This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New York • Apple is trotting out a new iPhone on Oct. 14, but it's not the iPhone 5 some were expecting. Instead, it's a more modest upgrade, the iPhone 4S. Here is some information to help you decide if it's time to make the plunge.
If you own an iPhone 4 • The new phone will have a faster processor and a sharper, more responsive camera. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same. It will come with improved software, but you'll get that as a free update on your iPhone 4, too.
As an iPhone 4 owner, you should consider the 4S only if you absolutely must have the latest and greatest, or if your old phone is broken. There's speculation that the more significant iPhone 5 upgrade may be less than a year away.
If you own an older iPhone • Apple's new software, iOS 5, will work on the iPhone 3GS, but not the original iPhone or 3G. Take the launch of the iPhone 4S as a good opportunity to upgrade to a faster, more responsive phone, with a sharper screen.
The big cost of owning an iPhone isn't in the purchase price, it's in your monthly service fees. So take advantage of your carrier's phone subsidy and let it treat you to a new iPhone. Because Apple charges about $600 for a phone that costs $199 in the store, it's the phone company that eats most of the upfront cost.
If you don't have a smartphone • iPhones are still the kings of the smartphone world, with unsurpassed access to high-quality applications. But they're also comparatively expensive. If you want a smartphone for less, look at getting a handset that runs Google Inc.'s Android software from a no-contract carrier such as Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS or Cricket. You'll be paying $149 and up for the phone, but the monthly cost will be lower.
If you're a Sprint subscriber • If you've nursed a longing for an iPhone but haven't moved over to AT&T or Verizon, now's your chance ... probably. Sprint hasn't said what kind of plans will be available for the iPhone. It's also not clear if Sprint will sell only the 4S or also the cheaper 4.
But it's a fair bet that Sprint will keep its unlimited data plans as a way to lure subscribers from Verizon and AT&T, which cap monthly data usage on smartphones.
If you're an AT&T subscriber • The Big Orange was the first carrier to place caps on the monthly data consumption of its iPhone subscribers, to keep them from overloading its network. The addition of Sprint to the stable of iPhone carriers will probably give you the option to jump ship and get an unlimited data plan, but Sprint hasn't confirmed this.
If you're a Verizon subscriber • One thing that's missing from the iPhone 4S is the ability to tap into Verizon's latest high-speed data networks, which uses the so-called LTE technology. That feature might arrive in the next iPhone, which presumably will be the iPhone 5.