Upgrade from iPhone 6 to iPhone 7 or 8 (or X)?

November 21, 2021 11:21 AM

With a shortening battery life and more and more of my apps needing at least IOS 13.0, I realize that I'm going to have to upgrade from my current iPhone 6. I'm not in dire need of a newer model, so should I go for an iPhone 7 (which is cheaper) or an iPhone 8 (which would last longer before IOS became an issue again?). Or splurge on iPhone X? (Long story short I might have some bills coming up, so $ is a factor).
posted by gtrwolf to Technology (13 answers total)

The iPhone SE 2020 would be an excellent choice. Not much more expensive (used) than an iPhone 8, but would last much longer before iOS versions forced you to upgrade. Same size as the iPhone 6.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:51 AM on November 21, 2021 [18 favorites]

I have the SE 2020 and it was much cheaper and works great. Plus it fits in every pocket easily
posted by mmf at 12:22 PM on November 21, 2021

I think the SE 2020 is the right move, but for what it's worth I'm perfectly content with my 8 after my 6s died earlier this year.
posted by humbug at 12:35 PM on November 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Agree with everyone - you're not buying yourself enough support life and battery youth with the 7 or 8 to justify the savings. Definitely don't buy the X, that's just an 8 with a nicer screen.
posted by wotsac at 12:54 PM on November 21, 2021

Last month I was in your exact place with my iPhone6. I went with a grade A refurbed 2020SE and it’s great. Even my case fits perfectly, which was a nice bonus.
posted by iamkimiam at 1:11 PM on November 21, 2021

I was dealing with this, went with the iPhone SE 2020 (got a good deal on Swappa) and have been very happy with my decision. My fave part was that since the SE was less expensive I was able to buy a phone with a lot more storage which is a big deal win for me. Upgradeable to (at least) iOS15.
posted by jessamyn at 1:11 PM on November 21, 2021

Carrier is an important question here. The 7 and 8 made for Verizon had a problem with their cell chip which causes them to die after a couple of years. I had to upgrade from an otherwise-perfectly-working 7 to an Xs because the cell functionality on my 7 died and it was a known issue that I'd run into again on the 8 if I just went to that.
posted by curious nu at 1:44 PM on November 21, 2021

Response by poster: I use AT&T if that helps.
posted by gtrwolf at 3:53 PM on November 21, 2021

I'll add to the pile on of 2020 SE. I had a second hand 8 that I replaced with an SE.
posted by kathrynm at 5:49 PM on November 21, 2021

You may not be in *dire need* of a newer model, but the older the phone you get, the sooner you're going to have to deal with this again. I think the 2020 SE is a great idea but I'd advise against anything older.
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:34 AM on November 22, 2021

I am currently using an iPhone 7, and while it's still an okay phone in 2021, I don't know that I'd really recommend buying one. Most you'll find on the secondary market are old enough that their batteries don't hold a full charge, which costs ~$75 or so to replace.

The SE 2020 is where I am likely headed when this one dies.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:54 AM on November 22, 2021

As everyone else is saying, you should get an SE.
posted by caek at 9:03 AM on November 22, 2021

I am upgrading from a 7 right now.

Some carriers have amazing deals.

If you are open to switching carriers as a 'new line', Verizon has free 64 MB 12 Minis right now. (or 50 for a 128 gb).

Some other model info that I found helpful in my choice.

11 gets you a 2nd camera.
12 gets you 5G.

(I like the Mini form factor, so a 12 Mini 256 is what I am going with.)
posted by gregglind at 9:12 AM on November 22, 2021