I am seeking advice on buying a replacement (new or refurbished) smartphone.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sat May 4, 2024, 10:37 AM - Edit history (5)

I am an existing Tracfone customer. I have been for years. It does all I need it to do. I do not need to be able to play games with people worldwide with my phone, etc. All I need is basic stuff.

I have an iPhone 6s that is going on four and a half years old. The battery gave out well over a year ago, I guess, and since then I've used it while it was plugged into an external power source, which was either an external battery pack or one plugged into 120vac. This is slightly awkward, but as long as the phone worked, I didn't care.

I noticed something new a few minutes ago -- the battery has swollen, so much that the display glass is arched. Advice online said to turn it off and stop using it right now. Sounds good to me. I can either replace the battery or get a new phone.

I am extremely adept at repairing things, so battery replacement is a possibility. The downside is, when I'm done, I have phone that is past its lifetime. The last iOS update was to 15.8.2. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222
The iPhone 6s will never go past iOS 15. The 3rd generation iPhone SE runs on iOS 17. iPhone SE (3rd generation)

One thing I do not like: "Like its predecessor, the third-generation iPhone SE does not feature a standard 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack ..."

A new phone from Tracfone or elsewhere is not really that much more. Right now, Tracfone has the third generation iPhone SE going for $190. If it's like my iPhone 6s, the only thing about the SE that makes it a Tracfone is the SIM. When I got my 6s, it was a stock iPhone. Not until I put in the SIM did it become a Tracfone iPhone. It wasn't locked. I think the SE might work the same way.

I see Tracfone also has the iPhone 11. It's available new for $250 and refurbished for $170.

https://www.tracfone.com/phone/apple-iphone-11-64gb-prepaid

https://www.tracfone.com/phone/apple-iphone-11-64gb-reconditioned

The warranty for the new phone is 12 times as long as the warranty for the refurbished --one year versus thirty days.

If I do get a new phone, I might just put a replacement battery in the 6s and use it with my Xfinity wifi to listen to Radio Garden or to take pictures or to send messages as a secondary mobile phone. The Tracfone service, which is cheap and which I will stay with, will transfer to my new phone.

I don't use my phone much for talking. I use it almost entirely for messaging and going online. The Consumer Cellular deals are of no use to me. I have the cheapest Tracfone plan possible. It suits me fine.

Addresses:
What I have now: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/iphone/specs/apple-iphone-6s-a1688-4.7-inch-global-sprint-verizon-specs.html
Introduction Date: September 9, 2015* Discontinued Date: September 12, 2018*

What I'm thinking of getting: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/iphone/specs/apple-iphone-se-3-3rd-gen-2022-united-states-canada-a2595-specs.html
Introduction Date: March 8, 2022 Discontinued Date: N/A

The iPhone 11: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/iphone/specs/apple-iphone-11-united-states-canada-a2111-specs.html
Introduction Date: September 10, 2019 Discontinued Date: September 7, 2022

Maybe, but it's way up in years:
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/iphone/specs/apple-iphone-xr-united-states-canada-a1984-specs.html
Introduction Date:: September 12, 2018 Discontinued Date: September 14, 2021

At Tracfone: https://www.tracfone.com/phone/apple-iphone-se-3rd-gen-prepaid or https://support.tracfone.com/en/brands/Apple/TFAPISE3C/faq/3102889/

I'm not opposed to Android phones, but I'm an Apple shareowner, so it's as if I'm putting money back into my pocket. The screen on the 6s is small, but I knew that when I bought it. I could have paid more and got a bigger screen at the time. Money is not a problem, but I'm disinclined to spend much money on something that I might drop on the pavement.

Is an XR worth considering? I see them for sale online, but they've been out of production for quite some time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_XR
It was replaced by the 11.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.