Other Thinking of migrating to iPhone

[Wingsley]

I am a happy Macintosh (since '86) and iPad (~3 yrs. ago) customer.

Up to now, I and the rest of our household resisted investing in pricey smartphones because we live in a hilly area where spotty reception makes these fancy gadgets useless in a hurry. But I'm really bummed out by the stuttering performance of my Lenovo-Motorola G6 Play. Compared to my aging iPad Mini, the G6 is frustrating to use. I prefer to use Instagram on the iPad. Even checking the weather forecast on the G6 can be a pain.

I wanted to ask on this forum about what good places there are to find a deal on a used late-model iPhone (or even a refurb). I would not mind getting an iPhone XR, but I could go back further. It would be interesting to go back further but I want one that can run iOS 14.

I'm new to shopping in this realm and wondering what deals can be found out there. Where are the good places to shop, and how is the best way to shop there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[theapplehead]

I am a happy Macintosh (since '86) and iPad (~3 yrs. ago) customer.

Up to now, I and the rest of our household resisted investing in pricey smartphones because we live in a hilly area where spotty reception makes these fancy gadgets useless in a hurry. But I'm really bummed out by the stuttering performance of my Lenovo-Motorola G6 Play. Compared to my aging iPad Mini, the G6 is frustrating to use. I prefer to use Instagram on the iPad. Even checking the weather forecast on the G6 can be a pain.

I wanted to ask on this forum about what good places there are to find a deal on a used late-model iPhone (or even a refurb). I would not mind getting an iPhone XR, but I could go back further. It would be interesting to go back further but I want one that can run iOS 14.

I'm new to shopping in this realm and wondering what deals can be found out there. Where are the good places to shop, and how is the best way to shop there?

Thanks in advance.

I’d personally recommend eBay when looking for used/open box/refurb iPhone deals. I recently acquired an open box iPhone XS with a fresh battery for half the price of when it listed brand new on Apple’s website. I’d also give Facebook marketplace a look as they can also have some good deals at times. As far as which iPhone to get-I would avoid going any further back then an iPhone 7/8 or else you won’t be able to run iOS 14 (iPhone 6s can run iOS 14 but will likely not run any newer iOS version such as 15, 16, etc. when they are released). Perhaps you could consider the iPhone SE 2020 which is only $400 brand new from Apple. I’m sure you could find an even better deal from eBay.

 

[Wingsley]

What size is the iPhone SE2?

On Amazon, the G6 Play is listed as "5.7-inch HD+ Max Vision display with an 18:9 aspect ratio".

 

[Frankras]

SE2 is 4.7 so its a lot smaller then your G6.

Frank

 

[Apple_Robert]

Buy directly from Apple. Check their refurbished store. Stay away from eBay and Amazon.

 

[ssledoux]

I don’t know how you’re planning to buy, or who your cellular provider is, but I got a deal on the XR through ATT for $1 a month a couple months ago. They have SEs for $10/mo, and 11s (basically an improved XR) right now for half price if you’re doing a new line.

It’s not worth it to jump through hoops for the deals, but if you already have ATT, it might be worth looking into. I’m sure other providers have similar deals.

 

[BeeGood]

Best bet for a high quality older model is to buy a refurb directly from Apple. If you want to save a little money and don’t need a phone that looks new, Swappa is a great, safe option. I’ve both bought and sold there.

Facebook Marketplace is a good in-person option. People selling things in your local area are less likely to scam you or sell you junk. You might also pay a little less since there are no shipping and “middle man fees”.

eBay is the Mos Eisley of aftermarket phone buying. Go there only as a last resort.

 

[ssledoux]

Best bet for a high quality older model is to buy a refurb directly from Apple. If you want to save a little money and don’t need a phone that looks new, Swappa is a great, safe option. I’ve both bought and sold there.

Facebook Marketplace is a good in-person option. People selling things in your local area are less likely to scam you or sell you junk. You might also pay a little less since there are no shipping and “middle man fees”.

eBay is the Mos Eisley of aftermarket phone buying. Go there only as a last resort.

I would agree with that last bit for sure. I have sold some awesome devices on eBay myself, but I have not had the same luck buying. I don’t typically buy used for me, but I’ve bought some used iPads for my grandkids in the past. I probably won’t ever again unless it’s a factory sealed item.

 

[BeeGood]

I would agree with that last bit for sure. I have sold some awesome devices on eBay myself, but I have not had the same luck buying. I don’t typically buy used for me, but I’ve bought some used iPads for my grandkids in the past. I probably won’t ever again unless it’s a factory sealed item.

Yeah I’m not 100% sure what happened to eBay. They used to be great for buying and selling, not just phones/devices either.

I think things went down hill when they began implementing stricter buyer protection policies in an effort to reduce scammers, but all they really did was make it harder for good sellers to operate. I have attempted to sell phones the past two years where the “buyer” ghosted me and I had to wait days for the dispute resolution process to complete before re-listing. Stuff like that in addition to their convoluted fee structure made a lot of people (myself included) give up on it. Nowadays, if I sell a phone, it’s only on swappa (or Gazelle if I just don’t want to be bothered).

That reminds me, @Wingsley, forgot about Gazelle. They’re kind of like the Carmax of the phone buying/selling world so you might want to check them out as well.

 

[ssledoux]

Yeah I’m not 100% sure what happened to eBay. They used to be great for buying and selling, not just phones/devices either.

I think things went down hill when they began implementing stricter buyer protection policies in an effort to reduce scammers, but all they really did was make it harder for good sellers to operate. I have attempted to sell phones the past two years where the “buyer” ghosted me and I had to wait days for the dispute resolution process to complete before re-listing. Stuff like that in addition to their convoluted fee structure made a lot of people (myself included) give up on it. Nowadays, if I sell a phone, it’s only on swappa (or Gazelle if I just don’t want to be bothered).

That reminds me, @Wingsley, forgot about Gazelle. They’re kind of like the Carmax of the phone buying/selling world so you might want to check them out as well.

Gosh yes with the buyers not following through - so annoying. I got a couple really crappy iPad mini 4s though, and that just burnt me from buying used tech on there. I mean I was buying them for my toddler grandsons, so I wasn’t looking to spend a fortune, but they were NOT as described, and battery life was god-awful. It’s pretty crappy when you need an iPad for a toddler for a long road trip and it craps out when it hits 30%. Wound up with killer deals on 6th gens NIB with a LOT more storage - awesome for loading up with Mickey Mouse. ;-p

 

[Wingsley]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I definitely want an iPhone of the same size (not smaller) than my G6 Play.

All cellphones in our household have always been Tracfones (pay-as-you-go, minutes-based). I believe they are all GSM phones (That's for AT&T-type towers; I stood near a Verizon-marked tower and didn't get good signal.)

Back in the 1990s, we used to use a bag-phone in our work truck ("mobile office" in the cab; it was a crew cab) under a Verizon Wireless plan for $23/month, but we got rid of that over 15 years ago. That was back in the days when cell service was still ridiculously spotty around here. (There are still inhabited places I go to, at least occasionally, where there is NO signal.)

These cells are light-usage. They're to call home, give driving directions, and call people at a remote destination. When we started buying smartphones several years ago, they were all Tracfone, all Android. Tracfone has a "Bring your own phone" kit they sell to put their SIM card into an unlocked smartphone. They eventually got around to having their kit start working with iPhones as well.

We have thought about making at least one of the smartphones a "locked" dedicated-subscription-carrier phone, but towers around here are still limited and proprietary, and available plans are all impractical for us to migrate all cells over at this time.

For now, if I replace my G6 Play with an iPhone, it will continue to be a Tracfone.