iphone 6 (Sorry I.P. Daley)

[Simple Abundant Living]

I am currently on Airvoice wireless' $30/mo plan with unlimited talk/text/1GB data. I love this plan and it saves me over $1200/year over AT&T. I have been using my old iphone 4S and I have been really happy with it. However it has lately been giving off signals that its time is nearing an end. For example, several times a day I have to put it in the fridge to get the wifi to work. It will randomly "run out of battery" when it has a full charge. I've been keeping it going, but I know the writing is on the wall. I thought I would get a used iphone 5s, but everyone is telling me I really should look at the iphone 6. I don't like the 6 plus- too big. I am also having a hard time thinking of paying $500+ for a used iphone 6. I have the cash, it's not a problem, I just hate spending that much.

I've thought about androids, but my husband has one and I hate it. Apple technology has me hooked. If you have a iphone 6, is it really worth double the price of a 5s? Any other advice?

[lbmustache]

I am currently on Airvoice wireless' $30/mo plan with unlimited talk/text/1GB data. I love this plan and it saves me over $1200/year over AT&T. I have been using my old iphone 4S and I have been really happy with it. However it has lately been giving off signals that its time is nearing an end. For example, several times a day I have to put it in the fridge to get the wifi to work. It will randomly "run out of battery" when it has a full charge. I've been keeping it going, but I know the writing is on the wall. I thought I would get a used iphone 5s, but everyone is telling me I really should look at the iphone 6. I don't like the 6 plus- too big. I am also having a hard time thinking of paying $500+ for a used iphone 6. I have the cash, it's not a problem, I just hate spending that much.

I've thought about androids, but my husband has one and I hate it. Apple technology has me hooked. If you have a iphone 6, is it really worth double the price of a 5s? Any other advice?

I like iPhones too. I have a 6 plus and the only reason to get it over a 5/5s is for the screen size. The touch sensor on the 5s and above is pretty cool too but not a "must-have" feature. Save the money and get a 5s :)

[aperture]

We have been a circus family of iphone users since the 3.  I think the 5s is a nice phone, but it is not as rugged as past phones.  We are in the process of shutting down the ridiculous high cost AT&T service and looking at all the low cost options out there.  (Thanks I. P. Daley).  I would not buy another iPhone 5s - we have two that are marginally functional and less then 2 years old.  My 4s with the smashed scren works better than the 5s now. 
Personally, I am turning off my smart phone (I can pay for my macbook for the annual cost of one phone on AT&T) and switching to cheap dumb phone.  Good luck.

[ketchup]

I have found myself with an iPhone 5.  My girlfriend has a 5S.  Physically identical and 90% functionally identical.  I wouldn't want a phone any larger.  The 6 and 6+ are both too large to be practical in my mind (at least by comparison to the 5/S).

My 5 was a massive upgrade from my previous phone (Galaxy S from circa 2010).  It's a hell of a phone.  I don't have a single reason it shouldn't meet my needs for a long time.

[sheepstache]

My 5 was a massive upgrade from my previous phone (Galaxy S from circa 2010).  It's a hell of a phone.  I don't have a single reason it shouldn't meet my needs for a long time.

So I still have a nokia dumb phone. I've been thinking about upgrading to a samsung galaxy because I liked the look of it. But it sounds like I'll be missing out on a lot of the smartphone experience. What did you find were the main elements of the upgrade to the iphone?

[Hamster]

My 5 was a massive upgrade from my previous phone (Galaxy S from circa 2010).  It's a hell of a phone.  I don't have a single reason it shouldn't meet my needs for a long time.

So I still have a nokia dumb phone. I've been thinking about upgrading to a samsung galaxy because I liked the look of it. But it sounds like I'll be missing out on a lot of the smartphone experience. What did you find were the main elements of the upgrade to the iphone?

He upgraded from a 5 year old phone with a bloated manufacturer-skinned OS. I wouldn't use that as a basis to compare android and iOS.

I would skip the Samsungs and go straight to a 2015 (3rd gen) moto G for $179 brand new. It is as good or better than any flagship phone from a couple years ago and runs a 'purer' version of android than you will get on any Samsung phone. Waterproof to 3 feet, expandable memory...)

I use an iPad and an android phone - (old nexus 4). I find the last few versions of android much cleaner, quicker, and more intuitive than iOS. Android also plays much better with 3rd party software than iOS does.

I personally think the only reason anyone should invest in iOS is if they already have a strong attachment to apple's ecosystem. There is a reason android has 78% of smartphone market share.

[benjenn]

I just sold my 5S on Craigslist for $300.  I'd look that route before paying a lot more for a new one.  I agree that the 6 is just too big.  I'll miss my iPhone (I'm on a Moto G from Republic Wireless now and it's been fine) but it was paid for by my company and, since we just FIREd last Thursday, it had to go.  :)

[sheepstache]

My 5 was a massive upgrade from my previous phone (Galaxy S from circa 2010).  It's a hell of a phone.  I don't have a single reason it shouldn't meet my needs for a long time.

So I still have a nokia dumb phone. I've been thinking about upgrading to a samsung galaxy because I liked the look of it. But it sounds like I'll be missing out on a lot of the smartphone experience. What did you find were the main elements of the upgrade to the iphone?

He upgraded from a 5 year old phone with a bloated manufacturer-skinned OS. I wouldn't use that as a basis to compare android and iOS.

I would skip the Samsungs and go straight to a 2015 (3rd gen) moto G for $179 brand new. It is as good or better than any flagship phone from a couple years ago and runs a 'purer' version of android than you will get on any Samsung phone. Waterproof to 3 feet, expandable memory...)

I use an iPad and an android phone - (old nexus 4). I find the last few versions of android much cleaner, quicker, and more intuitive than iOS. Android also plays much better with 3rd party software than iOS does.

I personally think the only reason anyone should invest in iOS is if they already have a strong attachment to apple's ecosystem. There is a reason android has 78% of smartphone market share.

Oh ha ha I hadn't even been thinking about the difference between operating systems. I was interested in the samsung galaxy because it was still pocket-sized and had a physical keyboard. But I worried there was no point to getting a smartphone that's too out of date to really do anything. Thanks for the tip on Moto G!

[pbkmaine]

My husband just got an iPhone 6. My BlackBerry died, and I needed a phone, so I took his old iPhone 4s and put a new battery in it. Works great.

[dang1]

my 2013 moto x bought used off of eBay a while ago, still working great

[CorpRaider]

My only thought is that if you decide on an iPhone 6, you might wait a few weeks, as they usually announce the next iteration in September and drop the price on the prior version shortly thereafter.

[ketchup]

My 5 was a massive upgrade from my previous phone (Galaxy S from circa 2010).  It's a hell of a phone.  I don't have a single reason it shouldn't meet my needs for a long time.

So I still have a nokia dumb phone. I've been thinking about upgrading to a samsung galaxy because I liked the look of it. But it sounds like I'll be missing out on a lot of the smartphone experience. What did you find were the main elements of the upgrade to the iphone?

He upgraded from a 5 year old phone with a bloated manufacturer-skinned OS. I wouldn't use that as a basis to compare android and iOS.

I would skip the Samsungs and go straight to a 2015 (3rd gen) moto G for $179 brand new. It is as good or better than any flagship phone from a couple years ago and runs a 'purer' version of android than you will get on any Samsung phone. Waterproof to 3 feet, expandable memory...)

I use an iPad and an android phone - (old nexus 4). I find the last few versions of android much cleaner, quicker, and more intuitive than iOS. Android also plays much better with 3rd party software than iOS does.

I personally think the only reason anyone should invest in iOS is if they already have a strong attachment to apple's ecosystem. There is a reason android has 78% of smartphone market share.

Oh ha ha I hadn't even been thinking about the difference between operating systems. I was interested in the samsung galaxy because it was still pocket-sized and had a physical keyboard. But I worried there was no point to getting a smartphone that's too out of date to really do anything. Thanks for the tip on Moto G!

My Galaxy S (the T-mobile refresh with HSPA+) did not have a physical keyboard.  The phone had what I would consider a pretty fatal design flaw that internal storage was severely limited and most apps only want to be installed on the internal storage (as opposed to the SD card, which I had), so I had like three apps installed apart from SD card apps.  Not an issue with Android, just the phone.  However, I did have an out of date version of Android, meaning newer apps were not usable.  I would not recommend a smartphone that out of date.  Too many little stupid frustrations.

The iPhone was a colossal upgrade because it has a reasonable amount of internal storage (but no SD card slot), and it still runs a current flavor of iOS.  I would have probably gotten some Android phone, but I was able to get this one for only $50 with a deal that fell into my lap.  Still might just flip it on eBay and get a Moto G (2015) or something...  Or I might not because it's easier to do nothing and I really don't care that much.  It's just a phone.  It does its job.

[2Cent]

You really should first think what you want to use it for. If its a lot of apps and games, get an android with most memory(RAM, not storage) and a good processor. If it's pictures buy a phone with a good camera and an option for external storage.(Internal storage is sold at ridiculous prices). If you just want to browse and call and take a few pictuers, buy a windows phone. The lumia 640 is the best value for money at the moment as microsoft is underpricing the market to get its some market share. I have it and it is smooth and the live tiles are much better than the static icons from android and ios. Which is better is very personal.

Oh, the Iphone 5C is nice and cheap, but a friend who has one is constantly struggling to make space as 8GB is just not enough.

[Mother Fussbudget]

You should certainly wait until the 2015 iPhone comes out - this is Apple's annual iPhone upgrade-a-thon, and the pricing for the current iPhone 6 will drop by a couple of hundred bucks right around the release date.  a quote from an on-line article:

"The iPhone 6s’ sale date has been given away in a leaked internal email from Vodafone. The email reveals the newest handset will go on sale on September 25, with pre-orders being accepted from September 18. The memo, seen by Mobile News, does not clarify the exact name of the model, called simply ‘the new iPhone’."

The annual releases tend to be more incremental than revolutionary, and for me... I'm going to try to continue to get by with my iPhone 5 for another year.  I need to replace the headphone jack, but that's $50 at the local iPhone repair shop vs. $500 for an iPhone 6.

[Captain Mars]

I just had a similar dilemna. I switched from Apple (5) to Android (HTC One M8) 18 months ago to save money after I smashed the 5's screen and didn't want to pay £120 to get it fixed. The 5 used to cost me about £45 per month ($70ish) and the M8 costs £33 ($50ish), saving of £216 over this period ... however, I hate the damned phone and the OS. The size is too big, the OS is buggy, and basically it's been nothing but trouble.

My network wants me to upgrade but in Apple it only offers the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The Plus version is way too big and the standard size is way too expensive.

Solution: I picked up a reconditioned unlocked Apple 5s for £250 ($400?). I'll use it without a SIM as a WIFI only device until my M8 contract is up, and a will then get a SIM only contract I've reserached for £12.50 a month, including more data than I have now.

Basically, I went back to the phone I loved all along and I'm going to make it last as long as possible. May seem mad but, I had the original 2G iPhone for 5 years before getting the 5.

Hopefully can make the 5s last until the iPhone 10, hahaha :D

TLDR: If you want an iPhone, there's nothing wrong with the 5s. You can have basically the same experience as having the 6 at a fraction of the cost.

[MidWestLove]

+1 to recommendation for the Moto G ($179 or $220 for double the RAM/storage, expandable, good screen, good battery), unless you are really sold on Apple's walled garden.

None of the phone OS right now are great (google, really? why do I have to have hindu and koren input program on my phone that you keep reminding me to upgrade? why can I remove them altogether straight forward out of _my_ phone and why is the only option to uninstall updates? Same for whole bunch of bundled junk including your Pay system or Office equivalents, if I want it I will get it, do not bundle it)  - with Android being less bad than IOS. Windows could be interesting but too flaky of the vendor yet with Microsoft routinely and consistently abandoning various OS they promised to their users because 'next best thing' came).