If you are reading this article, chances are high that you are quite up to date with modern technology, including smartphones like Apple’s iPhone. You may upgrade your phone every few years, or – if you’re like me – you may even upgrade Everyone Year,
But sometimes, it’s easy to forget that not everyone is a tech expert. There are people who use a device until it wears out, no matter how bad shape it is. Or they can wait until someone gifts them a “new” phone. Sometimes, we need to remember that even a slightly older model than the latest and greatest can be a huge upgrade for someone who’s still using a phone from nearly half a decade ago.
Why can old iPhones be great?
I was recently chatting with my coworkers about the iPhones that Apple currently has on sale — including the new iPhone 15 lineup, the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13, and the 2022 iPhone SE. We’re wondering why Apple still keeps the iPhone 13, which costs $600 more than Apple and is already two years old.
I briefly mentioned that my brother had recently upgraded my mother’s phone from an iPhone 8 Plus to an iPhone 13, while he himself had changed from an iPhone 12 Pro to an iPhone 15 Pro Max. My mom is older and definitely not tech-literate, so I think an iPhone 13 is also enough for her.
Of course, had my brother not purchased them directly from Apple, the iPhone 13 alone would have cost at least $600. He made a trade-in with T-Mobile to get the phone at a discounted price and ported it as well. AT&T. I don’t have all the details, but I think he got a pretty good deal on everything.
Now, let’s think about it. For most of us, the iPhone 13 in late 2023 won’t be that good. But if you’re coming from the iPhone 8 Plus, this is a significant upgrade.
Moving from the iPhone 8 Plus to the iPhone 13 makes a lot of sense. It’s an upgrade from a 5.5-inch LCD display to a 6.1-inch OLED screen with higher resolution and more pixels per inch, so everything looks clearer, sharper, and more rich in color. Since the iPhone 13 uses Face ID there is no home button for Touch ID. So, even though the iPhone 8 Plus is physically larger, the iPhone 13 has a higher screen-to-body ratio.
The iPhone 13 also has a huge jump in processing power over the A11 in the iPhone 8 Plus, with the A15 Bionic. Simply navigating around will be smoother and faster, a huge improvement from the chip from six years ago.
The cameras on the iPhone 13 are also significantly better, with a 12MP main and ultrawide lens with sensor-shift optical image stabilization and an overall larger sensor, while the iPhone 8 Plus only has a 12MP main camera and a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. It also lacks night mode, depth controls for portrait mode, and more. And the selfie camera is only 7MP, whereas iPhone 13 is 12MP.
Again, these specifications for the iPhone 13 are not very impressive when we compare it to the latest iPhone 15 lineup. But for someone who’s been using the iPhone 8 Plus for the past few years, it’s a big upgrade — especially if you can get it for free or at a really low price.
My grandmother-in-law is also in a similar boat. As far as I remember, she is using the original iPhone SE (with 32GB storage) (I met my current husband in 2016, so he has been using it since then). We’re planning on giving my husband our old iPhone 13 Pro once he sets up the iPhone 14 Pro I upgraded to, so as you can imagine, this will be a huge upgrade for him. Not only will she have a lot more storage (32GB to 1TB is great), but there’s also a huge bump in camera quality, so she can take clear photos of my daughter while she takes care of the kids.
Not everyone needs the latest and greatest
A big part of my job is to stay up to date on mobile phones, including iPhones. But I know I’m a special case – most people don’t usually upgrade their phones every year like I do. In fact, some people don’t upgrade their phones for years, often waiting until they have to do so.
So, even though we might wonder why Apple continues to sell two-year-old iPhone models with more recent iterations, remember – these aren’t for techies. Those “old” iPhone models are for those who are still using them even older The device could use something more modern. And for those people, this could be the perfect upgrade.
Over 100 more Best Buy Black Friday deals just went live
Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S23 Plus: a tough choice to ma…
How to find your BitLocker recovery key