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0 pointsjseliger5y ago0 comments

A while ago I quit buying new models and switched to refurbished ones. The 7 I had did more or less what its predecessor did (car services, chat, remote camera control) and the one I have now (X or Xs?) does more or less what the 7 did.

I can afford the newer ones, but I don't see the value relative to the four-figure cost.

0 comments

_bxg15y ago

When I got my XS ($1000) it was because I planned to keep it for a long time. It's been a year and a half and I have zero complaints of degradation in speed, battery life, etc. Still feels like new. I plan on keeping it for four years at least. Compare that to the $500 phones of the past that would limp across the two-year mark and it's really not unreasonable.

the_gastropod5y ago

Looks like I'm hardly original, but I'm also still using an original SE that I bought 4 years ago. Unlike the other posters here, I'm even rocking my original battery! (it is admittedly on its last legs, though). Spending < $100/yr on fully-supported phones is a pretty tough benchmark to beat. Looks like this new SE will accomplish that task like its predecessor.

333c5y ago

I don't think this is the comparison that you're drawing, but I'd like to point out that my current iPhone SE has been doing well for three years (other than a battery replacement), and I think it has at least one more year left in it. So it's not just the top-end phones that have staying power.

rgovostes5y ago

Another dedicated (first-get) iPhone SE reporting in. It did desperately need a battery replacement but it was only $50. I have noticed that increasingly apps and websites aren't designed for such a small screen, even Apple's first-party ones.

_bxg15y ago

That's fair, though I'd think refurbished phones won't do quite as well, but who knows

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skrtskrt5y ago

Agreed, I upgraded from 7 to XS for the camera upgrade, and I can't really see myself wanting to upgrade again soon. I just paid the XS off and now I just pay for an unlimited plan at $60 a month, it's pretty nice.

Current iPhones still struggle in low light photography but I can't see myself caring enough to upgrade to a new flagship anytime soon just to maybe take better pics at night.

roneythomas65y ago

I agree with the low light photography situation. I have an XR and the only thing that i feel short off is low light photography. I had pixel 2 before this, so low light situation was bit downer. Recently I compared my phone with iPhone 11 from my co-worker, we tried shooting this dark storage location and iPhone 11 definitely is big improvement. But i am planning to keep my phone for at least next 4 years. The rest of the phone is fantastic.

_bxg15y ago

Yeah. I'm not saying there will never be a new feature that inspires me to upgrade early, but there isn't one on the horizon right now. The only things I can think of right now are a foldable version (maybe) or a significantly smaller screen size (SE-size). 5G certainly won't do it.

samstave5y ago

Im going on 5 years on my 6S+

Best iphone i have ever needed.

ishjoh5y ago

I'm also still holding on to my 6S+. We upgraded my wife to an 11 and I just don't see anything that I have to have. Eventually, I'll upgrade for a better camera but I'll probably keep using the 6S+ until the battery can't hold a charge

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justbees5y ago

Same here. Recently the camera has started shaking really badly so I'm thinking of finally getting a replacement. I have other cameras though, so the phone camera is just for convenience. It's hard to bite the bullet on a new phone when the one I have is (aside from the camera) in great shape.

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ashtonkem5y ago

I thought that too with my XS, but it’s been nothing but trouble since day 1. The LTE and WiFi modems (not antennas) just don’t work right, and require a hard reboot occasionally to work correctly.

_bxg15y ago

That sounds like a defect that they might fix for you. I would've taken it in on day 1

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symlinkk5y ago

Doesn’t really seem worth it to me, you get multiple years less of updates, slower hardware, and worse battery life for what, like $200 saved over the XR?

macintux5y ago

For me it’s all about the camera, so I upgrade as often as I can. Everything else is a distant second.

goatlover5y ago

Too bad the camera isn't a replaceable part.

macintux5y ago

A lot of its capabilities is tied to the processing capabilities of other internal chips, so it's unclear what you'd gain.

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eckza5y ago

I would still be using my 7 if it had a decent camera.

I loved - LOVED - that phone.

hunterloftis5y ago

I still use a 7. I don't even notice it, which is exactly what I want in a phone - it does what I need and doesn't annoy me or have many annoying quirks.

iOS's new text interface may still push me to Android. The affordances for text on iOS have historically been simple, dependable, and understandable. Now, I find myself struggling to select, copy, and edit text fields. Gesture-based cursor management doesn't work well on small screens.

Lammy5y ago

Ssh, don't tell me that! I've used my 128GB iPhone 7 since buying it used when the iPhone 8 was released, and I still think it has an excellent camera compared to my previous Galaxy Note 4.

spockz5y ago

There is also a difference between phones. My 7 only makes decent pictures under the best of conditions. In other conditions it yields grainy and water painting style pictures. My wife’s 7, ordered at the same time yields way sharper and higher resolution pictures in the same situations.

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Causality15y ago

See that's funny because despite switching to Oneplus I still miss the camera from my Note 4 every day. Even the "standard angle" cameras these days have such wide fields of view there's never enough detail on my subject to make my pictures worth having.

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asdf215y ago

four figure? I got the new XR for like $549 I think..

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

_bxg15y ago

the_gastropod5y ago

333c5y ago

rgovostes5y ago

_bxg15y ago

That's fair, though I'd think refurbished phones won't do quite as well, but who knows

1 more reply

skrtskrt5y ago

Current iPhones still struggle in low light photography but I can't see myself caring enough to upgrade to a new flagship anytime soon just to maybe take better pics at night.

roneythomas65y ago

_bxg15y ago

samstave5y ago

Im going on 5 years on my 6S+

Best iphone i have ever needed.

ishjoh5y ago

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justbees5y ago

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ashtonkem5y ago

_bxg15y ago

That sounds like a defect that they might fix for you. I would've taken it in on day 1

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symlinkk5y ago

Doesn’t really seem worth it to me, you get multiple years less of updates, slower hardware, and worse battery life for what, like $200 saved over the XR?

macintux5y ago

For me it’s all about the camera, so I upgrade as often as I can. Everything else is a distant second.

goatlover5y ago

Too bad the camera isn't a replaceable part.

macintux5y ago

A lot of its capabilities is tied to the processing capabilities of other internal chips, so it's unclear what you'd gain.

1 more reply

eckza5y ago

I would still be using my 7 if it had a decent camera.

I loved - LOVED - that phone.

hunterloftis5y ago

I still use a 7. I don't even notice it, which is exactly what I want in a phone - it does what I need and doesn't annoy me or have many annoying quirks.

Lammy5y ago

Ssh, don't tell me that! I've used my 128GB iPhone 7 since buying it used when the iPhone 8 was released, and I still think it has an excellent camera compared to my previous Galaxy Note 4.

spockz5y ago

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Causality15y ago

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asdf215y ago

four figure? I got the new XR for like $549 I think..

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse