[Infiniti7]

everyone is talking about getting the 4s but the iphone4 only came out a year ago so how that means most you guys are flat out buying the 4s for 400-800 hundred dollars ha?

[pilsbury]

I saved one of my upgrades that came due in July. So I sold my i4 for $300 and bought the i4S for $199.

[wfs2011]

definitely on contract.

[patricksmangan]

You should still be able to get a new contract with the subsadized price even if your upgrading. You might need to pay etf if ur using the same #, and you wont get that upgrade discount if ur not elegible yet, but should still be able to get the contract and subsadized, advertized price.

My question is if i can save money buying it outright on sprint. I think the plans cost the same, so the only advantage is no etf when u want to leave?

[DrewBear]

...that means most you guys are flat out buying the 4s for 400-800 hundred dollars ha?

My guess is the majority of 4S buyers are upgrading from a 3GS, 3G or older non-iOS phone (Blackberry, Android, etc.) Those who are upgrading from the iPhone 4 can either sell it to offset the cost of the 4S or can pass it down to a family member.

I used a Verizon upgrade from a Palm Pre+. If I choose to buy the next gen iPhone in 2012, my 4S will go to someone in my family who doesn't yet use a smartphone of any kind.

[verwon]

I'm on Sprint and just added a line.


Sent from my iOS ecosystem!

[IamHahn]

My guess is the majority of 4S buyers are upgrading from a 3GS, 3G or older non-iOS phone (Blackberry, Android, etc.) Those who are upgrading from the iPhone 4 can either sell it to offset the cost of the 4S or can pass it down to a family member.

Agreed. There are Mac Enthusiasts that would spend the money on an off contract iP4s, but the majority of iP4s buyers thus far probably had carrier subsidized prices. Personally I couldn't justify 650 on a phone.

[Turbo_lemon]

Bought 2 4S's and an ipad 2 full retail price!

[Alienware_51#IM]

Full retail price here.

[Bias X]

I joined my friends family plan and am letting my line on my current family plan expire.
Seeing as how i am not the account holder (but authorized user) i was unable to do an early termination.
Its only 10 bucks for 3 months so ha, not to big of a drainage.

[Dark_Blu]

everyone is talking about getting the 4s but the iphone4 only came out a year ago so how that means most you guys are flat out buying the 4s for 400-800 hundred dollars ha?

No. My upgrade would've been on December 1st with $150 discount. My understanding is that the discount would've come off the full price of the iPhone 4 or 4S (not subsidized), so $150 off $749 would've made the price of for me on December 1st- $599.99 plus $99 Applecare would've been $698.99. So it would've actually been more expensive for me to wait for my upgrade versus what I did- Add the phone as a second line, pay the subsidized price, deactivate my EVO, and pay the $140 ETF for deactivating the EVO in November on my next bill. Saved me money and I got to have the awesome launch day experience.

[Infiniti7]

I have a funny feeling apple will not release the iphone5 in one year. i feel like we could see the next iphone in a year and a half or two years. what do you think? i just dont see how they keep coming out with new phones each year because they have so expensive to get if you are not upgrading

[kjjb0204]

I have a funny feeling apple will not release the iphone5 in one year. i feel like we could see the next iphone in a year and a half or two years. what do you think? i just dont see how they keep coming out with new phones each year because they have so expensive to get if you are not upgrading

Remember though that after the 3g was the 3gs and after the 4 is the 4s, so they aren't really completely new devices. Every other year is more of a device enhancement. If they stick with that pattern, you should expect a completely new device in 2012.

[Infiniti7]

you think the iphone5 will have 4G service? surprised apple has not done that yet

[Fausty82]

everyone is talking about getting the 4s but the iphone4 only came out a year ago so how that means most you guys are flat out buying the 4s for 400-800 hundred dollars ha?

I'm the main line on a 4-line family plan... so I get an upgrade every year. Been sitting on this upgrade since June 24.

Also, my daughter can't afford the $300 for a new phone, so I use her upgrade when I need it and do the "hand me down" thing with phones.

[mobile79]

Upgrade price here. I returned my newly purchased Moto Photon at the end of August when the rumblings of a Sprint iPhone were getting really strong. That return reset my upgrade, and I used a POS Samsung Intercept for a month and a half waiting for the iPhone. Happy days are here again!

[DrewBear]

I have a funny feeling apple will not release the iphone5 in one year. i feel like we could see the next iphone in a year and a half or two years. what do you think? i just dont see how they keep coming out with new phones each year because they have so expensive to get if you are not upgrading

3 out of 4 times rumors are false, but this points to a Summer 2012 release. Not sure I believe that, but I'm fairly certain we'll get the next gen iPhone sometime next year.

Remember that in most parts of the world people pay the full ~$650 price for the iPhone. Expensive or not, the fact is people have been buying them in record numbers. In the U.S., those who buy the next iPhone will be original iPhone 4 owners who did not upgrade this year. And of course there are more people buying smartphones for the very first time every year. Apple will have no problems finding a market for a new iPhone next year.

[ilwhana]

My guess is the majority of 4S buyers are upgrading from a 3GS, 3G or older non-iOS phone (Blackberry, Android, etc.) Those who are upgrading from the iPhone 4 can either sell it to offset the cost of the 4S or can pass it down to a family member.

I used a Verizon upgrade from a Palm Pre+. If I choose to buy the next gen iPhone in 2012, my 4S will go to someone in my family who doesn't yet use a smartphone of any kind.

Why did you forget to mention original iPhone user

I'm the original iPhone user!!!

[Fausty82]

3 out of 4 times rumors are false, but this points to a Summer 2012 release. Not sure I believe that, but I'm fairly certain we'll get the next gen iPhone sometime next year.

Remember that in most parts of the world people pay the full ~$650 price for the iPhone. Expensive or not, the fact is people have been buying them in record numbers. In the U.S., those who buy the next iPhone will be original iPhone 4 owners who did not upgrade this year. And of course there are more people buying smartphones for the very first time every year. Apple will have no problems finding a market for a new iPhone next year.

Not sure that I agree 100%. There are a good number of people (myself included) who do upgrade every year. I had the iPhone 4, I got the iPhone 4S, and I'm already 99% sure that I will buy the next one, too.

But I do agree that Apple will not have any issue finding a market for their products - phones, iPads and computers.

[DrewBear]

Why did you forget to mention original iPhone user

I'm the original iPhone user!!!

My bad. I actually have 2 nieces who upgraded from the original iPhone. I applaud you all for sticking to the same smartphone for over 3 yrs.

Not sure that I agree 100%. There are a good number of people (myself included) who do upgrade every year. I had the iPhone 4, I got the iPhone 4S, and I'm already 99% sure that I will buy the next one, too.

As an Apple shareholder, I thank you for your business. Yes, I know there are many who can afford to upgrade every year. I just think the majority of the 70-80 million iPhone 4Ses that will be sold in the next year will be to those who have the older devices.

BTW, if you take good care of your iPhones, the resale value is usually very strong and cuts the cost of upgrading every year to the $200-300 range depending on if your carrier gives you any sort of one year discount. That's still not chump change, but it's not the $700+ that it would otherwise cost.

[verwon]

No. My upgrade would've been on December 1st with $150 discount. My understanding is that the discount would've come off the full price of the iPhone 4 or 4S (not subsidized), so $150 off $749 would've made the price of for me on December 1st- $599.99 plus $99 Applecare would've been $698.99. So it would've actually been more expensive for me to wait for my upgrade versus what I did- Add the phone as a second line, pay the subsidized price, deactivate my EVO, and pay the $140 ETF for deactivating the EVO in November on my next bill. Saved me money and I got to have the awesome launch day experience.

No, if you're on Sprint that $150 gives you the full upgrade price, all the same discounts you got for setting up a new line, or that a new customer does, so it wouldn't have cost you $599.


Sent from my iOS ecosystem!

[Jellotime91]

Ordered mine unlocked from Apple for the first time this year...

I may just sell it online though and not even open it, cause I just bought a MacBook Air and an iPad 2 and I like my iPhone 4 just fine. Some of them are going online for like $1600. I don't know really if Siri is worth almost $900 of my money to keep ($749+tax).

[Rocktapus]

new contract. not everybody on tipb has an iphone 4. ;]

[Fausty82]

My bad. I actually have 2 nieces who upgraded from the original iPhone. I applaud you all for sticking to the same smartphone for over 3 yrs.


As an Apple shareholder, I thank you for your business. Yes, I know there are many who can afford to upgrade every year. I just think the majority of the 70-80 million iPhone 4Ses that will be sold in the next year will be to those who have the older devices.

BTW, if you take good care of your iPhones, the resale value is usually very strong and cuts the cost of upgrading every year to the $200-300 range depending on if your carrier gives you any sort of one year discount. That's still not chump change, but it's not the $700+ that it would otherwise cost.

Exactly. I have a running record of selling my previous year's device to help defray the cost of the new one. Typically I am within about $25 of the cost of the new one (remember, I get annual upgrades). This year, however, I banked $0 because I gave my old phone to my daughter.

And I'm an Apple shareholder, too. So I am doing my part to keep my investment (in the company AND the devices) up.

[xlipstickandbruisesx]

No. My upgrade would've been on December 1st with $150 discount. My understanding is that the discount would've come off the full price of the iPhone 4 or 4S (not subsidized), so $150 off $749 would've made the price of for me on December 1st- $599.99 plus $99 Applecare would've been $698.99. So it would've actually been more expensive for me to wait for my upgrade versus what I did- Add the phone as a second line, pay the subsidized price, deactivate my EVO, and pay the $140 ETF for deactivating the EVO in November on my next bill. Saved me money and I got to have the awesome launch day experience.

Just so you know, when you're eligible for $150 discount you get the new line/customer pricing. I have no idea why they even say $150 discount because it's not the case and just confuses people.