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Will Verizon iPhone Customers Be Able To Upgrade Sooner?

What are you going to do?

  • Buy the Verizon iPhone 4 now, and upgrade next year!

    Votes: 26 42.6%

  • Buy the Verizon iPhone 4 now, and upgrade in the summer!

    Votes: 13 21.3%

  • Wait for the iPhone 5 this summer, (Not knowing if it's going to be for Verizon or not)

    Votes: 22 36.1%
  • Total voters
    61
I don't understand why anyone would be on the fence on whether or not to buy now or wait till an unsure summer. Just because a company has done pretty much the same thing for the past 3 years doesn't mean that things will continue that way. Prime example: Verizon iPhone (formerly AT&T exclusive).

I look at it like this: I bought my iPhone now. I'm happy now. Why wait till summer to get something that I would be happy with then? It doesn't make any sense to me.

I also look at it in the fact that the iPhone hasn't changed dramatically since the original iPhone. Yes, it has received a front facing camera and a "retina" display, on top of HD video.. but functionality has largely remained the same.

The final reason to buy now and not wait was the fact that I live in a rural area and LTE is no where in sight for my area. I would feel stupid for buying a 3G phone only to have a 4G equivalent appear later in the year; this, however, is not the case.

Anyway, I've owned an HTC Incredible and the Droid X since April-June of last year and now I own an iPhone (selling the Inc.) It wasn't any more money for me to upgrade so I didn't really care. The way I look at it is phones are easily replaceable.
 
nStyle said:
I don't understand why anyone would be on the fence on whether or not to buy now or wait till an unsure summer. Just because a company has done pretty much the same thing for the past 3 years doesn't mean that things will continue that way. Prime example: Verizon iPhone (formerly AT&T exclusive).

I look at it like this: I bought my iPhone now. I'm happy now. Why wait till summer to get something that I would be happy with then? It doesn't make any sense to me.
Click to expand...

Most sensible post in this thread.
 
I got the Verizon iPhone 4. Today, I checked my upgrade eligibility, and it is 21 months after I started my contract. I don't know if Verizon will change this... only time will tell. Regardless, I will be buying the iPhone circa Summer 2011.:apple:
 
Mr. Incredible said:
But why would Verizon do this?

Don't you think it's a bit ****ed up to lock millions of people in a contract for a phone, and then release a newer one 4 months later?

If Anything, I think it will be like this:

At&t gets their iPhone 4S this June.
Verizon get their iPhone 4s in November.
And then both carriers get a refresh in June 2012?
Click to expand...

they do it all the time with android phones...
 
nStyle said:
I don't understand why anyone would be on the fence on whether or not to buy now or wait till an unsure summer. Just because a company has done pretty much the same thing for the past 3 years doesn't mean that things will continue that way. Prime example: Verizon iPhone (formerly AT&T exclusive).

I look at it like this: I bought my iPhone now. I'm happy now. Why wait till summer to get something that I would be happy with then? It doesn't make any sense to me.

I also look at it in the fact that the iPhone hasn't changed dramatically since the original iPhone. Yes, it has received a front facing camera and a "retina" display, on top of HD video.. but functionality has largely remained the same.

The final reason to buy now and not wait was the fact that I live in a rural area and LTE is no where in sight for my area. I would feel stupid for buying a 3G phone only to have a 4G equivalent appear later in the year; this, however, is not the case.

Anyway, I've owned an HTC Incredible and the Droid X since April-June of last year and now I own an iPhone (selling the Inc.) It wasn't any more money for me to upgrade so I didn't really care. The way I look at it is phones are easily replaceable.
Click to expand...

try and go from an iPhone 4 to the original iPhone and then tell me functionality is the same...they've made drastic speed/power improvements. That comparison is like saying PCs have been the same since XP came out...?
 
heck, bought mine on pre-order fully expecting that there may be some sort of refresh or new model in the summer worse case if i feel the new version is worth it ill buy it at full price and sell my iphone 4 it would off set most of the cost. but it would really have to be something different (i doubt it will be) but who knows. as a previous thread stated why wait to purchase something that will make you happy now.
 
Yeah, it's tough call, but from various rumors and some posts from people here, it seems more likely the next iPhone revision is an incremental one, like the iPhone 3G was to the iPhone 3, so it may not be that big of a change.

Some say business wise it's smarter for Apple to do a small iPhone upgrade this year, and wait for the big launch of iPhone 5 in 2012, so they can do a launch across both carriers. Aren't most AT&T customers tied up for most of this year if they did a 2-year contract for the iPhone 4 last summer? So it makes sense to wait to launch the iPhone 5 in 2012.

Of course the summer iPhone upgrade could be a 4G version, which is significant, but let's say you wait till summer and get that phone, and then you'd miss out on the iPhone 5 release the following summer. Although this assumes you are only a 2-year plan rather than 1-year.

The speculation of smaller, budget-type iPhone may also mean that it will be their big announcement this year. Along with a much speculated new iPad in Fall, I think it makes more sense to make a big splash in 2012 for the iPhone 5, as the iPhone 4 is still a big seller.
 
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lsvtecjohn3 said:
Mr. Incredible said:
-Get the iPhone 4G/6 in October.
Click to expand...

Wut? Now people think the iPhone going to come out October...
Click to expand...

The OP was saying October because that's when those who purchase the Verizon iPhone now will be eligible for an upgrade next year.
 
After I bought my iPhone I checked my upgrade status and it says I can upgrade next October. How is that possible? I thought I was locked into a two year contract.
 
From a business perspective I cannot understand why Apple would release an Iphone 5 on Verizon as soon as this summer. They just invested a ton of money to make hundreds of thousands if not millions of Iphones only to release a new one in a phone in a few months to leave inventory on store shelves. Does not jive with me.

I think that Apple will have AT&T and VZW on seperate upgrade schedules. Iphone 4 I think will be on Verizon for at least a year until Apple can clear some inventory and then before producing more Iphone 4's they will have had enough time to manufacturer the CDMA Iphone 5's.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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Because then Verizon will have a low end model like AT&T does with the 3GS. This makes the phone available to more people who would not otherwise buy the phone for $200/$300.
 
MarximusMG said:
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The OP was saying October because that's when those who purchase the Verizon iPhone now will be eligible for an upgrade next year.
Click to expand...

How if you signed a 2 year contract?

How
 
EvilEvil said:
After I bought my iPhone I checked my upgrade status and it says I can upgrade next October. How is that possible? I thought I was locked into a two year contract.
Click to expand...

Verizon allows you to upgrade 4 months early to lock you into another 2yr contract. Just in time for more LTE coverage.
 
I thought Verizon does early upgrades. I thought that let Droid owners upgrade to the Droid X early like ATT does with the Iphone. Also I wouldn't upgrade until they got LTE in my area. I've been burned by Sprint with their 4G Evo and I still don't have 4G in my area. No point in owning a 4G phone if you can't use the Speed. Also I see no point in 4G if you are a ATT customer. You're not going to see a increase in web browsing or you're Youtube videos....well unless you get crap speeds in your area.
 
Verizon confirmed that they will not be allowing early upgrades like AT&T does with their iphones.
 
Mr. Incredible said:
Who would've guessed it would come out in February... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

MarximusMG said:
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The OP was saying October because that's when those who purchase the Verizon iPhone now will be eligible for an upgrade next year.
Click to expand...

Verizon will get the next iPhone in June/July just like every other carrier. This isn't the first time a carrier got the iPhone mid cycle.
 
dccorona said:
try and go from an iPhone 4 to the original iPhone and then tell me functionality is the same...they've made drastic speed/power improvements. That comparison is like saying PCs have been the same since XP came out...?
Click to expand...
First. . .How does speed and power improvements have anything to do with functionality?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgW7or1TuFk&feature=channel

I rest my case.

Am I bashing the iPhone? No. I own one. But watch the video for Christ's sake.
 
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