Any reasons to buy a camcorder now?

I have a 12 year old camcorder that I've been using for special family events like parties, birthdays, vacations, school concerts, graduations, etc. Now that the HD camcorders are out, I have decided to get a modern one.

But my wife says it's time to get a smart phone so I will have a camera and a camcorder with me all the time. I don't text, so I don't want to pay for the more expensive plan. Plus, I'm not sure how good the video is on a smart phone. I don't want to buy a used iphone because chances are, it was stolen.

Should I still get a camcorder? Or is it time to modernize?

It depends how picky you are.

Generally, "parties, birthdays" are indoors, (poor lighting) and more "spontaneous". You want to have a good time, so setting up a camcorder on a tripod, using mics and all that is not necessarily part of the "deal. In these cases, a decent smartphone is probably appropriate.

Generally, "school concerts, graduations" are planned, you are not directly involved - but are an observer - and setting up a camcorder on a tripod, using mics and all that is more appropriate.

A "used iphone" does not necessarily mean is was stolen - it depends on where you buy. And older iPhone (for example, a 4s) can be available from the cell phone service provider but you are not paying a premium for the newest thing available.

A camcorder will typically have better audio and zoom than a smartphone. In the "school concerts, graduations" this will play a bigger role than "parties, birthdays". When it comes to "vacations" it seems all your identified use-cases would apply.

I have several videos where the video from the camcorder and smartphone are used. Video editors make that easy to do.

You should upgrade to an HD camcorder, for a couple reasons, First High Definition is great for parties, Second, better quality then IPhones, and Third if you want great sound you could buy an external microphone.

Go to bhphoto's website and they have a great verity of camcorders.

If you looking to purchase camcorder then Sony HDR-TD10E Handycam is one of the best camcorder.
It is available on price Rs.- 81, 490/-
Reason for purchasing camcorder:-
1. Approx. 560K Pixels (Video), 560K Pixels (Still Image)
2. CCD Image Sensor
3. 3 inch Clear Photo LCD Display
4. Flash Memory Recording Method
5.f/1.8 - f/6.0 Aperture
6. 60x Optical Zoom and 2000x Digital Zoom
http://www.shopbychoice.com/sony-hdr-td10e-handycam/p/TWpjMk1RPT0