And of course, if you're still under contract with the iPhone 3GS, you have one other upgrade path open to you: switch cell phone carriers. For current iPhone 4 owners, the "to upgrade, or not to upgrade" decision gets a bit more difficult.
If you're tempted by the iPhone 4S's new features but think you can wait out your contract without needing to snag the latest and greatest, you'll definitely be saving yourself some hard-earned money. If the faster processor, increased storage size, better camera , and Siri voice assistant are just too much to resist, though, you still have options.
Apple offers a fairly decent recycling program that could net you a significant amount of dough for your current iPhone. You could also sell your current handset to a friend, family member, or willing buyer on eBay or Craigslist to defray the cost of paying full price for a new iPhone 4S.
And as with current iPhone 3GS owners still under contract, you also have the option of switching carriers to try and save some upgrade cost. Be sure to check our guide to cell carrier ETFs to find out what you'd need to pay to escape the clutches of your current cell provider. Yes, you're going to feel some upgrade angst all over again when the iPhone 5 does eventually hit — but if history is any indication, you'll probably have about a year's worth of happy ownership of the latest and greatest model before then.
If your smartphone is a mission critical device in your life or business, it can be well worth going ahead with an upgrade now. Available storage space can be another important deciding factor: if you've managed to fill up your current iPhone 4 at any capacity, it's going to be hard to imagine living another year without getting any additional space If you don't currently own an iPhone but have been curious about joining the Apple smartphone faithful, it's a good time to pick up an iPhone 4S. Sure, the inevitable iPhone 5 will bring its own pang of buyer's remorse when it ends up launching, but remember that's probably going to be an entire year from now.
If you're not currently under 2-year contract and eligible for an upgrade with your carrier, you should feel good about picking up an iPhone 4S. If you're still under contract with your current phone, it's worth finding out from your carrier when you're next eligible for an upgrade, and whether or not you can pay a bit extra to get the iPhone 4S under an early upgrade plan.
If you don't currently have a smartphone, your early termination fee might be fairly nominal — so switching carriers could be a reasonable upgrade path for you to consider as well. If you're a smartphone power user who tends to gobble a lot of data on the go, one of the more compelling reasons to upgrade to the iPhone 4S is its newfound availability on Sprint.
As the last remaining U. If you're either already on Sprint and not under 2-year contract, or out of contract on another carrier, upgrade away or sign a new contract with Sprint in good conscience. If you're on Sprint and still within your current contract, find out if you can wait it out until you become eligible for an upgrade, or decide whether or not it's worth paying the full, unsubsidized price of the phone.
If you're under contract with another carrier, find out how much that pesky ETF is going to cost you to jump ship, and compare it to the cost of potential data overage charges you might face on your current carrier. If you're ready to commit to an upgrade, and have figured out exactly how much it's going to cost you to do so, placing your advanced order for the iPhone 4S couldn't be simpler.
If you fancy staying up until the midnight hour, you can head right over to the iPhone home page to begin your order. The system will show you the price that you qualify for and you can choose whether you would like to replace your current smartphone or add an additional line to your wireless plan. The 4S begins shipping on October 14, and when you receive your handset in the mail it will guide you through the steps to activating it without the need to visit a carrier location.
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Do you have an opinion on screen protectors or cases? Dear Jorge, I'm going to be honest with you. I am not a fan of cases or screen protectors as a general rule of thumb. I think they're just a ploy to get consumers to spend more money. Sure it may protect your device. But what are you really protecting it from?
It's like those old ladies who wrap their sofas in plastic. What's the point? The sofa is meant for sitting, so sit. And a smartphone is meant for touching, so touch it.
And by the way, the device already comes in a case, which I believe should be durable enough to handle most wear and tear. I've owned several smartphones over the years and have tested even more, and I've found that most displays hold up pretty well without any additional protection. The only device that I had significant screen scratching problems with from being carried around in my purse or backpack was the original BlackBerry Storm.
Gorilla Glass is supposed to be more scratch resistant and durable than other displays. And for the most part, I've heard good things about it. But there have been some complaints here and there regarding minor scratches.
If this is something you can live with, then I'd forget the screen protectors and cases and save your money for something really useful. The only reason I might consider a screen saver or case is if I plan on selling my iPhone in the future. In that instance, you could probably get a better price for your device if it's in pristine condition. In that case, it makes more sense to protect it from the minor scratches that come along with actually using a device.
I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me on this point. But since you asked for my opinion, I thought I'd share it. Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions.
If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.
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