"iPhone 4 - worth getting now?" Topic

I've got to get my wife a new phone – I mean the kit she's had for the past 8 years or so is just getting embarrassing

Seriously, I'm getting her a smart phone for her birthday and the iPhone is available on good contracts at a good price now. I've got one so would be able to talk her through its use and the iPhone is quite kind to non-tech people in terms of ease of use anyway. The "smart" part for her will be mainly emails. OTH, it's basically about to become obsolete in terms of software updates and aps.

So, I'm thinking there's all sorts of Nokia, Samsung, Sony etc phones with similar or better deals which are more up to date. Maybe a better choice?

So, two questions:
1. Would you get an iPone 4 now?
2. If going for an alternative, what would you choose, bearing in mind ease of use for a non-techie is more important than watching films, game aps etc?

Doug

According to Apple, the iPhone 4 will be compatible with iOS 7 ( apple.com/ios/ios7/features ), so you should be OK with software updates and apps for a while yet.

I personally wouldn't get one, but for someone who isn't a gadget nerd, I don't see why not.

I'd recommend one of the Nokia Windows 8 phones. Available in colours other than black or white, really nice to use and almost painless management of contacts from multiple sources.

WP8 is so much nicer to use than iOS and most Android variants. WP8 and Android devices almost all use micro USB chargers rather than Apple's bespoke ones so you'll not need to get a specific car charger etc.

I just got a new Blackberry Z10, £22.00 GBP a month (phone free)

I just got a new Blackberry Z10, £22.00 GBP GBP a month (phone free)

Similar price to the iPhone4 contract. Isn't the Blackberry a bit of a heavy-duty, business oriented device?

I'd recommend one of the Nokia Windows 8 phones. Available in colours other than black or white, really nice to use and almost painless management of contacts from multiple sources.

I have considered the Lumia 620….decisions..

Doug

The real question is: what is your other involvement with the Apple ecosystem?

Is this going to be the only iOS device trying to coexist with Kindle Fire, Windows PC, etc OR… Is it living with a Mac and and iPad?

I don't see a problem with an iPhone 4; Little Elmo uses one as his "iPod" when we upgraded to iPhone 5s and it works great.

The seemsless integration of the Apple products is what makes them so great.

The real question is: what is your other involvement with the Apple ecosystem?

As I said, I've got an iPhone4. In addition, there's a Windows laptop, Windows netbook and an Android tablet…

Doug

For what it's worth, I have an iPad, an iPhone, a Kindle and a PC; the Kindle app for iOS syncs perfectly well with the Kindle device.Email works fine, the iCloud photostream downloads photos onto my PC with no issues and I can add PDF and epub files to iBooks via iTunes.

South Lanarkshire council libraries have just started offering ebook loans, which can be downloaded onto a vairety of gadgets, including my iPhone.

I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy 4 and am very pleased with it….but I had an android tablet before and am familiar with the way the OS works.

The iPhone 4 will be viable for some time yet. Especially if you get an 4S. I used a 3GS up till the release of the 5 and it was fine, it was only just starting to show its lack of speed when the 5 came out. Seeing we haven't even had a 5S yet, let alone a 6, it should be good for some time to come.

And it will be so far ahead of an 8 year old phone. If you have an iPhone then I would strongly recommend you get an iOS device for your wife, as you will easily be able to help her with it. A different OS will be different and will be confusing just because it is difference. Once you have become used it an interface a different one is hard to get used to.

The iPhone 4 will be viable for some time yet. Especially if you get an 4S. I used a 3GS up till the release of the 5 and it was fine, it was only just starting to show its lack of speed when the 5 came out. Seeing we haven't even had a 5S yet, let alone a 6, it should be good for some time to come.

And it will be so far ahead of an 8 year old phone. If you have an iPhone then I would strongly recommend you get an iOS device for your wife, as you will easily be able to help her with it. A different OS will be different and will be confusing just because it is difference. Once you have become used it an interface a different one is hard to get used to.

As it happens, I was thinking the same and I've just been looking at 4S deals – about £48.00 GBP extra per year. I'm thinking that's the way to go.

Doug

I'd suggest you go for the Samsung Galaxy S3 or S4.

S3 is about equivalent to Iphone 4S and the S4 is technically superior to the Iphone 5.

I'm seriously considering the S4 but the price is just slightly over what I want to pay. Give it a couple of months and it should be right for me.

@Iain (Hobbybox)- I know what you mean but I have to keep in mind my target audience (my wife). Determinedly anti-tech. Her current phone is an 8 year old Sony-Erikson and any smartphone is going to be a challenge for her initially. If I get some current one and have to spend time learning it myself, she's going to feel "is this actually a new phone for me or just an excuse for him to get a new toy to play with" and sh'e probably be correct…! Whereas with the iPhone, I've got one so have a good idea what it can do and she knows how the camera works already so we're almost home and dry from the start . Having looked again, the 4S deal is more expensive and much less generous on free calls and data usage so I'm definitely going for the 4, ancient though it may be. I think….

Doug

I've got a similar thing with my gf. Sarah hates touch screen devices and such. She needs a new phone, her old one is dinosaur tech!
She's considering a blackberry as it has the full QWERTY keyboard.