Six Reasons to Buy an iPhone 4S Right Now

The iPhone 4S is finally available. Here are six reasons to take the plunge and upgrade right now. 6. Take Better Photos I'm not going to lie; I personally have no desire to use a phone as my primary camera. But I say this as someone who loves photography – from film and digital to dark rooms and Photoshop, I love everything about this amazing art form. Most people don't. Most people simply want an awesome camera that they can use wherever, whenever, and with as little effort as possible. That, my friends, is the iPhone 4S. With eight megapixels and a host of auto features, the iPhone 4S will undoubtedly become the fan favorite among casual shutterbugs.

5. Bragging Rights This is silly. Really, really silly. And yet, people love to brag about the latest device they've acquired. Even I'm a tad guilty of this; though I did not wait in line to buy a PlayStation 2 for the sake of bragging 11 years ago, I still tell the story about how I arrived at midnight, waited eight hours, wound up being the 19th person in line, and discovered that Target TGT only had 21 consoles to spare. Well, someday there will be men and women who tell the story of how they got the iPhone 4S. I might have met one of them today at a local Apple AAPL Store. “I'm switching from my BlackBerry and I can't wait!” said Troy, MI-resident Emma Pop. “First time Apple user and I can't wait!” Pop isn't the only one abandoning the BlackBerry. “I've been waiting for the Apple to Sprint S transition for the longest time!” she said. “I'm the number-one fan!” 4. Replace that Old Clunker Let's face it: people abuse their phones. They drop them, bang them, throw them down on desks and tables. Sometimes they even drop them in toilets. If you're one of those consumers (especially the latter group – using a toilet phone is just plain gross!), it's probably a good time to consider an upgrade. 3. Secure an Unlimited Data Plan While Still You Can I'm not saying that you should only buy an iPhone 4S to take advantage of Sprint's unlimited data plan. But analysts keep telling us that the days of unlimited data are numbered. Sprint will eventually cave and follow in the footsteps of its competitors. And while Sprint may hold out a bit longer than anticipated, the company could pull a stunt like AT&T T and kill its unlimited plan in just a couple of weeks. For those of you who don't remember, early iPad adopters were given the chance to sign up for unlimited data for $29.99 per month. AT&T quickly killed that plan, using PR speak (paraphrased quote: “We're offering more options!” Sound familiar?) to promote its newer, vastly more expensive options, all the while attempting to stifle customer complaints.

2. Be the First to Push Siri Beyond its Limits Having tested the iPhone 4S in a crowded Apple Store, I can confirm one thing: Siri does not work in a loud environment. What other limitations does Siri have? How far can those limits be pushed? And what might a skilled developer uncover as he attempts to crack this promising software? Someone – most likely an early adopter – is gong to have those answers. Will that someone be you? 1. Avoid the eBay Trap As we speak, eBay EBAY is being overrun with over-priced auctions for the iPhone 4S. If you know you're going to buy one eventually, why not pick it up now? Sure, the iPhone 4S will be readily available at some point in the future. But if you want one this weekend (and, judging by the consumer response thus far, you probably do), you'd better get off your butt and head to your nearest retailer. If that fails, there's always the online Apple Store. Ship times are currently listed at one to two weeks – a far cry from the month-long wait that people faced when ordering the iPad 2 just hours after its launch. Follow me @LouisBedigian