These days most people seem to replace their phones pretty often - just look at the newly released IPhone, it sold pretty well. So naturally I'm wondering what people do with their old phones. They keep them laying around, gift them to friends/relatives or maybe they just sell them to recoup some of the money? The last time you replaced your phone, what did you do with your old one?
I usually just give away my old phone to my nieces or family members that might need it. But for the most part I tend to sell them off just to get something out of it for the last time. I don't really replace my phone on a yearly basis or if another phone gets released, I tend to use my phone until it cries for a replacement before I buy a new one.
I don't replace my phones too unless they stopped working, so the phones that lie around at home are not usable anymore. I intend to sell them though even if they are now defective, because in Ebay and in other sites, people seem to be interested in buying them.
I usually just keep them because by the time I replace the phone it's usually too dated to sell or give away. I'm sure someone would still take it if I did give it away, but seeing as I'd have to erase all of the data and make sure none of my contacts are left, I think I'd just keep safe and have it remain in my possession. To this day I still have my old feature phones, and I even wish I had kept the first one I ever got but unfortunately all I have collected with me starts from about the third.
I'm really interested in other responses to this. I've got a handful of old smartphones kicking around here, android devices, blackberries and an iPhone 3GS. It's really not smart because I should have sold them, there are always people looking for contract free phones on Craigslist or Kijiji if you're in Canada.
I had to buy a new phone last year when my old one didn't perform certain functions anymore. I have still got the old one, using it for phone calls alone. My current phone is the most basic smartphone that I could find. I mainly use it for calls and messaging. There are also a few apps that I have installed, and use on a regular basis.
I give it to my friend who delivers newspaper everyday to our house. I chat with him from time to time whenever he passby and when I notice his phone don't have to capability to surf the web. I give him my old phone that just laying around turned off.
I sell mine on craigslist or ebay. I don't really have a use for them once I've gotten a new one. Might as well get a little extra money from them. Buying phones off contract is still really expensive so you can get a pretty good amount out of your old ones if you have kept them in good condition. It also helps to keep the box, manuals, etc.
I usually keep them as a back-up or give them to a friend or family member who might need a phone at the time. Been a pretty good policy for me as I've lost my phone or got it stolen a few times and I always had a back-up I could turn to. They really aren't worth selling used or trading them in for store credit, if that's even a thing. Having the replacement is worth more than the couple bucks I'd get selling it on ebay or Amazon.
If it's not extremely old it would probably just go to another family member. If it is old, it'll probably just end up getting recycled. Nobody wants the iPhone 2 so I think we can trash that one quite easily. If it's a good phone and you've paid off the contract, I don't see the point of throwing it out...
I recycle my old phones. My nieces and nephews have the latest and greatest phones. I just can't justify spending that kind of money on a phone. Anyway, they wouldn't take my old phone so I gave it to a company that gives cell phones to people in need.
I give it away or if it's too old I just keep it for when I'm going somewhere I might lose or break it. I used to have an old iphone 3G that got stolen recently and I chose to take it with me instead of my 4S because I knew the zone I was going to be at was a but dangerous. I'm planning to replace my current phone soon, but since it's newer and not as outdated as the 3G was when I changed it I will be giving it so someone.
I'm actually looking to buy 5 used mobile phones that are either iOS 6 updated on Apple or any 4.0 running android phones. I use these phones to work on via different apps through wifi. There's no need to spend a bunch of money on new phones just for them to be used just for apps.
I usually donate mine to charity. If I ever had one in really great condition I might sell it. My last iPhone was in very very bad shape by the time I replaced it. The screen was just about totally destroyed. The new one I got to replace it got stolen - fortunately I had insurance, so I replaced it with another iPhone 5. Now the iPhone 6 is out so I may replace my current one with a 6 within 6 months or so. If I do that I may sell the 5 if anyone still even wants a 5.
Well, I don't know, but I don't replace my phone whenever something better comes out. One, it's impractical. Two, I am not really a fan of new phones. I like what I have now, and I will just replace it if it gets damaged beyond repair.
I usually actually donate them to charity. I have gotten through a lot of old phones recently, not high end models but they can still be very useful for charities that collect and send them to be recycled. I find it can be quite difficult to get a decent price for old phones so I have never done so before.
I sell my old smartphones because they're often worth something, whether they're working or not. I sold my old Blackberry Storm 2 a few years ago for a nice $100.00 despite its cracked screen. I have no use for old smartphones, and I haven't dropped and broken a phone in about six years, so I don't feel the need to carry a backup device for emergencies. The longer you let devices sit there, the less valuable they become, especially if you never use them again, so it's always best to sell them.
I have not worked out the particulars yet, but I have an old iPhone 4 with a broken screen and speakers. I want to use it as the camera end of a baby monitor app. but, I've been too lazy to put a newer version of iOS on it. And I've heard of people hacking into the app... But, video monitors are expensive.
By the time I get a new phone my old phone in not working, mostly because the battery is dead and the company no longer supports the phone. All my phones I have kept. It is possible to donate the phones but they don't have working batteries.
Sell it on ebay! It's a mistake to think that your functional smartphone is simply worthless just because a newer model is out. People are constantly searching for a budget-friendly version of the newest model of smartphones that come out, and what better choice is there to last year's iteration? It's simply a great way to lessen the blow to your wallet from that new, shiny smartphone you just bought. This is one of the many reasons to keep your phone in great condition and to keep the box that the phone came in as well as all accessories and manual. Cell phones are some of the used objects that depreciate the least, since if as long as it is fully functional and scratchless, people will pay top dollar for them on ebay.
