Looking for opinions on 4 to 4S

[jduff]

Hi all,

Here is my specific situation. I have an upgrade available to use. I currently have an iPhone 4 which is in perfect condition, works great etc.

If I use my upgrade I will not be eligible for another one for ~20 months. So for those of you who have switched from 4 to 4S do you think it is a large enough upgrade to pull the trigger if you were in my shoes?

 

[ZBoater]

Yes. I don't know where I'll be next month, 12 months or 20 months from now. If I were you and you bought the 4S and the 5 came up next year, you can sell the 4S and help pay the full price of the 5.

Life is too short. Carpe Diem.

 

[climber20]

I had a 4 and upgraded to a 4S, but I am on a family plan with multiple lines. Everyone using the other lines prefer cheap, basic phones, so I use their upgrades to get the newest iPhone every year.

If I were in your situation and only had an upgrade every 1.5 to 2 years, I would have waited and stuck with my 4. Other than being a little faster and having Siri (which has been more useful than I expected), it's pretty much the same thing.

 

[paulro]

I recently went back to a 4 from a 4S. I personally don't think there is enough difference to justify changing from a 4 to a 4S.

If the upgrade is free, then it'd be OK, but if like me, you're paying for a sim free iPhone, then it's not worth it in my opinion.

 

[vitzr]

I'm taking a neutral stance. There's so much acrimony from others that unless one posts what they want to hear the consequences aren't worth ones time.

 

[barkomatic]

Siri is pretty cool. It's the first truly useful voice recognition app that's not just a gimmicky thing like "voice control" was. However, it will only get better with the next generation iPhone. If you have a 4 I would wait. It's a fantastic update for those coming from a 3GS though.

 

[Small White Car]

I voted 'no' because that's what I'm doing. I have a 4 and I'll be eligible in about 2 weeks, but I think I'm going to hold out for whatever the next iPhone is going to be in 2012.

 

[deeddawg]

It all boils down to value -- what's the cost and do the feature differences have value to you in excess of the cost. Consider two scenarios:

Stick with the 4 for another year, then upgrade to the next one. Based on recent 3GS ebay sales, I'd guess you'd probably get ~$150-$200 net for an iphone4 32GB in a year. (rough guess, very debatable) If you spend $300, then your net upgrade cost is ~$100-150.

Upgrade now: pay $300 for a 32GB 4S, sell your iphone 4 for perhaps $250 net via ebay. Next year sell the 4S for perhaps $250 net (guessing) and pay $550 for a new phone ($300 + $250 early upgrade fee). Net cost is $50 now plus $300 next year.

Difference between the choices is $200-$250 over 12 months, or ~$20/month. (again, this is VERY rough guesstimating!)

Now figure out if that cost is worth (to you) the enhanced features in the 4S.

In my case, I did upgrade from a 4 to 4S, but also upgraded a family member from my old 3GS to my 4 and put the 3GS in the hands of a third family member. iPhone trickle-down economics.

 

[Jigga]

I don't mean to be a thread hog but I'm debating the same thing.
Right now, I've upgraded to the 4S which hasn't really WOWed me as I had hoped. But if I keep my contract, I have a corporate discount.
If I terminate the contract and go month-to-month, I lose the discount.
The discount over the 2 years will be $350 but I am 100% sure I will want the new phone when released. Being stuck in the contract for another year is what is holding me up.
P.S. I have a 4 that was swapped out a day before I got the 4S and has a full year warranty on it.

 

[gopnick]

The camera is a bigger deal to me than anything else. I hate that yellow look to the iPhone 4 camera. The white balance is much better with the 4S and it handles low-light situations better as well.

I gave my wife my upgrade. I'm trying to decide whether I want to upgrade in February when her line is due or not. Right now I'm thinking "not".

 

[nepalisherpa]

Hi all,

Here is my specific situation. I have an upgrade available to use. I currently have an iPhone 4 which is in perfect condition, works great etc.

If I use my upgrade I will not be eligible for another one for ~20 months. So for those of you who have switched from 4 to 4S do you think it is a large enough upgrade to pull the trigger if you were in my shoes?

OP, I wouldn't! The only reasons I upgraded was: my iPhone 4's home button was moody and I used my dad's upgrade because he does not care for the latest and the greatest! I am saving mine for the next one!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I upgraded, but with two phones on the plan I can upgrade again next year using the eligibility of the other phone - and my wife wants my iPhone 4. In your position (assuming only one phone) I would not necessarily upgrade unless there are specific features you want.

 

[snook911]

I voted yes and I'll give the reason I upgraded. I had a 16GB iPhone 4 that i sold for $350 and I bought the 32GB 4S. So I was able to upgrade to a 32GB iPhone and it did not cost me anything. I have have had an iPhone since September 2007 and so far I have gotten an early upgrade everytime the new iPhone comes out. Hopefully the next iPhone will be the same and if not I will sell the 4S and pay the difference for a full retail iPhone 5(?). I think I still come out ahead when you add getting the 4S paid for and the difference I would have to pay for the next iPhone.

 

[Jigga]

I don't mean to be a thread hog but I'm debating the same thing.
Right now, I've upgraded to the 4S which hasn't really WOWed me as I had hoped. But if I keep my contract, I have a corporate discount.
If I terminate the contract and go month-to-month, I lose the discount.
The discount over the 2 years will be $350 but I am 100% sure I will want the new phone when released. Being stuck in the contract for another year is what is holding me up.
P.S. I have a 4 that was swapped out a day before I got the 4S and has a full year warranty on it.

I think I'm going to bring it back.