Should I buy an iPhone 4?

[hsj2011]

I've currently got a 16GB iPhone 3GS but it's failing miserably. The phone met the corner of my table and the screen got shattered and the back housing was all bent. I bought replacement parts off ebay so the phone is now useable but the wifi doesn't connect (even though it sees the wifi networks), the camera no longer works and it's just not a nice experience using the phone anymore.

I'm trying my hardest to hold out for the iPhone 5 but with the possibility of it not being released now until towards the end of the year, I don't know what to do. I also want to make the move from Pay as you go to contract when I change phones.

I've just checked the prices of iPhone 4's on contract and they've dropped drastically. The 16GB iPhone 4 can now be got for £29 on a £35/m contract which is very tempting indeed.

What are your thoughts?

Will the iPhone 5 bring anything that's really worth waiting for?

 

[brendu]

No one knows for sure what the next iPhone will have or when it will come out. If you need a new phone now, go for it. The iPhone 4 is a solid phone still. Especially at the price you listed. If you can manage, or have an older phone you can struggle through using for several more months, then wait.

 

[rockyroad55]

The way I see it, waiting is only good for those that have something to use at the moment. Your situation is much different. Technology changes so much every day. I'd say buy the iPhone 4 and when the 5 comes out, sell it and get the 5? You may be surprised because a large majority of the public do not browse these techy sites as much as we do and are not aware of release dates. You can most definitely sell the 4 the day before the 5 is announced and still get top money for it.

 

[micahPRT]

Go for it. You need a new phone, and the iPhone is a decent improvement over your current broken one. I have to say, I love the retina display.

 

[ThaDoggg]

The iPhone 4 is amazing and easily better than many of its competitors. Just go for it...it seems that the iPhone 5 won't be about this summer and there's no point in waiting that long for a new phone.

 

[r0k]

Sometimes waiting is better. I got a Treo 755p only weeks before the Centro came out. I got an iPhone 4 only a few months before the Verizon version came out. I should have waited.

Sometimes waiting is worse. I suffered with gimped phones (Palm and Blackberry models) on Verizon for almost 4 years before I finally broke down and went to At&t for the iPhone 4. I'd probably be happier if I had bought the first iPhone rather than walk around with those gimped up phones I dealt with all those years.

Will waiting cost you money because you have to do repairs on your current phone? Will buying now cost you money because you find out there is some "must have" feature on iPhone 5.

Bottom line: In your case, I guess that waiting is worse. Even if iPhone 5 is better, I expect it to be slightly better to iPhone 4 in the way iPhone 4 is slightly better than iPhone 3GS. I suppose you can argue that front facing camera and so forth are game changers but the bottom line is the two devices can run the same OS, almost all the same apps and have similar phone performance. The worst part about all this is you are starting the clock now on a 2 year contract cycle if you buy today. Oh well. Big whoop. At&t has been known to let people upgrade 6 months early. I would go for it because your current phone isn't working properly and I'm betting the iPhone 5 won't drive you insane with phone envy.

 

[mayflower]

Sometimes waiting is better. I got a Treo 755p only weeks before the Centro came out. I got an iPhone 4 only a few months before the Verizon version came out. I should have waited.

Sometimes waiting is worse. I suffered with gimped phones (Palm and Blackberry models) on Verizon for almost 4 years before I finally broke down and went to At&t for the iPhone 4. I'd probably be happier if I had bought the first iPhone rather than walk around with those gimped up phones I dealt with all those years.

Will waiting cost you money because you have to do repairs on your current phone? Will buying now cost you money because you find out there is some "must have" feature on iPhone 5.

Bottom line: In your case, I guess that waiting is worse. Even if iPhone 5 is better, I expect it to be slightly better to iPhone 4 in the way iPhone 4 is slightly better than iPhone 3GS. I suppose you can argue that front facing camera and so forth are game changers but the bottom line is the two devices can run the same OS, almost all the same apps and have similar phone performance. The worst part about all this is you are starting the clock now on a 2 year contract cycle if you buy today. Oh well. Big whoop. At&t has been known to let people upgrade 6 months early. I would go for it because your current phone isn't working properly and I'm betting the iPhone 5 won't drive you insane with phone envy.

Reasonable, but if facing the phone I loved, I will put all things behind and get it .

 

[Muscleflex]

you need a phone now so get the 4 now. then sell it when 5 comes out and buy the 5! or get a cheap phone for now and wait for 5. simple!