Which iPhone should I buy?

This site is aimed at lawyers who use iPhones, but you might be amazed how often people find me through this site and tell me that they are ready to make the switch and want to know which iPhone to get.  Just yesterday I got one of these requests from Blake LeBlanc, an attorney in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last week I got it from one of my law partners, the week before that ... etc.  I've answered this question enough that I figured I should post my answer here.

You have three options right now:  $99 for the iPhone 3G, $199 for a 16 GB iPhone 3GS and $299 for a 32 GB iPhone 3GS.  It isn't any cheaper to get it at an Apple Store, an AT&T Store, on the Apple website, Walmart, or anyplace else, so just go someplace convenient for you. 

I recommend that attorneys avoid the cheapest, $99 model.  Here is why.  First, the 3G is the 2008 version of the iPhone, so you are getting a much older model.  Second, it is slower than the 3GS.  Why should you care, especially if any iPhone is going to be a big improvement over what you are using now?  Because the increased speed on the 3GS makes the iPhone much more responsive and more enjoyable to use.  It makes a difference.

Third, the 3GS has a much better camera than the 3G.  "But Jeff," you insist, "I don't take pictures with my cell phone."  Well, you don't take pictures now, but trust me, it is nice to have that option, and the camera is so easy to use on the iPhone that you'll probably find yourself wanting to use it when you see something interesting and the iPhone is the camera that you have closest to you.  Fourth, that nicer camera can also take video.  Do you have kids?  Do they ever do anything funny?  Then you want the video camera.

Finally, there are other nice touches in the 3GS, none of which on its own is worth the extra $100, but added to the above list they further tip the scale in favor of the 3GS.  For example, the 3GS has a nice coating on the screen that makes it resistant to finger prints and makes it easier to wipe of the finger prints when they occur.  And you will touch this thing a lot, so that matters.  It also has a built-in compass, which makes it easier to use the great built-in Maps app.  There are a few other differences, all of which I listed here, but the ones I just listed are the most important. 

So now you know you are going to get the 3GS version.  Should you get the 16 GB version for $199 or the 32 GB version for $299?  For most people, I recommend the 16 GB version.  This often leads people to ask me, "Jeff, I hear about these 100,000 apps available for the iPhone.  Shouldn't I get more memory to get more apps?"  No.  It doesn't matter.  Apps on the iPhone just don't take up that much space.  The advantage of the extra capacity is not the ability to hold more apps, but the ability to hold more media:  pictures, songs and video.

And let's be even more specific — you would have to have an insane number of pictures on your iPhone to need more than 16 GB.  So ask yourself, do you currently have an iPod or other MP3 player?  If so, how much music do you have on there?  If it is over 16 GB, then maybe you would like the larger model.  If not, or if you don't even currently use an iPod or other MP3 player, than the 16 GB should be fine.  And finally, do you plan to put a lot of video on your iPhone, such as TV shows or movies to watch while you travel, or even just portable versions of your home movies?  Videos do take up a lot of space, so that might be a good reason to get the 32 GB version.  I often download TV shows, and sometimes movies, to watch on the plane or at night in a hotel room when I travel.  If that sounds like you, then you'll probably appreciate the 32 GB version.  If not, then stick with 16 GB.  Even the 16 GB version can hold quite a few songs and videos.

That often leads to this final question:  "Should I buy one now, or should I wait for the next model?"  My answer:  we're talking about technology here.  It changes every minute!  You can wait forever and you'll never find the perfect time to buy technology.  But I can offer this advice:  new iPhones typically come out, or at least are announced, in June.  Take a look:

• Original iPhone:  Announced 1/9/07, available 6/29/07
• iPhone 3G:  Announced 6/9/08, available 7/11/08
• iPhone 3GS:  Announced 6/8/09, available 6/19/09

A year ago, in January of 2009, an important Apple executive (Phil Schiller, Apple's VP of Worldwide Marketing) mentioned to a leading technology columnist (David Pogue of the New York Times) that "Apple marches to certain product cycles" including "the iPhone cycle (June)," further confirmation that June is the date that Apple targets.

Of course, there is no guarantee that the next version of the iPhone will be announced or released in June of 2010.  iPhone Alley reported yesterday that there was a rumor floating around France that the next iPhone will launch in May, not June, if you want to believe that one.  If getting a new iPhone is not very urgent for you, maybe you want to wait another five or six months, but then you'll miss out on all of the advantages of owning an iPhone.  That would be a shame!  Today, I'd say go ahead and get it.  But come May of 2010, then it probably makes sense to wait a few more weeks.

So for most of you looking to get an iPhone right now, go ahead and get the $199 model.  If you want to use a lot of music and/or video, get the $299 model.  You'll have to choose a color for the back of the iPhone (black or white), and I offer no advice on that cosmetic decision, except to say that my wife and I both have black, in case you are curious how the Richardson household voted.

Of course, once you get that shiny new iPhone, it won't be long before you ask the next, inevitable question:  "Hey, what apps should I check out?"  To which, may answer is — that's what iPhone J.D. is all about, so become a regular reader!  My answer literally changes every week.  Right now, I love and recommend Dragon Dictation, Documents to Go, Facebook (if you use Facebook), Twitterific (if you use Twitter), NetNewsWire (if you read RSS feeds from websites), The Weather Channel, LogMeIn Ignition, DirecTV, the Louisiana Civil Code and Code of Civil Procedure, FRCP and FRAP, Grocery iQ, and Scrabble.  But next week that list will change.  If you want a ton of great suggestions, make plans to attend the ABA TECHSHOW conference in Chicago this March.   Reid Trautz are I are planning a session called "60 iPhone Apps in 60 Minutes" on Thursday, March 25th, and Ben Stevens and I are planning a session called "iPhone Tips for Lawyers" on Saturday, March 27th.

Comments

[Jon]

Great post, one addition though. Some apps are in fact quite large- say a GPS app like Tomtom, Navigon, etc. They can easily suck just about 1.5 gigs alone. For some the 16gb is still enough, but remember only about 14.5 is really available to the user due to the OS and system resources. Add in a few apps, a gps app, and you could be sitting at 10 or 11 gigs before media.

Also remember when you get low on memory that when an app tries to install, if you dont have double the app size of free memory it wont install.

The space on a 16 gig can go fast with 100 songs, a few videos, and 2 dozen or so apps with a gps app.

[App Developer]

Hi Jeff
I agree with you the 16 GB iPhone 3GS is the most appropriate for 90% of the population. Most people I know who bought a 3G have now upgraded to the 3GS - the extra speed is very useful.

[NMissC]

For a music user with largely popular music, I'd go from 16GB to 32GB if if you're replacing an iPod or the like with over 3500 songs.

Not the usual, but I've got over 9500 songs in my iTunes library!

[Unlock iPhone 3G]

The iPhone 3GS 16gb would be a good choice, unless you would like to carry a lot of songs, videos or apps on your iPhone. The 3gs also supports all the latest software developed for the phone, some of which might be useful for your work.

[SOHAM PATHAK]

Hey Jeff. iPhone 3GS is really a good option. 16 GB is enough for the users who don't use a camera to store images and also songs.

[Sumesh]

Is iphone4 better than 16gb 3gs?