[nathdep]

Hello everyone!

My mom is due for her upgrade in a little less than a month and I thought I would take it from her (aren't I a good son... ).

Anyway, we both have Verizon and I see that they have recently released the iPhone 5. It costs $200 with a contract renewal. As I was browsing, I found that the iPhone 4 actually comes free with a contract renewal. I was wondering if I should fork over the $200 for the iPhone 5 or if I should just get the free phone. Are there any big differences that would convince me to buy the iPhone 5?

My phone is eligible for an upgrade in July. I am somewhat willing to wait that long but since I am an impatient person, I would rather use my mom's upgrade since she rarely uses her phone to begin with.

So, should I take the free iPhone 4 or buy the iPhone 5? Or, should I forget the two and wait until July for the upgrade for my phone?

Thanks for any help!

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The biggest reason to upgrade to the iPhone 5 with Verizon or any carrier is for 4G support. What difference does 4G make? It depends greatly on your network and location, but it's been my experience that 3G is good for about 1Mbps download speeds, while 4G is good for about 10Mps. Or, 10X faster.

There are also pitfalls. If you have an unlimited data plan with Verizon, you'll lose it if you upgrade to an iPhone 5 (or any new phone). Oh the irony of giving faster speeds, while implementing data caps.

The iPhone 5 also has a longer (not wider) screen, and a better camera. Both of these are incremental improvements. As is the faster CPU, and iOS6.

Bottom line. Do you really need faster internet speeds, or are your current speeds adequate? How much data do you use? Many people find the 4S meets their needs, and sales figures support that claim. The iPhone 4 is 2 generations behind, and will not get future iOS updates. I would have a hard time recommended the iPhone 4.

[admin]

The biggest reason to upgrade to the iPhone 5 with Verizon or any carrier is for 4G support. What difference does 4G make? It depends greatly on your network and location, but it's been my experience that 3G is good for about 1Mbps download speeds, while 4G is good for about 10Mps. Or, 10X faster.

There are also pitfalls. If you have an unlimited data plan with Verizon, you'll lose it if you upgrade to an iPhone 5 (or any new phone). Oh the irony of giving faster speeds, while implementing data caps.

The iPhone 5 also has a longer (not wider) screen, and a better camera. Both of these are incremental improvements. As is the faster CPU, and iOS6.

Bottom line. Do you really need faster internet speeds, or are your current speeds adequate? How much data do you use? Many people find the 4S meets their needs, and sales figures support that claim. The iPhone 4 is 2 generations behind, and will not get future iOS updates. I would have a hard time recommended the iPhone 4.

[nathdep]

You do make a good point about the iPhone 4 being 2 generations behind. I really don't want to be left out of the updates. I have also become very used to 4G as my area was lucky enough to get it. I'm not so sure how I would feel downgrading to 3G. I just wish that the iPhone 5 wasn't so expensive! Is there another phone that you would recommend?

Right now, I have a Droid Bionic and on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, I would probably rate it about a 5 or a 6. The resolution is pretty good and the internet is pretty fast. The things I don't like, however, is the wait time for it to start up (it take like 5 minutes!), the freezing, and the extremely short battery life. I think there might even be a defect with the battery because there have been times where I will have to take my phone out of my pocket because of it overheating. I've hear horror stories from my friend who said that his Droid has actually caught a piece of paper on fire because of this problem. While this may seem a little far fetched I can tell you that my phone gets pretty hot sometimes.

On top of all this, I don't listen to a whole lot of music. I have always thought that an iPhone wouldn't serve me much good because of the fact that I wouldn't buy much music.

Is there a Droid that doesn't have these problems? Is there another phone you recommend?

[Theoutdoorsman]

Another interesting point to make, would be in terms of repair costs should you accidentally damage your digitizer/lcd assembly (not covered under insurance). Currently, the iPhone 5 replacement lcd/digitizer assemblies sell for in excess of $200 US. The iPhone 4/4S replacements are selling for about $34 US. Even if you don't perform the repair yourself, you can obviously see where the repair bill from a reputable business would be much less for the iPhone 4/4S. In my opinion the 4S is a winner, hands-down. With it you will receive 4G service, assuming it is available in your area as previously mentioned, and a dual core processor vs. a single core processor in the iPhone 4. This equates to increased productivity. Until replacement parts come down in price, I will continue to lean on the 4S for the above mentioned reasons alone ...