Is it worth upgrading constantly anymore?

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by wlossw

I agree with this 100%. I will keep me 5 for a while... Now that I'm on lte I don't see the point of upgrading again... But you never know what killer feature apple will add...

The days of a "killer feature" are long gone.

That said it's quite possible Apple will ad some amusing, if not very useful gimmick. Deeply addicted to bragging of their superiority, Apple will go to any length to create a headline generating gimmick of the future.

That gives the young easily influenced demographic something to be giddy about. The older buyer is likely to be impressed as well. Apple is a marketing genius.

Regarding upgrade frequency, there's no longer a reason. Apples in the twilight of their fertile innovative era. It was nice while it lasted.

Samsungs the new era creators, innovators, movers & shakers.

[nuckinfutz]

Originally Posted by ixodes

The days of a "killer feature" are long gone.

That said it's quite possible Apple will ad some amusing, if not very useful gimmick. Deeply addicted to bragging of their superiority, Apple will go to any length to create a headline generating gimmick of the future.

That gives the young easily influenced demographic something to be giddy about. The older buyer is likely to be impressed as well. Apple is a marketing genius.

Regarding upgrade frequency, there's no longer a reason. Apples in the twilight of their fertile innovative era. It was nice while it lasted.

Samsungs the new era creators, innovators, movers & shakers.

Did someone just fart? Yup...carry on.

--------------------------------------------------------

It's always worth upgrading if you're willing to push the envelope of what you can do.

[swervinsuburban]

Originally Posted by ixodes

The days of a "killer feature" are long gone.

That said it's quite possible Apple will ad some amusing, if not very useful gimmick. Deeply addicted to bragging of their superiority, Apple will go to any length to create a headline generating gimmick of the future.

That gives the young easily influenced demographic something to be giddy about. The older buyer is likely to be impressed as well. Apple is a marketing genius.

Regarding upgrade frequency, there's no longer a reason. Apples in the twilight of their fertile innovative era. It was nice while it lasted.

Samsungs the new era creators, innovators, movers & shakers.

Yeah you should tell that to my friend with the Nexus S whos screen breaks if you press it because they thought using curved none gorillas glass would be an awsome idea, or my friend with the galaxy s III who cant send half her text message because her phones so glitchy, or my other friend with an S III whos battery dies after half a day, so innovative it hurts.....ouch

I upgraded from a 4 to a 5 so it was worth it to me quite a bit.

[takeshi74]

Originally Posted by quietstormSD

Is it worth upgrading constantly anymore?

Subjective matter just as worth is on any topic. It was never worth it to constantly upgrade for many people so your question's difficult to answer since it runs on a flawed assumption.

tl;dr version: Do whatever works for you.

Originally Posted by quietstormSD

I sorta feel like, we've come into a territory where smart phones are not really being updated at huge leaps and bounds.

A lot of people seem to think that (at various points in time and about various products) but they just seem to fail to realize that most products -- no matter what the product is -- are evolutionary. Revolutionary products have always been and always will be few and far between by their very nature.

Originally Posted by quietstormSD

But from a 4 (or 4S for that matter) to a 5, is it really THAT much better?

Better is also highly subjective. As with any subjective matter, for some, yes. For others, no. Again, do whatever works for you. Just don't assume that you can extrapolate broad, sweeping generalizations based solely on your particular needs/wants.

[Jordan921]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

If you're buying subsidized phones it's worth noting that you're leaving money on the table by not upgrading every two years.

Basically, AT&T (or whoever) is offering you a $500 gift every two years. If you don't take that opportunity you don't get it. You can get your subsidy every 2 years or every 3 or every 4...the amount stays the same no matter when you take it. So if you spread those out further apart you get less savings over time.

Yes, it is one of those "you have to spend to save" kind of things. You do have to pay for the rest of the phone and re-sign up for 2 more years.

So this isn't me telling you that you have to do it. I'm just offering some info to think about if you're really considering going more than 2 years.

You are exactly right! Some people don't realize that they are actually losing money by not upgrading every chance they get.

[Risco]

The iPhone 5 was the first time since the original iPhone that I did not feel the need to upgrade as I had a 4s. However, the deal I got was too good and I jumped on the bandwagon. The massive improvement in weight is not to be underestimated, it makes things like gaming and surfing less tiresome on the hand. I also get far better 3G and wifi speeds and call quality is exceptional, especially when I am outside and it is windy for example. The increased screen size is nice, but I am still of the opinion that it needs a slight boost to the width.

[jetlagged]

well the iphone 5 will be my only phone for the next 3-4 years. Yes you read that right.

I came from an iPhone 4, but i bought the iphone 4 on ebay used October 2011, so that phone was more than a year old when i bought it and didn't really appreciate the significance and the update because it was simply outdated. finally bought the iphone 5 last week, and let me tell you, its so snappy compared to my iphone 4 and enjoying the up to date hardware and features.

i wont be upgrading for a while like i said, but it will depend on what features the iphone 5s will have i suppose.

[Risco]

Originally Posted by jetlagged

well the iphone 5 will be my only phone for the next 3-4 years. but it will depend on what features the iphone 5s will have i suppose.

See you are hooked lol, that is what happened to me. I bought my first iPhone a 3GS second hand. After that I upgraded every year as the resale value of the phones is exceptional.

[webworks415]

I don't see Apple introducing anything breakthrough for the next generation of iPhone (5S?)

I agree that at this point, Apple has caught up and the iPhone does everything it needs to/what other phones can do.

All they can do now is improve upon Siri and make it more functional and practical (why cant i just ask Siri to toggle settings etc) and improve upon Maps and other stock features.

I can see 5S just being an A7 chip spec bump, and I honestly can't predict any killer feature they could introduce. I won't count them out, but I won't hold high expectations. No one knew how useful Siri could be and look at it now, other phones are cloning it as a flagship selling point.

Until then the iPhone 5 does everything I want it to. Upgrading from a 4S was justified for me because of LTE and more screen real estate.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by swervinsuburban

Yeah you should tell that to my friend with the Nexus S whos screen breaks if you press it because they thought using curved none gorillas glass would be an awsome idea, or my friend with the galaxy s III who cant send half her text message because her phones so glitchy, or my other friend with an S III whos battery dies after half a day, so innovative it hurts.....ouch

Sounds like your friends are very hard on / or fail to understand / or have phones that should be returned for warranty exchanges, not everyone is on top of taking care of their phones.

That said I do know that it can be very nerve racking for someone in your position to accept the current success Samsung is having.

It's why I bought not only the SGS III, but the Note II and the Nexus. A wonderful trio of the terrific Android phones. Trouble free, annoyance free, fast and fun, I could not be happier.

Or, actually let me backup and reveal _what would_ make me happier.

That would be for the one tech company I've been extremely loyal to, always enjoyed, but lately has declined in both quality and it's attitude about competing on the open market...

Yes I'm referring to Apple.

I would be absolutely thrilled for them to create the kind of world class smartphone I personally _KNOW_ they are capable of... IF, they put their best efforts into the project.

[Interstella5555]

Has it EVER been worthwhile to do yearly upgrades? No.

[barkomatic]

Originally Posted by Jordan921

You are exactly right! Some people don't realize that they are actually losing money by not upgrading every chance they get.

I'm one of those people who currently own an iPhone 4 with an expired contract that haven't upgraded yet. When I do upgrade, I'll want the 64GB version which is $399. Add Applecare and tax to that and I'm looking at around $530 even *with* a subsidy that comes with a new contract.

I fail to see how I'm "losing" money by not upgrading immediately.

[sheels]

It is just a matter of personal choice. If you can afford it then why not?

[Jordan921]

Originally Posted by barkomatic

I'm one of those people who currently own an iPhone 4 with an expired contract that haven't upgraded yet. When I do upgrade, I'll want the 64GB version which is $399. Add Applecare and tax to that and I'm looking at around $530 even *with* a subsidy that comes with a new contract.

I fail to see how I'm "losing" money by not upgrading immediately.

If you are gonna go for the 64gb and add on AppleCare then of course your aren't gonna be ahead. I had a 32gb 4s that I bought for $350 and then sold it for $400 so I made money.

[jrasero]

I say no

iPhones are great but IMO iPhone after iPhone gets very boring and un needed

I got the iPhone 4 and at the time is was revolutionary in my eyes. I got bored with iOS and didn't see the value in getting a 4S and switched to Blackberry and then eventually to a Galaxy Nexus.

The iPhone 5 is a huge upgrade if your coming from the iPhone 3 series or 4 or even an Android, but if you have a 4S just wait for the 5S

IMO I was try to get the non "S" upgrades because it's really isn't a full upgrade

[Leonard1818]

Originally Posted by Jordan921

You are exactly right! Some people don't realize that they are actually losing money by not upgrading every chance they get.

I try explaining this to my parents and in-laws. They don't get it. I can't force them to take free money. But moving forward, I will likely administer my parents account in this sense.

[akdj]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

If you're buying subsidized phones it's worth noting that you're leaving money on the table by not upgrading every two years.

Basically, AT&T (or whoever) is offering you a $500 gift every two years. If you don't take that opportunity you don't get it. You can get your subsidy every 2 years or every 3 or every 4...the amount stays the same no matter when you take it. So if you spread those out further apart you get less savings over time.

Yes, it is one of those "you have to spend to save" kind of things. You do have to pay for the rest of the phone and re-sign up for 2 more years.

So this isn't me telling you that you have to do it. I'm just offering some info to think about if you're really considering going more than 2 years.

This is exactly true! As well, the resale value of a well kept iPhone completely erases the 'up front' costs associated with the 'upgrade'. If you're happy with your current carrier, know you're going to need a cell phone over the next two years...it makes all sorts of sense to take advantage of the new phone the moment your upgrade is available

Originally Posted by ixodes

Sounds like your friends are very hard on / or fail to understand / or have phones that should be returned for warranty exchanges, not everyone is on top of taking care of their phones.

That said I do know that it can be very nerve racking for someone in your position to accept the current success Samsung is having.

It's why I bought not only the SGS III, but the Note II and the Nexus. A wonderful trio of the terrific Android phones. Trouble free, annoyance free, fast and fun, I could not be happier.

Or, actually let me backup and reveal _what would_ make me happier.

That would be for the one tech company I've been extremely loyal to, always enjoyed, but lately has declined in both quality and it's attitude about competing on the open market...

Yes I'm referring to Apple.

I would be absolutely thrilled for them to create the kind of world class smartphone I personally _KNOW_ they are capable of... IF, they put their best efforts into the project.

LOL--Dude, you truly are unique. If you are to be believed, you shouldn't be thread hopping exclaiming your purchase of every single (literally) gadget in existence!!! You own every iPad, Macbook pro---classics and retinas, each iPhone, ever Samsung device ever created---quite 'unbelievable' to say the least. No need to BS us. Share opinions, that's cool...but seriously, enough with you own every device known to man!!! Good Lord--if you're a true, genuine Sammy fan are you not able to find a decent forum to spread your praise? Learn about your new devices? I mean after all--Apple has forsaken you, right?

J

[Applejuiced]

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Ah, thanks for this.

What a surprise, that I didn't realize that Verizon found yet another way to screw their customers. I should have guessed that's what was going on here yet somehow didn't.

Lol
Verizon never ceases to amaze me on how much they try to nickel and dime their customers.

[tgi]

Originally Posted by takeshi74

Subjective matter just as worth is on any topic. It was never worth it to constantly upgrade for many people so your question's difficult to answer since it runs on a flawed assumption.

tl;dr version: Do whatever works for you.

+1 definitely agree, if you want to upgrade every generation, DO IT!

I like how to made a tl;dr version, as if two sentences were a tough read haha

[misterbig]

Originally Posted by quietstormSD

I mean, upgrading from an original to a 3G, yes. Upgrading from a 3G to a 4, yes, 3GS to a 4S or a 5, ofcourse. But from a 4 (or 4S for that matter) to a 5, is it really THAT much better?

I skipped the 4S because it was only an incremental upgrade compared to the 4. Yesterday I got the 5 and I've been playing with it quite a bit. While 5 has its advantages, I feel that I won't lose any sleep if I had to go back to using my 4.

To me, the biggest upgrade was the 3GS to 4 due to the retina display. Everything else since then has been icing on the cake. LTE isn't that important to me so the next killer update for me would be a version with much better battery life, unbreakable/foldable OLED screen or something along those lines. Lighter and thinner doesn't really do much for me since I feel we're at a point now where phones are light and thin enough as they are.

[Applejuiced]

Originally Posted by misterbig

...so the next killer update for me would be a version with much better battery life, unbreakable/foldable OLED screen or something along those lines.

You will be waiting a very long time for that unbreakable screen

[Myiphone7]

Originally Posted by quietstormSD

I was thinking the other day, that I may keep my iPhone 4S for a while. Skip the 5, and even 5S next year and maybe even the phone after that. I sorta feel like, we've come into a territory where smart phones are not really being updated at huge leaps and bounds. I know a part of me is saying this because I'm not eligible for an upgrade for the iPhone 5, but I think even iPhone 5 owners would say the same thing. That they wouldn't upgrade to the next gen or so iPhones.

I say this because, how much better can they make these phones? Yeah, there's upgraded chipsets, and there's NFC which they'll probably put in the 5S, and a wider screen which they'll probably put in the 6. But other than that, I don't see how much "better" they can make a smart phone.

I mean, upgrading from an original to a 3G, yes. Upgrading from a 3G to a 4, yes, 3GS to a 4S or a 5, ofcourse. But from a 4 (or 4S for that matter) to a 5, is it really THAT much better?

LTE is no joke my friend. Those without it are missing out.

The bigger screen is nice but not really a must have.

Basically I love LTE. LOVE IT. And I don't even get full signal in most places. Still blazing fast.

[Prime85]

Originally Posted by ixodes

The days of a "killer feature" are long gone.

That said it's quite possible Apple will ad some amusing, if not very useful gimmick. Deeply addicted to bragging of their superiority, Apple will go to any length to create a headline generating gimmick of the future.

That gives the young easily influenced demographic something to be giddy about. The older buyer is likely to be impressed as well. Apple is a marketing genius.

Regarding upgrade frequency, there's no longer a reason. Apples in the twilight of their fertile innovative era. It was nice while it lasted.

Samsungs the new era creators, innovators, movers & shakers.

Samsung is all gimmicks not innovative. Adding bigger and bigger screens is not something I would call innovative.

[bushman4]

Hate to think Apple has all those patents on technology it has never put into an iPhone and that we'll never see it. Next iPhone most likely has some unexpected features.

[Breezygirl]

I don't think so unless Apple actually uses the current OS for all it's capable of instead of these sad sorry updates (popular jailbreak features hugely needed, hint hint). I will next time wait until the OS get a makeover, it's so stale.

I do think the 5 for the most part was a nice looking update, just not very practical for the real world.