Last Year’s Model

Last Year’s Model: "

So, Best Buy in the U.S. is doing a promotion Friday: a new iPhone for free with a new two-year contract. It’s a one-day thing, and it’s sure to get a lot of people excited.

But…

It’s the 3GS.

Now, let’s put aside for a moment the controversy about the iPhone 4 and Antennagate and all that. And let’s also put aside the fanboy stuff; none of that “Android roolz” or AT&T-bashing here. Here’s my question:

Are you okay having last year’s technology?

Think about it, then join us after the jump:

iPhones are, of course, especially prone to replacement lust, since they come out with a new gotta-have-it model like clockwork every year. But other phones, and other devices, are the same. For some people, and I count myself as one of them, having a one-year-old phone model or last year’s MacBook Pro is cause for shame. Having a TWO-year-old model? Inconceivable.

Yet I’m not rich, and my phone is not only older than two years, it’s a big brick that runs Windows Mobile 6.1. A year-old iPhone would be a huge leap forward in many ways. But it’s not, you know, NEW. And my MacBook Pro is a 2008 model; the only thing protecting me from spending a couple of grand I don’t have on a new one is that the last couple of revisions don’t feature anything materially better than what I have for what I do. The old one works fine, so not having the new one isn’t quite as painful.

Still, as I look to replace my ancient, creaking phone, I can’t pull the trigger on any model, because I keep thinking that there’s a better one around the bend. If I buy one now and they come out with a great new dual-core AMOLED 4G version the day after the return period’s over, I’ll just… I’ll…

I’ll deal with it, because there’s ALWAYS a better, newer model ahead. But I won’t be happy about it.

Do you have New Model Lust? Or do you prefer to wait for the early adopters to deal with the bugs before you buy a device? Tell us in the comments: