have used them side by side... Basically minimal difference, not worth $200 by itself. Actually I found it harder to type in landscape with the iphone 5. A4 A6 is where the biggest emphasis is put I think when comparing the difference between the two. The thing though, is that with every new phone, its speed is gonna get faster and faster. What I'm saying is that Apple is gonna say "yep we're faster" next year and the next year after that but so can every other phone manufacturer. So the speed will always be increasing and honestly, I think we can all wait an extra second for apps to open. Anyway, I'm trying to see why I should get an iPhone 5 other than that my two year contract is up.

So why did you get the iPhone 5 or why are you waiting impatiently for the iPhone 5 to come back in stock?

I'm on Sprint and went from the 4S to the 5. While with IOS 6 I had all the software features covered with the 4S, LTE was too enticing. LTE especially unlimited data with Sprint is nice. If you are at work and you have LTE available over your corporate wifi, you will choose LTE for speed and privacy.

The camera is better as well. I take amazing photos and fantastic videos with this phone. No need for point and shoots anymore.

4in Screen Size is cool but nothing to get all hot and bothered over.

I think its definitely a nice upgrade and worth the price of admission.

mohsy90 · Nov 8, 2012

cnguyen0320 said:
Yeah I know but my point is there isn't any HUGE improvement. I guess that just means Apple built my iPhone 4 to last me forever which is bitter sweet. I get a great phone that lasts forever but I cannot convince myself to get the awesome new phone that I want but don't need.

Well there is only so much you can do with an iPhone as far as improvements go. It's not a revolutionary redesign, but its an improvement and for some like me, LTE alone is worth it. Also, i'm obsessed with Apple

Applejuiced · Nov 8, 2012

cnguyen0320 said:
Yeah I know but my point is there isn't any HUGE improvement. I guess that just means Apple built my iPhone 4 to last me forever which is bitter sweet. I get a great phone that lasts forever but I cannot convince myself to get the awesome new phone that I want but don't need.

It is a huge improvement.
Using an iphone 4 and an iphone 5 is night and day.
Not only on LTE but regural every day things and processor speed, the way it handles tasks and many many others.
Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself that you're better off with your old iphone 4 instead of the 2 years newer and very much improved iphone 5.
Your choice but saying its no bid deal or the same thing is way off.
Whatever makes you happy though. Your money, your choice.

Minhimalism · Nov 8, 2012

Went from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5 and I feel like it's almost as good as my jump from the 3G to the 4 was! Everything I do just runs so much more smoothly now. From things like Words with Friends to Facebook, everything feels much more fluid and thus provides a much more enjoyable experience. Plus, I wanted to be ready for LTE next summer with T-Mobile! Love the iPhone on the magenta network

Bahroo · Nov 8, 2012

cnguyen0320 said:
Yeah I know but my point is there isn't any HUGE improvement. I guess that just means Apple built my iPhone 4 to last me forever which is bitter sweet. I get a great phone that lasts forever but I cannot convince myself to get the awesome new phone that I want but don't need.

So what are you implying? That the competition's yearly phone upgrades are better? I surely dont see Android phones making breakthroughs yearly like what you seem to be expecting. The bigger screen size alone in my opinion is huge, the old 3.5 inch screen is small and the extra half inch makes things much better. The front camera is really nice too, I compared it to my cousins HTC evo 4g LTE and it is much better then his front camera.

I get what you mean, its just that the software side is lacking a bit...Android manufactures like HTC and Samsung do a good job of making there new devices seem newer and more different then there previous phone with new skins. Apple doesnt do that and so that is why it may seem the 5 isnt that big of a upgrade but in my eyes its quite the upgrade, maybe not so much from the 4S but before that it is really dramatic.

The 5 is not a second faster, its quite noticeably faster then the 4S and its dramatically faster then the 4. Both in opening apps, multitasking and the browser loading times is much faster imo.

eeguh · Nov 8, 2012

No offense but it sounds like you've already made up your mind. I see that you've already made a similar post on "Alternatives to IOS" section. I think going Android or Windows 8 may be a better choice for you if you choose to upgrade.

I thought hard about getting S3 but I settled with the iPhone 5 instead. I just liked it better. Whatever works for you.

cnguyen0320 · Nov 8, 2012

Bahroo said:
So what are you implying? That the competition's yearly phone upgrades are better? I surely dont see Android phones making breakthroughs yearly like what you seem to be expecting. The bigger screen size alone in my opinion is huge, the old 3.5 inch screen is small and the extra half inch makes things much better. The front camera is really nice too, I compared it to my cousins HTC evo 4g LTE and it is much better then his front camera.

I get what you mean, its just that the software side is lacking a bit...Android manufactures like HTC and Samsung do a good job of making there new devices seem newer and more different then there previous phone with new skins. Apple doesnt do that and so that is why it may seem the 5 isnt that big of a upgrade but in my eyes its quite the upgrade, maybe not so much from the 4S but before that it is really dramatic.

The 5 is not a second faster, its quite noticeably faster then the 4S and its dramatically faster then the 4. Both in opening apps, multitasking and the browser loading times is much faster imo.

Yeah, this was kind of what I was saying before. Sure it's faster, but every new phone is going to be faster than it's predecessor so I don't see increased speed as a notable improvement (every year Apple says it's twice as fast). That said, the biggest improvement in speed is seen in the jump from 3G to LTE. However, no carrier has LTE in my area (71,000 pop. so it should have it?) so that doesn't even matter to me. I guess what I'm implying is that the iPhone 5 isn't as a big improvement as I'd like it to be. When I bought the 4 I was blown away at the improvements from the 3Gs, now it's eh. I guess the hardware has been great for 3 years that in my eyes, they've hit the ceiling in terms of hardware improvements. What I'm really hoping for is a great leap in software, something that I view as more important to forwarding Apple than the hardware of the phone.

Well thanks guys, you really helped me out.

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eeguh said:
No offense but it sounds like you've already made up your mind. I see that you've already made a similar post on "Alternatives to IOS" section. I think going Android or Windows 8 may be a better choice for you if you choose to upgrade.

I thought hard about getting S3 but I settled with the iPhone 5 instead. I just liked it better. Whatever works for you.

I actually haven't made up my mind. Apple has a lot that I want to keep (perhaps you have seen my thread "what does Apple have that Android doesn't"). I love the build quality for apple and I love customer service, both of which suck on the other side of smartphones. I have given up on the S3 and am considering the Nexus 4 but still can't even justifying that. In all honesty, the greatest possibility sits in me just sticking out another year with my 4 to see what Jonny Ives does with iOS.

Beeplance · Nov 8, 2012

Honestly speaking, all those people with the 4S don't really need to upgrade IMO. 4S to 5, only differences to me is the bigger screen.

LTE vs HSPA+ -It's really unnecessary to have speeds of 50-60 mbps to do the things we do daily on our phone. HSPA+ speeds on the 4S is already more than enough to do things like web-browsing etc. UNLESS you live in the states, where I heard the 3G HSPA+ speeds are really terrible (subjective).

Camera -Nearly identical, 8 MP with improved optics for the 5. Not a major upgrade even when comparing both phones side-by-side in the real world. Therefore not taking this into account.

Speed -Come on, for those who use the 4S, it's already blazing fast as we know it. Differences in mili-seconds should not be a concern to most people.

Only difference is larger screen IMO. But given that there are still many applications not optimized for the 4" display, it's your call.

Applejuiced · Nov 8, 2012

Beeplance said:
Honestly speaking, all those people with the 4S don't really need to upgrade IMO. 4S to 5, only differences to me is the bigger screen.

LTE vs HSPA+ -It's really unnecessary to have speeds of 50-60 mbps to do the things we do daily on our phone. HSPA+ speeds on the 4S is already more than enough to do things like web-browsing etc. UNLESS you live in the states, where I heard the 3G HSPA+ speeds are really terrible (subjective).

In the US you only get HSPA+ speeds with AT&T.
And even though AT&T is pretty decent around 6-8mbps if you're on Sprint or Verizon CDMA carriers you only get CDMA 3G. And that's around 1-2mpbs if you're lucky. So on those carriers the LTE upgrade is huge where available.
With Sprint not in so many places yet but with Verizon is mostly everywhere and keeps spreading.
About the rest bigger screen is great, lighter and thinner device overal.
My old iphone 4 feels like a heavy brick compared to my i5 and also the i4 feels way shorter now.

Beeplance · Nov 8, 2012

Applejuiced said:
In the US you only get HSPA+ speeds with AT&T.
And even though AT&T is pretty decent around 6-8mbps if you're on Sprint or Verizon CDMA carriers you only get CDMA 3G. And that's around 1-2mpbs if you're lucky. So on those carriers the LTE upgrade is huge where available.
With Sprint not in so many places yet but with Verizon is mostly everywhere and keeps spreading.
About the rest bigger screen is great, lighter and thinner device overal.
My old iphone 4 feels like a heavy brick compared to my i5 and also the i4 feels way shorter now.

Yeah I know it happens alot to iPhone 5 owners, most of them wouldn't want to go back to the smaller screen and heavier feel. The first time I held the 5, I genuinely thought it was hollow, like there was no battery in it or something, difference in weight is really apparent.

For AT&T, if I actually lived in the states, I think I'll be able to make do with 6-8 mbps. That's actually quite decent.

Applejuiced · Nov 8, 2012

Beeplance said:
Yeah I know it happens alot to iPhone 5 owners, most of them wouldn't want to go back to the smaller screen and heavier feel. The first time I held the 5, I genuinely thought it was hollow, like there was no battery in it or something, difference in weight is really apparent.

For AT&T, if I actually lived in the states, I think I'll be able to make do with 6-8 mbps. That's actually quite decent.

I hear you, I never had a prob with HSPA+ GSM speeds here either.
Plenty fast. 60mpbs with LTE is nice for bragging and showing off but for real world use most wont notice a big difference.
For CDMA users though its a huge improvement from 3G to LTE now.

Beeplance · Nov 8, 2012

Applejuiced said:
I hear you, I never had a prob with HSPA+ GSM speeds here either.
Plenty fast. 60mpbs with LTE is nice for bragging and showing off but for real world use most wont notice a big difference.
For CDMA users though its a huge improvement from 3G to LTE now.

Saw a lot of screenshots with miserable Sprint 3G speeds. Their LTE hovers around 20 mbps for the majority that I saw, quite ok.

Verizon's LTE is much better, alot of positive comments.

Guess most Americans should transcend into the LTE era for their mobile needs now..

Random 995K · Nov 8, 2012

The difference between the 4 and the 5 is MASSIVE.

1)LTE which i get a staggering ~50 download and ~20 up.

2)8 megapixel camera

3)The speed is just such a huge difference between the two. My 4S stutters on a few games, the 4 is hopeless in running 3d games over a few hundred mbs. The Iphone 5 never stutters at all even in games like modern combat. I hav never seen it stutter and everythings is just so fast.

4)Siri which i use quite a lot, especially for selecting songs when listening to earpods.

5)The 4inch screen which some how feels like a big difference to the 3.5. Maybe because i had been using the 4 for 2 years.

6)The whole IOS6 including the cool flyover feature.

7) The weight and its so thin. Feels really good to hold and use.

8)The new design which looks really nice. So much better than the 4/4s design imo.

Basically to sum up... even if you had the 4S i would upgrade.

bwhli · Nov 8, 2012

I upgraded from an iPhone 4. Love the huge speed boost.

Adutrumque · Nov 8, 2012

I don't know if we're getting tricked but I'am laughing when I see the iPhone 4's screen. It's everything beyond logic. The iPhone 5's screen makes sense.

maddog91 · Nov 8, 2012

Just ordered a 64 gb...

1-I got it for full upgrade price, after only being on att for 12 months... So re-selling my unlocked 32 4s will cover pretty much all if not 350$ of the 399 I spent to get the phone.

2-AT&T credited me 125 to upgrade, that was a bonus

3-If you plan on keeping a phone for longer than the one year cycle, get a phone that when it gets updated, it will be just a spec bump.. See I saw it like this,

4... Then 4s...5 (Get it now)....5s.....Prob new design 6...

By the time the "6th" iphone comes out, my 5 will be getting "old".. I know for a fact the next iphone wont hold anything except a slight spec bump. So if im going to have a phone for 2 years, why not have a phone that will stay very relevant .

Aniseedvan · Nov 9, 2012

I am aware that plans in the US are vastly different but here in the uk you can keep your old phone and go sim only on a monthly rolling contract for £10.
If some such thing is open to you, why not do that until a newer phone grabs your attention as the reason to upgrade?

tymaster50 · Nov 9, 2012

if you're on AT&T you get access to HSPA+, LTE screams, better support, just you know the usual. If you're completely satisfied with your 4 then nobodys making you do it.

Cody21 · Nov 9, 2012

I upgraded from the 4S because I was itching to have a larger screen, even if the increase was small. It still makes a big difference to me. And the LTE was a selling point to me, too.

scottw324 · Nov 9, 2012

I upgraded from my Jailbroken 5.1.1. iphone 4 to the iphone 5 mainly because I was switching from AT&T to Verizon. I wanted better data coverage for my phone. At work my AT&T model would get no signal At my house I would barely get a bar and we do not have a home phone. I would travel around and use my phone as a GPS with the Navigon app and there would be long stretches of just no service with AT&T. I had AT&T for 4 years and I was just done with the service.

Verizon's plan was cheaper for me to have 2 iphone 5's, 8GB of data and to be able to tether than what my 2 iphone 4's cost me on AT&T with 2 GB and Unlimited dataplans, unlimited Text and 1400 min/month with A-list option. Now I can just tether my two ipads to the iphones and use the extra data.

I tether my netbook to my iphone when I travel to get work done as well.

I was happy with my iphone 4 and would have kept it if you could swap it from AT&T to verizon but sadly they aren't compatible so a new phone was needed.

I like my iphone 5 though. Siri and dictation are ok. when I dictate a message though for a text I typically have to do it a few times to get it right or close. It would be faster to type it out but I use the dictation method when I am driving to keep my eyes on the road. Even then I do it rarely due to safety.

Why did you get or waiting to get an iPhone 5?

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