Other The old phone appreciation thread

[janeauburn]

Still using and enjoying my 8 Plus.

Estimated savings over purchasing an equivalent new iPhone every year: $6000 (including cases, accessories, etc.)

Have a friend who is still using a flip phone. Every year he looks at the new iPhones but invests the money he would have spent on a new phone instead. Result: $25,000 invested has now grown to $56,000. Extra benefit: people don't bug him with text messages because they know it's too much of a pain for him to text back. Peace and quiet.

Whenever I think about getting a new phone, I take my 8 Plus out of its case and admire it. Looks like new! Works pretty much like new, as well. Just got a new battery.

How about you? Who's still using an old phone? Which one? And how much have you saved as a result? Added benefits?

 

[jonobin]

Rocking an XS, usually upgrading every 4 to 5 years (previous iPhone was a 6).
I don't see the need to upgrade every other year, relatively old phones works just as good as new phones for daily stuff IMHO.

 

[Bodhitree]

I just upgraded from my iphone 7 to a 13 Pro. It was a wrench to let the old 7 go, I’d grown quite attached to it, but the year-on-year stacking of new features had grown too much to ignore. But trading it in was a tricky moment, and now I find myself missing the home button.

 

[tis]

I used to upgrade every two years back when Apple was on an every 2 year redesign schedule. That all changed with the iPhone 6. I kept that phone for 4 years, due to the 6, 7, and 8 all looking similar. I sold the 6 for $240 on eBay after year 3, and bought a brand new one from Best Buy for $200. So, a total of 4 years with the iPhone 6. I’ve had my XS for 3 years, and it’s still running remarkably fast. I ordered a mini, but only after a long thought process about if I wanted to fork over $82 for a new battery, or just invest in a new phone.

I don’t blame you. iPhones just aren’t as compelling as they used to be. Changing my phone isn’t going to improve my efficiency at this point, but I do like a change every 3-4 years. If the battery replacement was easier, and a bit cheaper, I may not have even ordered a mini this year.

 

[Radiomarko]

In regular use with different sim cards, international calling etc - 6S Plus (main), SE (original), 5s.

Still working (until they kill 3G) - 3G

Not used - 4, 4S, 5 the batts are probably shot.

I don't see the need to upgrade, latest models seem too big for my favourite jacket/s pockets! The 6S Plus is just right.

 

[Phone Junky]

Still using and enjoying my 8 Plus.

Estimated savings over purchasing an equivalent new iPhone every year: $6000 (including cases, accessories, etc.)

Have a friend who is still using a flip phone. Every year he looks at the new iPhones but invests the money he would have spent on a new phone instead. Result: $25,000 invested has now grown to $56,000. Extra benefit: people don't bug him with text messages because they know it's too much of a pain for him to text back. Peace and quiet.

Whenever I think about getting a new phone, I take my 8 Plus out of its case and admire it. Looks like new! Works pretty much like new, as well. Just got a new battery.

How about you? Who's still using an old phone? Which one? And how much have you saved as a result? Added benefits?

We get it. You don't like the new iPhones. It's quite evident from every post you make. Your 8 Plus is a very good phone. But you contradict yourself with the constant whining about how big iPhones are. Your 8 Plus is 1/2" taller and 1/4" wider than the 13 and 13 Pro. The 13 Pro is about the same weight as your 8 Plus but the 13 is an ounce lighter.
Either one of these phones is a huge upgrade from your 8 Plus.



But if you like your 8 Plus, hold onto to it. Whatever floats your boat. Which begs the question, why are you on an Apple enthusiast site just to bemoan the new iPhones every year?

 

[iphone27s]

Still using and enjoying my 8 Plus.

Estimated savings over purchasing an equivalent new iPhone every year: $6000 (including cases, accessories, etc.)

Have a friend who is still using a flip phone. Every year he looks at the new iPhones but invests the money he would have spent on a new phone instead. Result: $25,000 invested has now grown to $56,000. Extra benefit: people don't bug him with text messages because they know it's too much of a pain for him to text back. Peace and quiet.

Whenever I think about getting a new phone, I take my 8 Plus out of its case and admire it. Looks like new! Works pretty much like new, as well. Just got a new battery.

How about you? Who's still using an old phone? Which one? And how much have you saved as a result? Added benefits?

Buying iPhones are 1-2 years is extremely bad for your finances and the environment.

3 years is alright if the new one has some groundbreaking feature you need.

4 years is good if you have some issues with your old phone.

5 years is great since now phones last much longer, their progress pacing has significantly slowed and not much is happening in the mobile space. We are not in 2007-2012 anymore.

 

[RRC]

We get it. You don't like the new iPhones. It's quite evident from every post you make. Your 8 Plus is a very good phone. But you contradict yourself with the constant whining about how big iPhones are. Your 8 Plus is 1/2" taller and 1/4" wider than the 13 and 13 Pro. The 13 Pro is about the same weight as your 8 Plus but the 13 is an ounce lighter.
Either one of these phones is a huge upgrade from your 8 Plus.

View attachment 1859736

But if you like your 8 Plus, hold onto to it. Whatever floats your boat. Which begs the question, why are you on an Apple enthusiast site just to bemoan the new iPhones every year?

Every year OP is back with the same post, same criticisms. Like clockwork.

I completely agree, why even be part of an Apple enthusiast forum when they clearly have no interest or desire to ever buy a new product.

I wonder have they ever bought a car? Do they own a house or rent? Shop in charity shops for clothes?

You live once, if people can afford to buy what they want, don’t try to preach a view to them. It’s not your money.

 

[MyPhone99]

I am still using 8 plus (got the product red version which was released after 6 months to that of regular 8 plus series). cant predict the exact savings as i sell my old iphone whenever i get new one. I must say these iphones are good for at least 2-3 years cycle if not more for regular day to day usage.
My IP 8 plus still gives me 5:30 hours of screen on times, takes good photos ( good enough for my use) and i just love the 16:9 aspect ratio. Though its 5.5 inch, it feels like it have more screen space compared to the new 6.1 inch phones.and ofcourse when ever i take off the case it looks like brand new out of the box.
I will continue to use my 8 plus for an year may be , its always better to have an iphone which is the last update to its design (the 8 series are the best updates to the classic iphones from 6 series to 8 series) so will see what iphone 14 is in store and then based on its features will either get 14 or 13 series

 

[srbNYC]

I love my XS, and every time I've gone to the store to check out the 12 or 13, I happily leave with my XS. Don't like the squared form-factor, and haven't seen any features I need, improvements though they may be.

 

[snipr125]

My 6s+, 8+ and SE2 all work like brand new. I alternate between them, but my 12 Mini is my main daily driver. The best thing about the older iphones is Touch ID and the notchless 16:9 aspect ratio screens.

 

[dragonjinse]

I'm still holding my XR in my hand. It was a perfect phone until I updated ios 15. It freezes 8-10 times a day :')

 

[acblue94]

Still using and enjoying my 8 Plus.

Estimated savings over purchasing an equivalent new iPhone every year: $6000 (including cases, accessories, etc.)

Have a friend who is still using a flip phone. Every year he looks at the new iPhones but invests the money he would have spent on a new phone instead. Result: $25,000 invested has now grown to $56,000. Extra benefit: people don't bug him with text messages because they know it's too much of a pain for him to text back. Peace and quiet.

Whenever I think about getting a new phone, I take my 8 Plus out of its case and admire it. Looks like new! Works pretty much like new, as well. Just got a new battery.

How about you? Who's still using an old phone? Which one? And how much have you saved as a result? Added benefits?

If $$$ wasn’t a factor I bet 80% of the people here would upgrade. Lots of posts justifying why they are keeping there VHS of a phone.

 

[richie510]

Still using and enjoying my 8 Plus.

Estimated savings over purchasing an equivalent new iPhone every year: $6000 (including cases, accessories, etc.)

Have a friend who is still using a flip phone. Every year he looks at the new iPhones but invests the money he would have spent on a new phone instead. Result: $25,000 invested has now grown to $56,000. Extra benefit: people don't bug him with text messages because they know it's too much of a pain for him to text back. Peace and quiet.

Whenever I think about getting a new phone, I take my 8 Plus out of its case and admire it. Looks like new! Works pretty much like new, as well. Just got a new battery.

How about you? Who's still using an old phone? Which one? And how much have you saved as a result? Added benefits?

I'm having a hard time understanding how you are doing this math. I mean you would have to throw the phone in the trash every year to even come close to that number. I just upgraded from a 12 pro max to a 13 pro and it cost me $210 + $15 for a new case. I have not needed new accessories since Apple switched to the lightning cable.

Further, other commenters are suggesting getting a new phone every year is bad for the environment. Again, if you are throwing your old phone in the trash, sure, but that phone that Apple just gave me $790 for is not going in the trash. That phone is going to get a new battery (which was needed, and the old battery should be recycled because that is cheaper than digging up new lithium out of the ground) and then put into the hands of someone who needs a phone but doesn't want to pay for a brand new one.

If your iPhone 8 still serves you well, good on ya, but at least keep the math within the realm of reality.

 

[ouimetnick]

I broke my XS Max last year. Cracked the OLED panel when I fell while hiking. No visible damage when the screen was off (glass was fine) I bought a 2nd hand 11 Pro Max since the 12 just came out. Otherwise I’d still be using my XS Max. I actually still use my old iPhone 6S Plus daily (at night) for podcasts, streaming videos, and reading the internet. Battery is horrible and it’s definitely slow, but useable. Several friends have an 8 and 8 Plus.

Another friend still has an iPhone 7. She complains about the battery and it being slow, but apparently it doesn’t bother her to the point of getting a newer phone. my mom was on a 6S until this past May when she upgraded to a 12.

 

[Milellie111]

My carrier is giving me $800 to trade in my my 8+ with a damaged screen and toast battery for a 13 Pro Max. I’ve been with them for 15 years and have no plans of switching. It’s a no brainer to upgrade and smart money rather than spending $250 refurbishing my 8+ with a new screen and battery.

If we can truthfully say that keeping our iPhone for 5 years has allowed us to eclipse a different class of wealth and retire earlier, then perhaps we couldn’t even afford the 8+ or any premium phone for that matter. People upgrade their phones because they like newer tech, better battery life and a better overall user experience. Sure, older phones work just fine for most needs, but we can’t lie to ourselves and say newer phones do not provide better performance and a much more satisfactory experience.

We all can play the savings game "if I stop buying Starbucks everyday for the next 5 years….if I never purchase any new clothing for the next 5 years…..if I stop eating out for the next 5 years….if I don’t take a vacation for the next 5 years…."

At the end of the day, people work hard and spend their money on what THEY want to and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of your labor as long as it doesn’t become a financial burden, you can still save, and take care of your responsibilities.

 

[nathan_reilly]

I like how my 6S does what I need and does not cost any money.

 

[Souponastick270]

I’m still using my 2016 Jet Black 7 Plus at the moment, still on its original battery which is currently on 74% health but the phone is still running at peak settings apparently.

I’m tempted to get the 13 Pro Max, I just wish there was a proper black colour option as I’ve always had black iPhones (4,5 and 7 Plus) will probably go for Sierra Blue or white this time but I want to wait till I can see/collect them in person before pulling the trigger. But the 5 year wait will make this feel like a real step up from the 7 Plus with regards to the display, cameras, battery life, compute performance and whatever else

 

[Hicksmat1976]

I think we all want those good old days when an iPhone was like £400-£500 and there was examples of evolution and innovation every year, e.g. 3GS-4-4S-5-5S-6 and those days are long gone. There is less innovation and evolution from year to year, but that's ok for most of us who don't update every year. My advice has always been the same, buy the iPhone you want at the time and upgrade when you see the new features you want, so in my case I had a 6S Plus, and didn't upgrade to the XR (love this phone) and last year I went to a 12Pro, and yes I will skip this year but probably upgrade next year.

 

[Regina del Mare]

I’m still using my iPhone 8, bought brand new from Apple in January of 2020. I specifically wanted a new one and I love it! I could’ve bought a newer iPhone, but the thing is - as much as I admire new ones, I am very fond of the home button and that beautiful gold colour! My husband had an 11 Pro, sold it, bought an 8 Plus and now he’s planning to upgrade to 13 Pro, and guess who’ll be taking the 8 Plus? 😁 I want to have both 8 and 8 Plus, I don’t want a newer one!

 

[kstewart61]

I still use a 6 as a spare when needed in my family of 6 devices. It's amazing how long apple devices last.

 

[now i see it]

I used my last phone (on the same OS) for six years. By then (two weeks ago) it was a brutal experience.
I finally HAD to replace it because nothing on the internet really worked anymore. Also no new apps for it.
Got an 8+ and this phone is better in every way over what I had. Huge upgrade. My old phone was sluggish when I purchased it 6 years ago. The 8+ isn’t slow at all. Very zippy and everything is quick. 3 GB of RAM is nirvana (compared to 1).
I’m living in a time warp compared to most people on this forum. I’m totally thrilled with my circa 2017 phone.
(I didn’t buy a 12 or 13 because of their flickering OLED screens).

 

[IJBrekke]

Kudos to all those using older devices - it is the most eco-conscious choice regarding cell phones.

 

[photocat2005]

These are computers that can make a phone call. There has never been a need to update a computer every year even if it is small enough to fit in your pocket. But Wall Street wants growth year after year, so companies have to heavily market to make you want a new baby (size) computer every year. I upgraded my iphone8 plus to the iphone13 pro - not because of the phone or computer but for the camera and slightly smaller size. So my "take everywhere with me" camera makes phone calls - lol. I look forward to considering a new upgraded pocket camera in about 4 years or so.

 

[rid]

I use an iPhone 5S with the latest supported iOS: 12.

One day, I will have to upgrade.