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iPhone XS Is iPhone XS too Old

S

Sossity

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 12, 2010
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I recently found a deal on an iPhone XS from a reputable seller on eBay, with a full capacity battery. I bought it for my dad, who is older, and is looking for a first smartphone. I am aware that it is a few years old now, is it too old? I want it to be good for a while. I have an iPhone 5s, and a 3GS.

It seems after a while, the cellular bands get dropped and this makes phones no longer usable as phone. Is the iPhone XS in danger of this? or will he get at least a maybe 3 or more years out of it?
 
Sossity said:
I recently found a deal on an iPhone XS from a reputable seller on eBay, with a full capacity battery. I bought it for my dad, who is older, and is looking for a first smartphone. I am aware that it is a few years old now, is it too old? I want it to be good for a while. I have an iPhone 5s, and a 3GS.

It seems after a while, the cellular bands get dropped and this makes phones no longer usable as phone. Is the iPhone XS in danger of this? or will he get at least a maybe 3 or more years out of it?
Click to expand...

Nah, if it’s just for your dad who is a first time user, I’m sure it’ll be more than capable for his needs :)

There’s no worry about cellular band issues anytime soon!
 
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As long as the battery is relatively new, you should not have any issue with an XS. It will be officially supported by Apple with OS updates for at least three more years, and the iPhone will still be very usable for a few more years after the OS dropout. I wouldn’t worry, it’s a very capable phone even in late 2022
 
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Why do people assume that just because we are older (I am almost 78) that we can't operate a smart phone? The only case I can think of is the person has early onset Alzheimers ( that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages). My father-in-law had it, and we didn't realize it. He seemed to function ok, but had problems with Outlook express (kept changing layout). I have an iPhone 12Pro, AW SS5, Apple TV and new iMac 24". Get him a new SE or what ever he would like, he will love it (and you). I am sure you don't want to mess with an old phone off eBay.

BTW I still ride my 800cc V4 sport bike through the twisty back roads.

EDIT: Sorry I didn't notice you bought it already. I had the X before the 12Pro, if it checks outs, it is a good phone.
 
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Allyance said:
Why do people assume that just because we are older (I am almost 78) that we can't operate a smart phone? The only case I can think of is the person has early onset Alzheimers ( that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages). My father-in-law had it, and we didn't realize it. He seemed to function ok, but had problems with Outlook express (kept changing layout). I have an iPhone 12Pro, AW SS5, Apple TV and new iMac 24". Get him a new SE or what ever he would like, he will love it (and you). I am sure you don't want to mess with an old phone off eBay.

BTW I still ride my 800cc V4 sport bike through the twisty back roads.

EDIT: Sorry I didn't notice you bought it already. I had the X before the 12Pro, if it checks outs, it is a good phone.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, I don't assume, but in my case, my dad is not tech savvy much at all, I will have to teach him how to use it, but we have run into things needed, that required apps, or will only work with apps, and so both he and my mom will need smart phones.

I am aware that some older people not all, but in my case stay in the past, my parents have to some degree, they are used to the analog era (still use VCR tapes), and 20+ year old map books and phone books. Both have not adapted as well to new tach, and prefer older stuff, but in some cases it is impossible. They both prefer to kind of stay with things they are familiar with, from the 70's and 80's.

I have to teach them some things, my mom knows a bit more, but a-lot of modern tech makes hime nervous. But I also want us all to be able to communicate with one another, on mobile phones, and not just landline telephones.
 
daddyd302 said:
Why not just buy him a Iphone SE? You'll know that's it's guarantee to work and you can also get Applecare+ for him as well. Used phone have no guarantee they will work.
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I already have an iPhone XS, that I have been using, and I am looking to either get another iPhone XS or the new one, and want him top have a mobile smart phone.
 
I thnk it will be just fine. The XS is a great device for anyone that is not fussed about having the latest and greatest.
 
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Would the iPhone SE be better than the XS?

My only concern was about durability, since the XS iPhones have the glass backs, although I put them in good cases. Does the SE or XR have a metal or glass back?

Also the other thing I liked about the XS being more affordable now, is that they have an optical zoom in the camera, and this is nice and is useful, I am not sure the SE or XR has any optical zoom their the cameras.
 
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Motionblurrr said:
The A12 is very powerful.

If he could manage, maybe get him the XS Max. More battery life and larger screen for them big fonts older people love :)
Click to expand...
I thought of that, but he likes to carry everything in his shorts and pants pockets, and a bigger phone might be awkward. He has seen mine, and thinks it might be too big.
 
Sossity said:
Would the iPhone SE be better than the XS?

My only concern was about durability, since the XS iPhones have the glass backs, although I put them in good cases. Does the SE or XR have a metal or glass back?

Also the other thing I liked about the XS being more affordable now, is that they have an optical zoom in the camera, and this is nice and is useful, I am not sure the SE or XR has any optical zoom their the cameras.
Click to expand...

They're all glass backs. Since the 5.8-inch form factor has been discontinued, you should be able to find cheap, highly protective cases like OtterBox Defender. You won't need to worry about damage.
 
Not too old, My dad used XS. It suits his need just fine - mostly watching youtube for news in our home country.
 
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I feel like this is the last year X or XS will be good for. If you pick it up now, should look at getting the iPhone 15/pro to replace it next year, hopefully that comes with a major chip design refresh to make the jump more worth it. I'd Hold out 1 more year if you can.
 
fwmireault said:
As long as the battery is relatively new, you should not have any issue with an XS. It will be officially supported by Apple with OS updates for at least three more years, and the iPhone will still be very usable for a few more years after the OS dropout. I wouldn’t worry, it’s a very capable phone even in late 2022
Click to expand...
Are phones safe to continue using after there are no more iOS updates for it?
 
My personal phone is the X (which is worse than the Xs). I have a 13 mini from work. There is no noticeable difference in performance or display between the two or anything else really. I actually still prefer using my X over the 13 mini. Think I'm upgrading to 14 pro this year (preorder arriving tomorrow), but honestly there isn't really anything I was lacking with the X other than maybe the camera quality (which is not bad, but the new ones are just better).
 
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Still using my XS 512gb, think its the perfect size. I actually bought a new 13 Pro earlier this year and sold it within a week of using it. Other than having better cameras and a smoother display, I couldn't justify the extra cost for a similar experience and missed the slightly smaller form factor.

Also didn't like the added weight of the Pro.
 
JPack said:
A12/4GB, not bad.

Just make sure none of the OEM components have been replaced.
Click to expand...

It is very hard, I see people talked about how many components in iPhone can be replaced by fake stuff while still works in IOS. The only safe way is buying old phone from Apple.
 
Sossity said:
Are phones safe to continue using after there are no more iOS updates for it?
Click to expand...
They are completely safe. The apps which require additional security will eventually no longer become available on older versions of iOS so functionality can be lost. You can normally use a phone unimpeded for a year after the last official supported update.
 
Andeddu said:
They are completely safe. The apps which require additional security will eventually no longer become available on older versions of iOS so functionality can be lost. You can normally use a phone unimpeded for a year after the last official supported update.
Click to expand...

Using outdated browser is far from completely safe. No IOS update means no more browser update since all browsers in IOS base on Safari.
 
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babyexercise said:
Using outdated browser is far from completely safe. No IOS update means no more browser update since all browsers in IOS base on Safari.
Click to expand...
It’s safe. I think people have been brainwashed by tech firms making them paranoid about security. You don’t need a 100% up-to-date browser to avoid malware. As long as you don’t go looking for it, your browser won’t suddenly become compromised.
 
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Allyance said:
Why do people assume that just because we are older (I am almost 78) that we can't operate a smart phone? The only case I can think of is the person has early onset Alzheimers ( that is difficult to diagnose in the early stages). My father-in-law had it, and we didn't realize it. He seemed to function ok, but had problems with Outlook express (kept changing layout). I have an iPhone 12Pro, AW SS5, Apple TV and new iMac 24". Get him a new SE or what ever he would like, he will love it (and you). I am sure you don't want to mess with an old phone off eBay.

BTW I still ride my 800cc V4 sport bike through the twisty back roads.

EDIT: Sorry I didn't notice you bought it already. I had the X before the 12Pro, if it checks outs, it is a good phone.
Click to expand...

I think it kinda depends on the person, I Had two Grandmas, both almost same age 80ish, first one has a Xiaomi and uses it perfectly fine everyday, call, send messages, delete messages, search the internet, take photos, etc,etc... second one when she was alive we tried everything, dumbphones, android, ios, alexa drop in, EVERYTHING, but she coudn´t figure out how to use any of them for as much as we tried.
 
Andeddu said:
It’s safe. I think people have been brainwashed by tech firms making them paranoid about security. You don’t need a 100% up-to-date browser to avoid malware. As long as you don’t go looking for it, your browser won’t suddenly become compromised.
Click to expand...

security.stackexchange.com

Why should browser security be prioritized?

From this answer about browser security: time to update if you really care about security So if every other software and functions I need can work on a 32-bit OS, I guess the only reason for upgr...
security.stackexchange.com security.stackexchange.com

From security expert community
 
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