i-Phone Question

[Dixie-Raven]

Might be time to consider upgrading my old i-Phone as I have the original SE model and therefore want to move up to a larger screen. I don't need the latest and greatest out currently unless I find a killer deal. My question is which of the older models should I stay away from that had issues like short battery life and any other issues?

[TampaJim]

IMO, unless you're burning it up non-stop, want a killer camera, largest screen size possible, etc. buy budget.
The batteries last a long time, even the older, lower capacity models. I'm still running an iPhone 7 Plus.
Have no issues, large enough display, plenty of battery, 2X optical zoom, etc. Cost $999 to really "upgrade" it.
Doesn't make a lot of sense for me, it's for calls, a map or easy search. Others want an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

[billybas]

I had battery issues with my I-phone 8. I now have an I-phone 11 which I have zero issues with. The bigger screen is way better because My old ass eyes don't work like they use to. With that said the camera on the I-phone 13 is amazingly better.

[5keepers2]

My Iphone 11 has been good. I paid $999 about 3 years ago new and good used should be maybe $300 range. Check'em out! Battery power has been awesome.

[MichAngler]

got an I phone 11 from T mobile in a deal for 700 two years ago

Works great not the latest and greatest camera but good enough

[Dixie-Raven]

So the eleven seems like the consensus to go with. Where is the best place to shop for an unlocked one that is new or has been refurbished? I found some site called Swappa, is that any good? My current phone I got free with a 2 year contract but I guess that is a thing of the past now it seems.

[RoadrashPaul]

I have a 13 and it’s been the best for me so far. I came from a 7. My wife and son have an 11. Not sure your carrier but Verizon is doing deals on 13’s now.

[OkieBud]

I have a 11 and zero issues since I got it in Dec of 2019..

[bfrank]

We have 2 13 minis and a 13 on our plan. Wife traded a tear old iPhone se and we traded two other older phones and they were basically free on Verizon when the 13 first came out… if verizon wants to give me a free 14 or 15 I’ll be trading.

[WVBullet]

I went from the 7plus to the 11 pro max. Zero problems. Good battery life and nice camera. I have an upgrade, but I’ll stay with my 11 pro max til it goes bad.

[zaprod71]

Verizon has free upgrades for 13s. At least they did a couple weeks ago. My wife upgraded her SE for nothing. We both have 13s now (her a 13 and me a pro max) and we love them.

[jc2bg]

I traded an 8 for a 12 last year. Big improvement, and zero issues. Battery life is outstanding. If a later model [12, 13…] costs me nearly the same as an earlier [11, for example], I’m going with the later model. The X didn’t seem to be quite the best, but 11, 12, 13 just got better and better. Cameras definitely get better with each release. If you never take a picture, okay. But even when taking pictures of receipts, etc., a great camera is a plus.

[keeferfish]

Just switched from a 7 to my sons older XR. Never had battery issue out of any iPhone I've had.

I think the battery drain issue is most don't know how to turn crap off their phone and close apps.

If your traveling anyplace turn off Wi-Fi - it just keeps searching, same with Bluetooth if not using it turn it off. There are tons of other battery saving tips if you look.

[PJ-Rohlf]

I have a 13 and it’s been the best for me so far. I came from a 7. My wife and son have an 11. Not sure your carrier but Verizon is doing deals on 13’s now.

Same here. Have loved the 13 after having a 7 for 6 years. I switched carriers since they were doing a free phone with new contract and it was cheaper than some others.

[ManxFishing]

I've had a 7 and now have the 11
At first I didn't like the larger size, Now I could never see going back to a phone that small
3 years with the 11, Great battery life and it's been problem free

[blitzdr]

So the eleven seems like the consensus to go with. Where is the best place to shop for an unlocked one that is new or has been refurbished? I found some site called Swappa, is that any good? My current phone I got free with a 2 year contract but I guess that is a thing of the past now it seems.

I’m in your neck of the woods, we got the 12 a couple years back through Spectrum, we traded in our old 6s. Someone has a deal right now with the 13s but I don’t recall which company it was.

[Bartman]

11 has been great for me. Waterproof, battery life will last at least 2-3 days and was $550 at verizon about 6 months ago with 132gb memory

[TroyBoy30]

just go ahead and get the 13. the 14 will be out in october

[Dixie-Raven]

just go ahead and get the 13. the 14 will be out in october

Not opposed to the 13 but not paying $800 plus for a phone just to make phone calls mainly. Others said Verizon but I'm with Spectrum and they don't have the free phone deal on a 13.

[DrewFlu33]

Really the only battery issues in any of the later models were in some of the 11 models, and those were remedied already.

If you don't care about the latest and greatest, you could consider a "Max" version of the X/10 or 11, but I'd do what you can to try to find a new or refurbished 12 Pro Max. That was the second series available in the largest size (I guess technically 3rd, but the 11 was only a minor refresh of the 10 / X), and it had a ton of upgrades over the 11. In general the largest screens are awesome and they are able to use more of the space in the bigger phone for a bigger battery so battery life was (is) incredible. The 12 added 5G capability which I think you'll want to have in the longer run given how long you keep a phone and the front glass received a big durability boost over previous versions, even if you're not into all the bells and whistles like the big camera upgrades the 12 received (photos at night are unbelievable on the 12 and newer, for example). Newer iPhones, I think since the 8, are all essentially waterproof which is a really nice bonus for a fisherman compared to older models.