My daughter is after a new phone.So do I go for iPhone 5 or 4s. And before you say Samsung ,HTC or Nexus it has to be a iPhone she has had a blackberry for years and is desperate for iPhone.Which would you go for and why?
Thanks Ed

If you can, wait a few weeks and the question will be a 5s or a 5 (or a 4s at much reduced price).

(According to the rumour mill.. no guarantee on updates timing but meant to be soon).

Why not a 4? You can pick them up for peanuts and are fine.

My concern with 4 or 4s is that in say 18 months time it’s going to be really outdated , slow etc.

I would say the Iphone 3. It’s vintage and retro. All the cool kids like that sort of thing.

I’ve got a 3gs which still works fine though not nearly as fast as the SO’s 5. I’m planning to upgrade to a 4s when the new model comes out as the 3gs will no longer be supported. I figure I’ll hopefully get at least 2 to 3 years out of a 4s before it’s no longer supported.

Im waiting to see if this mini i phone materialises.

I’m sure the 4 will be outdated in 18 months. The thing is you can pick one up for 150 pounds. In 18 months pick up a 5 for 150 pounds.
How much is a 5 now? A whole lot more.

The current software (6.1.3) has broken my 4S wifi/bluetooth ( and a lot of others it would seem ).

At the moment, I would hold off a 4S just now and as others say wait until things are announced in a few weeks.

My concern with 4 or 4s is that in say 18 months time it’s going to be really outdated , slow etc.

It won’t be any slower than it is now. I’ve got the 3GS, 4 and 4S and they’re all fine to use.

The 4 will only be slow in 18 months if you keep updating the OS.

The problem with getting an old iOS device is Apple have a knack of releasing OS updates that aren’t compatible with the new one. My Wife’s iPhone 3GS and first Gen iPad can’t update and unfortunately alot of Apps too, as the the updates are for iOS6. The same could be said for Android devices, but they’re much cheaper.

If the rumours are true, there should be a new premium iPhone, 5S?, and possibly a bargain one to compete with the Android phones.

TBF Laz, the 3GS is now 4 years old, and though you won’t get apps to update (would they work with the hardware anyway?), it will still happily work as a phone, internet & email device & mp3 player, you hardly have to throw it away now do you?
(mines in my car as an mp3 player)

… and all honesty I thought the updates actually made my phones quicker.

To the OP, I’d get her a cheap 2nd hand iphone 4 to see if she likes it, you can always flog it later for probably the same price and put it toward whatever device she wants (newer iphone or android device)

Don’t get a 4 – in a couple of months the new iOS comes out – this is a software update which will change the way the phone looks and works and it will not run on a 4. Your daughter will care about this a lot !

Depending on your budget you can wait for the new 5s/6 either to get one of those or to see if you can find a deal on a 5 or possibly a 4s. I’ve got a 4s and it’s very good but personally if I was getting a new phone I would not want to be more than one model behind.

As for spec I think 16gb is fine (which is what I have) 1200 photos, 500+ songs, lots of apps and room for 2 or 3 full length movies – if you don’t have the movies that’s space for a lot more songs

The 4 will only be slow in 18 months if you keep updating the OS

There’s a very simple fix for this, just don’t update iOS….

and though you won’t get apps to update

I’ve only come across one App which demands the latest iOS (I haven’t bothered to upgrade to iOS 6), everything else just runs fine in iOS 5.

iolo – Member

I’m sure the 4 will be outdated in 18 months. The thing is you can pick one up for 150 pounds. In 18 months pick up a 5 for 150 pounds.
How much is a 5 now? A whole lot more.

I would like to know where you can get a new iphone 4 for £150 ?

Not new. Have a look on the classifieds here. They crop up often.

Not new. Have a look on the classifieds here. They crop up often.

Evidence, as I’ve not seen any iphones for that kinda a money – even broken ones go for more (and I’ve no idea why either).

Anyway, what is ‘outdated’ – it still works just as it did when new.

3 seems to be the cheapest place for an iphone, unless anyone else knows better.

Don’t get a 4 – in a couple of months the new iOS comes out – this is a software update which will change the way the phone looks and works and it will not run on a 4.

Not so – see the bottom of this page on Apple’s website. There will be some features confined to iPhone 5, and some to 5 & 4S, but that’s no different to what has gone before.

As already mentioned, if she’s not wanting one right now, the prediction is early/mid Sept. for an announcement of the 5S and a possible ‘cheaper’ version – prices of the older devices will fall accordingly.

(Still got an original iPhone working – is that hipster cred. yet?)

Here’s one example B R. Use the search and you’ll find many more

Don’t get a 4 – in a couple of months the new iOS comes out – this is a software update which will change the way the phone looks and works and it will not run on a 4.

What drlex said …….. the above is borrox.
My wife and two of my daughters all use 3gs and it’s fine. The 4 is nice and i’m guessing the 5 is nicer still.

I still think the curved body of the original is nicer to hold than the newer box design of the 4 & 5.

@drlex and @sharkbait – understood re your comment that iOS7 will run on a 4, I recalled something different from the recent developer keynote address but must be mistaken. I have an ipad1 which will only run iOS5 and will soon be too whole versions behind with ios7 and already certain aps, like google maps, are not as up to date. I stand by what I said, it makes no sense to get a 4 on a new contract, using an old phone you already have on a cheap contract / payg is different.

Jambalaya, there was some confusion after the keynote address about iOS 7 running on iP4/4S, and the older iPad, but a later statement said that it would run on those devices, but certain features wouldn’t, rather like Siri, for example;
Which I’m still to find a use for coming up to a year after I got my iP5.
I actually prefer my 4, TBH; I like the fact it feels really solid, like a proper piece of engineering, somehow. Mine’s been stripped down, and I just use it as an iPod and for certain navigation functions, like CoPilot, but when next year’s iPhone update comes around, I’ll sell the 5, and keep the 4, I like it that much.

wait for the new one/ones unless you can get a 5 for a decent price

Why not a 4? You can pick them up for peanuts and are fine.

Really? Where from? I sold my old one last week for £190 and that’s the going rate for one in good condition on eBay, so hardly peanuts.

The 4/4s is in my opinion a much nicer phone to use and look at, I have a 5 but the 4 looks so much nicer. But a teenager will want the latest one.

Really? Where from? I sold my old one last week for £190 and that’s the going rate for one in good condition on eBay, so hardly peanuts.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-apple-iphone-4-16gb-unlocked-150-delivered

Jeez someone doesn’t research market prices!

It’s really interesting that on this and the other 5 v 4s thread, a lot of people with 5’s, really rate and prefer their 4 and 4s.

I am swithering between a 5 or 4s at the moment. I am switching back from a Samsung S2 and Andriod, but previously had an Iphone3. I am out of contract and not too bothered about either the 5S or 5C, I think you will still be paying a premium for either phone. The iphone prices are already dropping on the 5, but I could get a 4s for nowt and a great tariff for £23 per month from Three.

My main concern is falling too far behind the IOS / tech curve. Sounds like 4s will be fine with IOS7, but what about IOS8 and 9?