Recommendations for a used, recent iPhone?

June 21, 2020 2:03 PM

It’s the end of a beautiful tropical yellow road for my iPhone 5c. My phone call quality has plummeted this year, so I'd like advice on what phone to buy next, while 1) buying used, 2) staying in the Apple ecosystem, and 3) preparing for 5G.

I got an iPhone 5c new sometime in 2013 or ’14. It was my first, and so far, only smartphone. I have been using Apple products since 1997, going from a Mac G3 to my current used, but new-to-me setup. My work environment is also Mac-centric, though not exclusively Macs.

When quarantine hit, I had to call lots of work colleagues to keep things afloat, and noticed that the call quality was terrible - tons of dropped sounds interspersed every few minutes.

My sister sent me an old iPhone 5s, but after some Googling, I have discovered that Verizon stopped allowing people to activate iPhone 5c’s or 5s’s because they lack a feature (VoLTE) that they are transitioning everyone to? Perhaps that’s why my call quality has gotten so terrible?

So, I don’t know where to go next. I’d like to stay in the Apple ecosystem. I have only had four Apple computers in 23 years, so I am not someone who likes to shell out for the latest and greatest.

That being said, I was somewhat willing to get an iPhone SE until I started reading about 5G. I don’t want to buy the SE and then have it be obsoleted like my 5c, because of 5G.

I pretty much just use my phone to: text occasionally, call occasionally (and would like the sound quality to be good), use a food app for exercise, listen to music. I don't need super cameras.

My questions are:

Should I just buy something between an iPhone 6 to iPhone 8, hoping to stay around $200, and then wait for an iPhone SE that is 5G ready in 2021?

How do I choose between the iPhone 6 through 8, if my budget is about $200? The only thing I know is that Apple switched to lightning port headphones with the iPhone 7…

posted by Slothrop to Technology (16 answers total)

I think the iPhone 7, used (Swappa - $150-200), is probably the lowest that you should aim for, but you're at the mercy of the battery condition, which can vary drastically since could be up to four years old. Apple will charge you $50 for a new battery.

The 6 isn't really an option as it's no longer supported by Apple.

The 6s is supported but still has the mechanical home button, which will a major concern on a used device. They eventually stop working. But it's the only option with a normal 3.5mm headphone port.

The 7 has a non-moving home button that should be less likely to wear out. It is also water-resistant, so possibly less likely to have damage of that type.

If you can get an 8 for under your budget, that's a bonus but I don't think it's particularly different enough from the 7 to spend a lot more for it.

The X and newer are all above your price range, even used. Also, battery replacement will cost more.
posted by meowzilla at 3:13 PM on June 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

I heartily suggest tracking down a refurbed 6S. IMHO, the 6S is probably one of the best iPhones Apple ever made. It’s a reasonable size, solidly built, has pretty good specs considering its age, and still has a physical home button and normal headphone jack.

It’s still supported on the latest version of iOS, and the rumor mill says it will still be included in the next version.

(Note: the 6S is the only version of the 6 you should consider. It’s just so much better than its siblings)
posted by Thorzdad at 3:23 PM on June 21, 2020

There was a gap of 4 years between the original SE and this year’s model so I wouldn’t be holding my breath for an update next year.
posted by btfreek at 3:24 PM on June 21, 2020 [3 favorites]

Apple hasn't even put 5G in its phones yet. It's expected in this year's new models, but it's never a good idea to base Apple purchase decisions on rumors and expectations. I would not base the decision of whether to purchase a phone now on whether it will be obsolete some time in the future.

I bought a new iPhone 8 last year after my (old, small) SE started to have display issues that seemed likely to be caused by a swelling battery. It's a great phone. The (new, big) SE is the same size and shape as the iPhone 8, but has the newest processor generation. For most purposes it is the 8, just with a newer processor. The same: form factor, screen, cameras, wireless charging, and water resistance. Different: the new SE has more RAM, wifi 6 (which may not be useful to you), a processor that is not one but two generations newer, maybe worse battery life in some circumstances but possibly not others, and a starting price that is $50 less than I paid for my 8 last year.

If I were buying one right now, the new SE would be a no-brainer for me. But if I were buying a used phone? Get an 8. Don't bother with the 7 or older. Just get an 8. It's similar enough to the new SE that it should be expected to be supported for nearly as long (and possibly exactly as long) as the new SE is. If there is a sweet spot of price and expected lifespan a used iPhone 8 should be in it.
posted by fedward at 3:27 PM on June 21, 2020 [3 favorites]

I just upgraded to an iPhone SE from a 7 (which I bought used originally). After doing some reading I decided I was not concerned about 4G becoming obsolete anytime soon.

The SE has a more modern processor than the 7 or 8 and will be supported substantially longer by Apple. That said, the 7 is definitely still a usable phone today, though you may need to replace the battery sooner rather than later.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:30 PM on June 21, 2020

Also, the lack of a headphone jack is a little annoying, but the SE and the 8 support wireless charging, which allows you to at least keep wired headphones connected. The iPhone 7 does not. I ended up springing for Bluetooth headphones anyway which sort of mooted the issue.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:33 PM on June 21, 2020

I just got an 8 for under $300 on swappa and I felt it was the right spot for price and age for person who is using it. I set it up and it accepted the most recent version of iOS.
posted by soelo at 3:34 PM on June 21, 2020

Adapters for headphones are $9 from Apple and $7 on Amazon. Wireless charging is worth the trade off to me.
posted by soelo at 3:38 PM on June 21, 2020

You say that you are not interested in the phone’s camera. That is fair enough and it offers you potential to save money. However, if you do like to take pictures with an existing camera - then it I may be worth looking at the capabilities of some of the more recent iPhones. Prior to getting an 11 Pro last year, I carried around a (pretty good) separate camera along with my smartphone. The new phone beats the old set up in terms of both quality and convenience - I wouldn’t swap the current arrangement for any separate camera now.
posted by rongorongo at 4:01 PM on June 21, 2020

Don't get anything earlier than a 6S, my 6 is no longer supported, although it mostly works just fine.
posted by furtive at 7:35 PM on June 21, 2020

I recently switched from android to iPhone. I stayed away from iPhone mostly because of price. The SE 2020 changed that. At $399 you’re getting the same chip as the flagship. Really the biggest differences are the camera and phone size. But if you’re going from an older phone to the iPhone SE 2020 it should still feel like a big jump. I wouldn’t be too concerned about 5g. I love the camera. The size hasn’t been an issue. Get the SE 2020. It’s a steal at that price.
posted by ljs30 at 9:09 PM on June 21, 2020 [2 favorites]

When you take into account the new battery and resale value, I really doubt you’re going to have lower total cost of ownership than a new 2020 SE. It’s got near-flagship performance to boot. 5G is not going to have nearly the impact that 4G did, since it will only really improve speed in areas with dense towers, and most people aren’t really bandwidth-bound on their phones now anyway.
posted by wnissen at 9:18 PM on June 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

I love my iPhone 11 pro max, but you'll do fine with anything from 7 forward. I generally sell my current iPhone and scale up every couple of years and like how much resale value the phones have, too.
posted by bearwife at 10:29 PM on June 21, 2020

I just bought a 2020 SE to replace an 8. Given the price, I couldn't pass it up. My 8 has a cracked screen on the front that doesn't affect anything. I was going to list it on FB, but if you're interested, MeMail me.
posted by kathrynm at 4:48 PM on June 22, 2020

Response by poster: Thank you everyone - I appreciate the diversity of perspectives offered here. I feel more confident about making my choice now! I'd say what it is, but I've decided that I want to investigate Apple Pay, or touchless payment methods, before making the final call. Thank you again!
posted by Slothrop at 1:56 PM on June 23, 2020

Response by poster: I ended up getting an iPhone 6s, as I decided that I wanted to save money for now. Thank you again to everyone!
posted by Slothrop at 10:52 AM on June 27, 2020