Considering an iPhone. Wait for next one or buy?

[kevink2]

I agree. If it was less than 4 months the OP should wait, but 8-9 months no way.

If he is currently with ATT, I don't see what the prepaid options have to do with anything. Or the statement about going without a phone. You can continue to use your phone out of contract unless it is broken.

The question about liking to get a phone when it is first released means he has to wait. If he got one now, it has been out for months. And if he is willing to buy a phone early, again, he should have done it months ago.

In my case, I bought my first iPhone in late November last year. Of course, I knew a new one would be coming out in only 7 months, but I was finally eligible for a subsidized price. But I don't plan to rush out and buy another in June. Absent, of course, loss or damage.

 

[WeegieMac]

That doesn't make sense either. I'm not asking myself that question continually. I'm asking it, cause there are some features I would really like to see in the next iPhone, plus, it came out about 4 months ago and I like buying them the month it comes out. Bought my MBP the day it came out too. And there's always the option of waiting in the line the day it's released

It makes plenty of sense actually.

First of all, why do people come on a forum to ask buying advice? What did people do before forums, God forbid having to make a purchasing decision on your own.

The new iPhone is not out until the middle of next year, so if you want an iPhone now then get one right now. I'm enjoying the iPhone 3G I just bought in September, and the 3GS is a step above in terms of speed so if you want an iPhone now, buy one.

If you wait 8 or 9 more months it's extremely pointless because Apple's product lifecycle for the iPhone's top model is 12 months at most, meaning you've only "lost" 3 months on the iPhone 3GS before the new iPhone is launched.

So I'm sorry, my comment makes plenty of sense. If you want something now, something you know will not be updated for near on a year, don't come on a forum asking buying advice. If you want it, buy it. End of story.

The new one is almost a year away, go and buy an iPhone and enjoy it for those 8 or 9 months.

 

[ntrigue]

If you buy now then you'll be able to get the 2011 iPhone within a month of release in July 2011

 

[Mackan]

Prediction;

Next iPhone will be released next summer. Will probably feature a dual core ARM processor (been on the news I think), and thus Apple will use that as an excuse to suddenly start supporting multitasking on the iPhone. And most likely they will only support mulitasking on this new iPhone, so you are forced to upgrade.

 

[LoganT]

You know if you buy the iPhone now, chances are you'll be eligible for an upgrade when the next iPhone comes out. With only having to wait a few months at most. The upgrade eligibility doesn't take 2 years, maybe a year at most. I bought the iPhone 3G in August 2008 and was able to upgrade in September 2009 (that's before everyone complained and my eligibility status was moved up to June.) I would of stuck with the 3G but the wifi wasn't working so decided to get a new phone last Wednesday.

 

[YoungLew]

I agree. If it was less than 4 months the OP should wait, but 8-9 months no way.

Exactly my point too, glad other people see it this way.

If we were in April '10 then it would be worth waiting, but as people say its a good 8 months away before a new one

 

[firewood]

With a lot of tech products, next years product will always be better. But since these products often take more than a year to design and develop, there's always a better one in the works than anything you can buy.

So if you want the best one ever, never buy, since a better one is already in development in the R&D labs. (e.g. don't buy the 4G, or whatever they call it, next year, since by the time it ships to stores, they've already started designing the 5G, etc.)

If the features in the current model are useful enough to you (more better enough than whatever you are using already), buy it now. It won't vanish in a puff of smoke as soon as the newer model shows up in the stores.

 

[knoxtown]

But this one now. If a new one is coming out, sell the old one and get a new one. That's ill be doing if the new phone is worth it.

 

[bjelder]

Seriously, you should take the new one. Why wait, if you already can have one right now. A few weeks ago a guy which aged something was just turned into 80 saved a lot of money all his life and he wanted to use it from when he was 80 so he never had to work anymore and wanted to end his life in a good way.

Guess what, just a month 80 and died because of a car accident. He waited all his life for using it, and now he is dead. I'm not saying you will be dead within a year, but you get the point? Grab your chance!

.....wow

 

[JPIndustrie]

I still don't understand why this, and threads like this still exist.

Seriously. If you think about it for a second, the iPhone happens to be one of the most predictable Apple launches in recent history. It has a track record of happening every freakin' year.

So if everyone knows this - why do you need to ask? You know when the next one is coming. You don't have one. You want one. No other phone can substitute for it. You either choose to buy the phone you want or not. That's it.

 

[McBeats]

yep yep, i recommend getting what you want all along, the damn iphone. Get it now, its not even mid cycle yet. Then sell it next yr when the new ones come out. prolly end up costing you another 2-300 bucks. (if u wanna do that sort of thing, which is what i will end up doing)

 

[ScottNWDW]

You know if you buy the iPhone now, chances are you'll be eligible for an upgrade when the next iPhone comes out. With only having to wait a few months at most. The upgrade eligibility doesn't take 2 years, maybe a year at most. I bought the iPhone 3G in August 2008 and was able to upgrade in September 2009 (that's before everyone complained and my eligibility status was moved up to June.) I would of stuck with the 3G but the wifi wasn't working so decided to get a new phone last Wednesday.

I bought the iPhone 3G when it first came out. I had to wait a few days before actually getting mine on 7/15/2008, 4 days after launch, but I got it then. when the 3Gs came out this past June I wanted to upgrade to the latest and greatest. I checked my AT&T account and it said I would not be eligible to upgrade until 12/15/09. I fugured that I could get myself a nice 3Gs at that time as a nice Christmas gift to me - or - wait another 6 - 8 months and see what they might release next summer. I marked the date in the countdown program on my 3G

Well 2 days ago while paying my AT&T bill I wanted to check the upgrade status of my laptop connect card, and I noticed that I'm now not able to upgrade my 3G until March 2010. What gives. I went from 12/15/09 to 3/15/10. It doesn't make any sense. If I can't upgrade til March I might as well wait til summer and get the next iPhone wen my origial iPhone contract would actually expire.

BTW, the laptop card is upgradeable in April 2010 as expected. ;-)

 

[alecapple]

I am in the same boat as you. My contract goes up on the 27th of this month, so the day after I plan on going to the apple store to pick up my iPhone. The . reason I chose not to wait it the price that you can sell an iphone for on ebay.
A 16gb 3gs is selling for about $500. So if I want the new one when it comes out I will just sell my 3gs, and pay however much the out of contract price is for the fourth generation when they are released.

JUST DO IT.