[thegelding]

I confess that I am.
I would have preferred a slightly different model (some curve to the back or back edge to tell front to back while in a front pants pocket)...but I do really like the iPhone 4 and I very VERY much need to update (gah, using this sony ericsson phone is KILLING ME--damn you Tequila....our love/hate relationship keeping going and going...like an intoxicated energizer bunny).

And i do love the updated insides...mmm, 8mp camera...yummy...

One other reason I kinda wanted a body update...my wife has an iPhone 4 and she is so not cutting edge when it come to tech...having the same phone as her...and various grandmothers out in the world, well I just feels wrong

but I shall overcome that and be online at 12:01 tonight...

who else is putting in some computer time this night after the stroke of 12?

g

[joveblue]

I think you can only get unlocked from apple.com.au so no, but I'll be getting one pretty much as soon as possible without queuing up at midnight or anything. I don't really care if it's not Day 1, but Week 1 would be good.

[Wrao]

I am pretty sure I am going to buy one, but I think I will wait for the Sprint release and change carriers from Verizon. Might have to eat an early termination fee, but the overall cost saving is ~$800 over two years to have the iPhone on Sprint vs. Verizon and the data plan is "unlimited" with Sprint. seems like a win-win.

It'll be my first iPhone(first smartphone overall) if I go for it. So that'll be interesting.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Wrao It'll be my first iPhone(first smartphone overall) if I go for it. So that'll be interesting.

Oh wow.

I can't live without my smartphone. You are going to love it.

[Wrao]

The annoying thing is that I also really want an iPad. How has it happened that so much cool stuff exists all of a sudden?

[torifile]

My wife wants a white one so I'll probably be ordering at least one. I haven't ha a chance to look into plans on Verizon and Sprint yet to compare their priced to what I'm currently paying with AT&T.

[psmith2.0]

torifile, Engadget has put together a nice little piece with the three rate plans/breakdowns compared. MIght be easier to tell, at a glance, than visiting the three separate sites...

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Wrao The annoying thing is that I also really want an iPad. How has it happened that so much cool stuff exists all of a sudden?

I can't live without my iPad either.

And yeah, we live in an era with so much cool stuff. It's exciting. I saw two Nissan Leafs the other day — not at a dealer or a demo event or anything, just driving around. I was floored. It's a car! That doesn't use gas! And it's real, and it actually goes. And it's something people can actually buy, not just something in some lab somewhere. How cool is that? I'm sure there's more of them in Portland, but Salem is smaller and farther away from things, so I didn't expect to see them here already. And yet there they were, a blue one and a white one. It made me feel like maybe humanity's doing okay after all.

It's easy to lose sight of what matters, with technology. My 3DS feels magical, like it completes the illusion of the world inside the screen, even though the screens are low-res compared to other products. It's easily to look at those specs and be all, what the hell, Nintendo. But when you're playing it, that doesn't matter. You're exploring a world, not counting pixels. It's all just, wow.

It feels like the future.

The iPhone 4S is the same way, especially with Siri. And people are saying it's not high tech enough? It has a dual core processor! In a phone! And a 1080p video camera! In a phone! The iPhone I bought two and a half years ago was $100 more and didn't shoot video at all. Since then, they've added a 3MP/VGA camera, and then a 5MP/720p camera, and then a 8MP/1080p camera. All in less than two and a half years! It's crazy.

Last week, the iPhone 4 was still the best phone in the world. Now, the iPhone 4S is, by a significant margin. And it's a disappointment? Some people just can't see the 4S for the trees.

[Wrao]

Yeah, I definitely don't get all the disappointment. It seems pretty much self-inflicted. But, not being a smartphone user, I don't really have an opinion on the 3.5" vs. 4"+ screen size debate. Only that, I know I prefer to have my phone something that disappears in my pocket and in my hand(which isn't difficult with my comically large hands). I guess if you really use the smartphone as your primary internet/content device having a larger screen might be nice. But if you use it more as a phone+goodies, then 3.5" seems like a feature.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 torifile, Engadget has put together a nice little piece with the three rate plans/breakdowns compared. MIght be easier to tell, at a glance, than visiting the three separate sites...

Thanks pscates! Exactly what I've been looking for.

Wow, it seems sticking with AT&T might not be the worst idea after all for us. We *might* be able to retain our current plan as well, it seems... huh. Nice.

[Kraetos]

White 64GB. But if you know me, you already knew that.

[Robo]

Here's the deal.

It really comes down to how much 3G data you're going to use. If the answer is "not much," AT&T is the cheapest — they have a $15/200MB data add-on, so you can get an iPhone for as low as $55/month (without messaging). If you call, message, or use data a lot, Sprint becomes the best value: unlimited data, unlimited messaging, and practically unlimited talk (unlimited calling to any mobile number + nights starting at 7) for $79. Verizon isn't ever the "value" option, but many feel their network is worth paying for.

All the carriers carry the same iPhone 4 and 4S for the same prices, and will be getting them at the same time (October 14). Sprint doesn't charge activation fees, and the other guys do (about ~$35 a line), but otherwise the out-the-door prices will be the same with the same contract lengths. The primary difference is the network and the cost of the monthly plan.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Thanks pscates! Exactly what I've been looking for. Wow, it seems sticking with AT&T might not be the worst idea after all for us. We *might* be able to retain our current plan as well, it seems... huh. Nice.

I, too, was surprised at that breakdown. So far, after 4+ years (7+ if you count back to my pre-iPhone days), AT&T has been pretty good for me, in all the ways that matter (price, reception, etc.). I'm not looking to go anywhere...

I've got the $15/200MB plan Robo mentions above. Being around WiFi most everywhere I go, I barely crack the 30-40MB mark each month on 3G, so it works out great for me...cheapest plan possible, and I'm never anywhere close to going over (I'm not going to stream/load podcasts or movies on anything other than WiFi anyway). And with me doing most of my texting with people already on iPhones, that iMessage thing is about to really whack my text count down dramatically. Been waiting for that ever since Forstall unveiled it at WWDC!

In fact, if I had just two more people get on an iPhone, I would probably just go ahead and kill my AT&T texting. I only text five people, six tops. Four of them are on the iPhone, and the other 1-2 may be by the end of the month. If/when that happens, I believe I'll make that move...

[addison]

Originally Posted by Robo Here's the deal. It really comes down to how much 3G data you're going to use. If the answer is "not much," AT&T is the cheapest — they have a $15/200MB data add-on, so you can get an iPhone for as low as $55/month (without messaging). If you call, message, or use data a lot, Sprint becomes the best value: unlimited data, unlimited messaging, and practically unlimited talk (unlimited calling to any mobile number + nights starting at 7) for $79. Verizon isn't ever the "value" option, but many feel their network is worth paying for. All the carriers carry the same iPhone 4 and 4S for the same prices, and will be getting them at the same time (October 14). Sprint doesn't charge activation fees, and the other guys do (about ~$35 a line), but otherwise the out-the-door prices will be the same with the same contract lengths. The primary difference is the network and the cost of the monthly plan.

I'm pretty sure Sprint charges an activation fee.

[Kickaha]

I use a decent amount of 3G data, but not a massive amount.

I *think* however, that we can grandfather in to our existing plan, even though it has run out on contract. If so... it's a no-brainer. Unlimited data, and an IBM employee discount. (Even though I haven't actually worked at IBM for 18 months, they never bothered to tell AT&T. Go me.)

[Robo]

Originally Posted by AWM I'm pretty sure Sprint charges an activation fee.

Not according to Engadget's chart. (They require setting up an account to go through their online ordering process, so I can't just put a phone in my cart and check.)

[addison]

Originally Posted by Robo Not according to Engadget's chart. (They require setting up an account to go through their online ordering process, so I can't just put a phone in my cart and check.)

I know they charge one for new customers and they used to charge existing customers an $18. Not sure if that one is still active since I haven't used an upgrade in a while.

[torifile]

But what about the family plans and tethering costs? My plan is kind of complicated. I use nearly every bit of data I'm allowed and I tether quite frequently. My wife, on the other hand, has been able to get away with the 200 meg data plan. We text a fair bit so we have the unlimited texting plan. I just need to price is all out.

[addison]

Tethering with Sprint? I think they just capped the plan at 5GB for $29.99. Data to the phone would srill be unlimited.

[torifile]

Looks like a family plan with 5 lines for 1500 minutes will be $240. And tethering is another $30 on top of that. That's a little better than what we get with AT&T but I'm not sure it's so worth it to switch. I like having a GSM phone and as bad as AT&T is, at least it's a known quantity. I'm going to see if I can get some sort of break on my monthly bill with AT&T by going through retentions. I've been a customer for 4.5 years and we spend close to $300/month with them.

[turtle]

I'll be ordering this very soon after launch. Not tonight, but after I can get a hold of my favorite salesman with my local AT&T store. I want him to get his commission. He's helped me for years and I can't see not giving him a sale like this. It doesn't look like I'm not going to get one for my bride though. Seems like we'll leave her to have her iPhone 4 for now...

[chucker]

I put T-Mobile*'s iPhone 4S page on Page Monitor. So, yeah, hoping to be among the first to pre-order. Some may recall that there was an offer to pre-pre-order or something, but that was for consumer customers only.

*) Their new 'Telekom Deutschland' name, while devoid of anglicisms, is just weird.

[Robo]

The Apple Store is down? Must be getting ready for pre-orders.

[Eugene]

I will be, but in hindsight I should have bought the iPhone 4 and skipped the 4S.

[Kickaha]

Hmm. Reports that AT&T will only allow one iPhone 4S purchased at a time.

Which sucks, since I have two phones on the Family Plan to upgrade.

Hmm.

[Messiahtosh]

Just upgraded my wife to the 4S!

[MBHockey]

Trying to order it for my brother. Set my alarm for 2:57 AM EST but the Apple online store has been down since the clock struck 3:01 AM!

[thegelding]

Bought 32 gig white...

Almost got the 16 gig as I have a 32 gig iPad2 and probably don't need 32 on my phone...but more space is rarely wasted.

Still, when I travel my iPad will be my movie and such device so I imagine I will have tons of extra space on the phone...

g

[addabox]

16GB Black, delivered on Friday. I ended up bouncing over to the Verizon site since the Apple Store was hanging out on "Be Right Back" well after 12:01.

[Brave Ulysses]

I'm stuck on processing order on Apple.com.... it still processing..... but i don't believe it.... but now if i try to place another order it says I'm not eligible for upgrade pricing.


hmmm