Used iPhone or a Brand New local Phone?

[insanedown58]

I have about $90 right now and I'm looking for an Android/Windows Phone/iOS Smart Phone and I got confronted by these two. I went to a local mall which has these mini stalls where they can either buy your phone, buy a phone, or trade your phone (much like Pawn Stars). Now here's what I got: An iPhone 3G for $45 (I'm assuming the iPhone 4 is $90 while the 4s is $180) and a local Android phone with a Dual Core Snapdragon and Android ICS (its for $90 but it has a fairly crappy 2-point touch sensitivity and a VGA front with a 5MP Autofocus rear).

Which one should I go for? I know what to look for in the iPhone like the IMEI Number, Serials, Volume Rockers, odd scents, etc.

PS: For those who would like to know what I'm talking about, its the Greenhills Shopping Center and I'm referring to the stalls with the "swap" and all.

[Nima]

iPhone 3G is very old and no longer supported and most of applications and games on iTunes would not be installed on it as they are mostly compatible from 3GS and models after that, so, I highly recommend you not to touch iPhone 3G which is more than 5 years old and in this scenario, the best would be go for that Android phone, in my opinion; but, if you can afford iPhone 4S, it would be very fine, too. ;)

Edited August 9, 2013 by Nima

[debebee]

You cant' run current APPS on an Iphone 3G since it can only be updated to ioS 4.21...

IMHO it is a dead platform for apps since APPLE SYSTMATICALLY phased out the phone...

Also Iphone 4 and 4s days are numbered as newer OS will soon make them incompatible with apps on the APPStore

Better to get those newer android phones with Ice cream sandwich or jellybean android OS

[Nima]

You cant' run current APPS on an Iphone 3G since it can only be updated to ioS 4.21...

IMHO it is a dead platform for apps since APPLE SYSTMATICALLY phased out the phone...

Also Iphone 4 and 4s days are numbered as newer OS will soon make them incompatible with apps on the APPStore

Better to get those newer android phones with Ice cream sandwich or jellybean android OS

Although, iPhone 4, 4S & 5 all are upgradable to iOS 7, thus, all current applications will be installed and run fine on all of them. :)

[insanedown58]

What about the 3GS? I have received numerous recommendations for it instead of the 3G because of the same reason. I mean my dad got a Nokia Lumia 510 for $60 I'm sure I could get the 3GS for roughly the same price.

[Nima]

What about the 3GS? I have received numerous recommendations for it instead of the 3G because of the same reason. I mean my dad got a Nokia Lumia 510 for $60 I'm sure I could get the 3GS for roughly the same price.

iPhone 3GS is currently running the latest iOS version (6.1.3) and all applications and games on iTunes will be installed on it and work properly, but it won't update to iOS 7; thus, it would work for you not for much time but you can enjoy it, mostly until next September in 2014 which new iPhone is going to be released.

But I still highly recommend you to get ICS phone rather old iPhone models; unless as I told you before, you get iPhone 4 or 4S.

I also suggest you to check this link and compare all iPhones in one table:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iOS_devices#iPhone

You will get much information on all models. ;)

Edited August 9, 2013 by Nima

[speedy57]

;)

[insanedown58]

What about the 3GS? I have received numerous recommendations for it instead of the 3G because of the same reason. I mean my dad got a Nokia Lumia 510 for $60 I'm sure I could get the 3GS for roughly the same price.

iPhone 3GS is currently running the latest iOS version (6.1.3) and all applications and games on iTunes will be installed on it and work properly, but it won't update to iOS 7; thus, it would work for you not for much time but you can enjoy it, mostly until next September in 2014 which new iPhone is going to be released.

But I still highly recommend you to get ICS phone rather old iPhone models; unless as I told you before, you get iPhone 4 or 4S.

I also suggest you to check this link and compare all iPhones in one table:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iOS_devices#iPhone

You will get much information on all models. ;)

I'm starting to gear towards a Lumia 520. Any thoughts? I realized the same thing seeing that the Lumia has a better camera and a much more recent OS. I heard very bad things about the ICS phone mostly about the way it was assembled (parts were quite loose and if you drop it once something's sure to mess up).

[LeetPirate]

For low budget you should get windows phone or that used iphone 4. Windows Phone OS is by far the fastest phone OS of the top 3. Android is built with Java, a disgustingly slow code so there will always be nasty lag and a lack of fluidness unless the hardware is ultra powerful.

However windows phone 7 has a few critical design flaws: there is no file manager so you can never download files from the browser and go look for it, also WP7 WiFi is flawed because it turns off when the screen goes off and you will never receive messages on Whatsapp and other chat apps until you unlock the screen and WiFi reconnects.

[insanedown58]

For low budget you should get windows phone or that used iphone 4. Windows Phone OS is by far the fastest phone OS of the top 3. Android is built with Java, a disgustingly slow code so there will always be nasty lag and a lack of fluidness unless the hardware is ultra powerful.

However windows phone 7 has a few critical design flaws: there is no file manager so you can never download files from the browser and go look for it, also WP7 WiFi is flawed because it turns off when the screen goes off and you will never receive messages on Whatsapp and other chat apps until you unlock the screen and WiFi reconnects.

The Lumia 520 is a Windows Phone 8 mobile. What are the flaws of that OS?

[Nima]

Nokia Lumia 520 is a very good and new smartphone, much newer than iPhone 3GS or even 4S, it is also upgradable to WP8 Amber, so it's on the latest OS, I really see no problem to buy Lumia 520 if you can work with WP8. ;)

I seriously suggest that over other phones you mentioned. ;)

[LeetPirate]

I agree with Nima, WP8 is excellent. Personally, I am not aware of any flaws of Windows Phone 8.

[Zigen]

You cant' run current APPS on an Iphone 3G since it can only be updated to ioS 4.21...

IMHO it is a dead platform for apps since APPLE SYSTMATICALLY phased out the phone...

Also Iphone 4 and 4s days are numbered as newer OS will soon make them incompatible with apps on the APPStore

Better to get those newer android phones with Ice cream sandwich or jellybean android OS

Although, iPhone 4, 4S & 5 all are upgradable to iOS 7, thus, all current applications will be installed and run fine on all of them. :)

Any idea when iphone 4, 4S & 5 will become obsolete in the sense they can't be upgraded to certain ioS one day? 1 year? 2 years?

I like my iphone 5 which is my first iphone and would like to keep it for a really long time but I know those knobheads at Apple will render it useless one day so you have to buy their new iphones :s

[Nima]

You cant' run current APPS on an Iphone 3G since it can only be updated to ioS 4.21...

IMHO it is a dead platform for apps since APPLE SYSTMATICALLY phased out the phone...

Also Iphone 4 and 4s days are numbered as newer OS will soon make them incompatible with apps on the APPStore

Better to get those newer android phones with Ice cream sandwich or jellybean android OS

Although, iPhone 4, 4S & 5 all are upgradable to iOS 7, thus, all current applications will be installed and run fine on all of them. :)

Any idea when iphone 4, 4S & 5 will become obsolete in the sense they can't be upgraded to certain ioS one day? 1 year? 2 years?

I like my iphone 5 which is my first iphone and would like to keep it for a really long time but I know those knobheads at Apple will render it useless one day so you have to buy their new iphones :s

iPhone 4 released on June 2010 and currently we are in 2013, so there are more than 3 years since iPhone 4 initial release, it is still supported and going to be updated to latest iOS 7 this fall.

And as Apple's routine which releases 1 major iOS version per year, iPhone 4 will being updated until about Sep. 2014; so, every iPhone gets maintained for at least 3 years and up to 4 years, I think it's enough time to upgrade your phone, whatever it's, iPhone or not. :)

[Zigen]

iPhone 4 released on June 2010 and currently we are in 2013, so there are more than 3 years since iPhone 4 initial release, it is still supported and going to be updated to latest iOS 7 this fall.

And as Apple's routine which releases 1 major iOS version per year, iPhone 4 will being updated until about Sep. 2014; so, every iPhone gets maintained for at least 3 years and up to 4 years, I think it's enough time to upgrade your phone, whatever it's, iPhone or not. :)

Thanks for the info, I guess I can keep my iphone 5 for at least 2 more years. I'm surprised that the iphone 3 & 4 still command high values on the second hand market. If they're going to become ios obsolete sooner or later, why are people still buying them at high prices?

Also I really hate iTunes. Its like a merry go round and takes up a lot of time when you try to copy stuff like music or photos from your computer to an iphone. You have to do research on iTunes and find out how to do stuff with all those library crap and all to be able to copy from your computer, whereas on many other normal phones you just plug and play and copy whatever you want. I recently moved my computer os from XP to windows 8, so my music library changed. When i plugged in my iphone i can't sync nothing anymore as my library is no longer there! Then I click sync anyway and all my songs get deleted!

Well I suppose that's how Apple makes you buy music and stuff from their store. They don't like you copying free music you downloaded onto your pc and moving it to an apple product. So they make it hard for you to move stuff, Try customizing a ringtone and see what I mean!!

Anyway to the OP, if you're going to get a cheap used iphone and hate iTunes like me, use an alternative like iTools which makes things MUCH simplier. Just a note of caution that anyone who uses non iTunes alternatives, if you go back to using iTunes after using an alternative, apple will have sync problems with your iphone or ipad and will want to delete all your stuff you had copied using the alternative,.so as to be able to sync with iTunes again.

[Nima]

iPhone 4 released on June 2010 and currently we are in 2013, so there are more than 3 years since iPhone 4 initial release, it is still supported and going to be updated to latest iOS 7 this fall.

And as Apple's routine which releases 1 major iOS version per year, iPhone 4 will being updated until about Sep. 2014; so, every iPhone gets maintained for at least 3 years and up to 4 years, I think it's enough time to upgrade your phone, whatever it's, iPhone or not. :)

Thanks for the info, I guess I can keep my iphone 5 for at least 2 more years. I'm surprised that the iphone 3 & 4 still command high values on the second hand market. If they're going to become ios obsolete sooner or later, why are people still buying them at high prices?

Because they are still very solid phones, especially iPhone 4 & 4S; although they are a bit old, they work flawlessly even with new softwares and games. ^_^

I used to have iPhone 4S before and I was really satisfied with it, it worked perfectly for me, its hardware was also enough powerful and I was able to run latest application, games and iOS 7 without any problem. :)

Because of these reasons, the old models of iPhone are still very expensive, but not as latest generations, so you can go for lower models if you can't afford the latest one. ;)

[House_maniac]

i would suggest you to go with a windows phone or if you can add some money to your budget go for an low budget android phone like sony xperia miro

[insanedown58]

Hmm.. after going to the mall yet again, I saw a new lineup of phones from Huawei. Phones like the Huawei Ascend W1 and the Huawei Ascend G525 going for $156 and the W1 going for $176. Any thoughts?

[House_maniac]

Hmm.. after going to the mall yet again, I saw a new lineup of phones from Huawei. Phones like the Huawei Ascend W1 and the Huawei Ascend G525 going for $156 and the W1 going for $176. Any thoughts?

w1 is not bad only prob i had was it had prob connecting to secured wifi later i came to know it was an issue some windows 8 phone was encounting too late i already changed for an s4 but sincerely its a nice phone but i would problably go with a lumia 520 or anything in the same price range as i was not quite satisfied with the audio check reviews on youtube you shall get to know more about the phone otherwise itsa decent phone for the price;)

[insanedown58]

Thanks for the idea. I checked it out in the store and I was satisfied with it. Although right now I'm looking at the G510 or the Y300 since I heard it was fantastic and Cyanogenmod ports are coming later this year from unofficial developers.