iPhone 6(S)(+) iPhone 6 upgrade to ??

[Mac2019]

iPhone 6 to ??
So, my 3 year old 6 is on its last legs (awful battery, getting slower by the week, crashing etc.) so I think it is high time I went for a newer model. I had this dilemma when upgrading from the iPad to to air1 or air2, and eventually went for the latter.

I am cost conscious so 7 is appealing but I do worry about older phones being supported for a lesser amount of time, however unsure I can justify the extra cost. I also hate the idea of a 24 month contract now that I am on a £23/month sim only.

Be good to get advice from those in/have been in a similar situation.

 

[Relentless Power]

iPhone 6 to ??
So, my 3 year old 6 is on its last legs (awful battery, getting slower by the week, crashing etc.) so I think it is high time I went for a newer model. I had this dilemma when upgrading from the iPad to to air1 or air2, and eventually went for the latter.

I am cost conscious so 7 is appealing but I do worry about older phones being supported for a lesser amount of time, however unsure I can justify the extra cost. I also hate the idea of a 24 month contract now that I am on a £23/month sim only.

Be good to get advice from those in/have been in a similar situation.

The iPhone 7 is still a great phone, and will still likely see three more years of iOS support. Obviously the next iPhone would be the iPhone 8, which is the latest in that series, but I would not opt for any less model under the iPhone 7.

 

[C DM]

iPhone 6 to ??
So, my 3 year old 6 is on its last legs (awful battery, getting slower by the week, crashing etc.) so I think it is high time I went for a newer model. I had this dilemma when upgrading from the iPad to to air1 or air2, and eventually went for the latter.

I am cost conscious so 7 is appealing but I do worry about older phones being supported for a lesser amount of time, however unsure I can justify the extra cost. I also hate the idea of a 24 month contract now that I am on a £23/month sim only.

Be good to get advice from those in/have been in a similar situation.

You can also try getting a new battery for cheap from Apple and perhaps reinstalling as new to see if that gives your current phone some more life until new ones come out later this year and there are more choices.

 

[Mac2019]

The iPhone 7 is still a great phone, and will still likely see three more years of iOS support. Obviously the next iPhone would be the iPhone 8, which is the latest in that series, but I would not opt for any less model under the iPhone 7.

True, but it's no cheaper in the U.K. than the 8!
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You can also try getting a new battery for cheap from Apple and perhaps reinstalling as new to see if that gives your current phone some more life until new ones come out later this year and there are more choices.

Considered this but the new releases nowadays don't tend to result in a dip in price of older models, which makes me want to get started on ten 2 year contract sooner rather than later. The other option, of course, is to buy the phone outright on an interest free credit card and keep my cheap-ish sim only deal. That way I could sell it on and upgrade sooner if I so wished.

 

[C DM]

True, but it's no cheaper in the U.K. than the 8!
[doublepost=1526113902][/doublepost]
Considered this but the new releases nowadays don't tend to result in a dip in price of older models, which makes me want to get started on ten 2 year contract sooner rather than later. The other option, of course, is to buy the phone outright on an interest free credit card and keep my cheap-ish sim only deal. That way I could sell it on and upgrade sooner if I so wished.

Usually the older models become cheaper when new ones are released. Is iPhone 7 really the same price as the 8 in the UK? That doesn't make much sense.

 

[Mac2019]

Usually the older models become cheaper when new ones are released. Is iPhone 7 really the same price as the 8 in the UK? That doesn't make much sense.

Usually the older models become cheaper when new ones are released. Is iPhone 7 really the same price as the 8 in the UK? That doesn't make much sense.

I agree. It was a few weeks ago when I got a quote but today the plan I'd go for is a mere £4/month less for the iPhone 7 which does not seem worth it for an older phone. For £96 extra over the life of the plan I think I'd rather go for the 8.
[doublepost=1526140764][/doublepost]However, I am completely put off by the glass back of the iPhone 8 - now twice the amount of phone susceptible to cracking all for what I believe to be an utterly pointless upgrade to wireless charging.

 

[NorthSeaBeach]

I'm on a second hand 6s. Apple put in a new battery for €29 a month ago. Now I'm waiting what 2018 brings: X modelled SE or 6.1 inch lcd? Considering both. If both are disappointing either feature or pricewise, I'll go for an regular 8. I'll pay for it straight away.

 

[mtneer]

We are just about halfway into Apple's next phone refresh timeline. So, I would use the $29 battery upgrade to see if it improves things to tide over until the fall when you could go for a freshly depreciated 7 or even an 8.

 

[Reno Raines]

If the glass back on the 8 is not to your liking then the 7 would be a good fit for you I would think.

 

[Julienne]

The iPhone 7 is still a great phone, and will still likely see three more years of iOS support. Obviously the next iPhone would be the iPhone 8, which is the latest in that series, but I would not opt for any less model under the iPhone 7.

I went from a 5 to an 7 and am very happy that I did. Battery life is at least twice what I was getting on the 5. Better camera, more storage, much quicker.

 

[George Dawes]

I went from a 6 to an 8 plus , best upgrade I’ve ever made !!

Dramatic improvement in every way

 

[Mac2019]

I went from a 6 to an 8 plus , best upgrade I’ve ever made !!

Dramatic improvement in every way

Worth it then, you think?

What do you make of the glass back compared to the aluminium of the 6?
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I went from a 5 to an 7 and am very happy that I did. Battery life is at least twice what I was getting on the 5. Better camera, more storage, much quicker.

I know the feeling having gone from a 5 to a 6 - I found the difference was huge. Don't feel there'll be as much difference from 6 to 7, though.

 

[George Dawes]

i've got mine in an apple black leather case and it charges fine to a belkin quii charger

the battery life is impressive , the camera is excellent , it's VERY fast , looks lovely and the screen size is almost perfect , so much better than the normal 6 i had

in fact i wouldn't mind a screen a bit bigger

best iPhone i've ever had and i've been through a 4 , 5 , se and a 6 , this wipes the floor with all of them

prefer it to the x too

 

[mostlynameless]

I gave up and upgraded from my 6 to an 8 last weeekend. It is a great upgrade. Everything is faster and smoother and the camera is better.

I would've considered a 7 instead, but I wanted 256 GB and I figure the processor in the 8 should be future proof since it is also in the X.

I do worry some about the glass back, but I never broke the 4 or 4s, so I hope my lucky streak continues.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I gave up and upgraded from my 6 to an 8 last weeekend. It is a great upgrade. Everything is faster and smoother and the camera is better.

I would've considered a 7 instead, but I wanted 256 GB and I figure the processor in the 8 should be future proof since it is also in the X.

I do worry some about the glass back, but I never broke the 4 or 4s, so I hope my lucky streak continues.

The a11 will be good for a while. You may eventually run into a situation where the 2gb of ram isn’t enough, though. Good pickup regardless. Should be 2-3 trouble free years.

 

[pika2000]

If you're cost conscious, then wait for the SE2.

 

[perezr10]

I was using an iPhone 6 until this Friday. I had an iPhone 7 and sold it so that I could buy an iPhone X so I used the iPhone 6 in the interim.

I can’t believe how slow this iPhone 6 is compared to the 7. I replaced the battery hoping that would help the situation but it didn’t. Where it bothers me the most is when opening apps. The lag compared to my iPhone 7 is huge.

From a speed perspective, there is no difference between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone X. The 7 is speedy. The iPhone 8 has a better processor but there is a pretty big step up in price for an iPhone 8. I think the 7 is the sweet spot combination of power/price ratio. Also, have you seen the price to repair the glass back on an iPhone 8? I think it’s over $200. The aluminum back on the iPhone 7 will never break.

Outside of the processor the big things you’re missing out on from a 7 to 8 are wireless charging and camera improvements. And the camera improvements were fairly modest on the 8 so as not to overshadow the X. The X got the improved F stop and optical image stabilization for both lenses. Stuff that didn’t filter down to the 8.

If you’re cost conscious I’d say get an iPhone 7. You’re gonna be blown away with the processor performance improvement and the 12mp camera compared to the 8mp on the iPhone 6.

 

[Future-Proof]

Get an 8 with a case.

 

[Reno Raines]

I do have an 8 and for me I liked the added weight of the glass as it at least felt more solid. I got an under armour case for it so I don’t have to worry about accidental drops. Great phone.

 

[Relentless Power]

If you're cost conscious, then wait for the SE2.

Wait? Not sure if there is anything to wait for, being an SE2 May never Happen at all.

 

[Mac2019]

I was using an iPhone 6 until this Friday. I had an iPhone 7 and sold it so that I could buy an iPhone X so I used the iPhone 6 in the interim.

I can’t believe how slow this iPhone 6 is compared to the 7. I replaced the battery hoping that would help the situation but it didn’t. Where it bothers me the most is when opening apps. The lag compared to my iPhone 7 is huge.

From a speed perspective, there is no difference between the iPhone 7 and the iPhone X. The 7 is speedy. The iPhone 8 has a better processor but there is a pretty big step up in price for an iPhone 8. I think the 7 is the sweet spot combination of power/price ratio. Also, have you seen the price to repair the glass back on an iPhone 8? I think it’s over $200. The aluminum back on the iPhone 7 will never break.

Outside of the processor the big things you’re missing out on from a 7 to 8 are wireless charging and camera improvements. And the camera improvements were fairly modest on the 8 so as not to overshadow the X. The X got the improved F stop and optical image stabilization for both lenses. Stuff that didn’t filter down to the 8.

If you’re cost conscious I’d say get an iPhone 7. You’re gonna be blown away with the processor performance improvement and the 12mp camera compared to the 8mp on the iPhone 6.

Thanks for the insightful post, useful info.
For me, the wireless charging is a step back and not an advancement at all; the wireless pod has to be plugged in and you plonk the phone onto it - other than speed (it’s quicker, I assume?) how is this better than just plugging it in? And when you’re on the go without a power socket it is no use, however having a portable charger (can pick up very good anker ones for £11) can give you charge when you most need it.

What am I missing here? I see it as swapping durability for a pretty pointless feature.

 

[geta]

Since you mentioned you’re ‘cost conscious’ ,battery replacement would be the way to go while waiting for better deals. And if you need new phone now (as of today), just buy what fit your needs\pocket... all the phones from the last 2 years are great.

 

[Helmsley]

I went from a 6S to an 8 Plus. Very happy!

 

[Mac2019]

Since you mentioned you’re ‘cost conscious’ ,battery replacement would be the way to go while waiting for better deals. And if you need new phone now (as of today), just buy what fit your needs\pocket... all the phones from the last 2 years are great.

Fair point but the cost of the 7 has hardly come down at all in the past 12-18 months. Also, I’m loathe to spend £79 to replace the battery in the hope that it improves speed performance given that I have a portable chargers which provide 2-3 full charges on the move (battery life is a gripe rather than something that really impacts me). Also, in the top left by the speaker I have a crack which may mean a screen replacement if they start pulling the phone apart to change the battery.

 

[geta]

Fair point but the cost of the 7 has hardly come down at all in the past 12-18 months. Also, I’m loathe to spend £79 to replace the battery in the hope that it improves speed performance given that I have a portable chargers which provide 2-3 full charges on the move (battery life is a gripe rather than something that really impacts me). Also, in the top left by the speaker I have a crack which may mean a screen replacement if they start pulling the phone apart to change the battery.

In that case, i would skip fixing the iP6, spacial if you'll need new screen on top of a battery, and get SE with that money.