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iPhone 4s right for me?

L

Lugnutz

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 22, 2012
62
6
I currently have a Droid X and am thinking of going with a iPhone 4s. I do a lot of traveling and I have an aftermarket Alpine radio with an iPod/iPhone control. I can dock my iPhone and play mp3's or Pandora and control it with the car stereo. I really like this feature because being able to play Pandora will allow me to drop XM. I also want to use the iPhone as a GPS, so how would the iPhone work being synced to my car radio and using GPS? I also want to be able to receive phone calls as well, so can it handle playing Pandora, running GPS, and taking phone calls? I know the 4s upgraded to the A5 processor so that should help out. I also heard the camera is better (Droid X camera is bad) and the MP3 player is better than the X which is also something I want.

My other question is how is the battery life? When it's synced in my car it will be charging, but I do listen up to 90 minutes worth a day of MP3's and Pandora, along with texting, a little online activity and minimal phone calls.

Finally this is more Verizon specific, but I currently have an Alltel talk and text plan with Verizon unlimited data. If I buy the phone used I can activate it and still keep my plan in place correct? What if I buy it new and enter a contract? Can I go into a two year agreement and still keep the same terms?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Stock battery lasts about 10-12 hours but I do not use it play music. I have had iPod and iPad in the past and have had good battery life.
 
Sounds like it'll be a perfect fit from what you described you're looking for, I think you'll be very pleased. Also if you're charging it in the car, you shouldn't have any problems with the battery life.
 
RedburnIV said:
Sounds like it'll be a perfect fit from what you described you're looking for, I think you'll be very pleased. Also if you're charging it in the car, you shouldn't have any problems with the battery life.
Click to expand...

That is true. I just want it to last me the day. The most battery intensive thing I do is listen to MP3/Pandora.
 
Should handle your needs but the gps is no where near as good as googles navigation.
 
From what I read it is only maps and not turn by turn. That makes my decision tougher. I may then get a Garmin in addition to the iPhone. Can you purchase the Google Navigation for the iPhone? The iPhone is still the contender because it's the only one that can sync with my car radio and play MP3 and Pandora. I can always buy a separate GPS or GPS app.
 
Lugnutz said:
From what I read it is only maps and not turn by turn. That makes my decision tougher. I may then get a Garmin in addition to the iPhone. Can you purchase the Google Navigation for the iPhone? The iPhone is still the contender because it's the only one that can sync with my car radio and play MP3 and Pandora. I can always buy a separate GPS or GPS app.
Click to expand...

I use Verizon Navigation and love it. I also use the Mophie Juicepack Air for added battery life. I can go two+ days without charging if I need to.

I used to have a Garmin plus my iPhone and have found that the maps on Verizon Navigator are more up-to-date than the Garmin maps. It costs $5 a month, but has been worth it so far.

It sounds like the iPhone will meet your needs. If battery life is suspected of being an issue, check out the mophie battery cases, they work great and are killer for added battery life. I am a heavy user and have no problems.
 
Lugnutz said:
From what I read it is only maps and not turn by turn. That makes my decision tougher. I may then get a Garmin in addition to the iPhone. Can you purchase the Google Navigation for the iPhone? The iPhone is still the contender because it's the only one that can sync with my car radio and play MP3 and Pandora. I can always buy a separate GPS or GPS app.
Click to expand...

There are a couple free gps apps that are pretty decent. Ive been testing waze and mapquest. Both are better then the stock map app (which can give you directions too).

Edit : now I'm going to try out vz navigator

Edit edit : vz nav is 5 bucks a month or 1 dollar per day.
 
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i am a long time android user and previous iphone basher. ever since getting a 4s my life has been so much better. everything syncs up with my ipad and macbook, the battery last longer, and to answer your question about GPS, the android does have the iphone beat unless you want to spend money on a GPS app, but thats your call. telnav is free and pretty good.
 
I don't mind spending money money on a GPS app. The TomTom app looks nice. I used to have a TomTom awhile back and liked it. $50 is cheaper than buying an actual GPS. I'll give the free apps a try and maybe the Verizon nav a try first.
 
I would suggest maybe getting a second charger if you don't have one so you can put it where its convenient for you like at the office or wherever you might need a charge. I mean the 4S battery isn't terrible, but it's nothing like the original 4 when it first came out. I was so impressed with that battery life. Hopefully they'll fix it with the update.
 
I'm reading a lot of bad things about the battery that are scaring me. How would the iPhone 4 do? I can pick one up cheap without having to get a new contract and can upgrade in the fall when the 5 comes out.
 
Lugnutz said:
I don't mind spending money money on a GPS app. The TomTom app looks nice. I used to have a TomTom awhile back and liked it. $50 is cheaper than buying an actual GPS. I'll give the free apps a try and maybe the Verizon nav a try first.
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Look at the CoPilot Premium Live app. That's what I bought for only $10 when it was on sale, and it work's perfect!

The battery life is great for me, it last's me through one entire day, and a few hours of the next.
 
I'm thinking a 4 maybe a better idea now. 32 gig 4's are going for $300. A 4s is going for $550 plus. If I get the 4 for $300, when the 5 comes out I won't be in a contract and can upgrade. The downside is I would have the A4 chip and am wondering if it can have the multitasking I want?
 
Lugnutz said:
I'm thinking a 4 maybe a better idea now. 32 gig 4's are going for $300. A 4s is going for $550 plus. If I get the 4 for $300, when the 5 comes out I won't be in a contract and can upgrade. The downside is I would have the A4 chip and am wondering if it can have the multitasking I want?
Click to expand...

I believe multitasking is the same on both. I bought a refurbished 4 two months ago & I really like it.
 
Lugnutz said:
I'm reading a lot of bad things about the battery that are scaring me. How would the iPhone 4 do? I can pick one up cheap without having to get a new contract and can upgrade in the fall when the 5 comes out.
Click to expand...

Well I think with the software the iPhone 4 is in the same boat but if you're looking to upgrade to the 5 whenever released then you can't beat the 4 for your first iPhone. When I went from the 4 to the 4S it was like eh not much of a difference. I even upgraded to one with a piss yellow screen some other members talk about. Kinda regret it but oh well. Either way I think you'll love your phone. Plus and this is just from my experience with the phone, it works phenomenally! Rarely any problems like freezing or apps crashing or dropped calls. Besides the battery life ya really can't beat it.
 
Well I'm impulsive and picked up a 4 cheap. After watching videos on Youtube of people using TomTom nav and Pandora simultaneously without a problem, I decided I didn't need the 4s.
 
Received the iPhone today. Decided to go with the TomTom app since I saved a couple hundred going with the 4. Everything works flawlessly and how I expected. So far the battery life has been ok. Not great but not bad. Any tips on getting the most battery life?
 
Location services, location services, location services.. Since you are using them for TomTom, you're going to have to keep them on. Fortunately, you can also decide which apps you want to keep your location services on for. Also, make sure to adjust the brightness. Bluetooth off unless you are using it. On Locarion services, go to the bottom and click on system services, and turn off compass calibration if you aren't using it. I turned off setting time zone too, which automatically detects what time zone you're in, just because I'm in college, so I won't be leaving for a while. Hopefully these should help a little
 
espiritujo said:
Location services, location services, location services.. Since you are using them for TomTom, you're going to have to keep them on. Fortunately, you can also decide which apps you want to keep your location services on for. Also, make sure to adjust the brightness. Bluetooth off unless you are using it. On Locarion services, go to the bottom and click on system services, and turn off compass calibration if you aren't using it. I turned off setting time zone too, which automatically detects what time zone you're in, just because I'm in college, so I won't be leaving for a while. Hopefully these should help a little
Click to expand...

I turn off all location services unless I'm using gps then i turn it on. When I'm using gps its plugged in anyways. I'm trying it today and seeing how long it will last in a full day. Going to put it through a tougher test than normal.
 
Also is it better for battery life to switch to wifi when possible?
 
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