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Should I buy iPhone 3G now, or wait?

R

room237

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 20, 2008
322
1
Queens, NYC
I've decided to get the iPhone. I'm even ready to break my Verizon contract for it. I've considered waiting for Nov 17, which I read that this is the day that more info may come to light about AT&T's exclusivity. But in the end, I wouldn't mind moving to AT&T anyway since it is GSM, which is used worldwide. I was very close to buying it on Sunday, but decided to wait and check out MacRumors for another few days. I'd really like one before Christmas, ideally would like to treat myself for my 30th birthday, which is a month away.

The buying guide states "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle"

Now if I follow the rumor mill pattern, if an update is due to come out in a month or two, we should already be hearing talk about it on MacRumors, since we started hearing about the 3G as far back as May (released in July). Any thoughts?

And if I were to guess, I'd say that the next iPhone update will probably be just a jump in memory, perhaps a 32GB model available. As far as I can tell, that seems to have been Apple's pattern so far with iPods and iPhones. They upgrade memory once between the major restructurings.

If I were to buy a 16GB 3G today, and a 32GB comes out a few weeks later, I honestly don't think I would be that upset. I just don't want to miss out on any major improvements.

Does anyone have any advice? Do you think we will see a brand new iPhone at the SanFran event in January?
 
I've bought one about a month ago, and am very happy with it,
if they do have a major upgrade you'll get the software to go with it.
i wouldnt be to worried the prices just seem to be going up lol.:p

~Wibble~
 
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If anything come out in the next few month's it will only be the 32GB model, I doubt we'll have any real upgrade anytime soon.
 
~Wibble~ said:
I've bought one about a month ago, and am very happy with it,
if they do have a major upgrade you'll get the software to go with it.
i wouldnt be to worried the prices just seem to be going up lol.:p

~Wibble~
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not too worried about software updates, I'm sure there will be plenty. I'm more worried about a major improvement, like a jump in battery life, or video capability... now that I think of it, a 32GB might be worth the wait...
 
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room237 said:
Yeah, I'm not too worried about software updates, I'm sure there will be plenty. I'm more worried about a major improvement, like a jump in battery life, or video capability... now that I think of it, a 32GB might be worth the wait...
Click to expand...

When/If they introduce a 64GB iPod Touch you might see a 32GB iPhone.
 
Cynicalone said:
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When/If they introduce a 64GB iPod Touch you might see a 32GB iPhone.
Click to expand...

Good point... but do you think that is right around the corner? SanDisk just came out with 16GB Micro SD the size of a fingernail..

A Micro SD slot on the iPhone would really be awesome... but that doesn't seem to be Apple's style.
 
Somethings you might want to know before you by the iphone 3g : Most of these i already knew and some i only realised after buying the iphone and now i want a refund, Its the worst phone i ever owned

No mms, No video recorder, No support for sms delivery reports, Messages pop up on screen for everyone to see, Camera is ok providing whatever your taking a picture of is dead lol or at least stays still, No flash , No bluetooth (i kno technically it has bluetooth but its no good to you) It only works with headsets, Battery life is TERRIBLE, Loudspeaker is very poor altough i must admit the call qality is very good - very clear/loud or at least it was on my phone (although thats prob the only good thing i found about the phone) I was also adviced to turn down brightness to save on battery but then to realise that when i brought the phone out in daylight i had to turn it back up let alone in daylight all your fingerprints really show up makin the phone look badly in need of a wash lol Almost impossible to send messages while walking places to as you need two hands to text properly and u will find yourself hitting the wrong letter the whole time!!

If the iphone wasnt touch screen, Nobody would buy it!! Its the worst phone i ever owned in my opinion and i bet most people regret buying one!! Its also one of the most problamatic phones meaning more people complain about the iphone everyday then any other phone on the face of the planet! I think that in itself says enough about the quality of this phone!!
 
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room237 said:
Good point... but do you think that is right around the corner? SanDisk just came out with 16GB Micro SD the size of a fingernail..

A Micro SD slot on the iPhone would really be awesome... but that doesn't seem to be Apple's style.
Click to expand...

No Apple won't go the card route.

It has more to do with the size of the chips, and what they can fit in the phone or iPod.
 
My wife has one and she loves it and I'm on the verge of buying one at the end of the month when my current cell contract expires.
 
Liverdance said:
Somethings you might want to know before you by the iphone 3g : Most of these i already knew and some i only realised after buying the iphone and now i want a refund, Its the worst phone i ever owned

No mms Never Used , No video recorder Dont Care, quality would be unviewable as with most phones, No support for sms delivery reports never used, Messages pop up on screen for everyone to see oh noes., Camera is ok providing whatever your taking a picture of is dead lol or at least stays still Aslong as you can hold something relatively still...., No flash Agree, No bluetooth (i kno technically it has bluetooth but its no good to you) It only works with headsets Darn i cant send stupid pictures and music to people, Battery life is TERRIBLE I Get a Full 2 day of use (Apps, Music, Safari) out of mine, and even then i usually charge every night, Loudspeaker is very poor altough Seems fine, good clear quality, speaker placement can be blocked by pocket though i must admit the call qality is very good - very clear/loud or at least it was on my phone (although thats prob the only good thing i found about the phone) I was also adviced to turn down brightness to save on battery but then to realise that when i brought the phone out in daylight i had to turn it back up ....? let alone in daylight all your fingerprints really show up makin the phone look badly in need of a wash lol Wash your hands, or keep it in a slip case, mines from a iPod Video, keeps it nice Almost impossible to send messages while walking places to as you need two hands to text properly and u will find yourself hitting the wrong letter the whole time!! Texting with 1 thumb is very easy, or hold phone in palm and use other hand finger to type.

If the iphone wasnt touch screen, Nobody would buy it!! Its the worst phone i ever owned in my opinion and i bet most people regret buying one!! Its also one of the most problamatic phones meaning more people complain about the iphone everyday then any other phone on the face of the planet! I think that in itself says enough about the quality of this phone!! If you still want an iphone however, I will happily sell you mine.

Much better phone than my K800i (Phone of the year last year...?) Problematic? Mines fine, quality is superb, phone feels very sturdy
Click to expand...

Cut and Shut.

Proven wrong almost everytime.
 
Your missing the point and you know it. I myself dont care about mms as i seldom would use it, Even the video recorder missing would not bother me but saying it wouldnt be viewable as with most phones is bull crap, Most CHEAP phones would be more realistic, This is a 500euro (in ireland) worth phone we are talking about remember, The n95 has a 5mp camera with dvd like quality and flash and sells for just over 300 euro on vodafone AND has all the other features the iphone is missing!! Just because you (and me included) dont use mms does not make it ok for it to be missing from such an expensive phone when even the cheapest of handsets have it!! If i ever do want to send a picture via mms, i should be able to!!

As for the battery, I actually get what i want from it ( 1 day ) The reason i said its terrible is because i have 3g , bluetooth, location services all turned off I also have brightness turned down and i only use my phone for texting and calling people. I know that ALL 3g phones are known to have battery life and poor battery life on the iphone is not that surprising but apple's quoted battery time of 10 hours talk time on 2g is way off the mark.

And if you find texting with your thumb 'very easy' then you obviously have skinny thumbs!! Texting with your thumb CAN be done but its NOT 'easy' and its VERY difficult if you are walking!! And k800i - phone of the year??? I dont know where your from but where iam from the n95 8gb was and still is in my opinion!!

One last thing, THOUSANDS of people are unhappy with theyre iphones for different reasons - thats a FACT!! Just because you are happy with yours does not make it a 'superb' phone! The silent/volume buttons are falling off some peoples phones for god sake!! The iphone is a cool touchscreen phone missing features found on the cheapest of handsets for treble the price.

Proven wrong ?? I think not
 
PowerFullMac said:
Also, you can change a setting so the new texts dont show up on the home screen :D
Click to expand...

That only works when the phone is locked AND you have to have the passcode lock on!! What good is that to anyone??? If the phone is locked then its locked because its not in use meaning nobody is using the phone so all the messages in the world can pop up if they want for all i care lol Its when the phone is beeing used is when id like some privacy
 
I forgot to mention bluetooth , Bluetooth is not only used for sending "stupid pictures and music to people" N even if it was - A 120euro phone can send "stupid pictures and music" for FREE i might add The iphone CAN'T!! And i personally used to download themes , videos etc to my desktop and send them to my phone via bluetooth. Also for syncing contacts and sending business cards to friends etc Bluetooth is a handy feature to have on any phone and apple simply didnt want users sending music to one another because they want you to buy it from theyre itunes store!! Bluetooth = Free and apple dont do free. Simple as that!
 
Liverdance said:
I forgot to mention bluetooth , Bluetooth is not only used for sending "stupid pictures and music to people" N even if it was - A 120euro phone can send "stupid pictures and music" for FREE i might add The iphone CAN'T!! And i personally used to download themes , videos etc to my desktop and send them to my phone via bluetooth. Also for syncing contacts and sending business cards to friends etc Bluetooth is a handy feature to have on any phone and apple simply didnt want users sending music to one another because they want you to buy it from theyre itunes store!! Bluetooth = Free and apple dont do free. Simple as that!
Click to expand...

You know, I appreciate your input and respect your opinion, but my question was regarding the upcoming iPhone update and whether or not I should wait. I've obviously made the decision that I am going to buy one, and everyone that I talk to is more than happy with it. I've done plenty of research and I am well aware of the iPhone's limitations. So if you are going to keep replying to this thread bashing the iPhone in the effort to sway my decision to purchase one (and make the extra effort to argue with others), you are wasting your breath. You can call me stupid, you can call me stubborn. Seriously, why do you care so much what I buy? At this point you sound like you work for a competitor. The iPhone fits my needs as a phone/ipod/internet device. What's best for me may not be best for you.

Besides, I live in overcrowded NYC, and texting while walking is not the best idea with any phone unless you want to walk right into a person/cab/scaffolding/parking meter.
 
If you really want one, I say go for it. It's a wonderful device and I wouldn't give mine up for anything, BUT...AT&T is horrible. I drop calls far too frequently, and while I was a little afraid it was the phone itself, everyone else I know who has AT&T has the same issues, regardless of phone.

That being said, I'm still happy I have the iPhone and it's totally worth having, despite the problems with AT&T's service. Just wanted you to know what you were getting yourself into.
 
Liverdance said:
Somethings you might want to know before you by the iphone 3g : Most of these i already knew and some i only realised after buying the iphone and now i want a refund, Its the worst phone i ever owned

No mms, No video recorder, No support for sms delivery reports, Messages pop up on screen for everyone to see, Camera is ok providing whatever your taking a picture of is dead lol or at least stays still, No flash , No bluetooth (i kno technically it has bluetooth but its no good to you) It only works with headsets, Battery life is TERRIBLE, Loudspeaker is very poor altough i must admit the call qality is very good - very clear/loud or at least it was on my phone (although thats prob the only good thing i found about the phone) I was also adviced to turn down brightness to save on battery but then to realise that when i brought the phone out in daylight i had to turn it back up let alone in daylight all your fingerprints really show up makin the phone look badly in need of a wash lol Almost impossible to send messages while walking places to as you need two hands to text properly and u will find yourself hitting the wrong letter the whole time!!

If the iphone wasnt touch screen, Nobody would buy it!! Its the worst phone i ever owned in my opinion and i bet most people regret buying one!! Its also one of the most problamatic phones meaning more people complain about the iphone everyday then any other phone on the face of the planet! I think that in itself says enough about the quality of this phone!!
Click to expand...

u are high right?

The only complaint i have is that there is no sidewise texting
 
I purchased the 16GB version G3 on the July release date. I traveled to Italy a week later for a six-week stay. It proved invaluable during my trip and I seldom had to use my MacBook Pro. The Bluetooth worked great with the Plantronic’s 925 and the SMS was markedly simple. I hated texting from my Motorola so I wasn’t expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The emails arrived on my iPhone faster than on my Mac and the GPS was fantastic. I could go on and on but it doesn’t address your question. Bottom line: I have plenty of photos, songs and Apps on the darn thing’ and it hasn’t even come close to filling up with lots of room to spare. If you think you need or want the 32GB version, which may or may not be released in a few weeks, then wait and see. Otherwise, go for it now and begin learning and mastering the features it does have. It’s a great device and it really shines if you already have a Mac.
Regards,
~DD
 
No 32GB in November. The only update you will see is 2.---- between now and February. I thought about waiting to get the phone until the Blackberry Storm came out(I was with Verizon as well). I am extremely happy with my purchase. It is the best product I have ever owned. Hands down.
 
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