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interesting, at the Apple Store today they did have minis, but the guy was completely trying to talk me out of it and to get a 14 regular. Mostly due to battery life.. I am already traumatized by the 14 pro battery, so thinking mini is not a good idea...
 
well, because two 15s would cost a LOT -lol
I know. Maybe u should answer the need and budget u have.

Thats why people here asked what u wanna do with it and can’t give u a good recommendation before.

It looks like your definition of a backup is a full working current iphone u can use till a new one will be released or even longer.
 
For normal city life I really don’t understand the need for a backup phone.

Shops are open every day and u have 1 day delivery for a new phone.

If u really can’t survive a few hours without a phone get a $30 old school candy bar phone
Exactly
 
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I am looking for a back up phone for me or family to use as needed we have a combination of 14 Pro, Max and regular 14. Want to be price sensitive. Thinking a 13 mini? or a regular 16? Any recommendations? I know I probably don't want to go too far back due to lack of future supposed. thanks -
How about using the phone you currently own, backing it up regularly and switching in an instant to a new one if and WHEN the need arises.

Buying a phone to have lying around ‘in case sh*t’ seems like the most useless of ideas… in economics, there is a reason companies minimize stock: goods you do not use cost money, there is an opportunity cost.
 
interesting, at the Apple Store today they did have minis, but the guy was completely trying to talk me out of it and to get a 14 regular. Mostly due to battery life.. I am already traumatized by the 14 pro battery, so thinking mini is not a good idea...

It all depends on how your use your iPhone - I am quite a heavy user and still use my 12 mini with its original battery. It is super fast to top up too, especially with a 20W charger. Since it will be your backup phone, it should not really matter. As others have suggested, I would personally look into Apple refurbished or a new iPhone SE. You should be fine with either one for a few days.
 
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Have not had to do this, so wondering how big, if any, of a pain this will be? Because…

OP has all 14s. If in US, that means eSIMs. Can’t just swap SIM cards. If just needing phone for emergency calls, the flip phone option suggested by others with a per minute plan might be better option.

If need more, and in US, how hard would it be to just get a new phone? If already having to deal with carrier and eSIM transfer, why not pop into carrier store? Or Apple? Or Best Buy? Or…
 
Do you not have an older iPhone to use as a backup phone? I still have an old 6S, OGSE and an iPhone 8... any one of these phones are perfect backups. I wouldn't be paying hundreds of dollars on a premium backup phone unless you've got more money than you know what to do with.
 
My secondary/backup phone is an iPhone 6s+. It's on an active line. Runs iOS 15, does everything I need it to do. It's main purpose is to stream music when I go walking, but because it's a phone I still have access to calls, texts and emails if someone needs to contact me. I've had this phone since launch weekend 2015 and the only service it's ever needed was a new battery in 2021.

My primary phone is an 11 Pro Max.
 
yes exactly, no need for fancy.. I would buy used on Facebook but hear of lot of scams recently, Best Buy has a deal $400 for pixel 7 maybe a choice too..
Then your backup phone will be a better phone than your current primary phone.
 
Have not had to do this, so wondering how big, if any, of a pain this will be? Because…

OP has all 14s. If in US, that means eSIMs. Can’t just swap SIM cards. If just needing phone for emergency calls, the flip phone option suggested by others with a per minute plan might be better option.

If need more, and in US, how hard would it be to just get a new phone? If already having to deal with carrier and eSIM transfer, why not pop into carrier store? Or Apple? Or Best Buy? Or…
its super easy to move from e sim to e sim we do it all the time takes like 40 seconds..
 
How about using the phone you currently own, backing it up regularly and switching in an instant to a new one if and WHEN the need arises.

Buying a phone to have lying around ‘in case sh*t’ seems like the most useless of ideas… in economics, there is a reason companies minimize stock: goods you do not use cost money, there is an opportunity cost.
Because getting a new phone “when you need it” is not always so simple.

Real world example: my wife had her iPhone stolen at a park at 5pm on a Sunday. By the time we realized it was gone, we raced to our carrier’s store to buy a new one just minutes before they closed. Going back on Monday would have been an inconvenience for both work and school, plus I needed to be there with her for convenience, as it’s my account.

Obviously we had to pay full price. If I had a somewhat modern spare phone that I had bought or kept as a relatively low investment, the out of pocket and inconvenience that day would have been zero.

Ever since, I’ve kept a spare iPhone and been able to tell my family not to worry or stress if something catastrophic happens to their iPhone.

It’s not like buying a spare blender. When you don’t have a phone for 1-3 days, the opportunity cost can be quite high.
 
Unless you’re addicted to spending $$$, seems pretty easy to keep an older phone around when you upgrade one. Shouldn’t matter if it still supports updates, etc., if it’s truly for emergency use over a three-day period or whatever (we have an iPhone 6 in a drawer).
 
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Because getting a new phone “when you need it” is not always so simple.

Real world example: my wife had her iPhone stolen at a park at 5pm on a Sunday. By the time we realized it was gone, we raced to our carrier’s store to buy a new one just minutes before they closed. Going back on Monday would have been an inconvenience for both work and school, plus I needed to be there with her for convenience, as it’s my account.

Obviously we had to pay full price. If I had a somewhat modern spare phone that I had bought or kept as a relatively low investment, the out of pocket and inconvenience that day would have been zero.

Ever since, I’ve kept a spare iPhone and been able to tell my family not to worry or stress if something catastrophic happens to their iPhone.

It’s not like buying a spare blender. When you don’t have a phone for 1-3 days, the opportunity cost can be quite high.
May of last year I had to replace my 11 Pro Max. It's the 512GB model so Apple had to ship it to me. It took a week.

My iPhone 6s+ filled in nicely because it's already setup the same way that my 11PM is.
 
Because getting a new phone “when you need it” is not always so simple.

Real world example: my wife had her iPhone stolen at a park at 5pm on a Sunday. By the time we realized it was gone, we raced to our carrier’s store to buy a new one just minutes before they closed. Going back on Monday would have been an inconvenience for both work and school, plus I needed to be there with her for convenience, as it’s my account.

Obviously we had to pay full price. If I had a somewhat modern spare phone that I had bought or kept as a relatively low investment, the out of pocket and inconvenience that day would have been zero.

Ever since, I’ve kept a spare iPhone and been able to tell my family not to worry or stress if something catastrophic happens to their iPhone.

It’s not like buying a spare blender. When you don’t have a phone for 1-3 days, the opportunity cost can be quite high.
Exactly and that similar scenario has happened several times. At parties, coffee shops etc.
 
Exactly and that similar scenario has happened several times. At parties, coffee shops etc.
Given how a typical smartphone is the principal access gateway to bank accounts or even your entire identity, I would keep a closer eye on that thing ;)
 
Given how a typical smartphone is the principal access gateway to bank accounts or even your entire identity, I would keep a closer eye on that thing ;)
I use a passcode and can remotely wipe it from several other devices. My fear of compromise when someone walks away with it is zero. It’s an inconvenience and money out pocket that’s the only annoyance.
 
I use a passcode and can remotely wipe it from several other devices. My fear of compromise when someone walks away with it is zero. It’s an inconvenience and money out pocket that’s the only annoyance.
apparently they have a way now to override that! swipe and sell it before... very unsettling.
 
apparently they have a way now to override that! swipe and sell it before... very unsettling.
Yeah I don't think so. Even if I hand you my unlocked phone, you have to have a second authentication (FaceID, iCloud pw) to wipe it or see my stored passwords.
 
What’s really the point for emergency phone lol?
Calling emergency?

Why not just get some cheap Chinese brand then?
 
What’s really the point for emergency phone lol?
Calling emergency?

Why not just get some cheap Chinese brand then?

Why would I do that!? Again, not just for me for my family. I guess I could have got the Pixel for a few hundred less, but, its not copyable in the iOS ecosystem, too much work..
 
Why would I do that!? Again, not just for me for my family. I guess I could have got the Pixel for a few hundred less, but, its not copyable in the iOS ecosystem, too much work..
But if your family has main phones then what are they going to do with a backup phone out of curiosity?
 
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