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My daily driver is my iPhone 7 but I also have an iPhone 4S, 5S, and 6S.

The 6S is my backup and is the phone I would return to if something happened to my 7. I wasn’t planning on getting a 7, but after a family member got a X they gave me their 7. Apple then replaced the phone due to the no service issue so I basically got a refurbished iPhone 7 from Apple (in perfect shape with new battery) for free. Hence the 6S became my backup.

The 5S I originally bought used to use as a backup for my 6S and as a running phone.

The 4S I bought used last year (on iOS 6 and in perfect condition with only 16 battery cycles) purely for nostalgic value. It was my first iPhone and I always regretted trading it in.
 
My primary phone is my 8 Plus, with a data only sim on it. My backup is the smaller 8, which has a cellular SIM card in it. Some days I appreciate the 8 Plus more than the 8, other days it’s reversed feelings.
 
I've had a backup phone for years. My current phone is an iPhone 8+ and the backup is a 6. When I travel I always take my backup; I consider it nearly essential. I'd be in a bad situation if my primary phone was out of juice or broke or went missing.
 
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I always keep all my devices, i never resell them or anything... my main phones now are the iPhone x and the Pixel 2 xl... for backup i have the iPhone 7+, 6S+, 6+, 5S ,5, 4S, 4, 3Gs. Also a couple of Android phones mostly Nexus’s...
 
Unless it was prior to 2009, I am not aware of it.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/iphone/repair/service

Can I get a loaner iPhone?
If you bring your iPhone to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, we'll try to fix it during your appointment. Some iPhone repairs require precise calibration on specialized equipment. If we need to send your iPhone to an Apple Repair Center, we'll check to see if you can use a loaner while your iPhone gets repaired. A loaner iPhone is available for most repairs that are covered under the Apple Limited Warranty.

Our repair center will return your iPhone to your service location when your repaired iPhone is ready. When you pick up your iPhone, return the loaner to us in the same condition as it was when we lent it to you.
 
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Not really, but still have some older iPhones to fall back on: 2G (original one), 3G, 3GS, 4 & 4S. The 6S 64GB is my daily driver.
 
I've always sold back my old phone because Apple has always offered me $300 for it. But I'm going to try to keep my 8+ a little longer this time (I've averaged 1.7 years on my last 2 phones) - so I may just keep it as a backup when I upgrade in a few years or (hopefully) more.

Never heard of loaner phones here and I know people have asked because they ask to borrow my phone because their phone is in repair - but I've never asked. I have AppleCare+ so every time I've gone in with a problem, I usually walk out with a replacement in less than 10 mins - so I keep getting AppleCare+. But I do hear how the Stores are becoming more and more restrictive.

My wife's phone is a backup for a lot of my 2 step verifications too so...
 
I've always sold back my old phone because Apple has always offered me $300 for it. But I'm going to try to keep my 8+ a little longer this time (I've averaged 1.7 years on my last 2 phones) - so I may just keep it as a backup when I upgrade in a few years or (hopefully) more.

Never heard of loaner phones here and I know people have asked because they ask to borrow my phone because their phone is in repair - but I've never asked. I have AppleCare+ so every time I've gone in with a problem, I usually walk out with a replacement in less than 10 mins - so I keep getting AppleCare+. But I do hear how the Stores are becoming more and more restrictive.

My wife's phone is a backup for a lot of my 2 step verifications too so...

More people need to make use of that ability. Too many times we read posts on here from people who are stuck, because they can't authenticate with their only phone.
 
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Got the ff:
iPhone 5c 16GB
iPhone 5s 32GB
iPhone 5s 64GB
iPhone SE 32GB

All unlocked so aside from being backup devices, they're also what we use when we travel overseas. I find keeping our older iPhones is better/easier for the family than buying $100-150 Androids for travel.
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Have you, or anyone you know, actually asked for a loaner? You might be surprised. Maybe it’s just not something they advertise.
Honestly, I don't think they do a lot of repairs. From my experience, apart from battery or cracked screen, if there's anything else wrong, Apple will usually just replace it with a new or refurb device on the spot.

That said, our local Apple stores don't accept walk-ins anymore and it's practically impossible getting a same-day genius appointment. Personally, I think I'd probably just do the Express Replacement Service for devices in-warranty or just purchase a replacement outright. Having a backup is nice though, for the times when it's just a few weeks or so from release of a new model and you need something to tide you over. :D
 
Got the ff:
iPhone 5c 16GB
iPhone 5s 32GB
iPhone 5s 64GB
iPhone SE 32GB

All unlocked so aside from being backup devices, they're also what we use when we travel overseas. I find keeping our older iPhones is better/easier for the family than buying $100-150 Androids for travel.

Why did you end up keeping exactly the same phones?!
 
Why did you end up keeping exactly the same phones?!
Multiple backups (travel phones) because it's for a family of 4 so one for each family member.

Apart from the 5c, those used to be our primary devices. Haven't bought any new phones so the older devices remain our backups. Well, we did have two iPhone 6's that were supposed to replace the 5c and one 5s but those ended up getting traded-in for $650 credit each for brand new iPhone 7.

Next international travel is scheduled for 2020 so by that time, the 5c would probably be replaced by a 6+.

Honestly, I have no burning desire to replace the iPhone 7 this year so the rest of the lineup will probably remain the same. Performance-wise, the 7 is pretty overkill for my usage, camera's good enough and I'm not particularly interested in switching to FaceID at the moment. Even battery is doing pretty well. Reckon we're at the point where unless our phones die, we'll just keep using them.
 
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