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Considering buying a beater iPhone 4, worth it?

A

AlexxRyzhkov

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 17, 2014
133
3
So basically I am considering buying a used iPhone 4, to use for some stuff. I don't like keeping music and photos and videos and stuff like that on my iPhone 6, since its only 16gb. I also want a phone I can take with me jogging and biking and not worry about it falling and breaking or anything.
There are a bunch of cracked iPhone 4's on Craigslist for $50-$70 that look decent. I'm planning on getting one on iOS 6, since they seem faster.
I just don't like risking breaking my iPhone 6. It already fell out of my pocket while biking once and the back is scuffed up a lot. I also hate having my music and pics on my 6.
Is it worth getting a cheap iPhone? Or are they too outdated at this point
 
That's funny, I have an iPhone 4 that I use every day. OK, fine; people get a new phone every other year because they're paying for it with their contract for the most part and you're just giving the cell phone company a break if you don't take it (not entirely true everywhere or so much today). Still, one of my arguments for keeping my out of contract phone is that it doesn't matter so much if I drop it. It's a great insurance policy.

Truth is that I'm getting a iPhone 6 in a few weeks and will probably get the 128 GB version. As to your questions about a "beater" phone, iOS 7 is a little slow, but not so much so that I would rather be on iOS 6. The lack of 4G is probably the biggest deal. Why didn't you go for the 64 GB? It's such a deal.
 
Outdated, not at all. I still have a iPhone 4 (kept for backup) that's still going strong. It's running iOS 5 and it flies. Battery is easy to switch if needed. I don't know about getting a cracked one but if you find a good price, I say go for it.
 
My old 4 on ios 5 something or other absolutely flies. Depending on what you plan to use it for, it's not a bad choice. That said, picking up a "beater", you'll need to watch out for home & power button issues, as that model was prone to both.

And, of course, don't hold it wrong if you want to actually use it as a phone. Mine makes a decent iPod Touch. But if I wanted an actual phone for even emergency calls, it wouldn't be my first, second, or third choice. I don't miss the insane number of dropped calls I had on that device, and none of the several different kinds of cases my husband or I used with ours fixed that problem. In truth, neither did changing how we held it. (It also wasn't a carrier issue; the 5 was a big improvement and the 6 even more so.)

The 4 takes a micro SIM, rather than a nano, so you'll need an adapter if using a SIM from your 6.
 
I wish users would take some care with spelling. What is a "beater" iPhone 4? I assume you mean better

On another thread, how does one "wright" on his iMac? He means write

All too common these days.
 
tdale said:
I wish users would take some care with spelling. What is a "beater" iPhone 4? I assume you mean better

On another thread, how does one "wright" on his iMac? He means write

All too common these days.
Click to expand...

''Beater'' phone means a phone that he can use exactly how he described. one that can get ''beat up''. like a BEATER car = old, but still gets someone to work and home, without worrying about keeping it prestine.

its like throwing on old jeans to do house work
 
tdale said:
I wish users would take some care with spelling. What is a "beater" iPhone 4? I assume you mean better

On another thread, how does one "wright" on his iMac? He means write

All too common these days.
Click to expand...

You are correct on "wright" but here, he does mean a "beater" iphone. I notice you are in NZ so maybe it is the American slang that comes across as an error.

Beater - beat up, roughly used, not worried how its used, used to avoid damaging the nicer phone in potentially rough situations like running.
 
Considering buying a beater iPhone 4, worth it?

tdale said:
I wish users would take some care with spelling. What is a "beater" iPhone 4? I assume you mean better



On another thread, how does one "wright" on his iMac? He means write



All too common these days.
Click to expand...


His spelling was just fine. A beater iPhone 4, meaning it's literally beat up and replaceable. Something like, "I drive a beater car but have a nicer car sitting in the garage."
 
Ann P said:
His spelling was just fine. A beater iPhone 4, meaning it's literally beat up and replaceable. Something like, "I drive a beater car but have a nicer car sitting in the garage."
Click to expand...
Yeah basically.

The reason I want a 4 is that the parts are really cheap to replace. My old iPhone 4S had the screen replaced 3 times (my little cousin still needs to learn to be more careful lol), and I've replaced it my self every time. I also fixed the power button on my iPhone 5, so I'm pretty experienced with fixing iPhones.

There's a sprint iPhone 4 on eBay for $40 with a bad ESN. It runs iOS 6. It's cracked but that doesn't bother me. Is it worth it?
 
A sturdy case for drop protection might be a cheaper and more practical solution for your problem. Dropbox and iTunes Match are also your friends.
 
CEmajr said:
A sturdy case for drop protection might be a cheaper and more practical solution for your problem. Dropbox and iTunes Match are also your friends.
Click to expand...

Well I normally listen to music on Spotify, and I use Dropbox, but sometimes I need stuff and I don't have access to Internet (or good internet at least)
 
I wouldn't bother with an iPhone 4. The thing is just slow no matter what you use it for. Even the music app is slow on it. Not to mention the home/power button issues it has. I would just consider getting a dedicated MP3 player or something like a Lumia 520/521 with a micro SD card. MUCH better performance and experience and won't make you wanna throw the thing. Even a Moto E would be better for what you want (which admittedly isn't much). The iPhone 4 will do what you want but will be absolute molasses.
 
Worth it? Sure. Heck, I'd buy a good condition iPhone 4 just to play with at home, that thing was great.

That being said OP, perhaps it might be more practical to just get a case for your 6 and an iPod nano?
 
Here's the thing: I listen to music on Spotify in offline mode, so an iPod shuffle or nano wont work. Since my iphone 6 is only 16gb I need something to put my Spotify music on.
 
I would have spent the extra money and got 64gb. It would have been a bit more money but better than carrying two devices for Spotify.

Since you didn't do that, I think the 4 would be a decent option. I kept my 4s as a "beater" with a Lifeproof case for using around the water, so I can relate.
 
I imagine the OP still wants a phone with him while he jogs and bikes. Not to mention the fact that you also have internet and can therefor log all of your activity with gps and all.

If you can get an iPhone 4 for $50 in decent shape I would go with thata ll day long over a shuffle or really any other device.

EDIT: Scratch that... talking about buying phones with bad ESN and such. In that case I would pass. That's just me.
 
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AlexxRyzhkov said:
So basically I am considering buying a used iPhone 4, to use for some stuff. I don't like keeping music and photos and videos and stuff like that on my iPhone 6, since its only 16gb. I also want a phone I can take with me jogging and biking and not worry about it falling and breaking or anything.

There are a bunch of cracked iPhone 4's on Craigslist for $50-$70 that look decent. I'm planning on getting one on iOS 6, since they seem faster.

I just don't like risking breaking my iPhone 6. It already fell out of my pocket while biking once and the back is scuffed up a lot. I also hate having my music and pics on my 6.

Is it worth getting a cheap iPhone? Or are they too outdated at this point
Click to expand...


I would get an iPhone 5C as a beater phone. The iPhone 4 is mostly glass, which wouldn't make sense as a beater phone.
 
AlexxRyzhkov said:
So basically I am considering buying a used iPhone 4, to use for some stuff. I don't like keeping music and photos and videos and stuff like that on my iPhone 6, since its only 16gb. I also want a phone I can take with me jogging and biking and not worry about it falling and breaking or anything.
There are a bunch of cracked iPhone 4's on Craigslist for $50-$70 that look decent. I'm planning on getting one on iOS 6, since they seem faster.
I just don't like risking breaking my iPhone 6. It already fell out of my pocket while biking once and the back is scuffed up a lot. I also hate having my music and pics on my 6.
Is it worth getting a cheap iPhone? Or are they too outdated at this point
Click to expand...

YES YES YES

I've done basically the same thing, to keep my 6 Plus "nice". I use the "beater" iPhone 4 for stuff like: mowing the lawn, washing cars, treadmill, doing dishes, etc. Also, I dock it in my car on trips so I don't have to constantly plug in/unplug my real phone.

I still take my 6 Plus pretty much everywhere though when I leave the house, since there's no data attached to the 4.

The home button only works about half the time at this point, has been dropped several times, and it has actually been rained on. Still works well.

Makes for a great iPod, and since it runs iOS, unlike a nano, shuffle etc you can load it up with other apps if need be (iHeartRadio, Flipboard, Netflix, etc.)

It does run a little slow. I should have kept it at iOS 6, but oh well, still does the job.

Only mistake I made was getting an 8GB. Spend a little more and get 32GB and load the baby up. I would tend to lean towards not getting one with a cracked screen. Also, be sure to check the MEID, Activation Lock, physical buttons, and speakers prior to buying. (If you are going to buy it knowing it has a bad MEID/ESN, at least make sure you're getting a hell of a deal.)
 
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