iPhone 4 Review: Should You Make The Upgrade?

Ever since I got the iPhone 3G about 16 months ago, it has been a gateway drug to Apple for me. I was so in love with it, that it caused me to buy an iMac, and then a 13″ Macbook Pro. I’m officially a Mac junkie, and I’ll never go back. You can go ahead and make fun of me, but having dealt with Windows PC for the past 15 years of my life and constantly being frustrated with them, I’ve drank the Apple Kool-Aid. That’s why I spent an hour and a half of my life on Monday following the live blog from Engadget about the keynote speech from Steve Jobs about their newest gadget, the iPhone 4. If you’ve already got an iPhone, then you’re probably either waiting for June 15th to pre-order it or you’re or the fence about whether you should upgrade. Or maybe you’ve been rocking an old Nokia cell phone for a while, and you’re wondering what smart phone you should upgrade to. Whatever your situation is, I’m going to go throw a down and dirty review of the iPhone 4 and give you my not-so-unbiased opinion about whether you should get it or not. iPhone 4 Specs Tech junkies, if you’re holding a hot cup of coffee, you might want to put it down for a minute. This iPhone is the best update they’ve had since announcing the inception of the iPhone back in 2007. It’s got more features and quality specifications than you can handle. Here’s a comparison chart of the major specs of the iPhone and the only phone that comes close to its specs, the HTC Evo: So as you can see, this is a huge upgrade from the 3GS to the iPhone 4 model. Video will be crystal clear, photos will be crystal clear and you won’t get those nasty, dark photos that cell phones are notorious for taking, and it’s got multitasking! At first, I wasn’t a big fan of the design, but once I saw the comps from Apple, I changed my mind. Plus, it’s razor thin, which makes it nice for people like me who carry my phone in my pocket. Advantages It’s truly an all-in-one phone solution. the iTunes iPhone app store is the largest in the world and has the best applications. With the introduction of iAds, it could cause more mobile apps to be free. Its a big jump from the last iPhone upgrade, so you’ll be satisfied with the iPhone 4 for at least 2 to 3 years. Its new design is stronger and built better, so it’s less likely to crack or scratch than previous models or some other smart phone models. If your current plan with AT&T expires any time before the next 6 months, they’ll let you upgrade at the full discounted price. If you have a Netflix account, they are coming out with a Netflix app that allows you to watch streaming video on your iPhone! If you’re familiar with iMovie, it’s now coming to the iPhone as an app for $4.99! Disadvantages Still no other carriers. AT&T has its problems.

I get a dropped call at least once or twice a day. I really wish they would have announced Verizon as a new carrier. AT&T won’t improve themselves if they know there’s no competition. If you’re in an AT&T contract that doesn’t expire in the next 6 months, upgrade prices jump to $399 for 16GB version and $499 version. AT&T is dropping their unlimited data plan services, so now it’s $15 for 200mb of data and $25 for 2GB of data, then $10 extra for every extra gigabyte of data. No expandable memory slot. This isn’t a big deal to me, because I don’t carry my entire music and video collection on my phone, but for some people, they still want to pop a memory card in and out. I don’t know if Apple will ever do this, because it’s not part of their design philosophy. They like the all-in-one approach, because it’s sleeker and more modern, and frankly, I agree with them. I think it’s their design team that’s catapulted them into one of the technology leaders. Pricing If you’re currently not in a contract, switching from another provider, or if your contract expires within the next 6 months: $199 for the 16GB version w/ 2 year contract $299 for the 32GB version w/ 2 year contract If your contract won’t expire for greater than 6 months, then you’ll be paying: $399 for the 16GB version $499 for the 32GB version If you want to buy the phone straight up with no contract attached to it, you’ll be paying $599 and $699! That’s more than the cost of an iPad! My Opinion If you’re looking to switch from another carrier, don’t have a current contract with AT&T or it expires within the next 6 months, I think the $199 for the 16GB is a great deal. This phone has everything you’ll need to last you for 2 or 3 years, so the initial investment will be worth it. If you’re constantly traveling or you run a small business, or you’re really involved with multimedia and social networking, this phone is the best of the best. It replaces the Flip Video camera, iPods, eBook readers, and even some point-and-shoot cameras! For everyone else, I would say to wait on it. Don’t spend more than $199 for this phone. In another year, they’ll make another update to the phone, and they’ll drop the price. Only make the upgrade if the money won’t break your bank. If you have to choose between paying your rent or buying this new iPhone, don’t be dumb! Will I get this phone? Ohhhhh, you better believe it! Related Posts: $499 iPad Is First Affordable Computing Device By Apple For Average User Will The Google Nexus One Change The Way We Buy Cell Phones? Over 700,000 iPhones Sell Over The Weekend Save Money Buying Your Cell Phone Online FCC Will Hold A Hearing To Talk About Cell Phone Contract Fees iPhone 4 Review: Should You Make The Upgrade? is a post from: Money Crashers

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iPhone 4 Review: Should You Make The Upgrade?