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Thinking of the next program too. Just seems too easy.... Yes I pay monthly for the phone but beyond that no hassle... Just swap them phones and I have the latest. As I get older my patience for eBay and craigslist is getting pretty low. So I can be on any cycle I want.
 
The S cycle clearly results in better phones with more staying power.

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But isn't the non-S cycle an improved version of the S device? Better specs, screen, battery, along with new design?

The factor that makes me so confident that the S cycle is better is that I have historically bought an older iPhone to travel with. The iPhone 3GS lasted me until this year when I traveled to the World Cup and it was just too slow. Last year, when my old one died, I had the opportunity to buy anything I wanted and I went for a 3GS again instead of a four.

Planning my next trip, and hopefully planning the next phone to keep for another couple years, I have had no doubt that the 4S was the option to go for instead of the five or the four. Better combination of capabilities and price.

With the non-S cycle, people pay a premium for the new design, and I do think that Apple increases the technical capabilities of the phone more with the S models then they do with the non-S models.
 
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The S cycle clearly results in better phones with more staying power.

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The factor that makes me so confident that the S cycle is better is that I have historically bought an older iPhone to travel with. The iPhone 3GS lasted me until this year when I traveled to the World Cup and it was just too slow. Last year, when my old one died, I had the opportunity to buy anything I wanted and I went for a 3GS again instead of a four.

Planning my next trip, and hopefully planning the next phone to keep for another couple years, I have had no doubt that the four ass was the option to go for instead of the five or the four. Better combination of capabilities and price.

With the non-S cycle, people pay a premium for the new design, and I do think that Apple increases the technical capabilities of the phone more with the S models then they do with the non-S models.

Swings and roundabouts. Sometimes the S is a bigger leap and sometimes the non-S wins out. At least with the non-S you get a brand new design which is good for two years.
 
I've owned every iPhone version starting with the 3GS and the S versions were my favorite.

I think the 5S is almost the perfect phone.

I'm even trying to talk myself into either waiting for the 6S Plus and getting the regular 6 now.

I was actually going to just say that, as someone who prefers the S cycle, I have had every iphone since the beginning, so I think I am reasonably well placed to have an opinion. I have always ended up happier with the S phones in the long run and they have sold for more after a year when I buy the new phone.

I do miss the days when AT&T gave me upgrade pricing every 12 months, but by threatening to leave, I got my bill cut by about $30 per month, which effectively makes it the same price as T-Mobile when you factor in the subsidy that I get once every two years.
 
Non S/S versions is similar to Intel's tick tock cadence. It's really difficult to refine and produce a new architecture at the same time.

This is why iPhone designs last for two models before it gets a redesign and leap in SoC performance. You can look at the S iPhones as tick and Non S as tock.

IMO I prefer the Non S iPhones because its a new design. If you prefer refinement and few defects, the S version is for you.
 
It's just a cell phone. Certainly each year is better than the previous but I can go two years in between upgrades. I started with 3g, 4, 5 and now 6. I'll like the 6s but won't upgrade til the 7.
 
wait 12 months when the 6S is out and you will regret being on the non-s cycle
 
It's really important to be on the non-S cycle because you get to show people the back of your new phone on the train and they will clearly realise that you are wealthy, important, someone to be respected, and that you don't tolerate devices that are ancient and irrelevant.
 
It's really important to be on the non-S cycle because you get to show people the back of your new phone on the train and they will clearly realise that you are wealthy, important, someone to be respected, and that you don't tolerate devices that are ancient and irrelevant.

Note 4 for you then, instead of the 2012 tech iPhone 6? ;-)
 
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