iPhone 8/Plus Question about obsolescence

[atomx66]

My mother-in-law is exceedingly technophobic, has early stage Alzheimers, and really struggles with the basics. She currently owns a 7 Plus, and I'm certain that upgrading her to FaceTime and swiping up would only cause her a lot of unnecessary frustration. She likes the larger screen and Touch ID, so the best I could do is an 8 Plus, as her current phone is showing its age. Do you think the 8 Plus will work ok for a few years?

 

[aenflex]

Couldn’t you do the SE? I mean she’d have to sacrifice the larger screen.

Honestly best thing is to have a few training sessions and get her on an iPhone that doesn’t have the button. I’m about to go through the same thing with my mother, taking her from the 7 to the XR. She’s also technophobic and a bit bonkers.

My father in law has the 8+ and it’s on its very last leg… although a lot of that is how you treat it.

 

[SteveAbootman]

My guess is that iOS 16 may be the last new OS that gets support for the iPhone 8. If not this, then certainly iOS 17.

If you do decide to move to a more current model, in accessibility there's an option to turn on haptics for when FaceID successfully unlocks the iPhone. Might be the gentle reminder for her that it's time to swipe up to reveal the home screen.

 

[eyoungren]

Honestly best thing is to have a few training sessions…

OP mentions that their MIL is in an early stage of Alzheimers. Having dealt with both my grandmother when I was 16-17 and my own MIL in my 40s, both with undiagnosed dementia and Alzheimer's, this is beyond simple things like forgetting where you left something.

A training session is for people who are entirely cognizant and operating under their own agency.

 

[TedJustAdmitit]

Swiping up is tough, my Mom is 83 and easily has the dementia that comes at that age and it was tough, but the face ID was a huge help and she didn’t have to suffer trying to get her thumb scanned. Once I got her to be able to swipe up and reminding her it’s a lot like scrolling in safari, she got it. The only issue she won’t overcome is being able to close out apps, but that’s it.