Couldn't you get the best of both words by looking online for an older model iPhone that some tech-addicted junkie needs to sell so they can keep having the latest and greatest? Should work with t mobile being SIM card based I imagine.
Yes. My concern with an older iPhone is useful life. Anything for sale right now is likely to be 2 years old already and while I'd be happy with something like the 4S, or probably even the 4, I'm worried about knowing that the phone I buy will have enough useful life left since the original owner will have already used it for 2 years.
Maybe I'm making too much of it but my thinking is:
Buy a used phone from someone who wants to upgrade right after the new one comes out. They likely want to upgrade to have the latest or to keep an image. I think I can trust this phone to be well cared for because people who know they're going to sell the old one will take care of it to keep its value and people who care about image will take care of it because "image."
Buy an older used phone. Probably someone who just got out of contract and views the phone as a disposable device they use for two years then throw away (and just happen to decide to see if they can get money from their 'trash') This person might not take great care of their phone since they see it as disposable and therefore it might not last very long for me.
I'd like to get at least 3 years out of the phone. Maybe the older models will work out (does anyone have experience with this) and I'm worrying over nothing, but I'm confident a well cared for iPhone can last at least 4 years.
Maybe I'll see if I can keep the phone I have now until the new iPhone comes out and pick up a 1 y.o. 5 then...