Get a new 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97

Here's a pickle: Do you jump on a killer iPhone deal right now or wait for the new model that may launch next month?

It's no secret that Apple will likely unveil the "iPhone 4G" at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off June 7. It may be weeks or months after it's announced before it's available, but it's coming.

Perhaps as a big push to unload its existing iPhone stock, Walmart is offering this spectacular deal: a 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97, plus sales tax in most states.

For that price, you're probably expecting to get a refurbished phone, but these are new units. (The previous link takes you to the black model; it's also available in white.)

As you might expect, the usual cell phone terms apply: You need a new line of service or an existing account that's eligible to upgrade. Also, you must commit to a two-year contract.

Now for the catch: You can't order the phone online. You have to visit an actual Walmart brick-and-mortar store to get the deal.

There's nothing I can say about the iPhone 3GS you don't already know, except maybe this: I consider it the single best smartphone on the planet. I'm amending my will to stipulate that I am to be buried with mine. (I wonder if there's an app for making calls from the afterlife?)

The real question here is whether it makes sense to buy an iPhone that most likely is about to be the previous-generation model.

Personally, I'm not all that excited by what I've seen from the leaks of the next iPhone. It looks surprisingly ugly for an Apple product, and its expected specifications--a higher-resolution screen and a front-facing camera--don't excite me much. I may change my tune come June 7, but for the moment, I expect I'll be hanging on to my 3GS.

What do you think?