Other How far of an old/cheap iPhone do you go back to keep as your "backup" iPhone?

Kendo

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Sometimes it is not worth selling an old iPhone for a measly $100 when you can use it as a backup for emergencies in case your current iPhone dies or is being repaired or being replaced.

I am considering getting an older iPhone as a backup for emergencies but not sure if I should go as far back as a 6S or go with the 7.
 
I have a iPhone 6 Plus on back up. Once the iPhone 11 Pro Max is in my hands tomorrow (9-20-2019). My IPhone X will become my new back up. Which is perfect timing. Since the iPhone 6 Plus, isn’t compatible with iOS 13.
 
I have an iPhone SE as kind of a "house" phone, but its really waiting in the wings for my oldest child. I want to give it to him if he goes to a friends house, or goes out for a bike ride or something.
 
iphone 8 plus will be the backup phone now. I actually just spent $169 to official apple glass (it was hairline crack that could be repaired under warranty but phone was out of warranty) replace the cracked screen cause I think the A11 processor with 3GB ram will still be usable for a good 2 more years.

So that's my spare phone. Got 2 iphone 11 128 (one for the wife, one for the 9 year old), I will still use my xs max 256gb for another year.

iPhone 11 will be only the second iPhone I will have not used since 2007.

I'm sure I will find a good android deal (I got pixel 3xl 128gb for 50% off, used it for 4 months and just sold it for the same price I got it for).
 
I’ve been on a 5S since Monday when I sent my XS Max off to its new home.

Tomorrow can’t come quick enough!!
 
Sometimes it is not worth selling an old iPhone for a measly $100 when you can use it as a backup for emergencies in case your current iPhone dies or is being repaired or being replaced.

I am considering getting an older iPhone as a backup for emergencies but not sure if I should go as far back as a 6S or go with the 7.
I have a 'secondary' phone. That's my old iPhone 6s+. It's unlocked. Should I ever need to use it as my primary again (I have a Pixel 3a XL as my primary now) then I suppose it would be my 'backup'.

We (my wife and I) do not sell our old phones. So, there is also an unlocked iPhone 5, an unlocked 4s and an unlocked 4. The 4 and 4s I picked up over the last couple of years. Those all serve as media devices. In fact, I'm streaming internet radio on the 4 as I type this.

I suppose I could use those as backups too, although the iPhone 5 has a swelling battery so I'm not using it at the moment.
 
I have an old 4s however I would never use it. I keep it just because I can’t bare to part with it. It still works, however slowly. If my phone broke I would just purchase a newer model.
 
I always keep my previous phone as a backup. Right now my old 6S is backup for my X. When I decided to replace my X, the X will be backup but this time the 6S will become my new iPod
 
this is my back-up. has never let me down, and never needs software updates.
 

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I have both a space grey 5s and a matte black 7 in the kitchen cupboard. Realistically I don’t think they’ll ever be used as a backup but I do take them out and randomly admire them from time to time.
 
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