Iphone questions

[NeverendingJen]

After today's announcement, I'm really getting excited about joining the ranks of iphone users soon(early november-ish). I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice as I try to make final decisions.

Is the 16GB model going to be enough? I don't store a ton of music on my ipod anyway, I tend to rotate through quite often.

What kind of case/skin do you recommend? Can I do a combo of both?

What are some must have apps?

Thanks for the advice!

[origami]

After today's announcement, I'm really getting excited about joining the ranks of iphone users soon(early november-ish). I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice as I try to make final decisions.

Is the 16GB model going to be enough? I don't store a ton of music on my ipod anyway, I tend to rotate through quite often.

What kind of case/skin do you recommend? Can I do a combo of both?

What are some must have apps?

Thanks for the advice!

Thinking about it too. Trying to figure out how much the upgrade will cost. I don't plan to store a lot of music either. I'll be interested in the responses to your questions.

[Kenzi]

GET ONE NOW!!! You will never ever want another phone and the new one looks like it has some super cool features. I'm jealous that you will be able to talk to yours and and have it do things for you (I forget what its called). I just got mine last year or else I'd consider upgrading. I have the 16GB and I fill it up, but don't really need 32GB KWIM so it was't worth the cost to me. I have a ton of music on mine so, if I need to, I just delete stuff I don't really listen to. In reality, I don't really even use my phone for music anyways, so why do I need it taking up space IDK, but I do. Most the apps I have are toddler apps or games, and of course FB and Pinterest.

[NeverendingJen]

I'd preorder this week, but we're waiting on DH deploying for me to switch providers. our current provider doesn't have the iphone. I should have mine before thanksgiving, which will be fun, lol!

[BrattyMeg]

what annoucement? The 3gs free with contract?

I have an old school regular 3g..that's 3+ years old and it's 16gb so I'm going to say that's more than plenty :) I have a ton of music on mine along with a buttload of apps.

The announcement confused me b/c the iphone5 was supposed to be released this next week...until I think 2 weeks ago there wasn't even talk of the 4s or whatever it's called..soo annoying b/c I'm holding out for a 5. Looking like the beginning of next year for my carrier (AT&T)

[NeverendingJen]

the 4S. it's got some decent upgrades over the 4. I was hoping for 5, but I really can't hold out until it is released sometime in 2012...my current phone is falling apart.

[BrattyMeg]

yeah..not enough for me to not wait 6 months for a 5 though lol

my dh has a 4..he likes it but I want a 5 otherwise..he'll get the 5 before me and for once my upgrade is due before his! iphone competition in this family

[NeverendingJen]

lol! my mom is holding out for the 5, but her upgrade isn't due until march anyway. I'm just looking forward to having a good phone, my current phone has been failing for months and I'm not even sure it will make it to the time I get my iphone.

[Angie4b1g]

UGH I'm so torn now. I have the 3GS and am eligible so I was going to upgrade to the 5 and now they pull this. If I get this one (which, admittedly, is way way nicer than the 3gs) and then they announce the 5 in like 4 months, I'm going to be hella pissed. What to do??

[Nettio]

UGH I'm so torn now. I have the 3GS and am eligible so I was going to upgrade to the 5 and now they pull this. If I get this one (which, admittedly, is way way nicer than the 3gs) and then they announce the 5 in like 4 months, I'm going to be hella pissed. What to do??

This is me too! I've been waiting since June to upgrade, hoping the 5 would come out and now this. I don't want to get another "S" phone because then you're always off by a cycle so you miss the big redesign releases. I'd love the better camera since the 3GS one is kind of lame but I'm not excited about the Siri aspect of the phone. Really my biggest worry is my phone will die between now and then and I'll have no choice but to upgrade. :thumbdown:

I really don't think we'll see the iPhone 5 until next June, so 8 months at least. The iPhone has been released in June every year except this year but I thought that was partly due to the Verizon release pushing things back.

[BrattyMeg]

UGH I'm so torn now. I have the 3GS and am eligible so I was going to upgrade to the 5 and now they pull this. If I get this one (which, admittedly, is way way nicer than the 3gs) and then they announce the 5 in like 4 months, I'm going to be hella pissed. What to do??

on macrumors the iphone 5 says early next year (feb-ish)

I only have a 3g..I say wait for the 5 :) I've been eligible for an upgrade since March :0/ just been holding out

[Nettio]

on macrumors the iphone 5 says early next year (feb-ish)

I only have a 3g..I say wait for the 5 :)

If there's one thing we've learned from today, it's that NO ONE but Apple knows what's really going on. I'd be really surprised if they gave it that short of product cycle since they haven't done that before. I thought the shortest was 8 months which would be June and put them back into their regular cycle.

[ColleenSwerb]

Personally, I don't get what the big deal is. The 4s is the 5, just under a different name. It's got everything they've been saying the 5 would have, doesn't it?

I'll be switching to Verizon and getting the new one shortly. We can save a bunch of money by switching, but I wanted to wait for the new release. Whether it's a 4s or a 5, it's still a huge improvement over my 3gs.

Oh and 16gb is more than enough. I have TONS of music and apps and pics on mine, and I still have a bunch of space available.

[lovely1m]

My phone just started falling apart on me about 2 weeks ago and the iPhone is finally coming to Sprint! I am super excited. I am eligable for a new phone in like 2 weeks. I wonder if I am able to order it now or have to wait.

[Angie4b1g]

Personally, I don't get what the big deal is. The 4s is the 5, just under a different name. It's got everything they've been saying the 5 would have, doesn't it?

I'll be switching to Verizon and getting the new one shortly. We can save a bunch of money by switching, but I wanted to wait for the new release. Whether it's a 4s or a 5, it's still a huge improvement over my 3gs.

Oh and 16gb is more than enough. I have TONS of music and apps and pics on mine, and I still have a bunch of space available.

No, it just has the upgraded processor and the nicer camera. No big redesign (the 5 is supposed to have a bigger screen, be thinner, etc).

I admit it's nicer than my 3gs, but I dunno. I can definitely wait until February. Then again, this one was supposed to be released in September, so who knows if February will happen. Grr

[Gemma]

yeah..not enough for me to not wait 6 months for a 5 though lol

my dh has a 4..he likes it but I want a 5 otherwise..he'll get the 5 before me and for once my upgrade is due before his! iphone competition in this family

Ha iPhone competition here too, Steve is due for upgrade soon, he only has the 3G which is breaking so he's going for the new 4s as soon as he can, I'm due for upgrade in march next year so depending how it goes I'll wait for the 5, he'll be so annoyed with me haha.

[BrattyMeg]

Personally, I don't get what the big deal is. The 4s is the 5, just under a different name. It's got everything they've been saying the 5 would have, doesn't it?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/upgrade-life-iphone-4s-missing-014127323.html

no way it's a major letdown IMO from what we were expecting in the 5!

my theory..is they released the 4S so they don't piss the current iPhone users off if Sprint gets exclusive rights to the iPhone 5 until early next year (supposedly..we'll see)

[MissKim]

Is the 16GB model going to be enough? I don't store a ton of music on my ipod anyway, I tend to rotate through quite often.

I have a 16 and it's more than enough for me. I keep a healthy amount of music on it (both personal and then the songs I use in my classroom... I have an ipod touch for the classroom but the phone is my back up). I haven't had any space issues.

What kind of case/skin do you recommend? Can I do a combo of both? I have an Incipio dual cover... both silicone and a harder case that snaps over the silicone. And yes, I have put a skin (sticker) over the silicone hard case. I've ended up taking it off because it gets annoying (edges start peeling up since it's not flat on the phone). I've only dropped my phone once -- I'm very paranoid about cracking the screen -- but this case makes me feel very secure.

As for apps... to be honest, I use the calendar that is standard most. I have Facebook bookmarked on my home screen (via Safari) because I don't like the Facebook app. Takes it a little longer to load, but I dislike the app that much. I use the Twitter app. I have a Google Reader app, and WeatherBug. That's all I use on a daily basis. Well, email. I don't use apps often and I only very, very rarely will play games on my phone. Probably not the person to ask about apps. I use mine to check in on the internet at lunch because I need to escape into that and out of my work for 15 minutes or so. Other than that, calendar and email are what keeps me going.

[aggiefamily]

Is the 16GB model going to be enough? I don't store a ton of music on my ipod anyway, I tend to rotate through quite often.

What kind of case/skin do you recommend? Can I do a combo of both?



I have the 32GB iPhone 4 and have 13.4GB used right now. That is 662 songs (I rotate my playlists often so that changes but usually less than 1000 songs), 117 apps and 181 photos.

I have a Speck Pixelskin on mine. I needed something that was a bit softer than a hard case since I drop it a lot. :blink: It is still slim enough that it fits in my pocket.

I'm not eligible for an upgrade until next Christmas so I am holding out for the 5 or a redesign. The only think I am missing on the new 4s is the Siri and better camera. The new iOS5 is more of a bigger deal (to me) than the 4S features.

[nikkiARNGwife]

I ♥ my iphone 4. We just upgraded both of ours from the 3Gs about a month ago b/c we switched from AT&T to Verizon. The difference is HUGE between the 3G and the 4. But I'm more than happy with my 4 right now. (I have 16 GB but I don't use it for music and stuff much so it's more than enough for me).

We won't upgrade for a while..the new features look cool but not tempting enough for us to spend more money lol

I have this case + a screen protector and I like it okay..

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LpMVX8CqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I chose it over the otterbox but I think I'm going to switch to it eventually..DH got the ottorbox defender and it seems to be more protection than the trident.

[ColleenSwerb]

I don't see the screen getting much bigger than it already is without drastically increasing the overall size of the phone, which I don't see happening.
I have the 3gs and DH has the 4, and the screen size difference is barely noticeable. I would say they are the exact same size, but then someone will pull up a spec that says they're different, lol. But using and looking at the phones, the screen size difference in negligible.
I think the 4 is a little thick, so a thinner body would be nice (I prefer the rounded style of my 3gs to the 4/4s), but definitely not a deal breaker for me. I don't think there's any way they put out the 5 early next year, I think they'll wait until June like they always have previously.
The updated processor and camera are good enough for me I guess. Plus we need to save some money now. Not whenever they release the true 5 next year, but that's obv just my situation with the lay-off. And, it's been 2 years with my 3gs. I want newer/faster/better :)

[Nettio]

my theory..is they released the 4S so they don't piss the current iPhone users off if Sprint gets exclusive rights to the iPhone 5 until early next year (supposedly..we'll see)

This rumor has been flying around forever and I don't get it. What benefit would Apple get out of doing this? They don't need Sprint, Sprint needs them. Not only would it anger a ton of AT&T/Verizon customers but if they did release the iPhone 5 in Feb, it would also screw over the new Sprint iPhone customers who wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade yet.

I still say the next iPhone release won't be until June. That would give the 4S a proper life cycle and maximize the number of iPhone 4 users who would be eligible to upgrade. Apple isn't stupid, they know how the product life cycles and contracts work. This 4S release was just to throw a bone to all the 3GS owners like me who are ready to upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I'd love if it was February. I just think that's wishful thinking.

[kscwgirl]

Supposedly Sprint is guaranteeing Apple a certain number of sold units.. Sprint's going to buy them even if they can't sell them.. so Apple is supposed to be giving sprint an exclusive.

[BrattyMeg]

Not only would it anger a ton of AT&T/Verizon customers but if they did release the iPhone 5 in Feb, it would also screw over the new Sprint iPhone customers who wouldn't be eligible for an upgrade yet.


the Sprint customers won't care..they will already have the 5..if i'm reading you right (which might not be the case lol)

I don't see apple pissing off the AT&T and Verizon customers though by going to Sprint although that would put apple with the 3 biggest carriers instead of just 2 so who knows.

[Nettio]

the Sprint customers won't care..they will already have the 5..if i'm reading you right (which might not be the case lol)

I don't see apple pissing off the AT&T and Verizon customers though by going to Sprint although that would put apple with the 3 biggest carriers instead of just 2 so who knows.

But Sprint will be getting the iPhone 4S this month just like everyone else. So when would this supposed exclusivity kick in? If it happens in say February, all the early adopter Sprint customers who buy an iPhone now would already be locked into the 4S, wouldn't they? If they were going to do an exclusive, wouldn't it have made more sense to announce it alongside the Sprint announcement yesterday? The fact that it didn't happen yesterday says to me it's not likely to happen. I mean, everyone thought Verizon would get exclusivity and they never did. Apple doesn't need to offer exclusivity to get companies to agree to a deal at this point and really for Apple, they benefit more from multiple carriers selling their phone. Why would they limit their top product to only the number 3 carrier?

And come on, you really don't think customers on AT&T and Verizon would be annoyed if they had to wait for the iPhone 5 just because it went to Sprint first? I mean, I'm an AT&T customer and it would annoy me! LOL! Did you not see the comments yesterday when Apple didn't announce a product they had never promised to announce? People are hardcore when it comes to their iPhones. :D

[Nettio]

I don't see the screen getting much bigger than it already is without drastically increasing the overall size of the phone, which I don't see happening.
I have the 3gs and DH has the 4, and the screen size difference is barely noticeable. I would say they are the exact same size, but then someone will pull up a spec that says they're different, lol. But using and looking at the phones, the screen size difference in negligible.
I think the 4 is a little thick, so a thinner body would be nice (I prefer the rounded style of my 3gs to the 4/4s), but definitely not a deal breaker for me. I don't think there's any way they put out the 5 early next year, I think they'll wait until June like they always have previously.
The updated processor and camera are good enough for me I guess. Plus we need to save some money now. Not whenever they release the true 5 next year, but that's obv just my situation with the lay-off. And, it's been 2 years with my 3gs. I want newer/faster/better :)

Some of the mockups for the iPhone 5 included things like an edge to edge screen, removing the home button, etc. No idea if any of those things would happen but it would be a way to get the screen bigger without greatly increasing the screen.

I too prefer the roundedness of my iPhone 3GS, which is why I was hoping for a redesign. I don't want the iPhone 4-shaped body, haha.

[BrattyMeg]

But Sprint will be getting the iPhone 4S this month just like everyone else. So when would this supposed exclusivity kick in? If it happens in say February, all the early adopter Sprint customers who buy an iPhone now would already be locked into the 4S, wouldn't they? If they were going to do an exclusive, wouldn't it have made more sense to announce it alongside the Sprint announcement yesterday? The fact that it didn't happen yesterday says to me it's not likely to happen. I mean, everyone thought Verizon would get exclusivity and they never did. Apple doesn't need to offer exclusivity to get companies to agree to a deal at this point and really for Apple, they benefit more from multiple carriers selling their phone. Why would they limit their top product to only the number 3 carrier?

And come on, you really don't think customers on AT&T and Verizon would be annoyed if they had to wait for the iPhone 5 just because it went to Sprint first? I mean, I'm an AT&T customer and it would annoy me! LOL! Did you not see the comments yesterday when Apple didn't announce a product they had never promised to announce? People are hardcore when it comes to their iPhones. :D

the way I read it was Sprint would be getting the 5..not the 4s?
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/03/sprint-scores-iphone-5-exclusive-thanks-to-20-billion-deal-with-apple/

and I meant I don't see Apple..going to Sprint b/c it WOULD piss the AT&T/Verizon folks off..I'd be ticked hah I didn't word that right. Shoot yeah I see the current iphone customers being ticked off big time!

[kscwgirl]

Yes, we are supposed to be getting the 5 as an exclusive. We have the 4s now.. preorders start Friday.

[BrattyMeg]

oh ok see I didn't know Sprint was getting the 4S too...kinda dumb for them to release the 5 in what a month or so to them? I'd be mad about that if I was with Sprint and jumped the gun and got the 4S

[kscwgirl]

Jeff knows a guy that works for Sprint and he said June for the 5. So.. who knows. :D

[Nettio]

the way I read it was Sprint would be getting the 5..not the 4s?
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/03/sprint-scores-iphone-5-exclusive-thanks-to-20-billion-deal-with-apple/

and I meant I don't see Apple..going to Sprint b/c it WOULD piss the AT&T/Verizon folks off..I'd be ticked hah I didn't word that right. Shoot yeah I see the current iphone customers being ticked off big time!

Hmm, that article was posted on Oct 3rd though, back when lots of people thought for sure the 5 was going to be announced alongside possibly a cheaper 4S. Yet that didn't happen and Sprint IS getting the 4S. So I think that article was really more speculation? I mean, the title ends with a question mark, haha, and well, it's "faux news" so there ya go. :p I haven't seen anything since yesterday that has confirmed anything about the 5. I don't really think anyone knows at this point.

[Nettio]

oh ok see I didn't know Sprint was getting the 4S too...kinda dumb for them to release the 5 in what a month or so to them? I'd be mad about that if I was with Sprint and jumped the gun and got the 4S

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say. Even if you take AT&T and Verizon out of the equation, it doesn't make sense to me that they'd release the 4S at Sprint only to release an exclusive 5 that not all their customers could upgrade to a few months later. Unless they're going to allow upgrades? But I still say they would have announced the exclusivity deal during the big Sprint announcement. It would have created more incentive for people to switch to Sprint which would be the only reason you'd offer an exclusive in the first place.

[Nettio]

Jeff knows a guy that works for Sprint and he said June for the 5. So.. who knows. :D

June is what I think too. Maybe it'll be an exclusive then, I don't know. I guess we'll all have to just wait and see, haha.

[Angie4b1g]

I think I'm going to pass on the 4S and see what happens. My 3GS still works and I'm happy enough with it. I'd be far too pissed if I ended up "off cycle" to take this chance. LOL

[eranslow]

I have the 3G - and I am soooooo ready for an upgrade! I'll be getting the 4S - and I figure that in a few years when I can get an upgrade there will be another bigger/better iPhone out there. There is no way I can wait until June to get the 5. I'm so ready for an upgrade! lol

[purple_colourz]

16gb was okay for me but when I had the chance to get a 32gb I went for it. The 16gb is good enough though if you don't mind deleting videos or apps you don't use/play anymore when you get new ones.....

There are some cool features on the 4s but I think I'll stick to my 4 for a while, although if my husband upgrades from 3gs to 4s I might swap with him :)

[Angie4b1g]

Now my husband says I should get the 4s now, and then if there's an earlier release of the 5, he'll jailbreak the 4s and sell it on eBay and I can just buy the 5 out of contract and then carry on.

I dunno. Sigh. lol

[MissKim]

My dh wants this new iPhone. He doesn't even have an email account, doesn't do social media and uses the internet once a week to check NFL scores for his fantasy football. I think an iPhone is overkill, especially since we'd be required to buy him a data plan that he'd never use. I floated the idea that maybe we could get this new one for me and I'd give him my iPhone 4, but that's not really flying. So I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut and let him get what he wants and pay the extra for him to be foolish.

[NeverendingJen]

DH is even drooling over the 4S, so right now the plan is I get the 4S and when he gets home from deployment he'll get the newest model, lol.

[crecia27]

Jeff knows a guy that works for Sprint and he said June for the 5. So.. who knows. :D

Unless Sprint is going to offer early upgrades, I'd be livid if I signed up for a 2 year contract and then 8 months later an exclusive came out that they knew about. The reason I left Sprint was their deals for new customers was SO much better than current customers. The guy at the store told me "This isn't lets make a deal, take it or leave it" I said leave it, and walked next door to Cingular.

[kim21673]

We are getting the 4S....we only have the 3G right now and they are almost dead....slower than a snail. We were hoping for a 5 but are going to take the 4S. We have been eligible for one for a while but kept holding out....it's time!!!

[origami]

We are getting the 4S....we only have the 3G right now and they are almost dead....slower than a snail. We were hoping for a 5 but are going to take the 4S. We have been eligible for one for a while but kept holding out....it's time!!!

I compared the 4s specs to my current phone today and well, it's definitely a trade up, even if I only get the 16g option. (My current phone is 16g.) It's not like I plan to store my entire music library anyway.

[d2vasquez]

Add me to the list of people ticked off that the Iphone 5 was not the big news....I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the phone to be released and still nothing. Very frustrating - I have a droid phone that is dying and I had hoped I could milk it a bit more until the release I thought was coming this month. I have to agree with Lynette - with all the things I am reading or not reading lol - I am guessing June would seem logical for the release. Now if I could get my phone to last that long!:p

[Angie4b1g]

I went ahead and ordered (I got the 32gb in white, I am sure the 16 would have been big enough as I have a 16 now and it's no where near full, but I'd rather have too much room than not enough).

If they release the 5 in June, I'm still getting it. :D

If they don't release it until October, I'll be eligible for upgrade again by then anyway.

[BrattyMeg]

If they don't release it until October, I'll be eligible for upgrade again by then anyway.

how? do you not have to wait 2 years? Or upgrading another phone and switching them out?

I've been eligible since March or so and my DH will be eligible again in May I think...see if I upgrade now he'll beat me to the 5 lol and there's NO way he'll switch with me I don't think..ugh

Still holding out on not upgrading yet..but my will is fading

[Angie4b1g]

AT&T lets us upgrade every year since our bill is over $X or something. No idea. But I'm always eligible every 12 months.

[BrattyMeg]

AT&T lets us upgrade every year since our bill is over $X or something. No idea. But I'm always eligible every 12 months.

wow we have 4 iphones with AT&T and pay a pretty bill too (family plan, texting and data..adds up)..wonder why we have to wait 2 years. At least I think we do..usually my dh since he's the acct holder can upgrade every 14-15 months the salesperson did tell us they make them eligible less than 2 years but not for every one of the phones...blah

[Angie4b1g]

Maybe I'm the chosen one. :D

[Angie4b1g]

FYI we have 3 smart phones (2 unlimited data and 1 2gb) and 2 regular phones on our plan, with unlimited texting for all, and some ungodly number of minutes.

[Gemma]

I am so excited, I'm changing to another provider due to various signal problems with the one I'm on now so I have 2 shiny white iPhone 4S's coming on release day. I can't wait!!! :)

[origami]

I cannot figure out how Verizon does their upgrade eligibility. Here's what it says when I go to the "My Device" page on the Verizon website for my phone, a Droid on the master line.

"Eligible for a discount! You are eligible to upgrade with discounted pricing. If you upgrade on or before 3/01/12 you are eligible to receive an additional loyalty discount."

However, when I talked to a Verizon employee at the store, he said I wasn't eligible to upgrade until March of next year. That is NOT how I interpret what it says above at all!

There is a second phone that is quite old and has been eligible for a long time (but it doesn't have a data plan and I want the iPhone 4s on my grandfathered data plan.) I'm afraid that they're going to say that my eligibility for an upgrade is based on the secondary phone, but the quote above is from the DROID page and not the secondary page. The secondary page says

"Eligible for a discount! You are eligible to upgrade with discounted pricing."

I find this all very vague or perhaps I spoke to the wrong Verizon employee today. It's the weekend, so perhaps I'd be better off going in during the week.

[NeverendingJen]

When did you get your droid? Most upgrades are available two years exactly from the original date of purchase, or in some cases 23 months.

[origami]

When did you get your droid? Most upgrades are available two years exactly from the original date of purchase, or in some cases 23 months.

And that is what the Verizon employee said. However, I find their phrasing on the "My Devices" page of their website somewhat misleading. It makes it sound like I'm eligible for a discount now, with an additional discount if I wait until March. Though, honestly, if I wait until March, I might as well wait until May to see if the iPhone 5 comes out. And if I wait until March, I might even just move both our accounts over to Sprint then, as Sprint still offers unlimited data. It just gives me that much more time to think about what to do, rather than impulsively ordering a iPhone 4s right now and getting locked into another 2 years with Verizon. :rolleyes:

[NeverendingJen]

And that is what the Verizon employee said. However, I find their phrasing on the "My Devices" page of their website somewhat misleading. It makes it sound like I'm eligible for a discount now, with an additional discount if I wait until March. Though, honestly, if I wait until March, I might as well wait until May to see if the iPhone 5 comes out. And if I wait until March, I might even just move both our accounts over to Sprint then, as Sprint still offers unlimited data. It just gives me that much more time to think about what to do, rather than impulsively ordering a iPhone 4s right now and getting locked into another 2 years with Verizon. :rolleyes:

Back when I sold verizon phones, customers were eligible for a discounted upgrade at 11 months, and a full upgrade at 23 months...but its been 5.5 years since I worked for them, lol.

[BrattyMeg]

we used to be able to upgrade yearly with AT&T until we got iPhones..then it was 2 years. Not sure what the rule is for regular smart phones or phones that don't require a data plan, etc.

[origami]

From what I understand, you can't use the loyalty discount for the iPhone, so there's no point in waiting until March for that particular discount. To be really honest, MOST (but not all of the time) when I go into a mobile phone store, the sales staff isn't always that aware about how their company's policies work. That being said, the time before last that I went into the Verizon store, I spoke to an extremely sharp and intelligent manager. I think I need to just go back tomorrow and not try to talk to someone at the store on a Sunday. :unsure:

[origami]

Mystery solved! I went back to the Verizon store today (Monday, during the day). It was considerably less crowded and I got to talk to a rep who knew what he was doing. I'm eligible right now for an "Annual Upgrade" which means that I can order the iPhone 4s at the discounted price and pay a $20 upgrade fee. If I wait until March, I don't have to pay the $20 fee and I get a $50 loyalty discount (which is the ONLy discount that can be used on an iPhone.) Also, confirmed that you can buy Applecare for the 4s in-store or online now (apparently, they forgot to offer it when the upgrade sale went live online) and that the insurance Verizon offers is slightly more expensive for the iPhone than for their other phones. ($5 per month more at $10.99 because it's based on the actual price of the phone.)

[KristinCB]

ok.. so i'm venturing into iphone territory. we have never had a smart phone.. but i am really interested. I am wondering would it be stupid to get the iphone 4 for right now - instead of going into a 3 year contract? We can get the iphone 4 for $99 contract free so i'm wondering if this would be a smarter way to go? I'm just a bit out of my element with all this phone stuff.. lol

[origami]

ok.. so i'm venturing into iphone territory. we have never had a smart phone.. but i am really interested. I am wondering would it be stupid to get the iphone 4 for right now - instead of going into a 3 year contract? We can get the iphone 4 for $99 contract free so i'm wondering if this would be a smarter way to go? I'm just a bit out of my element with all this phone stuff.. lol

Wow, I think I'd probably go with that if I had that option because if you're contract free, you could always upgrade later. You'd probably have to take out a contract if you did upgrade, but at least you'd know that you really wanted the upgrade. This way you could figure out if you would really use it and you wouldn't be locked in. There's a definite difference between the 4 and the 4s (Siri, 8 megapixel camera/1080 video) but it's not such a big difference, especially if you aren't locked into a contract.

[KristinCB]

ok nm.. i read the stuff wrong its a 3 year contract too.. ooops! LOL!

So they are saying the biggest change in the 5 will be how its designed?

[kim21673]

I was going to come here and whine and cry b/c we were not eligible for an upgrade yet....DH works for ATT (corporate) and he tried to order the new phones the other day but it was blocked out and he couldn't. In the past SOME employees had to wait about 6 months before they could get the new phone (even though we ARE paying customers too)...it wasn't an option for employees to order one. Same thing this time. DH went to the site to order one and he couldn't. We still have the 3G and they are literally dying....it takes forever for anything to open up and my home button only works about 50% of the time...........so I haven't been very happy for the past few days. But DH talked with someone today and he got them ordered!! WOO HOO!! We won't get the first release but by the end of the month we'll have our new phone!!!!!

YAY!!!!!

[ColleenSwerb]

ok nm.. i read the stuff wrong its a 3 year contract too.. ooops! LOL!

So they are saying the biggest change in the 5 will be how its designed?

Yes. The 4s is the same design as the 4. The 5 will have a different design/look. They're saying bigger screens, different body style, etc. The 4s has all the tech-stuff that they said the 5 would have, but not the design update.

Apparently new accounts can't pre-order. So I'm going first thing friday morning to get mine. Jordan said that even businesses aren't getting phones until the 21st (at least in this area) so I might not even get the dang thing on friday, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[tuneskids]

hubby and I both have an iPhone4, just got them this year. Hubby's is 32GB, mine is 16GB. I have about 6GB space left on my phone right now, but I tend to rotate apps and music frequently. We bought Des' on a contract, but will be eligible for upgrade next spring. Mine we bought outright from a friend who bought it and didn't like it (he is a BlackBerry kind of person). So we will probably upgrade next year to the iPhone5 if we like them. lol

As for cases, I currently only have a silicon skin on mine. I want to upgrade to the Otterbox Defender like my husband has - I know how durable they are: he accidentally left his on his bumper of his jeep and drove all over a field, had it bounce off and not a single scratch on it. lol

[TeriBeary]

I work for a wireless provider and the iPhone 5 was always just speculation - the new OS that has been released is version 5.0 - that is really cool. If you can update your software, do that. The 4S will be impossible to get so if you haven't reserverd it, be prepared to wait :) I would like it because of the camera but have the 4 so no need for me to do anything yet.

[origami]

I work for a wireless provider and the iPhone 5 was always just speculation - the new OS that has been released is version 5.0 - that is really cool. If you can update your software, do that. The 4S will be impossible to get so if you haven't reserverd it, be prepared to wait :) I would like it because of the camera but have the 4 so no need for me to do anything yet.

According to Verizon, phones ordered this week should arrive by October 28th which isn't really a terribly long wait. I wonder if they are simply trying to stagger sending them out because a lot of customers will be wanting to activate them in-store. (If you want to add Applecare+ to a Verizon phone, and chances are that you do, you have to do it within 24 hours of phone activation and I imagine that means a lot of people will simply go into the store to ensure that when their phone arrives. You don't have the extra time to add Applecare+ like you did with the old Applecare.)

[Gemma]

I got my 4S today and I'm in love with it. Going from 3G to this is awesome, it's so much faster and the screen looks so much clearer, that could just be to do with my eyes though lol. I've been playing with Siri all day. I just need to sort iMessage out and get some contacts to talk to.

[ColleenSwerb]

My 4s is ordered. My BIL should be here shortly to go over and add him to my plan and get himself one. :)

[eranslow]

We pre-ordered ours last week...and we are super excited to get them! Hopefully by the end of next week we'll have them in our hands! :)

[Leila]

I got my 4S today and I'm in love with it. Going from 3G to this is awesome, it's so much faster and the screen looks so much clearer, that could just be to do with my eyes though lol. I've been playing with Siri all day. I just need to sort iMessage out and get some contacts to talk to.

It's not just your eyes! The retina display is absolutely amazing when compared to the displays on the 3G(s) versions. So much nicer!!

[ColleenSwerb]

I *tried* to preorder last week, but new accounts can't pre-order. Totally lame! The store I went to got about a dozen of the 16gb versions in, and all the beginning people in line bought multiples. One lady bought 4! So I was SOL, lol.

[KristinCB]

eeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! <<-- guess what that means!

officially joining the club! turns out town near us had one (maybe this is the perks of living in a small town? not sure?

trying not to freak about the fact that we are signing up for a 3 year contract (i get a bit nervous with this sorta thing) having never owned a smart phone or anything like that.. :)

I'm excited to facetime with my sister and see my little nephew! :)

[dgreenshield]

I love my new 4S! I didn't pre-order as I had talked to the ATT people and they said they were anticipating lots being delievered throughout the day on Friday. I arrived at the store at 9:05 on Friday morning...walked in (no line), got my phone and was home by 9:40! It was awesome!

[kim21673]

I just got my 4S today! Woo Hoo!! DH and I are having soooo much fun with Siri!!! What a difference this phone is from the 3G!!!!

[origami]

I just got my 4S today! Woo Hoo!! DH and I are having soooo much fun with Siri!!! What a difference this phone is from the 3G!!!!

Mine arrived yesterday. It is way cool!

[ColleenSwerb]

I got mine yesterday but didn't activate it. BIL's should arrive this afternoon, and then I'll go to the store and activate them both (+ get my MIL a line and a phone).