Get iPhone 5 or go with 4S or 4?

[maflynn]

Why use your upgrade on a phone that is over a year old (technology wise). I say get the 5, since you'll be locked into a contract after that

 

[urkel]

Nobody mentioned LTE.

The OP is on Verizon so likely he has LTE in his area and is already paying for it. So why buy a phone that doesn't support it.

 

[d123]

My old 4 under the latest ios is fine. Sturdier and more of a quality feel than the toy like too-slim 5 and it's anemic battery life and scratch-prone casing.

So I shelved it & I'm back using the 4S, enjoying it more than ever. Little did I realize just how frequently I use Google maps & how great they are. Apple Maps are just useless since they can't be trusted & have so many errors of omission.

Then there's iOS 5, which is fast reliable & so much better than this early version of iOS 6. With all the issues it has, reflected in the various threads here, saves me from having to list them all.

At the end of the day the iPhone 4S remains the finest iPhone of all.

LOL at the 4/4s owners, are you trying to convince the OP or yourselves?

"iOS 5 so much better than iOS 6"

"4S remains the Finest iPhone ever!"

"toy like too-slim 5"

"Anaemic battery life"

Give it a break.

You don't want/can't have an iPhone 5, for whatever reason you are happy to stay with 1 or 2 year old tech, just don't expect everyone else to believe your strange motivations

 

[nfl46]

5!

 

[FieldingMellish]

LOL at the 4/4s owners, are you trying to convince the OP or yourselves?

"iOS 5 so much better than iOS 6"

"4S remains the Finest iPhone ever!"

"toy like too-slim 5"

"Anaemic battery life"

Give it a break.

You don't want/can't have an iPhone 5, for whatever reason you are happy to stay with 1 or 2 year old tech, just don't expect everyone else to believe your strange motivations

Strange are those who purchase every new phone or go so far as to abandon a one year old plan to obtain said phone. Practical are those who prefer to leapfrog using perfectly fine phones; ones like 4 or 4s that remain flawless at two years old; compared to today's iphone 5 travails with out of box issues or issues soon thereafter.

 

[imacken]

The 5 currently blows the 4S out of the water in every respect excluding battery life, where it's only a little better.

For me, my 5 is a lot better than my 4S on battery.

 

[d123]

Strange are those who purchase every new phone or go so far as to abandon a one year old plan to obtain said phone. Practical are those who prefer to leapfrog using perfectly fine phones; ones like 4 or 4s that remain flawless at two years old; compared to today's iphone 5 travails with out of box issues or issues soon thereafter.

I did jump 2 generations, from an older, heavier, slower, bulkier iPhone 4 with fewer features, an inferior screen, inferior battery life and inferior camera.

While I don't think anything less of a person who decide for whatever reason (though normally financial) to stick with their older phone, I do find it amusing when that person then tries to justify just how much better the older inferior phone is.

Each to their own, I suppose.

 

[FieldingMellish]

I did jump 2 generations, from an older, heavier, slower, bulkier iPhone 4 with fewer features, an inferior screen, inferior battery life and inferior camera.

While I don't think anything less of a person who decide for whatever reason (though normally financial) to stick with their older phone, I do find it amusing when that person then tries to justify just how much better the older inferior phone is.

Each to their own, I suppose.

You find it amusing? It's actually sad given the long threads of 5 owners travails. The battery drains, defective screens, camera problems, dings and scratches. Plus, the specter of getting a replacement phone that can well place one from the frying pan into the fire. This, compared to a solid, beautiful phone that, once past antenna-gate long ago, performs it's function as expected. A phone that can be carried with aplomb and with nary a second thought, as opposed to those 5 owners whose carry habits change in order to lengthen the chance of maintaining a scratch and wear-free device. So fretful. So sad.

 

[Sedrick]

You find it amusing? It's actually sad given the long threads of 5 owners travails. The battery drains, defective screens, camera problems, dings and scratches. Plus, the specter of getting a replacement phone that can well place one from the frying pan into the fire. This, compared to a solid, beautiful phone that, once past antenna-gate long ago, performs it's function as expected. A phone that can be carried with aplomb and with nary a second thought, as opposed to those 5 owners whose carry habits change in order to lengthen the chance of maintaining a scratch and wear-free device. So fretful. So sad.

True, this new phone has so much baggage 'out of the box' it's not even funny. I have a 2 year old iPhone 4 and I was dying to upgrade, but with the crap-storm surrounding the 5, I'm just sitting tight. IMHO, the white 5 blows, so my choice it the very good looking black version that is probably going to look like hell in a few months of average use (not to mention all the other reported issues).

That, and the terrible stories of what the factory workers are having to go through just so we can get our bling on. Lot of bad karma around the 5.

I just don't see all that is worth the $300 it will cost me to upgrade.

 

[SunnyStudioNeo]

Get the 5 without hesitating. Larger screen, multiple times faster processor, 10x faster connection with LTE.

 

[diegoesk]

I went from 4 to the white 5 ( paid full price to keep my unlimited).

If your eligible for upgrade, the 5 is definitely worth it. If you have to pay full price then i suggest going with the 4s

FYI- my 5 scuffed in 2 places with the incipio case on.

 

[Surrylic]

For me, my 5 is a lot better than my 4S on battery.

I stand corrected I admit I never compared personally, just read things online about it.

 

[longball11]

Checking it out!

I went into the Apple Store to check out one of the display models. The first thing I noticed was how much lighter it is compared to my 4. Yeah, it's not much difference on paper but I could tell right away. With that, it felt much better in my hand. It felt smaller but taller, I guess, better shape? However, it must be me and that it's a display model, the material looked cheaper than my 4.