Buying 3Gs - Anyone expect Xmas deals or price drop on 1/26?

[-aggie-]

I would be very surprised if they changed the CPU, GPU, or amount of RAM. They will have a 5MP camera sensor with the same lens, 64GB of flash memory, and will implement an FM radio with the 4.0 software. Anything else is speculative and, in my opinion, unlikely.

I highly doubt the 64 GB flash memory for the next iPhone. Too costly right now and not enough room IIRC compared to the 64 GB iPod Touch.

 

[thelatinist]

Considering they are quickly falling behing in CPU speed on mobile processors they will update the CPU and the GPU.

Again, you assume that Apple's target customer is one who reads specs, and I just don't think that's true. I know and understand that Apple could make the changes, but I don't think they will.

 

[greygray]

HIghly unlikely. Has Apple done it before?

 

[175170]

when the 4th gen comes out, the 3gs will drop. Apple has to compete with the other smart phones. People arent going to pay $500 with a contract for a new iphone. thus why the 3g droped to $100 when the 3gs came out. Just a cycle

The iPhone 3GS is 199 on contract, not 500. But yes, the 3GS' price will probably drop.

Really? You think the majority of people who buy the iPhone even read the specs?

No, but they know if something feels fast. If it lags constantly, like the 2G/3G iPhone, they know it's a problem.

Getting a refurb or non-contract used iPhone on ebay might be best if you think it's likely that you'll want to upgrade in June.

I agree with you on this. Get an iPhone off of eBay for maybe 150, then use that for 6 months. Your wife will thank you when you can get the 4th Generation iPhone subsidized.

I would be very surprised if they changed the CPU, GPU, or amount of RAM. They will have a 5MP camera sensor with the same lens, 64GB of flash memory, and will implement an FM radio with the 4.0 software. Anything else is speculative and, in my opinion, unlikely.

If they don't change anything, they're seriously falling behind. Apple is used to being a leader in this industry, and isn't going to let that happen.
With the Nexus One having 512 MB of RAM, Apple's going to have to put that in too.
Considering that they can now utilize SnapDragon/Tegra and the like, I'm guessing they'll upgrade the GPU too.

I highly doubt the 64 GB flash memory for the next iPhone. Too costly right now and not enough room IIRC compared to the 64 GB iPod Touch.

Manufacturers have just started producing 32 GB chips. If you were following up on MacRumors, you should've seen that.
That'd make it easy to put 64 in the iPhone.


I, for one, have left the iPhone. I've owned no less than 5, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it. I still own 3 iPod Touches, and yeah, I use them a bit, but really, only as an iPod now.
My Palm Pre handles everything my iPhone could do, and sometimes better. When GPU support finally comes, I have no doubt that the Palm Pre will be a better phone than the iPhone.

In order to remain a leader in this industry, Apple is going to have to really step it up this summer.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

Apple went two years without upgrading the hardware on the original iPhone, and they're still selling phones with that hardware.

Did they? I could have sworn they updated to the 3G one year after the original was released...

They will have a 5MP camera sensor with the same lens, 64GB of flash memory, and will implement an FM radio with the 4.0 software. Anything else is speculative and, in my opinion, unlikely.

Isn't your entire post speculation? You seem to think you know more than is realistically possible.

 

[scaredpoet]

WAIT TIL' JUNE! Did you hear, 5 MP camera and since there probably wont be a 3.2 firmware update (since 2.2 was out way before now last year) that means Apple is holding all of their goodies until 4.0.

1: For all we know, the 5 MP camera is for the rumored iSlate.

2: Dot-releases (X.1, X.2, etc), of iPhone software aren't on any fixed schedule. They happen when they happen. The only real pattern is that major (X.0) releases coincide with new hardware. But the fact that OS 3.2 isn't out yet means nothing.

3: There's almost no doubt OS 4.0 will work fine on a 3GS.

 

[scaredpoet]

If they don't change anything, they're seriously falling behind. Apple is used to being a leader in this industry, and isn't going to let that happen.

Actually, they're NOT used to be leaders, but they ARE used to doing things right. Remember when the iPhone lacked copy/paste? MMS? Video? All when most other phones on the market did these things. These features didn't appear until ways were found to make them work well on the iPhone. And they work well now.

Apple never does anything solely because the specs look good on paper. And if you buy a phone solely because x phone has higher numbers than y phone, and the iPhone is not the phone for you, and never will be.

I, for one, have left the iPhone. I've owned no less than 5, and quite frankly, I'm tired of it.

Bye! I have no doubt the next iPhone won't appeal to you either. You're simply looking at the specs, and just like desktops, higher MHz isn't everything.

 

[dilgreene]

Refurb price drop...

Dunno if it's one day only, but AT&T has another $100 refurb price drop--$49 for 16GB 3GS, and $149 for 32 GB.
Online only, doesn't appear to be at the Premier site, just the regular AT&T wireless site.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yes, the refurb Iphone 3GS is back on sale
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/840014/

 

[eoren1]

Yup - held out and saw this. However, I could not get it to apply when logged in to my Premier account. After speaking to two reps, I was told this was for new accounts only.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yup - held out and saw this. However, I could not get it to apply when logged in to my Premier account. After speaking to two reps, I was told this was for new accounts only.

That sucks they wouldnt let you upgrade to the refurb price.

 

[nfl46]

WAIT TIL' JUNE! Did you hear, 5 MP camera and since there probably wont be a 3.2 firmware update (since 2.2 was out way before now last year) that means Apple is holding all of their goodies until 4.0. I say wait, you wont be sorry but you will be sorry when you see the 4th generation and all it's cool stuff. You have to remember, Apple is actually being challenged with the iPhone. Yeah I know what you're thinking, so now Apple has to try extra specially hard to make consumers happy because if they pull a whole "we're building the same thing with a little bit a features and we're leaving out stuff that 5 year old phones have just to make you drool for ANOTHER year" it won't fly with a lot of people and they wont upgrade (3G to 3GS wasn't a big upgrade as people would have hoped for, get all the features just by jailbreaking it) But I dont think Apple will leave anything cool out this time.

9 months without an update? We will DEFINITELY see 3.2 sooner or later. Apple wouldn't go September 2009 to June-July 2010 without an update.

 

[Revelation78]

Manufacturers have just started producing 32 GB chips. If you were following up on MacRumors, you should've seen that.
That'd make it easy to put 64 in the iPhone.

Actually manufacturers jsut started making 64GB chips, you'd know that if you were following MacRumors. As the iPhone only has 1 slot for storage, 32GB would mean squat for a 64GB iPhone.

 

[dccorona]

(3G to 3GS wasn't a big upgrade as people would have hoped for, get all the features just by jailbreaking it).

you cant jailbreak more memory, a faster processor, or a better autofocus camera

unless im really behind on the jb community...

the 3Gs was really a quite substantial upgrade, but it wasn't considered as such because they stuck it in the same case

 

[Applejuiced]

you cant jailbreak more memory, a faster processor, or a better autofocus camera

unless im really behind on the jb community...

the 3Gs was really a quite substantial upgrade, but it wasn't considered as such because they stuck it in the same case

I think thats what it is. People see the outside shell of the iphone looking the same and they're like oh never mind its exactly the same thing.
But in reality when it comes to actually using it its night and day compared to the 2G/3G models. I think if Apple even changed it slightly and made it look a little different more people would have bought it just for the cool/newest phone factor without even caring/knowing about the rest.

 

[175170]

you cant jailbreak more memory, a faster processor, or a better autofocus camera

unless im really behind on the jb community...

the 3Gs was really a quite substantial upgrade, but it wasn't considered as such because they stuck it in the same case

You are behind.

The iPhone is getting "upgraded", but too slow for most people's tastes.

 

[redman042]

you cant jailbreak more memory, a faster processor, or a better autofocus camera

unless im really behind on the jb community...

the 3Gs was really a quite substantial upgrade, but it wasn't considered as such because they stuck it in the same case

I second that. The 3GS was a major upgrade, at least for me. The 3G is really straining to keep up with the memory and processor demands of the current OS, but the 3GS powers through it with headroom to spare. 3GS also provides plenty of oomph for jailbreaking. I've got all kinds of j/b stuff on my phone and it doesn't even break a sweat.

I also love having a Flip-quality videocamera in my pocket every minute of every day. Comes in handy with a 16 month old daughter.