Why the heck would anyone get the 3G now?

[DiamondMac]

Okay, so you would buy an iPhone at $99 and then pay almost that much every month and you'd be cool with that?

If I felt I was getting the same service with the 3G as the 3GS and with a $100 less initial value, absolutely

I have used the 3GS for a few days now and it is a solid upgrade but in the end, it really isn't a huge upgrade for people like me. The internet is a bit faster and the space is bigger, two things I am happy with. But, I know many who would be just fine with 16 gigs and just fine with the 3G internet. Their life doesn't end if the Wifi takes a few seconds longer or 3G takes a few seconds longer. So, spending $100 less at first along with the usual bill is in fact a good thing.

The 3GS for some people is not a huge step forward. For other, it is.

 

[TheSpaz]

If I felt I was getting the same service with the 3G as the 3GS and with a $100 less initial value, absolutely

I have used the 3GS for a few days now and it is a solid upgrade but in the end, it really isn't a huge upgrade for people like me. The internet is a bit faster and the space is bigger, two things I am happy with. But, I know many who would be just fine with 16 gigs and just fine with the 3G internet. Their life doesn't end if the Wifi takes a few seconds longer or 3G takes a few seconds longer. So, spending $100 less at first along with the usual bill is in fact a good thing.

The 3GS for some people is not a huge step forward. For other, it is.

For one... the 3G only comes in 8GB

Next: It isn't just internet speed that is faster and not just launching apps that is faster. You have to remember that it has better graphics capabilities too. That means smoother animations and better game performance. Also, it has 256MB of RAM vs. the measly 128MB in the 3G. That means that as Apple adds more capabilities to the iPhone, you'll have the power to utilize it and the 3G owners will be left out in the cold. Apple put 256MB of RAM in the 3GS because they're going to use it one day... it may not be today, but it WILL happen.

 

[DiamondMac]

Next: It isn't just internet speed that is faster and not just launching apps that is faster. You have to remember that it has better graphics capabilities too. That means smoother animations and better game performance. Also, it has 256MB of RAM vs. the measly 128MB in the 3G. That means that as Apple adds more capabilities to the iPhone, you'll have the power to utilize it and the 3G owners will be left out in the cold. Apple put 256MB of RAM in the 3GS because they're going to use it one day... it may not be today, but it WILL happen.

Loading Apps for me on the 3G has been fine. I have never waiting that long anyway. I am loading an App right now on the 3GS and it is really not that big of a difference. The world won't end if the AP app or Tiger Woods game show up in 7-8 seconds and not 2-3.

Some have told stories of waiting quite awhile for apps to load. If that is so, time for a new phone. My 3G iPhone has been loading apps very well since I got it.

If Apple adds capabilities to the iPhone in the future, then maybe my view will change. At the moment, I don't see any reason to.

 

[Ronnoco]

on a serious note, i have a question for all of the fools that actually think that it's a minor upgrade....if there were two macbooks side by side and mb1 was twice as fast as mb2, would you claim that mb1 is just a "minor upgrade" from mb2? of course you would, because mb1 doesn't have an 8mp rear facing camera and a dual core cpu.

I was thinking the same thing...Didn't the first MacBook pros look exactly like the G4 Powerbooks (very similar casing) except they were MUCH faster and had upgraded electronics (CPU, graphics card, more memory) and a video camera?
Did people say, I'm not upgrading to the MacBook Pro because it looks just like the G4 PowerBook...minor upgrade?
I understand that the MacBook Pro's used a new Intel processor, but the speed jump and graphics capabilities of the 3GS over the 2G remind me of the jump to the MacBook Pro from my G4 PowerBook...Night and Day (the speed of the boot time alone is incredible...a full 30 to 40 seconds)...JMHO of course...
Also,because I was coming from the 2G i was was eligible and certainly ready because I skipped the 3G upgrade as the ATT 3G network was not quite rolled out in my area so upgrading to the 3G wasn't something I was interested in (the 3G network is now fully operational here now)...I feel I made a good choice upgrading from the 2G to the 3GS...to me it is a HUGE upgrade...

I read a story on Gizmodo I think it was, that said they didn't think getting the $100 3G was much of a deal at all when looking at the full price of the phone over the entire life of the two year contract here in the US. They reported that over the two years you would pay $2600 for the 3GS and $2500 for the 3G...looking at it that way it seems prudent to go for the 16G 3GS over the 8G 3g...at least to me...

 

[Minimoose 360]

All you 3GS owners will be kicking yourself in the butt when they announce the iPhone 2 next year. 3Gs isn't worth the upgrade unless you need it....which you don't. Maybe if it had gotten a facelift?

If you had the extra money laying around you should have bought a 256GB SSD for your MacBook Pro like I did.

 

[kiwi031]

It all comes down to personal preference really.

I picked up a mint condition 3 month old iPhone 3g 8gb on Trade Me (NZ's Ebay) for about USD350 off contract, which is about USD200 less than retail.

I don't want a lengthy contract so having to buy the phone outright means paying US700-800 for a 3GS when it arrives here was just out of the question.

I bought my 3G the day the 3GS became available.

Same with my iMac (20"2.66/4GB) I purposely bought a refurb about a month before the latest refresh because I knew that currency movements would make the new ones hideously expensive - and they were, by about 30% too!

My folks iMac (20"2.0/1GB/250gb) I purchased when the model had just been refreshed. Its retail was NZ$1899, I waited till it was refreshed and its price dropped to $1699 and then we had a massive staff discount offer coincide at the electronics shop I work and so I picked it up at $1385 for a new 20" iMac. Was very impressed.

Reckon I've been pretty savvy and have managed to buy plenty of well priced goodies that give me the same utility and someone who is paying full retail!

 

[darngooddesign]

All you 3GS owners will be kicking yourself in the butt when they announce the iPhone 2 next year. 3Gs isn't worth the upgrade unless you need it....which you don't. Maybe if it had gotten a facelift

That will be iPhone 2.5 next year, and you'll be kicking yourself when they announce iPhone 3 the year after that.

I, for one, need double the processor and ram way more than a new case, but if all you care about uis the way it looks more power to ya. Actually, with the 3G, that would be less power to ya.

AT&T has set the precedent that next year I'll get the subsidized phone pricing. So considering how much I can sell a used one for I'll be upgrading at a profit each year.

Have fun waiting every other year sucka.

 

[matttye]

The 3G is still an amazing phone for a much cheaper price.

 

[darngooddesign]

The 3G is still an amazing phone for a much cheaper price.

Yes it is, that's why we bought it for my girl.

 

[TSX]

The only reason someone would get the 3g, would be because they couldn't afford the 100 more it would cost to get the 3gS.

 

[Jmclark]

I'm getting the 3G, just because I don't care about video recording and it being a little faster. I just like the idea of a $99 phone like that, since I paid $80 for my Samsung Alias, the idea of paying $20 more for a phone that is so much better sounds great.

But the major deal-breaker for me is the ETF. I have to spend $80-90 just to get off Verizon. So, that would be $280-290 to get the 3GS, which I can't justify spending.

 

[Que]

All you 3GS owners will be kicking yourself in the butt when they announce the iPhone 2 next year. 3Gs isn't worth the upgrade unless you need it....which you don't. Maybe if it had gotten a facelift?

If you had the extra money laying around you should have bought a 256GB SSD for your MacBook Pro like I did.

Ummm, no I won't. Sounds like 3g s envy to me.

If I want next years iPhone I'll buy it.

Simple.

 

[chox99]

The only reason someone would get the 3g, would be because they couldn't afford the 100 more it would cost to get the 3gS.

I rather spend that 100 to buy awesome BT headphone and a dock.
Seriously, for average consumers, tech doesn't really matter, it's all about looks. hence $99 iphone = $199/299 iphone. Why pay 100/200 more if it looks the same? That's what normal people think. not like us...Tech craze maniacs.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Ummm, no I won't. Sounds like 3g s envy to me.

If I want next years iPhone I'll buy it.

Simple.

Exactly.

 

[Jimmy James]

All you 3GS owners will be kicking yourself in the butt when they announce the iPhone 2 next year. 3Gs isn't worth the upgrade unless you need it....which you don't. Maybe if it had gotten a facelift?

All those new iPhone owners will be thankful they got the 3GS and not the still available 3G. Even if the next iPhone gets a substantially quicker processor, the 3GS will still remain relevant for a while, whereas the 3G will be an already dead horse with flies buzzing around its carcass.

Oh wait, but if it got a facelift everything would be ok. Forget all this meaningful conversation. Just get the 3G.

 

[SephirothXR]

Mainly because no one wants to sign the contract. I've heard of people selling their iPhone 3Gs for $300-$400 on Craigslist, and I'm trying the same, but can't get anyone to budge on $299 with a case. I keep getting scam emails and some guy wasn't willing to buy it because I didn't give him my mobile phone # and home address. Who knows, but I think I will wait till next year and feel happy about being patient when I don't have to worry about another upgrade contract fee and can buy the new iPhone 4G without any problems.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

You know what just blows my mind with this subject? This:

All the way up to the announcement of the new iPhone, there was thread after thread of "iPhone Nano" jibberish. There were some that were SO convinced that they sounded as if they were willing to wager their first born that it was going to be announced. Instead, the 3G S was introduced and nothing else.

Except the $99 price tag for the 3G. Now let's think about this...

iPhone 3G 8GB: No video camera. No voice control. No auto-focus camera. Less storage than the current 16 and 32 GB models. Half the RAM... Damn. Sounds a lot like the mythical iPhone Nano to me. Of course it couldn't be so because it LOOKS JUST LIKE the 3G S!!!

Maybe Apple oughta change the name of this "older" model to please the masses. Just my take.

 

[DiamondMac]

iPhone 3G 8GB: No video camera. No voice control. No auto-focus camera. Less storage than the current 16 and 32 GB models. Half the RAM...

For $99 and the current plan, that still sounds great to me and many others who never would use the video camera, voice control, auto focus, and have enough space with 8 GB. I don't use any of those features and I use my iPhone every day.

 

[TheSpaz]

For $99 and the current plan, that still sounds great to me and many others who never would use the video camera, voice control, auto focus, and have enough space with 8 GB. I don't use any of those features and I use my iPhone every day.

Besides buying the iPhone 3G hardware, the iPhone 3G costs the same to own!!! You're basically buying last years model and paying current data and voice prices! Why wouldn't you just get the iPhone 3GS for $100 more NOW so you don't miss out on all the future enhancement (like what Apple did with the original iPhone). Did anyone know last year that the iPhone 3G could do MMS and bluetooth audio and not the original iPhone? What makes people think that they won't add more iPhone 3GS specific features 6 months from now. You're going to be kicking yourself when they do.

 

[Mikey B]

Though I would and did jump on a $299 3G S, I really don't think it's too hard to understand why someone would want a $99 iPhone. Price has been the biggest barrier to entry for the iPhone since gen 1. By bringing the price point down to $99, Apple has literally opened the floodgates. That is just one of those nearly "magical" price points. It also, as mentioned earlier in this thread, lays the steps to jump up another level to the $199 3G S. It's the old "well, it's only $99 more to get the 16GB 3G S, so..." Either way, that price point is certain to generate sales.

It's just simple, smart business. It's kind of the same thing as the $999 white macbook. Most techies would probably just opt for the $1199 Pro, but to the "regular" consumer, the cost benefit analysis is going to lean more towards a lower price point than a richer feature set.

 

[DiamondMac]

Besides buying the iPhone 3G hardware, the iPhone 3G costs the same to own!!! You're basically buying last years model and paying current data and voice prices! Why wouldn't you just get the iPhone 3GS for $100 more NOW so you don't miss out on all the future enhancement (like what Apple did with the original iPhone). Did anyone know last year that the iPhone 3G could do MMS and bluetooth audio and not the original iPhone? What makes people think that they won't add more iPhone 3GS specific features 6 months from now. You're going to be kicking yourself when they do.

People don't want to spend an extra $100 for something they don't feel is that huge of an upgrade. If those features interest you and make it a HUGE upgrade, have at it. Others don't feel the same.

 

[Jmclark]

Just a quick thing I was wondering, how many upcoming apps will probably not end up working with the 3G? I'm trying to decide, but it's such a tough decision on which to end up buying. :/

 

[Johns12]

The 3Gs will be replaced in a year with a new model, and another new one a year from that ( just guessing). So, those of you who have purchased the new 3Gs now, will you feel that life is over and the 3Gs is a slow hog, when the new one comes out? Will you have to purchases the new one at full price because ATT will not let you upgrade next year? Just curious.

 

[TheSpaz]

People don't want to spend an extra $100 for something they don't feel is that huge of an upgrade. If those features interest you and make it a HUGE upgrade, have at it. Others don't feel the same.

I would understand that if you already own an iPhone 3G and don't want to upgrade to the 3GS, but why would you buy a brand new old model when you can get an iPhone that can do sooooo much more. There's no doubt in my mind that the iPhone 3GS can do way more than Apple has show and I bet they have some awesome things planned for it. Not so much for the 3G... You'll see Apple stop supporting it more, and more just like the original iPhone owners not getting MMS and Stereo Bluetooth audio.

 

[darngooddesign]

I would understand that if you already own an iPhone 3G and don't want to upgrade to the 3GS, but why would you buy a brand new old model when you can get an iPhone that can do sooooo much more. There's no doubt in my mind that the iPhone 3GS can do way more than Apple has show and I bet they have some awesome things planned for it. Not so much for the 3G... You'll see Apple stop supporting it more, and more just like the original iPhone owners not getting MMS and Stereo Bluetooth audio.

Not everyone cares.

As I said my fiance will never use the GS' improvements but she will use the extra $100. How is this hard to understand?