iPhone 12 Pro Max Oldest usable phone

[ZhenyaF]

My father in law finally wants to switch from Android to iPhone. Since he’s elderly he doesn’t need anything fancy. What would you say is the oldest still fully functional model?

I’m thinking 12 / 12 pro. My mother in law has a handme down 12 pro max and it seems to be working just fine

(They’re on the 55+ Tmo plan that doesn’t give discounts for trade ins, so will probably buy used and then switch the battery to new)

 

[Shirasaki]

It depends on how you define “functional”, since whether you value software update influences what you will choose.
With that in mind, iPhone XS/XS Max is technically the oldest iPhone that’s “functional“. And your iPhone 12/12 Pro/12 Pro Max can probably give you 1-2 more years of software support.
If you don’t care about software support, then an iPhone 7/8/X etc can all suffice for very cheap.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

12 is still a solid phone for sure.

 

[now i see it]

I’m using a 6S plus and it’s fully functional. But app support will likely end for iOS 15 soon.
There’s a lot to be said (good) about the SE3 which has a home button

 

[vngannxx]

iPhone XR on iOS 18

 

[webkit]

My father in law finally wants to switch from Android to iPhone. Since he’s elderly he doesn’t need anything fancy. What would you say is the oldest still fully functional model?

I’m thinking 12 / 12 pro. My mother in law has a handme down 12 pro max and it seems to be working just fine

(They’re on the 55+ Tmo plan that doesn’t give discounts for trade ins, so will probably buy used and then switch the battery to new)

Perhaps an Apple certified refurbished iPhone would be a good option. The phone will include a new battery, new outer shell, and same as new 1 year warranty. Current prices range from $399 (128GB iPhone 13 mini) to $1,189 (1T iPhone 14 Pro Max) but availability can vary. Right now, it looks like the cheapest one they have is a 512GB iPhone 13 for $699.