What would you do?

[brando06]

I know this has been discussed a lot, but I want to point out my specific situation.

I have an iPhone 3g and am currently able to upgrade my hardware.

My speaker on my 3g doesn't work so I can only use vibrate to answer calls, also no speakerphone. The phone is crazy dusty beneath the screen and it has a crack up the back housing where the charger goes.

My question to the macrumors forum members is would you upgrade to the 4 now or wait until god knows when for the 5. No one seems to know when it's coming out and what features it will have?

I am not asking this to get some general answer of do what you need to do or to get razzed, I generally want an answer of what you would do if you were in my shoes.

Thanks in advnce

 

[iLucas]

I know this has been discussed a lot, but I want to point out my specific situation.

I have an iPhone 3g and am currently able to upgrade my hardware.

My speaker on my 3g doesn't work so I can only use vibrate to answer calls, also no speakerphone. The phone is crazy dusty beneath the screen and it has a crack up the back housing where the charger goes.

My question to the macrumors forum members is would you upgrade to the 4 now or wait until god knows when for the 5. No one seems to know when it's coming out and what features it will have?

I am not asking this to get some general answer of do what you need to do or to get razzed, I generally want an answer of what you would do if you were in my shoes.

Thanks in advnce

I would upgrade to the white iPhone 4 now then sell it when the 5 is released and use that money towards a iPhone 5. The white iPhone 4s will probably be able to still fetch 300-400 when the 5 is released.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

That's easy. Get the 4.

I've had it since the day before the official release and it still amazes me on a daily basis. I plan on keeping it for another cycle.

If Apple surprises the world and announces something at WWDC and you just have to have it, you'll still be within your 30 day return window.

 

[RafaelT]

I would go ahead and upgrade. While I am sure there will be some decent hardware improvements this year I think the real upgrade is going to be the software. The iP4 should have no trouble taking advantage of almost all the features of iOS5.

 

[iRach]

Get the white iPhone 4, it truly is a thing of loveliness

 

[brando06]

Thanks a bunch guys. I am gonna go get the white one today!

 

[daleycss]

i say wait.. m yopinion

 

[GP_1]

Thanks a bunch guys. I am gonna go get the white one today!

Congrats! Tell us how you like it!

 

[MaxBurn]

Removing and cleaning the screen is no big deal on that phone. The speakers are sold all over the place for pretty cheap too. I say fix what you have and if it still makes you happy keep it. Otherwise sell it and a fully functioning phone will fetch a better price.

 

[aramosc]

I would hold on to the 3g for a month or two.. iphone 5 or 4s will most likely be announced in wwdc and released a month or two after..

 

[LapsangSouchong]

I would hold on to the 3g for a month or two.. iphone 5 or 4s will most likely be announced in wwdc and released a month or two after..

I agree. It might be worth at least waiting til WWDC.

 

[maclaptop]

Just be sure to buy white not black. I have black, she has white and its got a much better antenna. The phone on hers works great. On mine its Antennagate, barely useable. Resale on white will be great , on black not so good.

 

[Reach9]

I know this has been discussed a lot, but I want to point out my specific situation.

I have an iPhone 3g and am currently able to upgrade my hardware.

My speaker on my 3g doesn't work so I can only use vibrate to answer calls, also no speakerphone. The phone is crazy dusty beneath the screen and it has a crack up the back housing where the charger goes.

My question to the macrumors forum members is would you upgrade to the 4 now or wait until god knows when for the 5. No one seems to know when it's coming out and what features it will have?

I am not asking this to get some general answer of do what you need to do or to get razzed, I generally want an answer of what you would do if you were in my shoes.

Thanks in advnce

I think you know that you want the iPhone 4, and just want us to support it.

I currently have an iPhone 3G, may not be specifically your conditions but i'm holding up for the iPhone 5.

 

[AlvinNguyen]

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Get the white iPhone 4, it truly is a thing of loveliness

So true! Love my white iPhone 4.

 

[catalyst1489]

why not wait for the 5? It really wont be that long. Your 3g can make it through summer i'm sure. I love my 4, and i'm sure the white one is cool looking, i can't say i feel that color justifies a purchase of a now older device when its successor is waiting just around the corner. Simply an opinion though.

 

[tigress666]

I know this has been discussed a lot, but I want to point out my specific situation.

I have an iPhone 3g and am currently able to upgrade my hardware.

My speaker on my 3g doesn't work so I can only use vibrate to answer calls, also no speakerphone. The phone is crazy dusty beneath the screen and it has a crack up the back housing where the charger goes.

My question to the macrumors forum members is would you upgrade to the 4 now or wait until god knows when for the 5. No one seems to know when it's coming out and what features it will have?

I am not asking this to get some general answer of do what you need to do or to get razzed, I generally want an answer of what you would do if you were in my shoes.

Thanks in advnce

I honestly don't know. THat's a tough call.

The logical side of me says at this point I'd wait (I mean it sounds like the iphone 5 or whatever they call it is going to have a faster processor and that alone I think is worth the wait. Not that the 4's is bad, in fact, I can tell you that my previous iphone was a 3G and I couldn't go back now after using the 4, even to the 4 it's a noticeable jump in speed, but still, to have the latest processor for waiting a few months is a worthwhile thing).

But... I'm an impatient person and if I had a 3G now knowing how much nicer the 4 is, that would make it very hard to wait. I can't say if I didn't know how nice the 4 is, last year I'd have been fine if I was stuck with my 3G as I still liked it (despite it getting noticeably laggy) but I know that it stopped getting supported on a lot of stuff (either you upgraded to iOS4 which from what I understand ran like crap on the 3G or you stayed on iOS3 and from what I've seen judging by a friend who still runs iOS3, there's a lot of stuff not supported on that OS anymore as I keep showing her nifty programs and she can't run them). So while last year I thought I'd be fine just staying with the 3G, I'm not so sure I would be now even without having experienced the 4. I can tell you having experienced the 4 you'd have to force me to go back to the 3G, in fact even though I'm low budget if something happened to my 4 I'd have a tough time convincing myself just to buy a cheap used iphone or even use my roommate's old 3G for free.

I'll say this, it's a very nice jump from the 3G to the 4 so you'll still get quite a nice upgrade if you decide to be impatient, and I'm quite fine to stick with my 4 this year (since I don't get an upgrade and I don't suspect Apple will do the barely support it until the 2012 iphone comes out). But... I do think at this point it would be worthwhile to wait to see what the 5 looks like (or at least wait til June to see if it really is true it's not coming out til September).

 

[the.sheepdog]

ATT wants my signature on another contract. They have offered a white iPhone 4 for a new phone.

I am probably going to take it and retire my 3GS and not wait as they might not offer a 4S when it comes out.

 

[brando06]

Well I think it was a sign today. I walked into the apple store and they said fido's system was down and I wouldn't be able to upgrade today.

So I would be able to return the 4 if the 5 looks great at wwdc... Or I may do what one guy suggested about cleaning the screen and getting new speaker!

 

[wordoflife]

It's not worth the hassle. The 3G sucks anyways. I would just upgrade whenever Fido gets their system running again.

 

[brando06]

It's not worth the hassle. The 3G sucks anyways. I would just upgrade whenever Fido gets their system running again.

Ya I also have 30 days to return it if wwdc shows that the iPhone 5 is all that and a bag of chips right!!

I will get the phone tomorrow which is may 16 and wwdc is June 6-10 so that leaves a few days give time for the 30 day window. Is that a 30 day return through fido or through apple, anyone know?

 

[Emulsion]

I'm in the same boat as you, minus the speaker. I feel like the best solution is to wait. I fracking hate how slow the 3G is, and its given me motivation to wait. I don't want the same situation to happen 2 years down the line. I'd rather be on the beginning of the product life cycle rather than the end. I know it sucks, and still sucks we can't listen to pandora and do something else. Or reply to a text message during our slow framerate game of tiny wings, but we have a rumored 3 months to wait. Mod your 3g, and paint it or something in the meantime. I was thinking about it.

 

[brando06]

I'm in the same boat as you, minus the speaker. I feel like the best solution is to wait. I fracking hate how slow the 3G is, and its given me motivation to wait. I don't want the same situation to happen 2 years down the line. I'd rather be on the beginning of the product life cycle rather than the end. I know it sucks, and still sucks we can't listen to pandora and do something else. Or reply to a text message during our slow framerate game of tiny wings, but we have a rumored 3 months to wait. Mod your 3g, and paint it or something in the meantime. I was thinking about it.

How r u going to mod it? What firmware you running? I also use bitesms to reply while in game. I also don't feel like I NEED to upgrade since I do have the ipad 2!!

 

[tigress666]

I'm in the same boat as you, minus the speaker. I feel like the best solution is to wait. I fracking hate how slow the 3G is, and its given me motivation to wait. I don't want the same situation to happen 2 years down the line. I'd rather be on the beginning of the product life cycle rather than the end. I know it sucks, and still sucks we can't listen to pandora and do something else. Or reply to a text message during our slow framerate game of tiny wings, but we have a rumored 3 months to wait. Mod your 3g, and paint it or something in the meantime. I was thinking about it.

2 years down the line? That phone (The 3G) is three years old in design. Of course the 4 now is almost a year old.

But honestly, at this point, I expect the 4 will be at the same point as the 3G sometime next year when the 2012 model comes out (where it will support a gimped version of the most recent iOS and may run it really slowly). So I'd give the 4 a year lifespan before it's like the 3G is now (well, I guess a little more cause it will take a few months for software to require the newest OS once the newest OS comes out with the 2012 phone). I hopefully will have a better job and can afford the subsidized upgrade next year (That's when my contract runs out).

I don't expect that us who already own the 4 will be missing out too much this year by just staying with it until our contract runs out to get the full subsidized price. But I would say anyone buying the 4 now should be aware their phone may only have a year or so of staying mostly relevant before it starts getting truly outdated (meaning not much software support for it).

That's why it may be worth waiting for the 5 if you haven't gotten the 4 by now (as giving it a new processor will keep it relevant longer than the 4 and that in itself I think is worth waiting if you can gather the patience). Even so though, the 4 is definitely a big improvement over the 3G.

 

[Thedeathbear]

Slap some Duct tape on the back of that 3G and wait it out. When the iPhone 5 comes out, you'll regret not waiting it out.

 

[Reach9]

To add to my last post.

I currently have an iPhone 3G, i've had it since i got it on the first day it launched in '08. Served me well, but has done it's time and i'll be upgrading to the iPhone 5.

It makes absolutely no sense to buy an iPhone 4 now, when the new one is just a few months away, max September. If you have a phone which you can tie you over until the iPhone 5. Why get stuck in long contracts and not getting your money's worth?
At least wait until WWDC to know for sure?