Apple iPhone 3GS

[hotreds]

I can get one of these for $200 with my current plan. I currently have a Samsung A697. Is it worth my while to upgrade?

[PCR]

I think the 3GS is a four year old phone. Currently the 4S is out with the 5 due out in a few weeks

[hotreds]

My plan does not offer the 4 or 5. Wondering if the 3 is a worthwhile $200 upgrade from what I am currently using.

[PCR]

I bought my 4S in April for $150. Maybe shop around for a different plan? Seems expensive for an out dated phone.

[kelmac07]

I don't think $ 200 for an older phone is a deal Hugh. :2

[massphatness]

I bought my 4S in April for $150. Maybe shop around for a different plan? Seems expensive for an out dated phone.

What he said, Hugh

[BlkDrew]

you can get a 4s with a new plan for 200 from att. my wife got the 3gs for 99 on my plan.

[hotreds]

Thanks- will pass!

[PCR]

Thanks- will pass!

Good idea Hugh. I have Verizon service, great coverage here. I'd bet in a month or so the price for the 4S will drop significantly. Good luck!

[CigarNut]

I don't think $ 200 for an older phone is a deal Hugh. :2

What he said, Hugh

Thanks- will pass!
Good idea Hugh -- the 3GS is a dead phone... It is also very slow by current smartphone standards...

[Dave128]

When we got our 4 a few months ago, the 3GS was on sale for 99 cents ( yes, 99 cents).

[emopunker2004]

Currently the 3gs is free with ATT (and the 4 is $100 and the 4S is $150 from sprint)

[equetefue]

Dont think is a smart move with how old the phone is, and the price of $200. The reality is that they will stop supporting the phone as far as software updates in the next year or so, as it will be 3 generations old when the 5 hit the shelves in a few weeks.

[CigarNut]

Currently the 3gs is free with ATT (and the 4 is $100 and the 4S is $150 from sprint)
To be fair these prices include a two year contract with AT&T.

AT&T's no-contract prices are:

- 8GB 3GS - $376
- 8GB 4 - $550
- 16GB 4S - $650
- 64GB 4S - $850

So, on the surface $200 for a 3GS does not seem too bad. It's a 3 1/2 (Calendar) year old phone. However, in "Technology Years" it is more like 15 years old. The WiFi was spotty (at least for me), the 3G service also had some issues -- lots of dropped calls. The big problem though is that as Apple improved IOS, IOS got bigger and required more resources to run -- resources that the 3GS does not have -- and the 3GS today has a hard time keeping up...

One final thought is that the 3GS was designed with the AT&T network in mind, so I don't know how well these older iPhones work on other networks. By this I am not referring to the need to jailbreak them or anything of the sort. I am referring to network compatibility. This may not be an issue -- I do not know. It's just something to think about...

[mosesbotbol]

I don't think that price is high if it is factory unlocked. There is an iPhone repair shop down the street from my house and the owner says the 3Gs is the best iPhone in his opinion.

[King James]

It also may be important to note that most of the key new features that will be available in iOS 6 will not be available on the 3GS

[replicant_argent]

I don't think that price is high if it is factory unlocked. There is an iPhone repair shop down the street from my house and the owner says the 3Gs is the best iPhone in his opinion.
As I recall, the 3GS, unlocked, used in T-Mobile is only capable of Edge network speeds, unsure of baseband capacity or capability for other networks.
Something to keep in mind.

[mosesbotbol]

I think he was basing it on manufacture, longevity, and general use issues; not it being the most state or art or current. He was not a fan of 4.0 for whatever reason.

Technicians and end users can see from different perspectives. Not saying he is right, just an opinion from someone who makes a good living from fixing iPhones

[floydpink]

I upgrade normally every other model with the iPhone and skip the S models due to the fact that, normally, there is a complete redesign on every other model and only small software upgrades on the S models and I lock in 2 year contracts.

Going from the 3 to the 4 was a noticeable difference in every way.

The rumors have been verified and the invitations for Apple's media announcement next week will be for the iPhone 5 announcement.

I am do for an upgrade and will be going from the 4 to the 5 and hopefully paying very little by selling my 4.

As far as the 3GS being the best model.....not sure where that comes from.

[mosesbotbol]

As far as the 3GS being the best model.....not sure where that comes from.

It comes from him: http://iphonecurt.com/index.html

[floydpink]

Ok, we all have our personal favorites.
Personally, I was thrilled to get rid of mine.

I'm hoping to get around $200 for my iPhone 4 which is in perfect condition and never left an Otterbox Defender case.

[mariogolbee]

As I recall, the 3GS, unlocked, used in T-Mobile is only capable of Edge network speeds, unsure of baseband capacity or capability for other networks.
Something to keep in mind.
I currently have a 3GS and T-Mobile. The "3G" is slow at times, but I don't need it very often. If I need to use the internet, I'm usually near a computer or in wireless range. I get a good phone, integration with my iMac, apps, and some internet when I actually need it.

$50 per month compared to $100 is also a huge plus. It would cost me an extra $600 per year to roll with AT&T.:2

Now, if I was constantly on FB then this phone would not suit my needs, but I'm not.

P.S. My phone has not dropped a call once since I have owned it.

[lilninjabuddy]

According to t-Mobile, by year end their spectrum should be switched so that all iphones can use the 3g speed, not just EDGE.

I currently use my iphone 3gs with EDGE, on a grandfathered $10/mo unlimited plan. While the iPhone 3GS isn't the fastest phone in the world, it does everything I need it to do, and I can afford to wait one second for something to load. ("It's going to SPACE!" lol).

[emopunker2004]

The problem with the 3gs being so many gens behind is it's about to be left out of some of the iOS updates and many newer apps that come out when iOS6 comes out will not work on the 3gs.

[mariogolbee]

The problem with the 3gs being so many gens behind is it's about to be left out of some of the iOS updates and many newer apps that come out when iOS6 comes out will not work on the 3gs.
Missing out on some of the newer apps may or may not suck. My phone is jail broken, so I haven't updated the OS for some time now, but it works fine. Well, everything except for iBooks works fine.

[Silound]

Personally, I follow the principle of "Pick a phone you LIKE and are COMFORTABLE with, and BUY IT! (damned the cost)"

But I typically hold on to phones for years past a contract timeline, and Verizon won't give me subsidized upgrades anymore since I adamantly refuse to give up my unlimited data plan. :)