New study says almost half of iPhone owners plan to upgrade to the 4S

How are all these iPhone 4 users doing this? Are they actually paying the full $600+ dollars for an unsubsidized phone? I know that some customers who have expensive accounts get very early upgrades (I have a minimal account and am not eligible until February, 18 months into my 2 year contract), but this just seems like way too many people who are claiming to be able to go from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S.

Hey it's 12% of Android owners, not 24%. Come on.

Is it me or do the last 2 items on the list not make sense? Surely if 24% of Android owners are purchasing an iPhone 4S then 24% of them are willing to switch, rather than the 12% that are willing to switch in the report.

When you think it through, a $299 last-year's iPhone is still resellable for about $250 this year (Gazelle), so those 15 months of hardware use cost you less than $3.50/month. Meaning that the new phone will cost you about the same.

One latté, or an iPhone 4S with Siri, 1080p30 stabilized HD, 8 meg camera and a year-younger battery?

No brainer.

Hey, I have the original first generation iPhone, which is still going strong--and I'm making the jump to the 4S so I can have the new camera, video camera, Facetime, onboard GPS and iOS 5. For me it will be a HUGE difference in speed and features, although I've never been unhappy with my iPhone. I'm just looking forward to the additional features, speed, and SIRI! I can't wait for the day that Apple starts working Siri into the iPad and Macs!!!

I wish I knew who these people are that can afford to buy a new phone out-of-contract every year!

I'm impressed by the 4S, but the existing model is still a great device, as evidenced by its strong sales over the last 16 months. It's still fast, it still has a great camera (still beating many Android and Windows phones shipping today), and includes 99% of all the features of iOS 5 minus Siri.

To me, it's the difference we see in MacBook updates. The new model usually gets a spec boost and a couple new hardware features, but everyone shouldn't rush out and ditch what they already have. You still have a great computer - use it, enjoy it, and when it reaches the end of its life from all the wear and tear of daily use, you'll have *that* much better of a device to upgrade to at the same price.