I currently have an out of contract iphone 3g & am thinking on an iphone 4, I have read loads of stuff on the 4, good & bad but still cannot decide. I’m just not sure on the styling of the 4, I like the rounded back, it just feels right.
Would I be best to wait for the next edition, as it must be on the horizon soon, I would hate to get into a 2year deal then they announce the 5 or whatever they will call it. Anyone have any views?

Apple products, no matter what they are, seem to be a major update every 2 years, with an interim facelift or minor update after the initial 12 months. I wouldn’t expect an iPhone 5 until June 2012, unless it comes out in 2011 and is not a significant step forward on the 4 at all.

What version of iOS are you on on your 3G? If you’ve updated to iOS4, it runs a bit of a pig on the older, slower 3G. iPhone 4 has a much faster processor (like 2.5x faster) and more RAM. I’ll agree on the styling though, to look at the iPhone 4 is nice, but it’s nowhere near as tactile as the 3G cos that had nice rounded edges to touch.

Still don’t regret getting my 4 at all though.

4 completely destroys the 3G (and 3GS) IMO.
No contest. Faster, amazing screen, better camera, better GPS, better reception, bigger battery.

The new iPhone will be released next June, Apple have fixed release scedules for all their devises. If you can, I’d wait for the 5G, then you’ll be on a two-year cycle with the contract, skipping a generation each upgrade. The 4G is vastly superior to the 3, I have a 3 upstairs, and going back to it shows it’s limitations; bootup takes forever, opening apps is markedly slower, the camera alone on the 4 knocks spots off the 3G, and the GPS is much more accurate and faster to aquire satellites. Regarding the shape, after using a 4G for a while a 3G feels flimsy, I’ve cracked the back on my 3 by dropping it on the headphone plug, the 4G has the socket in the steel frame and is much stronger. As a side benefit, using a spirit level app is much easier because the phone will happily sit upright on it’s edge or base, something I’ve taken advantage of numerous times. The 5G could have double the capacity, up to 64Gb, as the chips will have been around long enough for the price to drop significantly, RAM may double and processor speed may possibly increase as well. You’ve got nothing to lose by waiting and everything to gain.

I’ve just gone from an 8gb 3G to a 32gb 4.

It’s not a night and day difference but the 4 is a LOT faster. The multitasking means that you can leave apps open and they are ready to use instantly. Last night I was chatting to my brother on headphones, sending texts and surfing the net at then same time, and there was no noticeable drop in speed. The 4.1 software on the 3G slowed it down too much for my liking. The camera is a lot better, video is handy and the screen is defiately a lot better although you only really notice it when looking at pics or films. Voice control is handy too. I don’t really use the gps much though.
To be honest I wouldn’t wait for the next version if I were you. It’ll only be an update on the 4 like the 3GS was on the 3. When my 18 month contract is up I’ll be ready for the next major update 🙂

the screen is defiately a lot better although you only really notice it when looking at pics or films

????
I notice the difference in everything, photos yes, but also the lovely smooth print-quality text and the fact I can read the forum while fully zoomed out.

I can’t stand using my wife’s 3GS now because the screen looks horrible by comparison.
The screen on the 4 is literally the best screen I have ever used.

I can’t stand using my wife’s 3GS now because the screen looks horrible by comparison.
The screen on the 4 is literally the best screen I have ever used.

Chill out FFS! It’s not THAT good! Text and stuff looks identical to me, sorry. You can still read it when it’s very small I suppose, but that’s a bit pointless. 🙂

At the end of the day it’s just a small LCD and will always have the limitations of it’s size.

just bought an unlocked 4g from the applestore. much better than the 3 it replaced. main reason for doing so was better camera/battery life.
the screen is very impressive and the multitasking is good.
£500 is expensive for a mobile but it will save me money in the long run as sim only plans are so cheap.

Oh yeah. Battery life is at least 50% more than my 3G but I reckon that had faded a little at 18 months old

The camera zoom is useless though because its purely digital. Cropping does the same thing.

Chill out FFS! It’s not THAT good! Text and stuff looks identical to me, sorry. /quote]

Sorry also, but I think you may need your eyes checked. 😀
(Either that or your using apps that don’t have Retina graphics – i.e. Opera)

It has FOUR times as many pixels as the older ones, double the resolution.

For me it is the most important difference between the models.

Got my glasses on!

You really are overstating your case though. Yes, it’s better. But it’s evolution, not revolution. 🙂

To me, the bigger memory is far more important as my old 3G was full and I’ve half filled the 32gb on this already.

Ah well I already had 32GB on my 3GS so that made no odds to me.

I realise I’m probably overstating it, but the display difference is revolutionary for me.
It’s the first time I’ve used a screen with a higher resolution than my printer!

I’m still bamboozled that you can’t see this difference:

Battery life is the other major benefit between the models for me.

OP: this may be useful:
http://www.tipb.com/2010/06/24/iphone-4-iphone-3gs-pictures/

ive got a 4, I found that the 3gs I had when I was using gps taacking while out on my bike that the battery only lasted about 4-5 hours

the 4 lasts longer so makes it more useable

I’m with GrahamS on this, the screen really is so much sharper. It was the first thing I noticed. Any other phone I look at now just seems very pixelated.