Author Topic: Mustachian iPhone?  (Read 7539 times)

Case

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Mustachian iPhone?
« on: June 25, 2017, 01:25:43 PM »
Previously I posted about choosing a new phone, and ended up using some tricks to prolong the life of my current phone.  Today my phone finally died and I need to replace it.

I know iPhones are reviled here, but I'm curious for discussion of whether the simplicity of them is worth it.  I've had a few cheap smartphones now; each lasted a year or two before the slowdown became bad.  Each phone was an android.  I'd really like to get a phone that will last several years as switching is PITA.  I was also thinking to try an iPhone for their simplicity (fast, intuitive, etc) and to give an iOS product a whirl as I have never used one before.  Thus I was considering a iPhone se with ting.  Thoughts?
 

Ocinfo

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2017, 02:03:24 PM »
I'm an iPhone supporter. I had an iPhone 5 for over 4 years before upgrading to a 7 end of last year. I would probably still use the 5 if it had more than 16GB of memory. As long as you keep them for several years, it's not nearly as costly as some will make it out to be.


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geekette

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2017, 02:27:23 PM »
iPhones certainly aren't reviled by all, just a vocal group.  You can get an unlocked SE direct from Apple for $400 and use it for years.

If others want to brag on their cheap phones, that's fine.   

Joeko

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2017, 02:50:26 PM »
I've had an iPhone 5 for 3.5 years.  Works fine, no plans to replace it until it become unbearably slow. 

retiringearly

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2017, 03:01:10 PM »
You can find the new iPhone SE at pretty good prices.

misshathaway

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2017, 07:11:35 AM »
I got an unlocked refurb iPhone 6s from Apple after I killed my iPhone 5 that I had had for years. It was comparatively cheap and came with a 1 year warranty, though I've had no problems. You can still save with Ting.

My whole home ecosystem has always been Apple. I don't buy every new doodad they put out, but the "just works" aspect and integration for the ones I do buy is worth it to me.

Case

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2017, 07:48:32 AM »
I got an unlocked refurb iPhone 6s from Apple after I killed my iPhone 5 that I had had for years. It was comparatively cheap and came with a 1 year warranty, though I've had no problems. You can still save with Ting.

My whole home ecosystem has always been Apple. I don't buy every new doodad they put out, but the "just works" aspect and integration for the ones I do buy is worth it to me.

Thanks for the info.  Tangential response / update to original post is below:

I have gone with cheap smartphones for a while now, as well as similar for laptops.  I spend some time doing research to find acceptably performing devices, and then optimize for best value.  Usually they last ~2 years before performance starts to fall apart.

I'm not an apple groupie by any means, but I thought for once in my life I'd give it a whirl.  Them recently releasing somewhat lower price options made that more of a possibility.  I have been leaning towards newer items rather than used or new-but-old-model items, because of longevity.  It's hard to tell if a used item has been used lightly or heavily (in addition to other risks), and my understanding is that eventually the companies stop supporting the old operating systems and so it's best to have a new one.

Apple has a lot of drawbacks (cost, cult-like-following, impossible or expensive to repair/upgrade), and a lot of people that say things like "apples are for stupid people" or "for people who can't figure out PCs".  Aside from being derogatory and highly similar to criticisms that the elitist left makes towards the rural right, my assessment is that it's impossible to come to a reasonable conclusion without just trying it yourself.  There is a considerable population of highly educated/smart people who use them and so I'd like to try to see if they make my life easier despite 20-years of me being programmed to work with PCs.

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2017, 08:28:57 AM »
I used to be anti-iPhone and still am fairly anti-Apple.  That said, after having only Android phones since 2011, I now have an iPhone 7 (which I got on a rockin' deal for less than $300 total last November).

It feels wrong, but Apple has the longest support cycle for their phones.  Their 2012 flagship phone (iPhone 5) is still supported with the current iOS.  Most Android phones get about a year of updates, sometimes less.  Flagship models and especially Nexus models get longer support (3 years from when they debuted, roughly).

Device fragmentation is a huge issue with Android as a consequence of the openness (which has plenty of upside too, of course).  Something that works on Android Device A may act entirely differently on Android Device B.  Apple locks their shit down and makes the OS and hardware in harmony all in-house, and there's something to be said for that.

If you like rooting your Android phone and fucking around with low-level stuff, iPhones are NOT for you.  That used to be me (always been a tinkerer with anything computery), but nowadays I rely on having a working phone too much to screw around with it (and potentially having it unusable for hours or days while I iron out whatever I borked up).  I used to value that a LOT, now I don't give a crap.

As far as the actual usability of Android vs. iOS, they're essentially the same these days.  Each major iOS revision makes it more like Android.  ...and each major Android revision makes it more like iOS.

Another thing: don't fall into the trap of thinking that cheap Android phones are representative of all Android phones.  The $700 Android phones are just as fancy-pants as the $700 iPhones.  Apple just doesn't make any el cheapo models to compare to the el cheapo Android phones.

fullpampers

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2017, 08:59:19 AM »
I have an iphone 5s i got used off kijiji, paid 300$ 2 years ago.

Works great, i use fongo with a tablet plan (i keep data off unless there is an emergency) and the unlimited text plan from fongo (20$/year)

All in all it costs me around 4$ a month, no contract.

My GF has the same setup with my old iphone 4s

Phones work good, cameras are decent, no complaints here.

Case

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2017, 09:06:03 AM »
I used to be anti-iPhone and still am fairly anti-Apple.  That said, after having only Android phones since 2011, I now have an iPhone 7 (which I got on a rockin' deal for less than $300 total last November).

It feels wrong, but Apple has the longest support cycle for their phones.  Their 2012 flagship phone (iPhone 5) is still supported with the current iOS.  Most Android phones get about a year of updates, sometimes less.  Flagship models and especially Nexus models get longer support (3 years from when they debuted, roughly).

Device fragmentation is a huge issue with Android as a consequence of the openness (which has plenty of upside too, of course).  Something that works on Android Device A may act entirely differently on Android Device B.  Apple locks their shit down and makes the OS and hardware in harmony all in-house, and there's something to be said for that.

If you like rooting your Android phone and fucking around with low-level stuff, iPhones are NOT for you.  That used to be me (always been a tinkerer with anything computery), but nowadays I rely on having a working phone too much to screw around with it (and potentially having it unusable for hours or days while I iron out whatever I borked up).  I used to value that a LOT, now I don't give a crap.

As far as the actual usability of Android vs. iOS, they're essentially the same these days.  Each major iOS revision makes it more like Android.  ...and each major Android revision makes it more like iOS.

Another thing: don't fall into the trap of thinking that cheap Android phones are representative of all Android phones.  The $700 Android phones are just as fancy-pants as the $700 iPhones.  Apple just doesn't make any el cheapo models to compare to the el cheapo Android phones.

Thanks for the info; your mentality sounds similar to mine .  Although I enjoy tinkering, I no longer have enough free time for low-value tinkering.  I am too busy with work crap that earns more money and am starting to find that some of my old tinkering habits have become annoying. 

Comparison-wise, I'd be interest in comparison Apple-lower end (e.g. iphone SE) with similarly priced Androids (e.g. mid-level models)... but my general expectation is that Apple products have worse value for the hardware but are put together in a way that is more efficient from the overall use perspective.  If it translate to me spending less time messing around trying to figure stupid shit out, then I am sold. 

How did you get a $300 iphone 7 (new?).  I am looking at the SE ($400).

Noodle

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2017, 10:26:52 AM »
I'm not sure the old arguments about spendiness are quite as relevant now that iPhones are available unlocked and Apple is making a wider range of options available. Personally, I will be using iPhones for the foreseeable future because they pair with my hearing aids seamlessly. In fact, I am seriously considering getting an Apple Watch (refurbished) so I don't have to fish my phone out of my pocket or bag every time I want to adjust the aids. However, I realize this reasoning will not be relevant to most shoppers!

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2017, 11:46:12 AM »
How did you get a $300 iphone 7 (new?).  I am looking at the SE ($400).
It was a T-mobile "trade in" deal on Black Friday.  I traded in a Galaxy S5 ($160 used from Amazon, same-day shipping) and was able to then get the phone for $100 extra.  So $260 plus sales tax.  Usually the "deals" through the carriers are crappy or have some gotcha, but this was a good one.

Roboturner

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2017, 03:55:59 PM »
just buy an older gen online, iphone 6's in good shape are <$200. Great little phones, easy enough to change the battery (ifixit.com is a great resource), which is the only real downfall of smartphones over the years.

Not much (worth anything) has changed from the 6 to the 7. Personally i liked the slightly bigger iphone6 so i wouldnt go back to a 5 or below.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2017, 03:58:09 PM by Roboturner »

FireHiker

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #13 on: June 27, 2017, 11:23:17 AM »
I had an iphone 5 for four years, but kept getting frustrated with my battery life and the 16GB storage limit. I replaced it with an unlocked SE (bought new from Apple, using the Chase portal to get extra points on my sapphire card). We took apart the iphone 5 and replaced the battery, which had expanded in size alarmingly. Now it is good as new and we use it for our international travel phone. :) I plan to keep the SE, replacing screens or batteries myself as needed, until it isn't supported any longer. I love it. If you want something a bit bigger though, I would recommend the 6 over the 7.

I have known several people who have bought used 5S's very cheaply, but I would probably go with the SE or 6 for longer supportability. The key to making it "mustachian" (or "mustachian-ish"?) is to find a good deal and buy it outright, use wi-fi as much as possible to minimize data usage, and keep it as long as possible, maybe even selling it when you replace it. We've sold older apple products to gazelle in the past with good success.

chasesfish

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2017, 12:05:49 PM »
Agree, either go with the SE, buy a used 5s or 6 as a short-term gap, or buy the newest version phone the first couple weeks that it comes out.

Apple's software essentially makes their phones obsolete after four years.  I'm tied to one to one via work

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2017, 01:05:33 PM »
Apple's software essentially makes their phones obsolete after four years.  I'm tied to one to one via work
Android isn't any better in that respect, and usually far worse.  The not-quite-four-years-old Nexus 5 got it's last software update in November 2015, just over two years after it was first available and only eight months after it was last available new.

KarefulKactus15

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #16 on: June 27, 2017, 02:36:01 PM »
Ive been solidly an android guy for years.

However Ive decided my next phone will most likely be I-phone.    The support seems better, and it just seems to work.  And if you booger it up there is a local brick and mortar store that can get you back on your feet.   

Theyre pretty quick with those screen changes these days...

JLee

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #17 on: June 27, 2017, 02:58:45 PM »
iPhones certainly aren't reviled by all, just a vocal group.  You can get an unlocked SE direct from Apple for $400 and use it for years.

If others want to brag on their cheap phones, that's fine.   
Or $300 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone-SE-Unlocked-Packaging/dp/B01DAJT1AW/

geekette

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Re: Mustachian iPhone?
« Reply #18 on: June 27, 2017, 03:37:18 PM »
The Amazon ones are from a reseller (who bought up all the boxes on ebay?) and warranty info isn't available.

16GB ones (as listed on Amazon) are no longer sold by Apple.  The smallest memory available via Apple is 32GB, which is only $15 less through the Amazon reseller.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!