How Much Should It Cost?
November 15, 2011 11:31 AM Subscribe
How much should I pay for an old iPhone?
I am looking to buy my father an iPhone that is unlocked or can be used with the T-Mobile carrier. I am thinking of buying a used one since it is really just a toy/iPod for my dad. How much should I pay for one given that it is in very good condition?
I am looking to buy my father an iPhone that is unlocked or can be used with the T-Mobile carrier. I am thinking of buying a used one since it is really just a toy/iPod for my dad. How much should I pay for one given that it is in very good condition?
What generation of iPhone do you plan to buy, and with how much storage space? Where do you live?
posted by box at 11:44 AM on November 15, 2011
posted by box at 11:44 AM on November 15, 2011
Response by poster: OH! I was looking at all of the available models, I guess I should have a better target. I was looking at a 3 and 3GS 32GB, I would love a 4 for my dad, but not sure that is possible. I live in NYC and because there is a quick turnover, I am not sure what may be available when I actually go to buy one. Thanks!
posted by Yellow at 11:50 AM on November 15, 2011
posted by Yellow at 11:50 AM on November 15, 2011
A couple months ago I sold an iPhone 3G that had been used for two years for $150 on Craigslist. It was in good condition. The iPhone 4S is out now, which knocked that price down, but honestly buying used isn't going to save you much money off the with-contract price you get at a carrier that supports the iPhone; since buying the device new without a contract costs hundreds more, I guess it's considered fair in the final assessment.
So if it costs $99 for a new one with a contract, I would expect to pay $99 for a used one with no contract for one that's in good condition. The prices do come down if you buy one in crappy condition.
Note that if your dad isn't good with technology -- I could read the question either way -- getting him an unlocked iPhone might not be a good idea; if anything goes wrong and it quits working with his carrier, then there's not going to be a good way for him to fix it. (If you're willing to fix it, then don't worry about it.) Also, the 3G is extremely slow at the toy aspects after software updates; 3GS didn't have the same problems from comparing it to a friend's phone. Also, if he's only going to use it as an iPod touch, you could just get him an iPod touch and save yourself a lot of problems and money (although if you have reasons for it being a phone, you would know best).
posted by Nattie at 11:59 AM on November 15, 2011
So if it costs $99 for a new one with a contract, I would expect to pay $99 for a used one with no contract for one that's in good condition. The prices do come down if you buy one in crappy condition.
Note that if your dad isn't good with technology -- I could read the question either way -- getting him an unlocked iPhone might not be a good idea; if anything goes wrong and it quits working with his carrier, then there's not going to be a good way for him to fix it. (If you're willing to fix it, then don't worry about it.) Also, the 3G is extremely slow at the toy aspects after software updates; 3GS didn't have the same problems from comparing it to a friend's phone. Also, if he's only going to use it as an iPod touch, you could just get him an iPod touch and save yourself a lot of problems and money (although if you have reasons for it being a phone, you would know best).
posted by Nattie at 11:59 AM on November 15, 2011
I sold my iPhone 3G a month ago on eBay for $158. It had been in use since August 2009 and was in decent condition, but the lock button did not work. I bought my iPhone 4 from Walmart in June (or July?) when they were running a $150 promotion. I actually sold my 3G for more than I paid for the new one (if you don't count ebay fees or contracts as a cost).
My husband, coworkers, & friends were all kind of amazed the phone sold for that much. But I had the box, a nice power cord, and I included all my pretty 3G cases...
posted by Kronur at 12:04 PM on November 15, 2011
My husband, coworkers, & friends were all kind of amazed the phone sold for that much. But I had the box, a nice power cord, and I included all my pretty 3G cases...
posted by Kronur at 12:04 PM on November 15, 2011
cmoj: "Well, the last-gen 8GB is $99 new, so... less than that."
That's with a nice expensive lock-in phone contract cmoj. If the OP buys an old iPhone it'll be off-plan and unlocked (or unlockable).
posted by pharm at 12:51 PM on November 15, 2011
That's with a nice expensive lock-in phone contract cmoj. If the OP buys an old iPhone it'll be off-plan and unlocked (or unlockable).
posted by pharm at 12:51 PM on November 15, 2011
You need one that's jailbroken and/or unlocked for it work on T-Mobile in the USA, and those go for about $200 or more. Yeah, even the old 2G iPhones.
You can't compare the prices of current, on-contract devices. That "$99" 8GB iPhone 4 requires a 2-year contract with a mandatory $30/month data plan, plus voice and text.
For what it's worth, a brand-new unlocked iPhone 4S costs $649. That's a price you can use for comparison.
posted by bhayes82 at 1:14 PM on November 15, 2011
You can't compare the prices of current, on-contract devices. That "$99" 8GB iPhone 4 requires a 2-year contract with a mandatory $30/month data plan, plus voice and text.
For what it's worth, a brand-new unlocked iPhone 4S costs $649. That's a price you can use for comparison.
posted by bhayes82 at 1:14 PM on November 15, 2011
That's with a nice expensive lock-in phone contract cmoj.
I don't know all the details, but I was hanging around when a friend replaced her old phone with the 8gb 4G under her existing contract, whatever that was. Sprint.
posted by cmoj at 1:43 PM on November 15, 2011
I don't know all the details, but I was hanging around when a friend replaced her old phone with the 8gb 4G under her existing contract, whatever that was. Sprint.
posted by cmoj at 1:43 PM on November 15, 2011
I wouldn't get anything older than an iPhone 3GS. The 3G is slow and just not very usable with the past few iOS revisions.
A 16gb or 43gb used 3GS will run you about $180-$240 on eBay. That's what they are worth. You might get one a bit cheaper on craigslist.
posted by zephyr_words at 1:46 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
A 16gb or 43gb used 3GS will run you about $180-$240 on eBay. That's what they are worth. You might get one a bit cheaper on craigslist.
posted by zephyr_words at 1:46 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Agreeing with zephyr - do not buy a 3G. I just got rid of mine, and although it had been usable when I got it, iOS updates had reduced it to an infuriating crawl by the end of the contract it came with.
That said, this thread explains why Sprint was willing to give me $100 for it.
posted by kavasa at 3:50 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
That said, this thread explains why Sprint was willing to give me $100 for it.
posted by kavasa at 3:50 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was just at the apple store and they offered to replace my messed up iPhone 3G 32G with a refurb for $150. That's no contract but probably still carrier locked and that's for a swap, not a purchase. But I'd expect somewhere around there.
posted by chairface at 5:05 PM on November 15, 2011
posted by chairface at 5:05 PM on November 15, 2011
Best answer: I just went through something similar in Australia. Whilst I can't give any specific advice re: prices, what I did was watch eBay and Gumtree (like Craigslist) for about a week to get a feel for the market, then pounced when I found what I wanted being offered for less.
The biggest problem with older iPhones is going to be the battery. Like all rechargeables, they hold less charge over time. You might want to look for people advertising phones that are "Apple refurbished" (usually replacements under insurance) or "Only used for a couple of months."
I agree with others that you should get at least a 3GS, but there's probably no point springing for a 32GB model unless you anticipate your dad will be watching a lot of movies/tv shows or carrying tens of thousands of songs around with him. I had an 8GB model for a couple of years and found it more than enough.
posted by Georgina at 8:44 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
The biggest problem with older iPhones is going to be the battery. Like all rechargeables, they hold less charge over time. You might want to look for people advertising phones that are "Apple refurbished" (usually replacements under insurance) or "Only used for a couple of months."
I agree with others that you should get at least a 3GS, but there's probably no point springing for a 32GB model unless you anticipate your dad will be watching a lot of movies/tv shows or carrying tens of thousands of songs around with him. I had an 8GB model for a couple of years and found it more than enough.
posted by Georgina at 8:44 PM on November 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I just bought a 1 year ole 32GB 4 with a Gevey unlock SIM (so it will run on T-Mobile) for $380 in the SF Bay Area. A friend bought an 8GB 4 a week previously for about the same amount so I think I got a reasonable deal.
posted by Long Way To Go at 8:54 PM on November 15, 2011
posted by Long Way To Go at 8:54 PM on November 15, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you all so much!! I am guessing there is no reason to get the cheaper models because of speed. My father doesn't have an available upgrade so that is wy I was looking for a used phone. Thanks for pointing out stuff I'd never think about!!
posted by Yellow at 5:42 AM on November 16, 2011
posted by Yellow at 5:42 AM on November 16, 2011
I don't know all the details, but I was hanging around when a friend replaced her old phone with the 8gb 4G under her existing contract, whatever that was. Sprint.
Your friend's contract will include the price of the phone to the carrier. Here in the UK an iPhone 4 tariff from O2 will set you back £50 + £32 a month for 300 minutes & 500Mb data / month on a 2 year contract. From the same company you can get the equivalent SIM only contract for £21.50 / month. That's £250 extra for the phone right there. Sure, it's £150 cheaper than buying the phone over the counter from Apple, so it's not necessarily a bad deal but the price difference is clear.
Shift over to a SIM-only barebones O2 reseller like GiffGaff and you can chop a 1/3 off the O2 SIM-only price for an equivalent deal with no lock-in.
posted by pharm at 4:55 AM on November 17, 2011
Your friend's contract will include the price of the phone to the carrier. Here in the UK an iPhone 4 tariff from O2 will set you back £50 + £32 a month for 300 minutes & 500Mb data / month on a 2 year contract. From the same company you can get the equivalent SIM only contract for £21.50 / month. That's £250 extra for the phone right there. Sure, it's £150 cheaper than buying the phone over the counter from Apple, so it's not necessarily a bad deal but the price difference is clear.
Shift over to a SIM-only barebones O2 reseller like GiffGaff and you can chop a 1/3 off the O2 SIM-only price for an equivalent deal with no lock-in.
posted by pharm at 4:55 AM on November 17, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cmoj at 11:42 AM on November 15, 2011