# iPhone - Better to buy now or wait **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293 "2010-01-24T23:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/1 "2010-01-24T23:54:21Z")
I’ve pretty much decided to get an iPhone, switching my home phone number to the iPhone and getting rid of my Blackberry cell phone line altogether. The AT&T rep says the unlimited phone-and-date package is not about to move off its $100/month price tag. (I’ll pay an extra $5 for limited text messaging in case I occasionally need that feature.) The two-year contract is all they offer. Various friends have told me that the major carriers are starting a price war, and that phones will be “unlocked” from specific providers later this year. I see that AT&T has dropped its prices lately but the iPhone price is still at $100. I don’t have to act immediately but I do need to make a change in the next few months. Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/2 "2010-01-24T23:56:40Z")
I’d at least wait until after next Wednesday; Apple’s having an annoucement. It’s rumored to be the tablet, but may include new iPhones and the like as well. Beyond that, though – Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about upcoming changes of any kind (generating an extensive and usually wrong rumor mill), so there’s never really any way to know. Oh, and if you really mean “limited use” of the text messaging, don’t pay the $5. All iPhones can text, it just costs $0.10/message to do so without a plan, so if you send/receive less than 50 a month, you’re ahead of the game to skip the plan (assuming the US here). ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/3 "2010-01-25T00:05:02Z")
Since the first iPhone, theyve always been released in June, so counting the first phone, there have been 3 new phones in a row released in June. There were rumors last year, but no one knew for sure there would be a new one until June. If you need bleeding edge, you may want to wait. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/4 "2010-01-25T00:10:57Z")
This site: [http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/](http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/) makes recommendations based on hoe long Apple has historically gone between updates of its various products. They recommend waiting on the iPhone right now. Certainly with announcements coming in 3 days, I’d wait. Aside from getting new items, sometimes when a product is updated you can get discounts on clearance items and refurbs of the previous model. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/5 "2010-01-25T01:46:24Z")
Thanks. I’ll pay attention to the Apple announcement and in any event won’t worry about paying extra for texting. Visiting the macrumors site, I see that Apple might drop Google and Google Maps in favor of Microsoft products. Understandable but it would reduce the value of iPhone IMO. I don’t care much for Bing. Ironic too that Apple and MS might be allies. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/6 "2010-01-25T02:03:30Z")
There’s also a rumor that AT&T is going to [lose their iphone exclusivity](http://hothardware.com/News/Will-ATT-Lose-Their-iPhone-Exclusivity-On-Wednesday/) on wednesday. I’m curious to see if that turns out to be true and how it affects prices. I doubt that in itself will affect the price of the phone much, but if true, it seems likely to affect the price and selection of plans offered. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/7 "2010-01-25T06:01:33Z")
There are rumors of an iPhone 4G this summer. Possible additions are a camera on the front, a flash, higher resolution screen, longer battery life, new processor and possible new OS. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/8 "2010-01-25T18:26:12Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > There are rumors of an iPhone 4G this summer. Possible additions are a camera on the front, a flash, higher resolution screen, longer battery life, new processor and possible new OS. And a pony. 3G owner here. Wait out this week and see what the big hype is. Don’t bother waiting until June. You can always get a better phone if you’re willing to wait 6 months, be it Android, Blackberry, iPhone, or dumbphone. Just keep waiting 6 moths every 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![CrimeThink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@CrimeThink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrimeThink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-better-to-buy-now-or-wait/526293/9 "2010-01-25T19:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Visiting the macrumors site, I see that Apple might drop Google and Google Maps in favor of Microsoft products. Understandable but it would reduce the value of iPhone IMO. I don’t care much for Bing. Ironic too that Apple and MS might be allies. It doesn’t make much of a difference for someone who already has a preference. It would only change the default apps provided at start, but would not prevent you from downloading Google’s software for free after you own it.