I’m a numpty and challenged by new technology. changed jobs and using (read struggling) with a Mac. Need a new phone to pick up email, make calls and use t’internet with. Got confused and fed up looking at the vast array.

Have been recommended to just get an iPhone and I’ll learn to love it. Can get a 3GS or a 4 but pay a decent chunk on top. 4 owners say battery life and some stuff makes it worthwhile, whereas 3GS owners seem happy (straw poll in the office).

So bearing in mind I’m not techno driven, will a 3GS be more than adequate or as I learn to use it, will I wish I plumped for a 4?

Thanks (and apologies for my run of idiotic phone qns 😳 )

get the 4,
or wait a couple of months and get the 5.
or the 4 cheap.

Have you outgrown the functionality of your 3GS iphone?
If not then get the cheaper 3GS and wait until you outgrow it – most Iphone 4 users only possess it for willy-waggling contests

Had a 3G and got a 4. All the stuff about signal attenuation on the 4 is true in my experience, it really is terrible. Still love it though. If I’d had a 3GS I’d have stuck with that. If you can pick up a 3GS cheap then go with that. Otherwise I’d hold out for the next model.

Get the 4. The 5 generation iPhone will be out in the Summer making 3GS two generations detached. You might find that you start having software update issues. The upgrades that accompanied the release of the 4 were a bit slow on the 3 (not 3GS).

My thoughts on fast moving technology is normally to buy the current version then upgrade every other version, keeps things reasonably up to date without becoming too obsessed with the latest gadgety thing.

Besides all that the 4 is a nicer looking thing.

Lots of the newer apps don’t always work on the 3gs and the 4 does have a few nicer features over the 3.

I got the iphone 4 as i’m a technophobe and i was told it was the most user friendly. I’ve been very happy with mine so far and had no problems with the phone reception although i have a mate with one and his always cuts out during calls?

If you wait a while they’ll get cheaper (especially when the next model is released) or if you are not on Vodafone then Quidco quite often do cashback deals on them that are good. It was a £150 offer last month but as i was already with Vodafone i couldn’t get the deal so had to pay £139 instead. 🙁

I’ve had both.

iPhone 4
– much better screen (it’s twice the resolution – stuff really does look lovely on it)
– significantly better battery life. Still need to charge every day but I never run out now even with a lot of music playback or browsing.
– really good camera. 3GS camera is ok in good light. 4 camera has OK flash and takes good HDR pics in low light – it’s good enough to use as a proper ‘snapshot’ camera (better than the N95 which was my previous benchmark)

Also seems tougher and better put together – plastic back of the 3 can scratch up pretty quickly and it could feel a bit rough around the edges. The 4 feels like a swiss watch – solid, and the glass front and back seem really tough.

Buy the 4, look after it, increased resale value after 2 years will probably cover the difference.

and the glass front and back seem really tough

the front of my 4 is cracked. not enough to worry about replacing it but annoying all the same. didnt drop it, not sure how it happened.

Everything that simons_nicolia-uk said.

I’ve had both, wife now has my 3GS.

The “Retina” display on the 4 is amazingly good – very detailed and clear with nice smooth text.
(I was happy with the 3GS display till I started using the 4, now I can’t stand it).

The camera is considerably better than the 3GS too, as is the battery life.

Other than that they are pretty similar.

I’ve got both and the 4G is significantly better than the 3GS – screen, speakers, battery life, cameras, flash etc

thanks all … seems like the 4 is the way to go

Don’t forget to buy a bumper if you want to make calls though!

for the price diff the 3GS for me… the differences are not great enough for the price difference imo!

Just hold on.

Sent from my iPhone7 beta

If you can wait until June/July, then get a v.5 iPhone. I skipped the 3Gs and went from 3 to 4, and the difference was astonishing; if I go back to the old 3 for some reason, it’s soooo sloooooowwww. Personally I’ve never had call issues, but having said that I’ve got a clear plastic Belkin case on mine, plus a clear screen protector. You only have to look at the state of the case to see that it’s worth having just to keep a pricey and nice looking bit of tech in good nick, especially considering the good second-hand prices iPhones fetch. My contract means I’ll get an iPhone 6 next upgrade, which’ll be interesting. As others have said, the camera really is stunningly good, but things like the GPS are also very good indeed. I love mine, it’s in continual use, and battery like can be an issue, but I spent a day in London recently, using the GPS extensively, the camera, and ebook on the train up and back and in the station bar for a couple of hours, and it lasted from 8am to gone 11pm, which I thought was pretty good. You can get a back-up battery from Amazon that’ll charge two phones at once for £22.