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Why people who got the original iPhone are lucky

G

griffinmeyer

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 27, 2011
76
0
Orange County, CA
The people who got the first iPhone are the luckiest. Every other year, when the phone with the new form factor gets upgraded internally (iPhone [Version]S), they get it, but also with upgraded internals. As for people on the iPhone 3G product cycle (like me), every other year when our contracts expire, we get the phone with the new form factor, but the next year, the other people get the same phone, but with better internals. Unfortunately, it's a lose/lose situation for me and a lot of other people. I want the 4S so bad, but I don't want to pay the extra money for the full price of the phone, or to cancel my contract. And even if I got it, I couldn't handle the wait to the 5S, when everyone else has an iPhone 5 with an all new form factor. Damn you, Apple!

Thoughts?
 
I really want a smartphone, so I am probably going to end up getting the 4S. Though when the iPhone 5 comes around I know I will regret getting the 4S (at least a little), because I will still be under contract with the 4S.
 
If you want the 4S or any other new phone on a certain year then buy it. Sell your current phone and put the cash toward a new one. On the odd year where you can get a subsidized price then go for it and make some cash back.

I do it all the time, not just with iPhones. It you schedule it right with getting annual or bi-annual upgrades from your carrier you can really work it to your advantage financially.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I would gladly switch to the non-S cycle. I'm constantly watching friends get the latest and greatest while I have to wait a year for scraps.
 
My original Iphone was my favorite iphone. Actually I think it was my favorite phone I had in the past. But for now I love my atrix. If I could go back I would have kept it and not got the 3g.
But I got really tired of the Iphone I had the first one for 2 years, then I bought the 3g had that for 3 years because I didn't want to buy the same phone just a little faster (3gs). Then when the I4 came out I dind't like it, but I will admit I did like the screen. But I am with my atrix now and I will stick with that for the rest of my two years and see whats out then.
 
griffinmeyer said:
The people who got the first iPhone are the luckiest. Every other year, when the phone with the new form factor gets upgraded internally (iPhone [Version]S), they get it, but also with upgraded internals. As for people on the iPhone 3G product cycle (like me), every other year when our contracts expire, we get the phone with the new form factor, but the next year, the other people get the same phone, but with better internals. Unfortunately, it's a lose/lose situation for me and a lot of other people. I want the 4S so bad, but I don't want to pay the extra money for the full price of the phone, or to cancel my contract. And even if I got it, I couldn't handle the wait to the 5S, when everyone else has an iPhone 5 with an all new form factor. Damn you, Apple!

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Well the iPad "should" be getting a new processor early-2012, or whenever they get upgraded. So, the next iPhone should also incorporate that - and the next iPhone will probably get a form factor change.

So, next iphone = new look + new chip, A6?
 
I don't really understand the logic here, partially because "luck" has nothing to do with any of it. If you wanted an original iPhone Apple had plenty to sell. It's not like there was one limited production batch meted out by lottery. Also no one is forcing anyone to upgrade to any particular generation. If you are not satisfied with the 4S you are free to continue using your 3G or 3GS or 4.

Personally I bought the original iPhone on Day One. I skipped the 3G even though, as I recall, ATT accelerated my upgrade eligibility so I'd qualify. I did buy the 3GS and intended to keep it two years but then ATT accelerated my eligibility again so I got the 4. So far ATT has not accelerated my eligibility this round, but I am eligible next month anyway. I will not be buying the 4S though because the 4 is doing fine by me and I'd rather just wait for and LTE capable iPhone. I'm done buying 3G phones.
 
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SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
am I the only original iphone owner that has upgraded to a new iPhone every year without a problem?
Click to expand...

Life's good when you can afford an unsubsidized phone every year. Myself, I usually don't have $700 sitting around every summer.
 
10 years ago I worked in a telecom company (one that makes office phones and PBX systems). My boss said something I will never forget: most people don't think about their office phones. They buy them, they work, they last 10 years or more. (Think about it: how long have you had that phone in your office?) For our company to succeed, he said, we needed to find a way to get customers to throw away their old phones and want to buy new ones, every few years.

At the time I was shocked. That seemed so... wasteful. So manipulative. Why throw away something that worked perfectly well? More importantly, how would a company motivate someone to throw away a device that worked perfectly well?

Fast forward 10 years and you can see, Apple has done it. They have pulled it off: every year they release a device that everyone wants, that everyone has to have. And the following year, they make you want to throw it away!
 
greytmom said:
This. I have been eligible for upgrade every year, without pause. Including this year (launch day buyer for the 4).
Click to expand...
SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
am I the only original iphone owner that has upgraded to a new iPhone every year without a problem?
Click to expand...

Do you pay more than $99 on your line on AT&T? Your upgrade cycle is 12 months instead of 18. I'm in that boat too.

Verizon probably has something similar.
 
Yeah I agree with the original poster. I actually love being in the "S" cycle. It was tempting to get the 3G, but waited a year and got the 3GS, which I've been very very happy with. Last year, same thing. I really came close to getting the 4, but now I'm happy I didn't. And yes, I realize I could sell each year and get every new model. However, the original iPhone I want to keep, just because it's the original iPhone. The 3GS I'll be handing off to a family member. I'll be very excited to get my hands on a 4S.
 
Schweitzer said:
Yes.

Stop buying "subsidized" phones. They are NOT subsidized.

It's a ridiculous ripoff.
Click to expand...

Arent the plans for the "subsidized" phones more than if you just paid $600 for the phone outright? I think in the long run buying the "subsidized" phone you pay more over the two years than if you would have just bought the phone outright
 
davelanger said:
Arent the plans for the "subsidized" phones more than if you just paid $600 for the phone outright? I think in the long run buying the "subsidized" phone you pay more over the two years than if you would have just bought the phone outright
Click to expand...

Well, I don't know about your plans, but with my provider (Fido in Canada) the monthly plans are the same whether you accept a subsidized phone or not. It's not like you get a cheaper plan if you bring your own phone, or the plan gets cheaper after 2 years once your contract (and subsidy) are paid.

So you might as well get a new phone every 2 or 3 years or whenever your provider lets you. You're already paying for it.
 
Schweitzer said:
Yes.

Stop buying "subsidized" phones. They are NOT subsidized.

It's a ridiculous ripoff.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and AT&T (or Verizon, or Sprint) will give you SUCH a huge discount on service if you buy the unsubsidized phone. And, by HUGE, I mean 0%.
 
I bought the 1st one on day 1 & loved it

Watched the 3G one come out, and went meh...when the hell am I not on wifi so didn't mind the 24 month contract

Got the 3GS on Day 1 & loved the fact that it dicked on the 3G in terms of processor speed etc

had slight jealousy in the form factor when the 4 came out, but laughed at the antenna issues, and the fact that yes the retina display is nice, but hardly essential. The thing that 100% stopped me upgrading was the instant cessation of unlimited data from all iPhone providers here in the UK

and now the 4S...Im eligible to get it, but I don't actually want it. I think we have to admit that to a certain extent phones are now too powerful for what we want them to do......

So thats why i'm jumping ship and switching to the non S revisions, and eeking this 3GS out for as long as is humanly possible.

Why? Because the next version has to have the A6, which judging by ARM's roadmap will be a quad core and will power the iPad 3 when it comes out next year. It'll also have LTE, which although won't be here in the uk for a few years yet, it will at least be ready for it.

and of course i'll get the new form factor, which is what I want...especially if it looks like that case leak design..because it looks gobsmackingly beautiful. (no i've not gone blind, i just love rounded metal and glass, which is why i still think the original iPhone is by far the sexiest version they've done.)
 
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