Should You Upgrade Your iPhone Every Year?

If you like to stay up on the latest iPhone news, then you know that the iPhone 4 has already been released for quite a while now and - while not without its bugs - it does seem to be a major leap forward in a number of ways.

The hardware is improved; stainless steel and glass help highlight a 24% thinner body over the iPhone 3GS.

New apps, including a new email application, allow a more intuitive computer-like experience when you’re browsing the iPhone. In many ways, it can really be worth the investment.

But what if you already owned a 3GS?

Heck, what if you've already bought the iPhone 3GS and you’re not sure that the improvements are really worth investing more and more money in every year? Then you’re probably not alone; some people simply don’t have the money to keep upgrading their smart phones and, even if you stay on your contract, that doesn’t mean every new release of the iPhone can’t burn a hole in your pocket.

First, let’s consider why you might - like many other people - purchase a new iPhone as soon as it comes out. What are the advantages to owning the latest iPhones?

• The latest iPhone features, of course. In the case of the iPhone 4, new features include the aforementioned hardware improvements not to mention new apps like an Ebook reader and better functions. Having an iPhone 4 in many cases simply means that you have a better experience than you did before. If you’re constantly looking for better technology because you lead a mobile lifestyle, you can really find some serious advantages in staying current.
• Convenience. The newest iPhone features always work on making things simpler and more convenient, and if you really hate to waste time doing something on your laptop that you could otherwise do on your iPhone if your iPhone had better features, then you might want to consider the convenience factor as being a category in and of itself.

But what about the disadvantages?

• Money. Paying for a new iPhone every years means...you’re paying for a new iPhone every year. What’s more, those old iPhones you sell don’t exactly appreciate in value when a new version becomes available. What’s an advantage for the people buying up the iPhone 3GS is not exactly an advantage for you if you’re looking to sell.
• Familiarity. Some people don’t use their mobile phone enough to justify spending a lot of money on something they’re not familiar with - they’d rather not re-train themselves every time Apple decides it’s time to be re-trained. Enjoying an older gadget doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of the loop; it just means you’ve found something that works for you.

Of course, buying a iPhone every summer doesn’t exactly have to be a make-or-break experience. There are a number of things you can do in order to offset the expense.

For example, you could always save your money each year, putting aside loose change (okay, it’s not a lot, but it helps) and stray dollar bills that will eventually go to offset the new investment you plan on making with each new version of the iPhone.

What’s more: selling your old iPhone on a site like eBay.com will help generate some of the cash that can go toward a new iPhone. You can’t expect to recoup all of your investment from the previous year - iPhones will go down in price, similar to cars - but you can at least feel good about offsetting more of the iPhone’s price tag. Besides, there are legions of low-budget Apple iPhone fans who appreciate exactly what you’re doing every year.