What would a 4S mean to you?

I owned an iPhone 3GS (as well as both the 2G / 3G) since the month it was released and love it. It was a major leap from the hardware from a purely speed standpoint and with the inclusion of a compass and longer battery-life, this made it a winner for me.

I planned for that phone to be my last for a long while since I wanted to run that phone into the ground. I had recently replaced the original battery (after going through well over 800+ cycles) and continued to be quite happy.

I unfortunately had the 3GS stolen 5 months ago in Vietnam while on assignment and -begrudgingly- (from a financial perspective) purchased a new iPhone 4 from HK.

This phone is quite the gem and I am just as happy with this one as the 3GS. The phone (with the multitude of apps loaded on it) is quite snappy, the screen really is gorgeous and the battery-life gets me by on most occasions.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple has in store whether it's a 4S or 5. But I am sure I will not be purchasing one until my current unit is worn to it's last bolt. (And I am determined not to have it stolen this time around!!!)

I've been amazed at how most people who comment on these stories seem dead-sure that it will and must be an iPhone 5 and loathe the fact that it may be an iPhone 4s with improved hardware etc this year and an iPhone 5 next year. Historically speaking that has the highest probability.

I thought some of the case leaks were for a new iPod Touch.
For one it would be odd for Apple to abandon the new squared edge of the iPhone 4 and return to the old iPhone style. ( Personally I find the original easier to hold than the 4 ... but that's just a preference. )
Two, the revised form factor would put three different models / shapes of iPhone on the market. 3GS, 4, 5 ... unless they EOL the 3GS.

And let's not forget. Apple is already on a roll, it likes to keep things simple, and usually goes one step slower than a large part of the public would prefer as far as models, specs, ...

I currently own the 3G, bought it the month after it was released in Australia. It was the first truly versatile smartphone I ever had, and it was (and still is, to a large degree) a pleasure to use. That said and done, I have upgraded it far as I could, and after so many months of abuse, it's definitely feeling the age.

I would be sad to stop using it, might actually jailbreak it after all.... But whether it's 4S or 5 (preferably) I would think I will be feeling a massive upgrade, in terms of speed, capabilities and the few apps that I couldn't use on the 3G

No way screen size changes. Resolution must remain as it is - 960x640 - and a bigger screen would just make everything look larger while ppi would be lower - so much for the retina screen... So basically the form factor will be the same. Thinner maybe, thinner bezel probably but that's all. And personally I like the size as it fits perfectly in my hand and pocket - very balanced design, imo.

I am waiting to upgrade from a 3G, which works as a charm after downgrading to 3.1.3, and, honestly, has had so many bumps and floor dropping over the past years with no case to protect it that I am amazed it still works. But, while a '4S' model would be fine performance wise, I would probably go for a new '5' with a fresher design. With so many iPhone 4's around, it would be a shame if the new iPhone looks exactly the same, 15 months later.

It makes almost ZERO sense for them to have waited this long to just release a 4 with an upgraded processor and cam. Now I know they had to be careful about all the new Verizon customers who just bought the 4 in January, but still. The market is TOTALLY different now than when it was 3G vs 3Gs. Back then you didn't have a Droid with high level hardware specs and a significantly larger screen dropping once per month. They need to have a redesign in order to crush. If it's just a 4s or 4+, don't expect sales to jump thru the roof like on previous releases.

The dream machine would be a larger screen, thinner design AND LTE capability. I know, I know, that's a total long shot, but if that were to be what they announced, the iPhone 5 would crush its enemies, driving them before it, hearing the lamentations of their women.

Android would instantly lose a year of competitiveness if that happened. And wouldn't that be a great swan song for Steve Jobs?

My thoughts-

The iPhone 4 is go bye-bye
the iPhone 5 will be iPhone Pro- Same weight and size as iPhone 4, basically the n94 pro to we've been seeing. a5 proc at 1.5ghz dual core, 8mpx cam, yadda yadda yadda. Price- 16= 129, 32- 199, 64- 259/99

the "4S" will be the iPhone air- That redesigned iPhone "5" we've been seeing. It's so thin they can't fit all of the "pro" inside, so it will have a4+, a single core 1.2ghz proc, 5mpx cam, slim light design. All at a magical price point. 8GB- FREE. Yup, to kill any "ANDROID IS CHEAPER" arguments, and the 16gb will be only 49 dollars.

What if this rumoured form factor is Apple's way of hiding the new form factor much like they did with the 3GS case for the iPhone 4? I mean really, put the shape is probably the last part of the manufacturing process and I'm sure that the same hardware would fit into the iPhone4 shell as whatever Apple have planned next.

Not to be nit-picky, but if Apple released a 4S, wouldn't a new model after/alongside that theoretically be an iPhone 6? If the numbering for the iPhone 4 counted the 3GS as the 3rd model, why wouldn't the 4S count as the 5th model?

I'm torn between two conflicting thoughts. On one hand I see that the 3GS is a great device, and a wonderful upgrade from the 3G. However, there is a part of me that wants to see its release as a fix for the 3G. The 3G proved that Apple underestimated the app store and the device ended up suffering from not having the hardware it needed to keep up.

If the 3GS was not a fix disguised as an upgrade, but simply an upgrade, I think it outlines Apple's strategy for a few years. However, if it was that, all the cards are on the table and we don't have enough data to assume they're release strategy. What we do know is that whatever they put out, we're going to want it. A 4S with basic hardware upgrades and a fix for the antenna issue would be great. Obviously the antenna issue was blown out if proportion, but not so much that it doesn't need to be addressed.

Weird--I posted from my phone while I was out earlier and it looked like it worked but now I don't see it here. Odd. Apologies in advance if I'm repeating myself. :-)

As the primary user on a family plan, I'm evidently eligible to upgrade once per year. Since I can sell my old phone for the price of a new one, I'd be stupid NOT to upgrade--at the very least, the new phone will be in warranty for an additional year. So it really doesn't matter what the new one has--I'll buy it no matter what. I assume it'll have a better camera, which is always nice, and it'll probably be a little faster overall. A bump in capacity would be nice. Other than that, I really can't imagine what they could add.

The two things I really wanted that the original model lacked were GPS and video recording, so the first two upgrades were no-brainers for me. (Plus I went from 4 GB to 8 to 16 for no extra money as the base model got better and better.) I was really happy with the 3GS but I upgraded to the 4 because, like I said, there was no reason not to. Having done so, I'm really happy with the camera and screen, and the extra speed is of course nice.

I spent $249 (refurbished 4 GB) for my first iPhone, and it and every subsequent phone had has sold for enough to pay for its replacement. (Except for the 4, where I spent the extra $100 for the 32 GB model.) Other than that, I'm still riding on the same $249 I spent 4 years ago, and my phones have more or less always been in good shape and in warranty. (Which I haven't yet needed, knock silicon.)