I’ve been limping by with an iPhone 3G since its introduction. I was hoping to wait for the iPhone 5, mostly for LTE and hopefully better battery life (I couldn’t care less about the rumored slightly larger screen size). However, my iPhone 3G has had a crack in the back of the case for a while, and its reception has been sub-par for the last 6 months or more. Most importantly, MobileMe service expires at the end of this month, and the 3G will not run the current iOS in order to use iCloud. In addition, the 3G is slow when running any 4.x version of iOS.
So I had to buy a new iPhone.
I debated switching to Verizon, since my contract with AT&T expired years ago. However, AT&T’s plans better meet my needs. I need to be able to tether, and I need more than 2G data per month. Their 5G plan with hotspot works for me. I had to give up my unlimited data plan, of course. The reality is that I don’t need an unlimited plan without tethering; I use my WiFi at home for most fat content. The hotspot allows me to use my phone as a 3G modem for my MacBook Pro, which I need when I’m working somewhere without WiFi.
I bought a white 32G iPhone 4S with AT&T. I bought it at the Apple Store in the Twelve Oaks shopping mall in Novi, Michigan. If buying an iPhone, I can’t more heartily recommend going to an Apple Store instead of the carrier. The brick-and-mortar Apple Store experience continues to be fantastic, and you’ll leave the store feeling like you just had a glimpse of what the face-to-face retail experience should be. And if you’re using the Apple Store app,you might feel like you’re stealing. 🙂
I’m using a Speck Candyshell Grip case, in yellow. It’s not really the one I want, but of the cases available in the local Apple Store, it’s the one I like the most.
I’m enjoying Siri and other features sorely missing from my old iPhone 3G, but most importantly… I’ve made the switch from MobileMe to iCloud and can rest a little easier.