Mine are used as iPod touches for the rest of the family. Not sure if those are counted as "unused" or not, since they are not being used as phones. But they are being used just about every day.
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U.S. Consumer Stockpile of Unused iPhones Valued at $13.4 Billion
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I have sold every one of my used iPhones on Craigslist for between $400-500 - more than enough to cover the cost of the newest model. 500 bucks is not exactly pocket change.
Number of times I've needed a spare phone in 8+ years of smart-phone ownership? ZERO.
I tend to upgrade every year, so I usually sell the old ones. I've kept the original iPhone for sentimental reasons, though. For a "spare" I have an old BlackBerry that was my work device until we went BYOD.
I have two iPhones 4 I keep for video recorders. I can dump them right into a FCPX multicam and make an otherwise single cam shoot much nicer.
I once traded a 3rd gen IPT for a nice last generation powerbook G4
I once traded a 3rd gen IPT for a nice last generation powerbook G4
My kid is very grateful to be using the 16GB 3G I picked up in 2008. Has never been without a case and screen protector. Still looks like new and works fine.
Is it limited compared to newer devices? Sure.
But it helps a little with building character.
"I used to walk backwards 20 miles through snow to get to school -- and used iOS 4 the whole way!"
Is it limited compared to newer devices? Sure.
But it helps a little with building character.
"I used to walk backwards 20 miles through snow to get to school -- and used iOS 4 the whole way!"
Selling my iPhone 4 is not worth the money they'd pay. It is my Apple TV, Roku, squeezebox xbmc and Bluray remote. It is my home internet radio. It is my battery powered Airplay speaker zone for my patio thanks to Airfloat and airfoil. It streams Amazon instant video and Aereo amoung other apps to my Apple TV. It can stream DLNA to my Bluray. It is a small media player for my daughter on long car trips. All while saving wear and tear on my new phone.
while I may have bought every single iteration of the iPhone except for the 5S, I've managed to pass down several of them to family where one iPhone will usually get 4-5 years of utilization before it's finally retired to my digital junk drawer.
Since I generally buy the highest capacity versions, my family appreciates the expanded capacity to use to store lots and lots of photos
Since I generally buy the highest capacity versions, my family appreciates the expanded capacity to use to store lots and lots of photos
I don't retire my gadgets until they start falling apart. My iPhone 2G had lost its bottom half, a wire was torn, and yes, a small screen crack on the bottom left.
My iPhone 4 is in a drawer. The battery has corroded, the backplate shattered, and the front has a small chip on the bottom left too.
Smartphones don't need to be charitable donations. If you're going to go that far, sell it yourself and then give the money to charity. Because that is what ends up happening with them, they get bought, then resold for the money to support the charity.
Like everyone else is saying, most iPhones end up getting used for a very long time, especially when you're not just using them to play games and using it for notes, budgeting, and whatever else. So by the time you're ready for a new one, nobody is buying them at ideal prices that make it worth parting them.
My iPhone 4 is in a drawer. The battery has corroded, the backplate shattered, and the front has a small chip on the bottom left too.
Smartphones don't need to be charitable donations. If you're going to go that far, sell it yourself and then give the money to charity. Because that is what ends up happening with them, they get bought, then resold for the money to support the charity.
Like everyone else is saying, most iPhones end up getting used for a very long time, especially when you're not just using them to play games and using it for notes, budgeting, and whatever else. So by the time you're ready for a new one, nobody is buying them at ideal prices that make it worth parting them.
I kept my old 4S and use it as an MP3 player when I travel. That way I'm not burning the battery out on my phone when I'm on a plane. It's also nice to have an extra camera along, just in case. If something terrible happens to my regular phone I just need to stop into a store and get a new sim for the old one and I'm back in business.
Here's a great use for your old devices.
Load some music up via iTunes on your old device. Plug it into your home music system. Use your current iPhone to remotely control your old device. Change volume, playlists, pause and play. We use Tango Remote from the App Store for this. It's rated 4.5/5 stars and works great.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tango-remote/id345279970?mt=8
They also have an App for Spotify called SpotQueue.
Load some music up via iTunes on your old device. Plug it into your home music system. Use your current iPhone to remotely control your old device. Change volume, playlists, pause and play. We use Tango Remote from the App Store for this. It's rated 4.5/5 stars and works great.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tango-remote/id345279970?mt=8
They also have an App for Spotify called SpotQueue.
Depends on how old they are.
We still have an old 3GS that our 4 year old uses, mainly as an alarm clock. Wife and I both have 5's. We always joke about how if one of us does something stupid like breaking or losing our 5 our punishment will be to use the 3GS until we're due for an upgrade.
It's pretty crazy to use the 3GS. Makes me appreciate how far they've come in just a few years.
I wonder what all the unused Samsung phones are worth
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It's disgusting. At least they could return it to Apple to make sure it gets recycled properly.
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It's disgusting. At least they could return it to Apple to make sure it gets recycled properly.
I remember my first iPhone… It was an original iPhone that I got from an e-waste recycling bin. I guess someone was emptying out his stockpile. I jailbroke it and installed about half of everything on Cydia on it. I played Pokémon on it. Good times. Now it's in my stockpile.
