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Twelve hours to the big announcement. A few rumors are floating around. One is Sprint getting an iPhone of some type. Another is not only is Sprint getting an iPhone, but theirs is the iPhone 5, and it's a Sprint exclusive. Some folks aren't buying that one bit.

Most folks are expecting an iPhone 4S, and the announcement, if not outright release, of iOS 5.

So, seeing as the announcement is still a few hours off as of this posting, how does this affect your mobile plans for the rest of the year?

It effects me not at all.

Unless they announce a new verizon phone.

Because then I'mma have to sell it.

I'm not eligible for an upgrade until January so I will most likely do nothing but figure out what I'm going to do in January.

It would astound me if Apple allowed a sprint exclusive. Apple has to compete with Android now, and for many people Verizon is simply the only network they can use (ie, they will not switch due to coverage issues).

I myself am probably going back to verizon as well, having been on AT&T for 2.5 years with the iPhone 3GS.

Whether I go to the iPhone 5 or to another android phone depends on what they release as the iPhone 5.

If I had to choose between the iPhone 4 and the current crop of android phones, I'd go with one of the androids.

Apple needs to wow me to keep me, despite the fact that I'm invested into iOS with over 600 apps... (the vast majority free, but it's still an investment I wouldn't have automatically switching to android - and it's not a blocking issue for switching)

I'm not switching. My iPhone 4 is less than a year old. I am however looking forward to the new OS.

I was at a computational science conference last week, and the topic of smartphones came up in a talk. The current prediction (by very smart people--not hacks) is that smart phones will have the same computational power as a current supercomputer in just ten years. Know what that means? Tricorders. There's already an X-Prize for it.
Added at: 14:25
Also, I'm sticking with AT&T for now. I've had no problem with the service, apparently unlike a lot of people.

We're sticking with AT&T. Haven't had any problems with them. We'll upgrade when our contract is up next year.

fade said:

I was at a computational science conference last week, and the topic of smartphones came up in a talk. The current prediction (by very smart people--not hacks) is that smart phones will have the same computational power as a current supercomputer in just ten years. Know what that means? Tricorders. There's already an X-Prize for it.

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I looked that up. That would be awesome.

I'm sticking with AT&T mainly cause I have internet and cable in my home WITH education discount. So I'm sticking to that

I haven't had any real problems with my sprint signal, but everything else they're doing during this "Season of Change" (their phrase) seems designed to drive off customers.

First they raise fees to 3rd party content providers to send text alerts to Sprint customers. So those providers cut of Sprint users. I lose scores from ESPN, headlines from MSNBC, and news/weather from Yahoo.

Then they eliminate the 1 year full upgrade for the Silver tier of their preferred customer program. A month before I become eligible. Then they eliminate the preferred customer program entirely.

They've raised the ETF (nearly doubled it), eliminated 1-year contracts and billing to account for existing customers.

Unless Sprint really is getting an iPhone 5, I'm inclined to eat the remaining 6 months on my contract and switch to AT&T and the iPhone 4S.

I am forced to continue with my Motorola v191 on a Pay-As-I-Go T-Mobile plan until such time as I feel the carriers will not treat me like an old-style veal calf. Seriously, if one of them offers a data-only plan (no voice) I'll be there, but until then I'm not going to pay $70/mo for voice minutes I'll never use *just* so I can acquire mobile Internet.

--Patrick

PatrThom said:

I am forced to continue with my Motorola v191 on a Pay-As-I-Go T-Mobile plan until such time as I feel the carriers will not treat me like an old-style veal calf. Seriously, if one of them offers a data-only plan (no voice) I'll be there, but until then I'm not going to pay $70/mo for voice minutes I'll never use *just* so I can acquire mobile Internet.

--Patrick

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Pretty much this.

First-day purchase for me. I still have an iPhone 3G (not even a 3GS), so I am way out of contract, and my 3G chugs on iOS4, so no way will it survive 5.

I wasn't going to at first, but I'm sticking with AT&T: I'm grandfathered into unlimited, and AT&T is the only US carrier with an appreciable HPSDA network, unfortunately. I guess we'll see what happens when the LTE/4G iPhone comes out in a year...

Well, color me unimpressed.

It has a dual core processor, a better camera (not just in magapixels, but much better optics and a specialized low light sensor), aaaand that's pretty much it. Probably a better radio, better antennas, and hopefully double ram. Oh, and it's the first time they've put 64GB into the phone, which isn't bad.

I am not surprised they've labeled it the 4S - it's not the next generation of iPhone, merely an iteration on the existing 4 line.

Hmph. I'm looking at the available droids now. Honestly I'll probably still upgrade, but if I had known it wouldn't be much more than the 4 gussied up a bit, I would have upgraded to the 4 this time last year when AT&T were doing their special offers to prevent people from switching to verizon.

The killer, though, is that the radio is still 3G. It offers great speeds on AT&T, but only EVDO Rev A on Verizon, which isn't as fast as I'd like.

But, you know, first world problems.

I won't be able to afford it for a month or three anyway, assuming things go well with my current projects, so I'll have time after it's got hand-on reviews and has been disassembled to decide what path I should take.

I've outgrown my current phone, the original Evo 4G. There's not enough room for updated Sense 2.x or 3.x and the apps I had, and going back to stock and Sense 1.x is not an appealing scenario. So to move on from here, a new phone is in order.

If Sprint will let me get by paying the same $199 or $299 as a new or full upgrade eligible customer, then I might stay, in spite of the limitations of being a Sprint customer. Otherwise, it's cheaper to switch over to AT&T as a new customer and pay Sprint the ETF on the remainder of my contract. Verizon is still a year or more from providing any service here, so they can suck it.

Yeah.... I'm sticking with my DROID series. Hopefully a shiny new one will be out and about when my contract comes up for renewal next June. Though honestly with the 10.1in Kindle Fire I'm getting this Dec, I might not give much of a damn about what my smartphone can do by then.

stienman said:

It has a dual core processor, a better camera (not just in magapixels, but much better optics and a specialized low light sensor), aaaand that's pretty much it. Probably a better radio, better antennas, and hopefully double ram.

Click to expand...

Word is that it contains 1GB RAM and has the better antennae, and let's not forget the vastly improved GPU. The fact that it is also dual-mode GSM/CDMA is nice (meaning a fully unlocked phone would be able to ride all 4 of the major networks in the US). The only real loser here is T-Mobile, since the phone will only be capable of either slow 2G or full-on 4G* on their network, but no 3G.

--Patrick
*HSPA+, that is. Really more like 3.5G than "true" 4G.

The more I think about it, the more likely I'd switch to AT&T for the new iPhone. For the reasons I don't care all that much for Sprint I've already mentioned, the local upgrades to the AT&T network, and price.

Some googling found the non-upgrade price for the iPhone 4S is starting at $649 for the 16GB model. If Sprint is going to expect me to pay that, forget it. It's cheaper to pay even the full $350 ETF and go to another carrier.

Sprint isn't subsidizing their iPhones like all the other US iPhone carriers?

They are, but some people prefer to buy the phone outright so they can switch networks on a whim.

stienman said:

They are, but some people prefer to buy the phone outright so they can switch networks on a whim.

Click to expand...

Ah ok.

SpecialKO said:

Sprint isn't subsidizing their iPhones like all the other US iPhone carriers?

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They probably are, but I'm not in an eligible position right now. Not since they took the 1-year upgrade away from the Silver Premier users.

Um, yeah. Thanks to killing off the Premier loyalty programs, I went from an annual upgrade at full discount to 22 months. Which puts the iPhone 4S at $649 and up if I stay with Sprint. Bailing in favor of AT&T gets me in at $199 for the 16GB model. Prorated ETF comes in at $60-70 depending on when the iPhone arrives and when I finally cancel my Sprint line.

Preordered from the AT&T store at noon on Friday. Everyone ordering in-store is being told 14-21 days to ship no matter when they put the order in.

My condolences.

I gotta be honest, Siri seems super cool IF it works right. It's enough to make me consider switching up in the next year. I'm hoping and praying that with everyone now having the iPhone they will start a small price war or two.

Apple surely controls the prices the carriers can offer the iphone at. It's one of the things Apple keeps an iron grip on - if they could stop secondary sales they would, but by grabthar's hammer they WILL control the price new units are sold at.

I'd like them to start a price war on plans though. Over the two year life of the phone, an $80/mo plan ends up costing nearly $2,000, not including the cost of the phone.

Sorry, I'm not hoping for a price war on the phone, just the plans.

The way Sprint's been behaving with cutting all the perks for long-time customers, the price war is on, but in reverse.

Espy said:

Sorry, I'm not hoping for a price war on the phone, just the plans.

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I agree. Phone is a one time fee. The plans is where the real bulk of the money.

Still listed as backordered when I checked a few minutes ago. Anyone here get a "shipped" email or *gasp* the phone itself yet?

Speaking of iPhones, it's really fun to watch the iPhone iOS 5.0 update basically delete my phone, update itself, then restore from backup. Hoping to god it doesn't fuck up. >.>

oooh... I'm tempted. I'm going to wait, though, the first release always has some annoying bugs.

I love the thumb keyboard on iOS5. I hate apple's current love affair with skeuomorphism. It just seems really pointless and frankly a step backwards.

Bah. Bah, bah, and bah. Preorder? What's the point? If I had done nothing, I could have shown up at AT&T this morning and walked away with a 32GB iPhone 4S. Instead, I was told I was locked into the preorder and couldn't cancel, no matter how far backordered it was.

Dude, there's a customer standing in front of you prepared to spend *more* money than originally intended. Why make up excuses why you don't want his money?

OK, this is the best thing ever:

http://shitthatsirisays.tumblr.com/

Latest rumors suggest the iPhone 5 is likely to be coming out June 2012, and is the one Jobs was working on - the 4S was seen as a yearly refresh internally, and Jobs gave it little attention.

It makes some sense given history:

iPhone 1: test market, see if it can be successful as essentially an iPod phone.
iPhone 3G, 3GS: Next generation device and a refresh
iPhone 4, 4S: Next generation and a refresh
iPhone 5...?: Next generation

I dunno. The iPhone 4S camera is compelling, but I would probably be fine with my 3GS until next year. I do know that if I got a 4S this winter, then found out the 5 really was coming out next summer I'd suffer a bout of buyer's remorse.

Sadly I haven't been impressed by the android phones I've been looking at as replacements.

I didn't get 4S, but I did upgrade from 8GB 3G to 8GB 4 a world of difference. I love it.

Razzum frazzum 3 week wait for delivery.

Still hasn't shipped, but mine moved off of backordered this afternoon.

I don't think any phone mfr is really going to come out with anything truly revolutionary until all the carriers FINALLY embrace LTE and get over all this GSM/CDMA/HSPA+/EDO fragmentation crap.

--Patrick

It's only fragmented in North America. Everyone else is on the GSM standard.

Before LTE really takes off, they need to lower the power required. LTE just eats through batteries right now.

DarkAudit said:

Still hasn't shipped, but mine moved off of backordered this afternoon.

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Where are you getting yours from? I have mine ordered from last week from AT&T, but all I saw was an email stating 2-3 weeks.

Shannow said:

Where are you getting yours from? I have mine ordered from last week from AT&T, but all I saw was an email stating 2-3 weeks.

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Preordered mine from the local AT&T store on the 7th. Not backordered, but still not shipped. Got the same "14-21 days" excuse. This is day 14.

Yeah, I did the same at my store on the 13th. Just didnt see anything but the message in an email about 14-21 days.

Shipped just over an hour ago. Should be here Monday. Take a day or two to get everything shifted over to the new carrier and then goodbye and good riddance to Sprint.

Where did you actually see the status of the from AT&T?

Shannow said:

Where did you actually see the status of the from AT&T?

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The link in the email they sent me lets you check on the order status.

nevermind, found it...just says in progress/pending shipment, so who knows what that means. probably another week at least

That is bupkiss. You should be able to pick up pre-order/upgrade at the AT&T store. Our location actually have some extra stock (going fast) but still.

That was straight from apple. They adamantly set it that anything in store could not be used for pre orders.

Shannow said:

That was straight from apple. They adamantly set it that anything in store could not be used for pre orders.

Click to expand...

That is still bupkiss.

And it's here. Setup was mostly a breeze. Just a slight hiccup in getting my contacts transferred over from my Android phone. The initial method suggested was setting up gmail as an exchange. The contacts port over, but will not sync with iCloud. The second method was to sync via iTunes with Google Contacts, then turn that off and sync to iCloud. That worked. I have my old contacts, all saved to iCloud. Only thing left is the tedious re-entering of missing data. Android would use phone and email data off twitter and facebook profiles, but could not save that data into it's own contact listing.

Network speeds are faster all around. Even before the Sprint iPhone went on sale, their EVDO network was struggling to keep up in the area. 800Kbps was typical when I used to get close to 2Mbps only a few months back. I'm getting 3Mbps from AT&T. Got similar results when I checked my Evo side-by-side with the new Galaxy S II at AT&T's store. Wi-Fi is the same story. the Evo is supposed to be wireless N, but runs like a G. The iPhone is N all the way, slurping up every bit of bandwith Comcast is sending my way.

I'm still feeling my way through, but so far I'm quite satisfied. Still, I'm gonna return it... in favor of the 32GB model. MOAR POWER!!

Well, my ship rate now says 21-28 days...sonofabitch...so, looking like another 2 weeks at the soonest until I get mine, since I ordered on the 13th. Question on the contacts though, since it looks liek you are doing the exact same thing I will be doing...does the Iphone contacts snych up with facebook for pictures, profile, etc. like android, or will it all be manual?

....also..let me know what the change to the 32g model process is like if you go that route. I am considering doing the same.

DarkAudit said:

And it's here.

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So, is Siri all that it's cracked up to be?

Can you see an phone in the future that has no screen (like the ipod shuffle) that's entirely voice controlled?

The profile pictures sync up, but I'm not seeing much additional info syncing up. I've been going to the iCloud web site to fill in the missing data manually. Looks like new friends aren't syncing yet, either. Will see what the phone does while I sleep before work.

stienman said:

So, is Siri all that it's cracked up to be?

Can you see an phone in the future that has no screen (like the ipod shuffle) that's entirely voice controlled?

Click to expand...

My friend and my boss are loving it. It is pretty nifty tool. They usually use it for directions and calling people up while in motion.

I'm still waiting for someone to try "I've fallen and I can't get up!" on siri.
Added at: 12:08
Of course, I'm not the first to think of that:

http://ismashphone.com/2011/10/siri-a-conversation-with-our-iphone-4s.html

Contact integration could be better. That or I'm missing a setting to list Facebook only contacts with everyone else. Had to resync with Google to get the new ones over to the iPhone. Not too long and I'll have everyone on the iCloud side updated. It's tedious, but I should only have to do it once.

15 days, still "In progress." Work faster, you bastard sweatshop workers! No food until I get my damned phone!

razzum frazzum stupid delays. Still nothing changed.

I decided to get iPhone 4S on a whim, and was able to preorder it for pickup at the Apple Store the night before I actually got it. Siri is everything it's cracked up to be.

Yeah, but unfortunately, if you pre-ordered it from the stroe during the week before, they wont allow you to get it there,a nd you have to wait for it to ship. And thus, you get caught in back order limbo like myself. 21-28 days it says now, so hepefully it ships by the end of the week.

And snap, status changed to shipped! Down in Texas now, says over nighted and should have it tomorrow. Woot!

Yay! Just in time to grab GarageBand for the iPhone.

As I'm still in the 30 day window, I'm stepping up to the 32GB model. Went to the AT&T store to see about an exchange. They don't expect any more phones in until at least Thanksgiving. BUT... the manager suggested I try one of the Apple stores up in Pittsburgh. Just take my receipts and they should honor an exchange. Would just have to pay the $100 difference. Reserved one from the store just off the Pitt campus. Will head up in the morning after work.

Not having any real issues with the phone itself. everything working as intended. In spite of all the horror stories I've heard about the AT&T network, it's a damn sight faster than Sprint's.

if it is that simple, I may just go and so the same, then. I still have my receipts and what not as well.

You will NOT be able to return the phone you purchased at an AT&T store over at the Apple store. They will be unable to help you*. Trust me on this.

You might be able to return it for refund at AT&T and then buy a new one over at the Apple store, but that's going to depend on inventory.

--Patrick
*Unless procedures have changed within the last 3 days.

Got mine at the AT&T store, so that would be where I would go....

PatrThom said:

You will NOT be able to return the phone you purchased at an AT&T store over at the Apple store. They will be unable to help you*. Trust me on this.

You might be able to return it for refund at AT&T and then buy a new one over at the Apple store, but that's going to depend on inventory.

--Patrick
*Unless procedures have changed within the last 3 days.

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Yep. The manager at the AT&T store was dead wrong. And OF COURSE he was off today so I couldn't talk to him while I was in the Apple store this morning. didn't find *that* out until after an hour of them not answering their phone and then a staffer giving me wrong information about when the guy was due in.

And if I returned the original to the AT&T store, it could've taken up to 24 hours to reset my eligibility for a new phone, AND I would be starting over from zero with another new number.

I even asked the AT&T manager on Monday if all I needed was to go in with my receipts and phone stuff. He said yes. Nope.

The double whammy against me was mine was a new account. If you were upgrading from an existing account, your return might go differently.