Doug Osborn Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 My six year old dumb phone may be on it's last leg and a replacement looks imminent. I've held off purchasing a smart phone for years because the last thing I want is a "yuppie status badge" and a carrier holding a gun to my head with their data package. Ahhh . . . I feel better getting that off my chest. That being said I know smartphones are a great tool and the time has come for me to maintain better contact with my crew members. Should I get a new iPhone5 or the iPhone 4S? Features aren't super important to me, but best value-- not necessarily cheapest cost--for technology and ease of keeping in touch are what's important. Any input greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 I think you first have to decide if you want an iPhone or one of the other zillion smart phones out there. Maybe you've already made that decision. If it is to be an iPhone, I see no reason to not go for the iPhone5 --- it is better in all respects from the iPhone4S. Unless you are really, really trying to save money and can find some fantastic deal on a 4S, I would go for the 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Osborn Posted April 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thanks Jeff. That's exactly what I'm hearing from most of my co-workers here. I don't mind springing the extra cash for the iPhone 5 if it is really worth it compared to the iPhone 4S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek H Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Whatever you get make sure it has 4G LTE. World of difference in data speed. iPhone 4s doesn't have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Isn't the 6 coming out in July? Maybe I read that in my dreams. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Osborn Posted April 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Isn't the 6 coming out in July? Maybe I read that in my dreams. CrewC iPhone 6 was supposed to be released in July 2013. From what I'm reading it may be bumped back to mid-2014. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justanross Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Isn't the 6 coming out in July? Maybe I read that in my dreams. CrewC There will be no six this year iPhone 3g iPhone 3GS iPhone 4 iPhone 4S iPhone 5 Can you guess what's next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwstudios Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 I wouldn't commit to a contract on one unless you know your going to be using it. Had one for about 4 months and just couldn't justify the extra expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnathan Sessoms Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 I'd say wait for this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean McCormick Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 I had the 1st iPhone from the get-go. Eventually wound up with a 3G then waited way to long... Upgrading to a 5 last January was a total game-changer. What a step change. The thing does what you request immediately. Apps work great and the voice dictation is finally usable. I love the thought of having a really customizable Android phone, but the 5 fits the bill really nicely for the moment. Good luck! Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Im still with my 3GS, and plan on using it til it dies. Does everything really really have to be the newest, and then be upgraded every freaking year? Do we have to be so absolutely driven for a constantly changing state of the art? Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimPitot Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Wrong crowd for that message ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constantin Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Im still with my 3GS, and plan on using it til it dies. Does everything really really have to be the newest, and then be upgraded every freaking year? Do we have to be so absolutely driven for a constantly changing state of the art? Just a thought. Switching from a 6-year old dumb-phone to one of today's smartphones is not quite the same as upgrading every year. But I do see your point and totally agree, mostly. Aside from that the iPhone 5 may be just a tiny bit healthier than the 4S, in that its SAR value is slightly lower. If you care about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Switching from a 6-year old dumb-phone to one of today's smartphones is not quite the same as upgrading every year. ... Absolutely, and I hope I didn't come across as suggesting that, Constantin. Just wanted to slow the shopping frenzy down a bit...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpaul215 Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 You'll probably be getting into a 2 year contract and the 5 has a much faster processor. That will be more significant in a year or two when the next versions of the OS ship. The LTE is also significant, I have flat out been told by Verizon tech support that they are so busy building out LTE that maintenance on the 3G network is very low priority (1). The thing that Americans don't wrap their heads around is that the difference in the price of the phone is insignificant when you factor in how much you are paying the carrier for the next 2 years. There is not reason NOT to get the 5, unless you want to hold out for the replacement. Latest rumors say *possibly* Apple will pull releases back to the Summer, but if not, then Fall. There are some people that think the next phone is already in production for a Summer release. Most people seem to think the reason the phone pushed from a Summer to a Fall release in the first place was because of the tsunami (it happened that year). (1) When I got my Android phone I could tether to a laptop and it was quite usable. About a year later, no data connection at one specific neighborhood. After weeks of back and forth, and a field crew coming to test, their solution was to push up my renewal date and get me an LTE phone. That was easier than me waiting for repairs that they didn't see coming anytime soon. I held out for the iPhone5 and service is great with LTE. I can't imagine that one pocket of North Philly is the only place a carrier is neglecting the 3G network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordi Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Getting the iphone 5 means you are one model newer and further away from that device being end-of-lifed by Apple's ios updates. I am still using my mint condition 3GS that I bought as a factory-unlocked phone 3 years ago. It has been in an Otterbox ever since. Unfortunately, Apple has most likely decided that this phone is no longer suitable to update the software, and I seriously doubt that I will be able to install ios 7 when it comes out. At some point soon after ios 7, all the app updates will start declaring that they "are not compatible" with that phone, and it will cease to get program updates. Will it still function? Certainly. But Apple will force the issue. LTE is also a desire and this phone will never have that. At the end of this week (or as soon as I can reasonably get it) I will be upgrading to the iphone 5 on my Tmobile service, Probably to stay with that one for at least another 3 years, depending on Apple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpaul215 Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Not updating software is probably preferable to updates that the phone can't handle and bog it down. That was my experience with my Droid a little over a year in. It got to the point that the phone would choke when trying to answer a call or unlock the screen. I would have been a lot happier if the phone stayed usable and stayed with an older OS. Everything else aside, the LTE upgrade is huge if you actually do anything online. It's faster than my home Internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Woodcock Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Nexus 4! https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_16gb Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapmanuk Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 Iphone 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toy Robot Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 I skip multiple generations between phones. Started with the original iPhone and went to the iPhone 4. Massive leap forward and worth every penny. Now I'm probably going to wait until the next significant improvement comes out, or until the 4 is simply so out-dated that I don't want it anymore. I don't mind waiting until there is a significant enough reason to purchase a new phone, and it always ensures that I'm eligible for the upgrades and have the option to switch carriers if necessary. Saves me money As to the iOS upgrades and unsupported phones; it's a bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmahaAudio Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 "Nokia with broken screen is best phone of all time" http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/nokia-with-broken-screen-is-best-phone-of-all-time-2013040464681 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustinguished Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 "Nokia with broken screen is best phone of all time" http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/nokia-with-broken-screen-is-best-phone-of-all-time-2013040464681 I used to have a phone just like that, and that article just reminded me that I really miss that game "Snake" too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustinguished Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 I have a sneaking suspicion that my iPhone5 with Verizon sounds worse than my iPhone 4G with AT&T. I don't know, it sounds more robotic and like there's an improperly set gate that keeps cutting off parts of words. Some times it just chirps on certain words and sounds really harsh overall. I wonder if the noise reduction is also applied on my return feed from the cell tower, in my speaker. Does anyone hear that also, I've been through three separate iPhone 5s and tons of resets and other phone company jargon to try and fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 I have a sneaking suspicion that my iPhone5 with Verizon sounds worse than my iPhone 4G with AT&T. I don't know, it sounds more robotic and like there's an improperly set gate that keeps cutting off parts of words. I remember when AT&T changed from analog cells to digital, and I immediately heard a loss in sound quality -- very choppy and metallic, like a low-res MP3 file. On the other hand, the reception got about 10 times better, so I didn't beef about it too much. Richard Ragon knows about this stuff. I believe the phone company has a way of sending (close to) zero bits when one or more callers pauses, so basically the silence in phone conversations is gated out to save bandwidth. They use a lot of tricks to cram way too many calls in a small space. I'm still convinced that when you get past a certain time limit (like approaching an hour), the local cell says, "eh, that's enough" and just drops the call -- based on how many callers are trying to access that cell at one time. The phone company plays a lot of games juggling this crap. Consumer Reports "claims" that the iPhones have among the very best sound quality of any cell phones out there, so I bet there's probably more difference between carriers and bitrates than there is between devices per se. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustinguished Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Thx Marc, Of course Apple blames it on the Carrier and the Carrier blames it on the phone. One of the Verizon folks suggested that I swap out my iPhone for a different type of phone all together. haha I was surprised by how quickly I dismissed that idea, I'm really in the Apple Cult, I guess. I also had that suspicion about the automatic dropping after a certain time limit. It's nice to hear that some of my paranoia is somewhat founded. I still believe that iPhone 5 plays nicer w/ AT&T than Verizon. Verizon sent me a new iphone 5 and it immediately sounded better, but as soon as I updated the software (I did put it all on from scratch and I didn't revert to the saved data from the last iPhone) it got glitchy again. I have some hope that some future updates will make it sound better, and I think it has improved some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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