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tsang2320

macrumors regular
Jan 13, 2014
128
53
I have a 3GS that I'm (mostly) happy with.

But my wife's phone is dying fast, and she'd like the 3GS. Which leaves me to upgrade.

As evidenced by the old phone, I generally keep my devices for quite some time.

I'm torn between going for the 6s (best stats, will last longest) and worrying about the battery life.

Would I be better to go with a 5s/6? Or bite the bullet and get a 6s 64?


If a 3Gs serve you need well already, unless you are rapidly expanding your app library, I don't think there is a meaningful justification to absolutely get the 6s.

May take a look at the 6 plus if battery life has the priority. Don't overpay for something you know you do not need. Just saying.
 

Tycho24

Suspended
Aug 29, 2014
2,071
1,396
Florida
If a 3Gs serve you need well already, unless you are rapidly expanding your app library, I don't think there is a meaningful justification to absolutely get the 6s.

May take a look at the 6 plus if battery life has the priority. Don't overpay for something you know you do not need. Just saying.

Right??
Why the 64gb jump from an 8gb 3GS?
 
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Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,956
355
Troutdale, OR
While I agree with others that you should really get her something more current, if her heart is fixed on the 3GS model I would at least get a fresh battery installed and a new phone case (should be cheap for a phone that old) before you give it to her.

If your cell phone service starts to shut down the 3G/4g service, they will notify you. You had that happen once with a prepaid phone on AT&T, they sent texts and letters letting me know I could upgrade for free to a new phone.
 

JemiS

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 20, 2015
34
22
Right??
Why the 64gb jump from an 8gb 3GS?

Mostly because I have a 32g iPad mini 2, and know how much space my documents on that takes.

For a smartphone, the 3GS works fine for email, messages, phone. If I'm upgrading, I might as well upgrade to something that will be able to take a lot of the daily tasks I use my mini for (document storage, web growing, etc.).

Part of upgrading less often is usually that you get a top-end model when you do, so it lasts the test of time.

Either way, I really don't feel like I have to defend my (or my wife's) preferences here. I do appreciate the suggestions that the 6s doesn't suffer battery life detractions over the 6, and that the additional ram really is worth it.
 

nordique

macrumors 68000
Oct 12, 2014
1,976
1,600
It's what she wants, and I've learned not to try to convince her otherwise. She's played around with all the models, and likes the size and simplicity of the 3GS.

She mainly wants something easier to text on, that she can get email on. Her phone is from 2001 at the moment, so the 3GS is a nice upgrade for that. It's also nearly identical to her current iPod Touch, which is one of the main selling points (same OS and everything).

All the apps I use work fine with it, much less the smaller selection she wants to use with it.


Get the 6s and at least 64GB

Don't get anything older especially if you keep your phones for that long.

I wouldn't worry about the battery life of the 6s. It's much better than the 3GS you are used to and its on par with the 6. Don't let the 4-5% battery capacity difference throw you off....its negligible with real world use. The 6s uses a lot more power efficient parts which when added up together, make up that small difference in capacity. From first hand "right in front of me" experience, my 6s on iOS 9 without battery saver lasts within 1% of my 6 on the "better" iOS 8.

So - It's negligible.

Go for the 6s cause it's much more powerful and feature packed and future proofed (which is important if you hold onto phones for a long time) than the 6 or 5s, which for all intents and purposes of a relative comparison are mostly the same device. If you're in it for the long haul, the best thing is to always get the latest device. It's worth the extra $ you put in.
 
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acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
Dang

So many people are so "outraged" your giving your wife what she wants. The 3GS will be fine if that's what she wants, it seems like you've really confused everybody who's mentality it is to upgrade every year though.

I believe you should get a 6S in the largest capacity you can afford, you seem to like holding on to phones and as others have pointed out you might as well have the "greatest" for a little while and it will also be serviceable the longest.
 
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getrealbro

macrumors 6502a
Sep 25, 2015
604
262
Dang

So many people are so "outraged" your giving your wife what she wants. The 3GS will be fine if that's what she wants, it seems like you've really confused everybody who's mentality it is to upgrade every year though.

I believe you should get a 6S in the largest capacity you can afford, you seem to like holding on to phones and as others have pointed out you might as well have the "greatest" for a little while and it will also be serviceable the longest.
Good advice.

We keep our phones as long as they meet our needs. I’d still be using my 3Gs if I hadn’t taken it swimming :( It did everything I really wanted and it fit nicely in a back jeans pocket.

Because I know we use our phones a long time (barring physical damage) we go with the MAX storage. My wife has a 5s 64GB. When my 3gs died, I replaced it with a 6s 128GB.

—GetRealBro
 

Tycho24

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Aug 29, 2014
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Dang

So many people are so "outraged" your giving your wife what she wants. The 3GS will be fine if that's what she wants, it seems like you've really confused everybody who's mentality it is to upgrade every year though.

I believe you should get a 6S in the largest capacity you can afford, you seem to like holding on to phones and as others have pointed out you might as well have the "greatest" for a little while and it will also be serviceable the longest.

How could she POSSIBLY know what she wants in a smartphone, having never had a smartphone???!
Derp.
Obviously, she must think the 3GS is amazing compared to her basic phone, but would not be able to experience anything the rest of us do. No Siri, no turn by turn NAV, no FaceTime, etc, etc, etc.
If he isn't destitute, he should get her a decent phone. A 4S is probably $80 or so on CraigsList.
 
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ToroidalZeus

macrumors 68020
Dec 8, 2009
2,301
875
Mostly because I have a 32g iPad mini 2, and know how much space my documents on that takes.

For a smartphone, the 3GS works fine for email, messages, phone. If I'm upgrading, I might as well upgrade to something that will be able to take a lot of the daily tasks I use my mini for (document storage, web growing, etc.).

Part of upgrading less often is usually that you get a top-end model when you do, so it lasts the test of time.

Either way, I really don't feel like I have to defend my (or my wife's) preferences here. I do appreciate the suggestions that the 6s doesn't suffer battery life detractions over the 6, and that the additional ram really is worth it.
Like someone else said, if this is your wife's first smartphone, do you really wanna get her a 2009 experience? Top of the line, lasts the test of time?

The only good thing about the 3GS is that it has iMessage. The display is fuzzy and blurry. (no retina iPhone 4). The internet is slow (no LTE iPhone 5). The web browser is laggy and will checkerboard. The phone doesn't offer voice over LTE or noise cancelling mics so call quality is trash. No TouchID for seamless unlocking (iPhone 5s). NFC nope (iPhone 6). WiFi-calling nope. Oh ya and tiny tiny screen.
 
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geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
Dang

So many people are so "outraged" your giving your wife what she wants. The 3GS will be fine if that's what she wants, it seems like you've really confused everybody who's mentality it is to upgrade every year though.

I believe you should get a 6S in the largest capacity you can afford, you seem to like holding on to phones and as others have pointed out you might as well have the "greatest" for a little while and it will also be serviceable the longest.
She doesn't know what she wants... She knows she wants a smartphone, but unless she compares the 6S and 3GS and is told about the differences, she won't know what she's missing. It's not 2008 anymore, a LOT has changed with phones and the cellular network itself. She won't have access to the best wireless service, she may not be able to call/text when her other friends/relatives on AT&T can with newer phones, and she doesn't have the ability to use WiFi calling.
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
How could she POSSIBLY know what she wants in a smartphone, having never had a smartphone???!
Derp.
Obviously, she must think the 3GS is amazing compared to her basic phone, but would not be able to experience anything the rest of us do. No Siri, no turn by turn NAV, no FaceTime, etc, etc, etc.
If he isn't destitute, he should get her a decent phone. A 4S is probably $80 or so on CraigsList.


She knows she's never had a smartphone, and that the 3GS is an upgrade. I know people who would be fine with a 3GS, a screen and some clearly visible buttons for texting/calling. Sounds like a nice upgrade to me. Besides that it's HER choice, there's not reason to attack the OP, he seems like a pretty smart fellow, I'm sure if his wife wanted something better after he would gladly buy her a better smartphone. It doesn't seem like the OP is some money greedy hog depriving his wife he sounds like a person who doesn't like to spend on what he doesn't need, and his wife doesn't currently need a better phone it seems to me that if his wife tried the 3GS and found it unsatisfactory that he would buy her a new phone.


She doesn't know what she wants... She knows she wants a smartphone, but unless she compares the 6S and 3GS and is told about the differences, she won't know what she's missing. It's not 2008 anymore, a LOT has changed with phones and the cellular network itself. She won't have access to the best wireless service, she may not be able to call/text when her other friends/relatives on AT&T can with newer phones, and she doesn't have the ability to use WiFi calling.


Yes, but what you and everybody else who are upset are not seeing is that she THINKS she knows what she wants. At that point, arguing is a fruitless and stupid endeavor, even if OP WANTED to give her a 6S at this point she would prefer (as he has pointed out) the older phone. At this point if you really want her to have "what she's missing" the best way to do that would be to give her the 3GS and then when she realizes and complains immediately upgrade her.

+ do you really not know anybody with an old phone? I know people using a 2007 iPhone that still texts/calls perfectly.
 
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