iPhone 6(S)/Plus Considering an Iphone 6S Plus. EOL? Advice.

[struck]

I am a Social Security recipient, on a limited income. I have the LifeLine Phone the government provides for free to the really poor. Provided Lifeline handset is Android that is is set for which the Carrier was Assurance Wireless, cover for T-Mobile, now Sprint. Coverage in my area of east Texas for Sprint is so bad that Sprint will not (knowingly) sell phones to my town. Verizon coverage is great.

Right now Wal Mart is running a sale on new Iphone 6S, and Plus. I can buy a 6S Plus with 32 GB RAM for two hundred that is locked to Straight Talk, one of whose carriers is Verizon. I gave up using Straight Talk before because the $42.00 for thirty days was really expensive to me. That would be about five hundred a year when my income is less than a thousand a month.

I see Apple no longer sells refurbished Iphone 6 anything. I am a big fan of Apple Care. I am guessing that Apple Care would be a waste of money. If I break the phone, replacing the screen is less costly in the private market, and if the Wal Mart sale went on, I could buy a new Iphone 6 for nearly the cost of the repair. I used an Iphone 5C for a year, that someone else paid for, so I really appreciate the IOS. BTW-I used an Otterbox Defender case on the Iphone 5 c. When I took it out of its case after a year plus of use, the handset looked brand new. Android seems to be to be created from the ground up to spy on me. Wasting a lot of my resources for their stuff. I am on my fifth handset from the LifeLine Service. I got some stories about that.

Apple Chat suggested that I call an Apple Store about EOL (End of Life.) Gee if I only had a phone that worked.

I have the first Ipad, which came to the point it would no longer get online. Still has a beautiful screen, not what is available today. So I do understand what EOL can do to my plans, budget.

 

[Lekro]

The iPhones I repair the most are 6 and 6S so many are still in use and people are spending money on the repairs for it.

So if you can get a good deal then go for it. They will be supported in iOS 13 and probably even 14.

iPhone 6 is where I would draw the line that it’s a bit old now.

 

[retta283]

I just got a 6S recently, and honestly it's a great phone in 2019. I wouldn't be too worried about AppleCare, especially if you intend to use a protective case.

 

[Motionblurrr]

Hey, the 6S is still a great phone. I upgraded from a regular 6 Plus recently and with it's 1GB of RAM it began to struggle a bit--though with iOS 12 it was MUCH better. The 6S was a beast in comparison to the regular 6 so you should still be good. I think the 6S will still definitely get iOS 13 too.

I say, get the 6S and get a decent protective case like an Otterbox. You don't have to get a Defender these days, Otterbox makes a thinner but still protective case called the Symmetry. But any decent case would serve you well. Maybe get a Tempered Glass screen protector and you should be good to go.

 

[Shirasaki]

32GB storage (not RAM) is a bit small in my opinion. Might get an 128GB option. Just saying.
But iPhone 6s (Plus) still has one or two years to hit its true EOL (start losing app support, no iOS update etc). I’d say just go for it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I believe Straight Talk uses Sprint towers.

 

[struck]

I believe Straight Talk uses Sprint towers.

Straight Talk has several different plans that can be can be attached to several different carriers. The least expensive Carrier plan that I know of is Mint, which is actually fronting for the AT&T Carrier, and is sold on the internet, not WalMart. AT&T works poorly in my area of east Texas. I must must be careful in buying phones to make sure it will do CDMA and Verizon. Likewise, buying the correct Straight Talk plan, one that is fronts for Verizon.
[doublepost=1556374962][/doublepost]I am more concerned with the Straight Talk Carrier no longer accepting the phone, than whether the next IOS, which might be replaced by next spring will be updated. I can get along on the current IOS. I need more than a year with the phone. Do Carriers, like Verizon still allow, today, for Iphone 4, and or Iphone 5 to be used as a phone. I can see some of the Apps stopping because they are staying with the more recent versions of IOS.

 

[scandinavia3]

Apple is currently selling new (not refurbished) iPhone SEs - 32 gb - for $249 on their website. Look in the clearance section. You would get the 1 year Apple warranty, and be able to bring it to any carrier because it's unlocked (It says "T-Mobile" or "Verizon," but I believe that all phones are CDMA and GSM capable. I got a T-Mobile one last month, and I use it with ST. It came with a T-Mobile SIM, which I just took out.) Also, ST offers a lower cost plan for $35/mo -- $34 with auto renewal. Not much of a difference, but every dollar counts.
[doublepost=1556376302][/doublepost]Oh, I see that you like Verizon. Apple has a verizon iPhone SE on its site...

 

[pika2000]

I’m still using my 6S. Performance wise, the 6S is still very good. And its 2GB of RAM will ensure good performance. Remember iOS 11 that was so buggy? Yet the 6S did quite okay on it. Of course, iOS 12 made things better.

Imo 6S Plus is still a decent phone today. It will still be supported by Apple for another 2 years at the least based on past patterns. The only catch is its battery. If the device has been sitting in the store for years, you might have to consider adding the battery replacement cost to your budget.

 

[scandinavia3]

I’m still using my 6S. Performance wise, the 6S is still very good. And its 2GB of RAM will ensure good performance. Remember iOS 11 that was so buggy? Yet the 6S did quite okay on it. Of course, iOS 12 made things better.

Imo 6S Plus is still a decent phone today. It will still be supported by Apple for another 2 years at the least based on past patterns. The only catch is its battery. If the device has been sitting in the store for years, you might have to consider adding the battery replacement cost to your budget.

I agree that the battery is a consideration. I got one of the "new" iphone SE's last month. The battery health already shows that the peak charge is now 98%, so it lost 2% in one month's use. I'm not a "heavy" phone user, and only charge once every 2 days or so. The decline in battery health worries me, because a replacement is $49. I'm going to watch the one-year mark as it approaches. If the battery health has declined to 80% or lower, I think that Apple will replace it under warranty.

FWIW, I replaced the battery on my 6 under the $29 replacement plan when it was first announced... so quite some time ago. It is still showing at 100%. Obviously, sitting around does take a toll on the battery.