The Benefits of Keeping your Old iPhone Model
Published by Maaz at Turtleback on Mar 17th 2022
8 Benefits Of Keeping Your Older iPhone
You don’t need to sell or trade in your old iPhone just yet. In fact, older versions of the iPhone come with features that are still relevant and get a lot of stuff done. So instead of throwing $1,000+ at the latest iPhone, here are 8 ways to give your old iPhone a new life at home or on the go!
8 Smart Things You Can Do With An Old iPhone
1. Make It A Dedicated Music Player
The iPhone you use as a dedicated music player won’t require a SIM card and is a good replacement for the iPod touch. Just connect it to Wi-Fi and stream Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, or whatever else you like. Or you can download tunes straight to the device. It’s entirely up to you!
Sure, this old iPhone may have a poor battery life, an average camera, or a disappointing display. But if you keep it plugged in all the time to pump out tunes over a Bluetooth speaker, you’ll know that you’ve made the most bang for your buck! Also, it is helpful if you don’t want to drain your primary phone’s battery, say during a lengthy commute.
2. Turn It Into A Kid’s Entertainment Device
Imagine if your kid dropped and damaged your $1,099 iPhone 13 while watching Baby Shark on YouTube! (I know you’d be mad but don’t worry. You have a solution for that in the form of Turtleback iPhone belt holsters and protective pouches. More on that later.)
Instead, if you have a cheaper model, say the 6 series through the X (10) series, you probably won’t mind your kids damaging it.
Another upside is that not all kids want to have the latest gadget. So you can give them some kid-friendly games or episodes of their favorite shows or movies on your “vintage” iPhone. You won’t need an active cell connection too. Just pre-download anything you need using Wi-Fi. And before you raise this question, I’ll answer it: Yes, your older iPhone will most likely have the function of Screen Time to set appropriate limits!
3. Make It An Apple TV Or Smart Home Remote
Some people prefer the TV Remote app to the physical Apple TV remote. If you want, you can leave your old iPhone in your living room as a dedicated Apple TV remote by installing the Apple TV remote app. So the next time your Apple TV remote gets buried between the couch cushions, reach for your old iPhone instead. That said, you should make sure that you have a proper charging system in place because it’s not like the Apple TV remote whose battery can last months.
You can use your old iPhone as a smart home remote control as well. For example, you can turn it into a central smart home switch, capable of controlling gadgets like Nest’s Learning Thermostat or Philips Hue wireless light bulbs.
4. Make It A Permanent Car, Bike, Or Kitchen Fixture
Do you mount your phone in the car and use it for map navigation or streaming music often? If so, consider your old iPhone in there permanently! That will remove the hassle of mounting and dismounting completely! Just make sure to hide it there because thieves might break your windows to steal that!
The same goes for using it as a GoPro recorder for your bicycle helmet or for mounting it to your bicycle handlebars. If you lose an old phone while recording a video on your bicycle, you’d be a lot less frustrated as compared to dropping the iPhone 13 or the latest iPhone 14.
For the kitchen applications, think timers, recipes, and using Siri for conversions! You can also use it as a hands-free screen in the kitchen. So no need to spend money on Amazon Echo or Google Home! And as it is an old phone, you won’t mind dropping a little sauce on it (Something you can still avoid using our iPhone 6 hip holster!).
As your bike companion, consider getting a data-only SIM for up-to-date mapping data and streaming music while you’re on the go. Downloading everything on Wi-Fi is not enough if you use your phone to navigate through the city.
5. Use It As A Baby Monitor
Why spend $300 on a baby monitor when you can use your old iPhone for that purpose, something that you have used for years? Download apps, like Cloud Baby Monitor, that provide excellent live video, two-way communication, boosted audio, motion alerts, and more.
6. Turn It Into Your Bedside Buddy
How about turning your old iPhone into a permanent nightstand alarm? Give it your wake-up hours, and it will be there every single morning for you – so you will never be late to work again! It won’t need a SIM card, just Wi-Fi access. And make sure to plug it in all the time so that you don’t need to worry about battery life, either!
7. Use It As A Portable Storage Device
Do you constantly run out of storage on your current iPhone? Or do you just need a device for taking files with you on the go? Another smart way to make use of your old iPhone is to turn it into a portable USB drive!
8. Donate It
If you’re planning to buy the latest iPhone 14, you should consider donating your old phone (And make sure you get our iPhone holster for belt in order to protect the new expensive phone!)
There are plenty of worthy causes out there. If you choose Cell Phones for Soldiers, they use your phone to buy prepaid international phone cards for active service members overseas. Secure the Call refurbishes old phones as 911 emergency-only devices for Domestic Violence Centers, Senior Citizen Centers, Police, and Sheriff departments.
Don’t let your phone sit in a drawer when it could serve a worthy cause! Donate it to charities that have phone donation programs!
Protect Your Old Or New iPhone
No matter if you have an iPhone 6 or the iPhone 13, it can use a protective gear. In the case of a new iPhone, it costs around $1,000 so you definitely won’t like it if it broke. And for an older version, you still want to continue to make the most bang for your buck – so protecting it with a case for iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone X, or other relevant model is the obvious solution!