Which iOS will a new iPhone 4s ship with, and should it be upgraded?

Factual Questions
1

I’m considering buying a new iPhone 4s(they’re still available in online stores here in India) for my mother. I don’t know the first thing about iPhones, but I’ve read people here counsel against upgrading software on older iPhones, since it slows them down, and can’t be ‘downgraded’. So which version of iOS will the 4s ship with? Will it be a problem if it’s the new version?

2

iOS 8 isn’t out yet, so it will have iOS 7. You probably could install iOS 8 when it comes out, but it’s probably better to stay with 7 at least at first. The 4S may not be able to run some of the features of 8.

I usually give it to the first point release before installing a new OS; let other people find out if there are slowdowns or battery problems for older phones. I still have a 4S as a backup phone, and it runs capably on iOS 7, though it was originally released with iOS 5.

It’s not always true that upgrading slows it down. In most cases, I’d say it’s a perceptual problem. A new release of iOS usually coincides with the release of a new iPhone, which means that older phones usually look really slow in comparison with the new hotness.

3

The iPhone 4s with IOS 7 is still a good phone, regardless of what is in IOS 8. If the price is really good, it will still be a good phone. It really depends on her usage; an iPhone 4s is an excellent phone for my wife (and is what she has). She really wants a phone, camera, map/driving directions, and web browser and that’s it.

4

Does your wife’s iPhone have IOS7? Does it work fine?

5

Obviously, I’m not Pinmin or his wife, but I’ve got an iPhone 4S running IOS 7.1.2. I think that’s the latest version of IOS7. It seems to be fine.

6

I have a 4S with the latest version of iOS, and I can confirm that it works well. No slowdown from the upgrade.

7

Thank you for the feedback all, I’ve ordered the 4s.

8

I’m curious; how much does the 4S cost in India?

9

The 4s 8 GB cost me ~ INR 17,000. At current exchange rates that’s about 280 USD. Electronics are typically more expensive in India than in the US, although the premium is no longer as large as it once was.