1. iPhone

Why you should wait to buy: The 3G iPhone model is due out this summer.

The first iPhone buyers were burned when Apple dropped prices by $200 just 10 weeks after the phone's June 2007 launch -- a perfect example of the pitfalls of early adoption. Now, as the iconic phone approaches its one-year anniversary, it's worth waiting just a few more months for the new model, says Dan Havlik, editor of education site DemystifyingDigital.com. Because advanced 3G cellular networks provide a constant network connection, an iPhone capable of tapping into them could surf the Internet 50 times faster than the current model's connections. "It opens up the opportunity to not only surf faster, but use capabilities like video-conferencing and webcasting," he says.

Even consumers who don't want a 3G iPhone for speedy web access may benefit from the wait. Apple has hinted that a lower-cost wireless phone may debut as part of the new line, says Havlik. At the very least, prices on current models -- $399 for the 8GB and $499 for the 16GB -- are likely to drop once the latest and greatest have hit shelves.