Android -> iPhone 4/4s/5?

[iVaughan]

Hey,

New member here, looking for some advice

I'm a Android user (currently Samsung Galaxy SII) making the jump to iPhone.
I have a iPhone 5 32GB on order, but it might be quite a while before I am able to receive stock.

The recent Apple announcement has made me consider alternative options for spending my money.

1) iPhone 5 32GB
2) iPhone 4 8GB + iPad mini 16GB
3) iPhone 4s 16GB (secondhand) + iPad mini 16GB

All 3 options result in the same approximate spending.

Any advice/considerations for the different options?

Thanks in advance

 

[fruitloverlady]

I'd still go for iPhone. 5 or 4s will do

 

[willmtaylor]

I'd say it depends on what you're doing with it and what your daily needs & habits are.

 

[AR999]

Hey,

New member here, looking for some advice

I'm a Android user (currently Samsung Galaxy SII) making the jump to iPhone.
I have a iPhone 5 32GB on order, but it might be quite a while before I am able to receive stock.

The recent Apple announcement has made me consider alternative options for spending my money.

1) iPhone 5 32GB
2) iPhone 4 8GB + iPad mini 16GB
3) iPhone 4s 16GB (secondhand) + iPad mini 16GB

All 3 options result in the same approximate spending.

Any advice/considerations for the different options?

Thanks in advance

Why you asking us?

This is clearly something you need to decide on.

 

[iVaughan]

I'd say it depends on what you're doing with it and what your daily needs & habits are.

My daily needs and habits mainly revolve around mail, rss, browsing and messaging.

Why you asking us?

This is clearly something you need to decide on.

I'm asking here because I'm completely new to this environment and I can potentially benefit from more experienced users' opinions.

If someone has a convincing argument why I should not compromise and go only for the iPhone 5 because of certain reasons, it is certainly something that I can take into consideration when I make my final decision.

 

[willmtaylor]

As someone who had feature phones and an iPad until he got the iPhone 5, let me give you my advice.

If you like to have the latest & greatest and always use your phone for everything, you're going to be unhappy with anything except the 5.

However, if you're going to do more reading, web browsing, etc., and the thought or having a 4 or 4 doesn't bother you, get one of those & the mini. I'd, personally, go with the latter.

 

[jmpnop]

iPhone 4S is still a great device. I'd go with iPhone 4S and refurb iPad 3 16GB (it only costs $50 more than iPad mini 16GB).

 

[iVaughan]

As someone who had feature phones and an iPad until he got the iPhone 5, let me give you my advice.

If you like to have the latest & greatest and always use your phone for everything, you're going to be unhappy with anything except the 5.

However, if you're going to do more reading, web browsing, etc., and the thought or having a 4 or 4 doesn't bother you, get one of those & the mini. I'd, personally, go with the latter.

I certainly do like having the latest and greatest, but realistically I'm not sure if my usage would benefit greatly from the upgrade.
Perhaps I should try and figure out what application I will be using mostly and try to demo the functionality on the different models to see how it compares.

iPhone 4S is still a great device. I'd go with iPhone 4S and refurb iPad 3 16GB (it only costs $50 more than iPad mini 16GB).

My only concern with going for a 4S is that in all likelihood it will be a year old device and I'm unsure with what level of battery life this will leave me. The fact that the battery is not user replaceable does make this quite a concern for me.

As for the iPad, personally I'm much more interested in the iPad mini than the iPad 3. I've played around with both iPad 2 and 3 and for me, personally, the resolution of the iPad 2 is sufficient. The reduced size and especially the reduced weight on the iPad mini is something that really peaks my interest.

 

[hardax]

I still think any combination of iPhone and iPad is redundant and a waste of money that could be better spent.

 

[iVaughan]

I still think any combination of iPhone and iPad is redundant and a waste of money that could be better spent.

Better spent on what if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Mr Hill]

Since you really seem to want an iPad as well, just get the 4S and the iPad Mini. The 4S will probably be supported for at least another 2 years minimum and it's still a very fast and smooth phone. Runs all apps efficiently.

 

[rockinred]

The screen is a little bit bigger and screen more vibrant. Also, it is much lighter. The biggest decision maker is the LTE 4g speed of iphone 5. To me aside from the LTE, there is not a huge difference between the phone on daily interaction.

So my opinion would be if the LTE is not that big of a deal, then go for the used 4s and get an ipad.

I already have an ipad and don't use it too much.

For me, the LTE speeds is the decision maker. I would go with the 5, but that is just me.

You sound like in a fairly decent position. The 8gig iphone 4 would be the last option.

 

[cynics]

I like my iPhone 4S however if I were to buy a new iPhone it wouldn't be anything less then the 5. But then again I always prefer the latest and greatest when it comes to phones.

 

[sagar4995]

i'd go for the 4s + ipad mini... i think its the option that'll give u the most bang for ur buck! the 5 is great, but its just got a lil bigger screen... thats about the biggest feature.
on a different note, just sold my i4 16gb and shifted to a galaxy s3 last night!

 

[hardax]

Better spent on what if you don't mind me asking?

food. clothing. rent.

Seriously though, i had an ipad 2 and my partner has an iPhone. except for the screen size having both just seemed redundant. I cant think if one instance where we wanted to use one versus the other.

 

[superKoder]

I am very happy with my 4S, and I will not replace it with a 5.
But if I were to buy my first iPhone today, it would definitely be a 5!

On the refurbished side, you want a 4S, not the 4. The latter is getting pretty old now, isn't it?

The storage size depends on what you intend to do with it. 8GB is getting pretty small due to all those retina-based images/videos. But the difference between 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, depends on whether or not you will be using it for filming? HD 1080p can fill up anything rather quickly

 

[Ramio]

Get the iPhone 5. I had both the iPad and the iPhone at the same time and to me it felt redundant having both. I always went to my iPhone when I needed to look something up as its a lot easier and more portable so I sold the iPad. So ya get the iPhone 5.

 

[Aniseedvan]

As a galaxy s2 owner i would say the screen on the 4s would seem small compared to the samsung. I can only relate to my experiences my ipod touch; the 4g screen seemed small, the 5g one for me is about right.

Screen aside, you shouldn't be so concerned regards being supported over the next couple of years if you did decide to go with the 4s. Unlike android, where without rooting my phone i am waiting for jelly bean to turn up, you will get the apple ios update there and then.

 

[iVaughan]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Much appreciated!

So far what I'm hearing from this thread (or choosing to hear ):

- iPhone 4 (non-S) 8GB seems to be a little long in the tooth.
- iPhone 4s 16GB+ is still a viable option.
- iPhone + iPad combo is possibly redundant.
- iPhone 5 is great for LTE and taller screen.

As for the screen size compared to the SII: I actually find the screen of the SII borderline acceptable which is why I never bothered considering a larger Nexus or SIII.

 

[scaredpoet]

Get the iPhone 5. This will give you the best option for switching platforms, and you won't be going all-in right away. It will give you time to get used to ti and see if you like it.

Then, a few months down the road, re-evaulate and see if you wanna get an iPad/mini.

 

[JakeT85]

The iPhone 4S is going to be pretty close to the iPhone 5 on everything, except LTE Speeds. I don't know what network you're on, but if it is Verizon or Sprint, I would definitely get the iPhone 5 for the LTE access. EV-DO at a ~2mbps max can get hung up easily for any streaming and is even painful for updating apps, etc. The hotspot you use to run the iPad could leave much to be desired, if you go that route. AT&T HSPA+ on their iPhone 4s is going to give you 2-12 mbps in most places, which is more usable, plus you can talk on your phone and still have your hotspot running the iPad. So I would say it definitely depends what network you're running on.

Network aside, I would go with the iPhone 5. I have a phone and a tablet, and the tablet sits in a drawer. If I need to look something up I do it on my phone. The whole reason I got the iPhone was to condense the amount of things I have to carry around with me. With the iPhone 5 I have a great; web browser, camera, iPod, and phone/messaging device on me all the time that takes up just a little bit of pocket space. It's great!

 

[iVaughan]

Thanks again for all the input here. I really appreciate all the information.

I've decided to stick to my order as is and go for the iPhone 5 32GB. Let the waiting commence

 

[takeshi74]

I'm asking here because I'm completely new to this environment and I can potentially benefit from more experienced users' opinions.

If someone has a convincing argument why I should not compromise and go only for the iPhone 5 because of certain reasons, it is certainly something that I can take into consideration when I make my final decision.

"Convincing arguments" on either side depend on your specific needs/wants. We can make all sorts of arguments on either side but it's the relevance of the arguments to you that will determine whether they're convincing or not. You need to supply your needs/wants to us for us to make recommendations for you. These are not one-size-fits-all matters. It really doesn't matter what the topic is -- whenever you're asking "Which is the better option?" you need to clarify what your specific needs/wants are as those are the criteria for determining what is better. It's a bit unrealistic to expect people to perform every possible comparison of the options for you. That's putting the cart before the horse. Spell out your needs/wants/preferences and then people can point you to the choice that seems to best suit you.

If you really can't supply such information then determine first how much you really need/want the iPad. Buy one and try it out. If you don't find it useful (not all do as clearly indicated even in this thread) then return it and focus on the iPhone. First hand experience really is best for determining what you prefer anyway.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Much appreciated!

So far what I'm hearing from this thread (or choosing to hear ):

- iPhone 4 (non-S) 8GB seems to be a little long in the tooth.
- iPhone 4s 16GB+ is still a viable option.
- iPhone + iPad combo is possibly redundant.
- iPhone 5 is great for LTE and taller screen.

Again, depends on your needs/wants. One's take on the various options can differ quite a bit. Some still find the 4 very useful. Some would never settle on the 4s. Some find the iPhone & iPad combo very useful. Some don't see the point in the 5. You still have yet to clarify your requirements. Don't just assume that you can take random opinions and that they're directly relevant to you.

I've decided to stick to my order as is and go for the iPhone 5 32GB.

Good luck with it! You can always pick up an iPad down the road if you think you still want/need it.

I still think any combination of iPhone and iPad is redundant and a waste of money that could be better spent.

It's great that you're aware of your own needs/wants but the OP's needs/wants are what matter here. Have you determined that it's redundant a waste for the OP? Plenty of people own both devices and find benefit in owning both whether you do or not. Don't just assume that your preferences are universal no matter what the topic.