Missing compelling incentive to upgrade to iPhone 3G S
Today isn't just the day that Apple announced the iPhone 3G S; it also marks the end of way too many months of silly rumors, bogus leaks, and far-fetched predictions. Even though the company's third handset will continue to appear in tech headlines until a "trusted source" tells someone something about the fourth-generation iPhone, we can all take comfort in knowing that the amount of false information being spread across the internet will taper off for a bit. And even Apple/iPhone haters can appreciate that.
The rest of us will likely spend at least some of the time leading up to the June 19th release of the new device (16GB: $199; 32GB: $299) deciding whether we'll be lining up in front of an Apple store that day. Some of you, like me, may have already made up your minds before this morning's WWDC keynote even began.
Having purchased both generations of the iPhone on their launch days in previous years, it's a no-brainer for me to pick up the 3G S the day it goes on sale. Even though the hardware is cosmetically identical to the 3G model I'm using now (so much for all those all-black, matte back, glowing logo, front cam leaks, eh?) and many of the improvements – better camera, MMS, tethering, voice dialing, cut/copy/paste – are features that other phones have had for years, the reason I'm standing in line on launch day is simply that I want to have the latest model. The unspecified faster processor is also appealing to me, as the current webpage load times constantly test my patience, and I can't complain about the improved battery life.
But what about you guys? If you're not already an iPhone user and are interested in becoming one, there are obviously a lot of reasons to get the 3G S or the just-reduced $99 iPhone 3G. If you already carry around an iPhone, however, what does the 3G S have to offer that will motivate you to upgrade? What's stopping you from installing the iPhone OS 3.0 software update (available on June 17th) on your current device and making do with the current camera/CPU/etc.?
