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iPhone 5 or earlier Is the iPhone 4s still worth it?

Can you still use the iPhone 4s

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mac23456

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 18, 2021
29
11
I think the iPhone 4s is still working.
After six/seven years of using iPhones, from 6 to 12, I have always used the iPhone 4s. It's always stable. It always seems to work. I have it dual-booted between iOS 8 and 5, and it has never stopped working. I think it might last for another few years, as the longest supported iPhone (8 years, support ending in 2019).

If you have come to this thread and don't want to post an comment, please vote! I would like to have your opinion.
 
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I don't completely agree. I can use it for email, web browsing, and it is similar to my iPad 3, in terms of age.
 
When I upgraded this year, I sold my previous phone a couple days before getting the new one, and in the meantime I used my old glorious 4S, which was on iOS 7.1.2 (it still is actually).
Took a little while to get used to the tiny screen with the keyboard taking up 50%+ of the screen real estate when typing lol, but regardless, I wouldn't sy it's worth it in 2020, at least for me.
Despite being on an older iOS version, it felt pretty slow and most apps wouldn't even work (looking at you damn Whatsapp). Telegram for example does still offer an older version on the App Store for older devices/iOS versions, but other don't, and you may have some trouble if you need one of them.

I guess if you just call and text, and do some super basic browsing, you can still benefit from it.. but nothing else. I couldn't wait to get the new phone after trying the 4S for two days.
 
Yeah, 7.1.2 is quite old. iOS 8/9 works fine for me. Anyway, I use chrome. I can use most of my apps (surprisingly). I don't use any social media apps or do gaming.
 
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jcorbin said:
To each their own. If it serves your needs then good on ya. I wouldn’t continue using a device that wasn’t at least getting security updates but that’s just me (security professional)
Click to expand...
I actually don't store any important files on my iPhone, so it is not too bad if someone hacks it. All of my files are kept on my MacBook Pro Late 2012 (patched sur).
 
The iphone 4S probably is the best designed, and most well built/crafted iphone of all time in my opinion. Would be fine to use today mainly as a phone/texting and basic tasks like reading emails. Also good as an ipod as it has a good quality Wolfson audio chip in it.
 
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Depends what you are using it for. I still have one in a drawer which I just happened to turn on the other day (it's running iOS 8) and while it still works, many of the apps don't seem to be working (since most have not been updated in a long time) and using safari was painful. I suppose it could still be usable for some basic tasks though (phone, text & music player).
 
I’m sure there are many things it can still do, but at this point you could get a 2016 SE for like $50 or something, and it can run the current OS, has a processor that’s 4 generations newer, 4x (?) as much RAM, far better camera, etc. Why mess around with lack of app support and security updates when you could get a far newer phone that runs iOS 14 for a few bucks?
 
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jcorbin said:
To each their own. If it serves your needs then good on ya. I wouldn’t continue using a device that wasn’t at least getting security updates but that’s just me (security professional)
Click to expand...
If it works for you then why not!

I use my parents and one of the secretaries at work as my gauge for the common smartphone user and the 4s would not be something I would recommend to them. Its if budget reason, 8, SE. Best bang for your buck and little higher end XR, 11. Then mini for modern. All of those phones I recommend will last 5 years or more, their eye sight won't be challenge and they can play simple games on them.
 
Wando64 said:
It works as a phone for sure.
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is that true? I thought support for non-VoLTE phones was being phased out across different carriers.

www.xda-developers.com

T-Mobile will require VoLTE for all phones starting January 2021, AT&T to follow suit in February 2022 - Here's what that means for you

Both T-Mobile and AT&T will shut down their 3G networks, forcing phones to use 4G LTE for voice calls (VoLTE.) Here's what that means for you.
www.xda-developers.com www.xda-developers.com

If I recall correctly, the iPhone 5 was the first with LTE, but the 5s was the first with VoLTE. So depending on the network, the 4s already no longer works as a phone or soon will not.
 
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mac23456 said:
I actually don't store any important files on my iPhone, so it is not too bad if someone hacks it. All of my files are kept on my MacBook Pro Late 2012 (patched sur).
Click to expand...
Fair enough. But your phone being compromised could lead to other account take over. If you have OTPs sent to your phone for multi factor logins they can be intercepted. Safari can have your cookies and credentials scraped. The threat actor can send messages on your behalf and trick friends/family into sending them money or information. Unless you’re in a particularly sensitive job role the files aren’t what they're after.
 
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QCassidy352 said:
I’m sure there are many things it can still do, but at this point you could get a 2016 SE for like $50 or something, and it can run the current OS, has a processor that’s 4 generations newer, 4x (?) as much RAM, far better camera, etc. Why mess around with lack of app support and security updates when you could get a far newer phone that runs iOS 14 for a few bucks?
Click to expand...

SE 2016 to confirm your post has 4x more RAM than the 512MB the 4s has, also DDR4 too

but no I disagree that the 4s is still useful today, security wise. Although there are some major apps which still support it time is ticking when they stop supporting iOS 9 (and most likely iOS 10) too
 
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I loved the iPhone 4s when it released. I started buying iPhones with the iPhone 4 and have had essentially every model since then (at least that years model). The one iPhone I did skip was the iPhone 5 because at the time I wasn’t keen on the design. By the time the iPhone 5s was released the design had grown on me.

The iPhone 4s was a nice upgrade from the iPhone 4. Even though people would try and make you think otherwise. However, IDK if I could use it in 2021. It’s crazy to say because we used it in 2011 with no issues, but at the rate tech has grown and what we’ve gotten used to… IDK if I could do it.

Still one of my favorite iPhones ever.
 
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As a smartphone, nope. I actually have a friend that has one (he's not using it anymore). On iOS9, the 4S is just dog slow for everything, even the basics, and this is on a fresh reset. Add on the paltry battery life for real life use, it's unusable. Add the fact that it's 32bit only, thus missing many modern apps and features. Nice build quality though, very hefty and solid. It's no surprise many people love the design. But I'm in a camp who want my tech to be usable, not nostalgic.
 
I just use the phone for phone calls (obviously), simple web browsing, photos, email, notes, and listening to music. It's small, easy to carry around, and I use my MacBook Pro late 2012 for everything else.
 
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My first iPhone was the 4. Best form factor of any phone. Perfect one handed use, super elegant proportions versus today's tall phones. Was fine back in the day for my use. However, and this goes for the 4S too, no LTE. I watched some of the video linked above and the YouTuber was frustrated watching videos on the 4S. I almost never watch videos on my phone, but for those that do, the 4S just will not be great. Otherwise the speed is fine. I used to cable my 4 to my laptop and used it as a modem. Not fast then either, but managed to upload and download all my email in one burst, and load a number of web pages for reading later in a couple of minutes. Some pages would not load at all though, amusingly carrier webpages were the worst - most big companies back then didn't seem to care about load time and had crappy designs. Was on Sprint back then.
 
Well here in Australia if you're using it for most basic tasks it still works but in 2024 Telstra (Our largest carrier) is shutting off the 3G network and I'm sure Optus & Vodafone aren't far behind.
 
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