Fellow early 3GS users, we are stuck again in the "S" cycle

[KentuckyHouse]

I hear you, and part of me wishes I'd bit the bullet, sold the 3GS and picked up a 4 last year like I was planning to...until Antennagate made me pause, and by then the backorder wait times killed my chances.

Although the 4S is a great upgrade coming from a 3GS, and I feel like I'm 95% sure to get one, I have a couple of nagging worries...

- Apple will bust out with the fabled iPhone 5 next year and make us "off-year" upgraders feel like crap again, except this time AT&T won't pull our upgrade eligibility ahead and we'll be stuck paying a lot more for the phone we felt we should have had this year.

- The competition from Android (and WP7) now is vastly fiercer than it was in 2009, and I find myself wondering what I'm missing. Wouldn't it be nice to just drag and drop files to the phone, enjoy a 4.5" screen, send HD video to my Samsung TV via Allshare...and so on?

But my wife is an avid Apple user, we've got an iPad at home and I've got three and a half years invested in the Apple mobile ecosystem. It makes just thinking about switching a tough call. And yet, I don't buy media from iTunes and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool PC user myself. I could keep my 3GS another year, but it's 27 months old and is showing (and feeling...and acting) its age. I'm torn.

I guess I'll have to make my mind up by Friday. And even if I do submit a pre-order, I'm going to keep one eye on the Nexus Prime announcement next week...just in case.

Good lord, it's like you read my mind and then typed it out...lol. This is EXACTLY how I feel, right down to the wife being a avid Apple user and me being a dyed-in-the-wool PC user. Reading that was like looking in a mirror.

I'll probably go ahead and upgrade, although I'm not pre-ordering on Friday. I'll wait for a few weeks, let the dust settle, and then make the final decision, but I'm fairly certain at this point that I'll stick with the 4S. The iPhone 4 design, while not always the most practical (higher probability of shattering the glass back), IS a great design (and beautiful). While I was one of those wishing for a redesign, now that I've had a night to sleep on it, I feel better about picking up the 4S. I use my camera on my 3GS every single day (in my job), so the better camera is a huge draw for me. And, since the design is the same, cases (which I always use) are readily available.

 

[DWF1]

It is pretty easy to sell your phone and buy a new phone out of contract for under 200$. Last time I did this I ended up making money.

How does this work? Isn't a new phone out of contract something like $700-800?

 

[fertilized-egg]

The best time to buy an iphone was Launch day for the iPhone 4. Come 10/14/11, the only thing you'll miss is Siri and that's it.

I think it's just like 3G vs 3GS. Look at 3G users and ask them how they aren't missing anything because 3G looks just like 3GS with the same display.

 

[Chief Oddball]

I use my camera on my 3GS every single day (in my job), so the better camera is a huge draw for me. And, since the design is the same, cases (which I always use) are readily available.

Ha, sounds like you and I are in the same boat to be sure. These are two other points that are really pushing me toward the 4S. Lots of accessories already out there, and more importantly, I use the 3GS camera constantly and the 4S camera looks like it will be amazing.

Decided that I'll be going ahead with a pre-order on Friday.

 

[Bag302]

How does this work? Isn't a new phone out of contract something like $700-800?

Yes, please explain. This may be an option for me also.

 

[djransom]

How does this work? Isn't a new phone out of contract something like $700-800?

Sell your phone for about $500 and cover the rest out of your own pocket. I'm not seeing iPhone 4s going for that much now since the announcement. I'm now seeing $300-$400 pricing.

 

[jayeskreezy]

Same boat here. My 3GS is long in the tooth. Instead of switching to Android though, I will consider buying a used iPhone 4 32gb and remain out of contract. Then dumping that thing when the iP5 comes out. Hopefully, Lining me up for the redesigned phones

My other choice is to buy a 64gb 4S w/contract and sell that when the next phone is releases. But this seems like more of a hassle, especially since I will probably lose my unlimited plan if I go this route.

I like the new 4S, but I don't "pay $400 and be stuck with it for 2 years" like it.

All I was really hoping for was a bigger screen.

Yeah, I'm with you for the most part. I think I'll just jump on craigslist and grab an iphone 4 and then just upgrade to the 5 when it comes out.

Siri is tempting though, but for some reason I feel like it's something the jailbreakers will be able to accomplish w/o the premium. I'm sure even a 4 is a lot smoother and faster than my 3GS at this point. If I can find a 4 within warranty then I'll go that route.

Anybody know the cost of the iphone 4S for retail w/o 2yr contract?

 

[akuma13]

My personal philosophy is to stick with the S line of iPhones. When i got my 3GS i was pleased with the phone coming from a 3G. iPhone 4 was announced and i was not keen on the design (love the display though), it was still locked to ATT and the antenna issues. I decided not to get, also i had a hunch Apple was settling into a predictable refresh cycle. So the 4S is announced and like i thought, it's a boost from the previous iteration of the 3G to 3GS. So i will most likely get the 4S.

To me the S line is the way to go. I don't mind getting an iPhone every two years.

 

[K4LK]

S isn't so bad, it means that many of the kinks have been worked out.

If you got iPhone 4 instead of iPhone 4s then you'd have to deal with things like potential antennae issues, and also the majority of your app icons not yet designed for retina display.

Perfect! I'm going from 3GS to 4S. Going to be nice!

 

[Kontext]

I decided to hold on to my 3GS or another year and hopefully be rewarded for that with an extraordinary iPhone 5/6/whatever-you-like-to-call-it.
The iPhone 4S simply seems so unappealing and unexciting to me that I'd like to save the money (move to a less-expensive, maybe even prepaid plan).

Besides the fact that I don't particularly "dig" the design, all the mayor improvements are in the software - and that's available for the 3GS, too. Well, besides Siri but I found myself being hyped about so many Apple features and ending up never using them that I don't think I'll miss it.

(Still I think that the compass is one of the best things Apple ever put into their phones because it can actually show me, in which direction I'm looking - huge plus for someone like me who gets confused and disoriented extremely easy. )

Sure the improved camera would be nice but as a semi-professional hobby photographer, I don't really use the iPhone camera for anything besides snap shots anyway. The day the iPhone can outdo a DSLR, I'll be camping in front of my local store the minute it's announced. :>

 

[CandyCane23049]

I'll be getting a 4s next month, if I'm going to be on the S cycle for the rest of my iphone use, so be it.