Is buying this iPhone on this plan a good idea?

[PreYeah]

I currently have an iPhone 4S with Virgin Mobile USA as my provider (no contract, 30$ / month for 300 minutes, unlimited text and data). I didn't want to be on contract and at the time VirginMobile was the only carrier in the US to offer iPhones without a contract. I bought the phone just last year when Virgin started to offer it but it had already been out for 2 years. I paid around 400$ without tax and it's a CDMA device (meaning it's locked to Virgin) and it cannot be legally unlocked.

My iPhone 4S still works and is in good working condition but I'm starting to get a little sick of it. I've lately been getting the craze to buy an unlocked iPhone 5S (32 GB, white and silver) so I'm not tied to a contract and because I foresee some international travel. I've been told to ask for a Verizon device-only because they have the best bands but I'm thinking if using a T-Mobile sim. Their prepaid plans don't require a contract, Im thinking of going with their 30$ / month plan (100 minutes, unlimited text, first 5GB of dats at LTE speed) or the 40$ / plan (unlimited, talk, text and 500 MB of data).

is this a good idea if I want to future-proof my phone (I know iPhone 6 will be released soon but I don't necessarily want the latest and greatest) Or am I just being impulsive? Is it worth upgrading from the 4S to the 5S? Is TMobile's coverage generally better than VirginMobile and Sprint's? I live in Orlando, FL and their coverage map seemed to cover this area well.

i Know these are subjective questions, but I would appreciate any opinions. Thank you!

 

[bigchrisfgb]

If you really don't want to wait for the iPhone 6 then yes.

The 5s is much faster than the 4s, has a much better battery life, and is much more future proof than the 4s.

A friends of mine made the same switch a couple of months ago and he couldn't be happier.

As for the networks I couldn't tell you, I'm from the UK.

 

[T5BRICK]

If you wait until the iPhone 6 is released, you may find a better price on the 5s. Either way, just don't pay full retail for the 5s.

 

[PreYeah]

If you wait until the iPhone 6 is released, you may find a better price on the 5s. Either way, just don't pay full retail for the 5s.

Thanks, T5Brick. If I want to stay off-contract, I may have to pay full retail price. There are some sellers on ebay and amazon who claim they are selling unlocked iPhone 5Ses but I've heard about a lot of rip-offs so it may not be worth the risk.

Right now, Apple is the only source that offers factory unlocked and sim-free devices. I have a feeling that when the iPhone 6 releases, they're going to stop selling the factory unlocked sim-free iPhone 5s to push the iPhone 6 instead. So I may just have to suck it up and pay the hefty price and hope that the phone pays for itself.

 

[keitarou]

I currently have an iPhone 4S with Virgin Mobile USA as my provider (no contract, 30$ / month for 300 minutes, unlimited text and data). I didn't want to be on contract and at the time VirginMobile was the only carrier in the US to offer iPhones without a contract. I bought the phone just last year when Virgin started to offer it but it had already been out for 2 years. I paid around 400$ without tax and it's a CDMA device (meaning it's locked to Virgin) and it cannot be legally unlocked.

My iPhone 4S still works and is in good working condition but I'm starting to get a little sick of it. I've lately been getting the craze to buy an unlocked iPhone 5S (32 GB, white and silver) so I'm not tied to a contract and because I foresee some international travel. I've been told to ask for a Verizon device-only because they have the best bands but I'm thinking if using a T-Mobile sim. Their prepaid plans don't require a contract, Im thinking of going with their 30$ / month plan (100 minutes, unlimited text, first 5GB of dats at LTE speed) or the 40$ / plan (unlimited, talk, text and 500 MB of data).

is this a good idea if I want to future-proof my phone (I know iPhone 6 will be released soon but I don't necessarily want the latest and greatest) Or am I just being impulsive? Is it worth upgrading from the 4S to the 5S? Is TMobile's coverage generally better than VirginMobile and Sprint's? I live in Orlando, FL and their coverage map seemed to cover this area well.

i Know these are subjective questions, but I would appreciate any opinions. Thank you!

You can always "test drive" the T-Mobile network for 7days without paying for anything first before deciding to use them. Check out their website and order your kit. The iPhone 5S is what t-mobile provides for you to test out their network so you get to try both for free. They do require a credit hold of $700 until you return the phone back after the test drive. You can decide afterwards.

 

[T5BRICK]

Right now, Apple is the only source that offers factory unlocked and sim-free devices.

Any Verizon iPhone 5s will have the same bands as the "sim free" version Apple sells, and it's fully unlocked. Just keep that in mind when you're shopping around.

 

[pmz]

T If I want to stay off-contract

So you can have the privilege of what?? Paying through the nose for a phone you'll want to upgrade in another few months, or jumping from carrier to carrier because it makes any difference at all?

FREEDOM to get scammed.

 

[ZombiePete]

My iPhone 4S still works and is in good working condition but I'm starting to get a little sick of it.

Honestly, if it's working for you and the only reason you want the 5S is because you're getting "sick of" your 4S, I would wait until the 6 comes out. At worst you've got three more months of "suffering" with your functional 4S and you can see what changes the 6 has to offer, and if you're not intrigued enough the prices for the 5S will drop with the sudden influx of devices that will hit the marketplace.

Either way, I highly recommend checking out swappa.com; it's a good site that protects the buyer (and the seller, as I can attest to from personal experience) and you can generally be confident buying used phones there.

 

[PreYeah]

So you can have the privilege of what?? Paying through the nose for a phone you'll want to upgrade in another few months, or jumping from carrier to carrier because it makes any difference at all?

FREEDOM to get scammed.

Naw, most of my electronics and other Apple products have lasted me a good 3 to 6 years and this one won't be any different. I'm not an early adopter so I won't be jumping ship too soon but thanks for your concern.

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Honestly, if it's working for you and the only reason you want the 5S is because you're getting "sick of" your 4S, I would wait until the 6 comes out. At worst you've got three more months of "suffering" with your functional 4S and you can see what changes the 6 has to offer, and if you're not intrigued enough the prices for the 5S will drop with the sudden influx of devices that will hit the marketplace.

Either way, I highly recommend checking out swappa.com; it's a good site that protects the buyer (and the seller, as I can attest to from personal experience) and you can generally be confident buying used phones there.

Thanks, zombiepete. I'll check out swappa

 

[ZombiePete]

Thanks, zombiepete. I'll check out swappa

No prob brother; hope you find what you're looking for!