# Need advice on buying an iphone



## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

I currently have an Android with only 8gb memory. I am constantly having problems updating or adding apps, so it seems like it's time to buy a new phone just to get more memory. It's a shame because there's nothing else wrong with the phone. So I have a few questions:

1. Are my above assumptions accurate regarding my phone?
2. Which iphone should I buy if I don't want to spend more than maybe $100?
3. What's the best place to buy them other than Amazon?
4. How much memory would I need? I don't typically take a lot of pictures or video and don't collect dozens of apps.

Any help is much appreciated!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

There are apps which allow you to compress current data so you wouldn't have to buy a new phone. This would free up memory. A "C" note isn't going to buy you anything great.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Corday said:


> There are apps which allow you to compress current data so you wouldn't have to buy a new phone. This would free up memory. A "C" note isn't going to buy you anything great.


I've tried putting apps on my memory card as opposed to "device storage" but for some reason, some won't move. Any idea why?

What are these apps? Are they free?


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

8 GB Memory or 8 GB storage ? (is that free space or the total storage space ?)

What are the issues you're facing in updating Apps/OS ?

Some apps cannot be moved because the developers built it that way.. You can root and use an App toolkit to move the app, but it will break after the next update...


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

https://laptopsmagazine.com/top-8-best-file-compression-apps-for-android-latest-2018/


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Most of the major carriers allow you to pay iPhones off monthly and I have seen as low as $5 a month for iPhone 8 (new) and even $1 a month for iPhone 7 (new) so you need to shop as I just did a $5 a month deal on iPhone8 and the other thing I have found is beyond 2 years most phones are not worth keeping but that is my opinion only. My 2 1/2 year old iPhone seldom allowed me to pass an wall outlet or car charging cord without plugging it in. Replacing the battery in an iPhone is a waste of money as you might get another 6 months before same situation occurs, at least that was my experience.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

tristar said:


> 8 GB Memory or 8 GB storage ? (is that free space or the total storage space ?)
> 
> What are the issues you're facing in updating Apps/OS ?
> 
> Some apps cannot be moved because the developers built it that way.. You can root and use an App toolkit to move the app, but it will break after the next update...


Device capacity is 8gb
SD card is 14.5 gb

Every time I get update messages from Playstore for different apps I am told that I have to free up more memory. My understanding is that every new version of an app takes up more space, thus more and more of my 8gb is being taken up with updates. Also, for a couple of apps I haven't been able to find them again in the Playstore or download them because I get some nonsense message telling me it's not compatible with my phone, which isn't true. I don't know if I need a system update or what but nothing else is prompting me to do that.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Corday said:


> https://laptopsmagazine.com/top-8-best-file-compression-apps-for-android-latest-2018/


That's just an article in garbled English about opening zip files. Is that what you meant to send?


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Rich-M said:


> Most of the major carriers allow you to pay iPhones off monthly and I have seen as low as $5 a month for iPhone 8 (new) and even $1 a month for iPhone 7 (new) so you need to shop as I just did a $5 a month deal on iPhone8 and the other thing I have found is beyond 2 years most phones are not worth keeping but that is my opinion only. My 2 1/2 year old iPhone seldom allowed me to pass an wall outlet or car charging cord without plugging it in. Replacing the battery in an iPhone is a waste of money as you might get another 6 months before same situation occurs, at least that was my experience.


I can pay for the phone all at once but it's always seemed that iphones are a waste of money because they cost twice what an Android costs with the only difference being some bells and whistles. Most people don't think for themselves and just follow the crowd, which is why iphones dominate the market. I've had my Android for four years now and it's still fine, including the battery. The only issue is the space. I figure if I buy an old iphone for $100-200 then I can get a ton of memory and all the apps (with their constant updates) that I need.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

You buy iPhones as they are priced by memory and if you want to buy an old one the battery will be awful. I have never known anyone who got more than 2 years out of a battery with an iPhone who uses it much and you will pay 10 times more than the $40 I will pay for the phone I have and mine is new (they bought back my 7 for $80 which I realize screwed me but selling it on eBay for $300 when they either don't pay and you have to relist it 10 times so this is easier)


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

usingpc said:


> That's just an article in garbled English about opening zip files. Is that what you meant to send?


Yes, it's what I meant. It suggests apps that will allow you to condense the data you have on your current phone, freeing up space and thereby increase speed and allow the downloading of more apps as you see fit.


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

An old iPhone won't do you any good. You can be sure of that. Also, moving from android to iOS can be a shocker! I won't get into details about that because it's a personal preference matter, but you can Google about it "android vs iOS". Be ready to find and sift through lots of fan wars as it's one of the most hotly debated topics on the Internet.

For $200 and less, you can get kickass android phones with lots of storage (up to 64GB!) and memory (4GB) and some. If you filter Amazon offerings to your liking, you'll find awesome deals. To get you started on what you can expect with that budget, see https://www.androidcentral.com/best-android-phones-under-200

Be aware that some deals come with no manufacturer warranty and compatibility with your mobile carrier varies with every device, so do your homework. I recently bought my misus a Nokia 5.1 Plus for $124. She couldn't be happier! Amazon lists it at $194. It's a relatively new model with few reviews on Amazon US. This is not a recommendation or endorsement, but just an example of what you can find out there.


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## tristar (Aug 12, 2008)

For now, to clear the settings, go to Settings, Storage and you will find various items there, highlight the one which says cached data and clear it, this should give you some room.

Also, go to the settings of the Camera App or Music player and move them all to the SD card instead of the phone memory, this should make some room..


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Stancestans said:


> An old iPhone won't do you any good. You can be sure of that. Also, moving from android to iOS can be a shocker! I won't get into details about that because it's a personal preference matter, but you can Google about it "android vs iOS". Be ready to find and sift through lots of fan wars as it's one of the most hotly debated topics on the Internet.
> 
> For $200 and less, you can get kickass android phones with lots of storage (up to 64GB!) and memory (4GB) and some. If you filter Amazon offerings to your liking, you'll find awesome deals. To get you started on what you can expect with that budget, see https://www.androidcentral.com/best-android-phones-under-200
> 
> Be aware that some deals come with no manufacturer warranty and compatibility with your mobile carrier varies with every device, so do your homework. I recently bought my misus a Nokia 5.1 Plus for $124. She couldn't be happier! Amazon lists it at $194. It's a relatively new model with few reviews on Amazon US. This is not a recommendation or endorsement, but just an example of what you can find out there.


So what's the oldest iphone I can buy that will not be a problem? I assume the issue is that if you buy one from 3 yrs ago, like the 6, it will have a 3 yr old battery?


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

tristar said:


> For now, to clear the settings, go to Settings, Storage and you will find various items there, highlight the one which says cached data and clear it, this should give you some room.
> 
> Also, go to the settings of the Camera App or Music player and move them all to the SD card instead of the phone memory, this should make some room..


Not many things will move to the memory card.


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

Not a problem in terms of storage capacity, you can get a "renewed" IPhone 6S 32GB on Amazon for $155 and a 2-yr protection plan for an additional $49. That's just a quick example of what is available on Amazon US for that budget. You can view more deals https://www.amazon.com/iPhone-6-6S-...000&lo=list&page=2&qid=1561610616&ref=is_pn_1

If you go for a "renewed" or refurbished model, have a plan for replacing the battery sooner or later. They seldom come with new batteries. Apple will charge you about $50 for a battery replacement out of warranty. Be sure to check out the reviews. These are NOT new phones. Their conditions will vary from almost new to completely broken upon delivery! Some sellers respond quickly to returns and refunds, some will give you hell. Do your homework.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I have had iPhones since the 4 and never had one where the battery was worth anything after 2 years...buying a refurbished iPhone is a very bad idea in my book.
If you can buy a new 7 under $200 that was the first one where the battery was fair after 2 1/2 years use and that was what I intended to do until I did much better on the 8 and that promo is already long gone.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

My plan is to go to my local Cricket store (we have a Cricket plan) and see what they have. Their prices on old iphone models are competitive. I don't want to put in a lot of time and aggravation shopping around and reading reviews. I want a one-stop phone purchase and done! My question now is, if you buy an older model, like a 6 or 7, will they come new with a new battery in there or will they have batteries that have been sitting in the phones in a package gradually losing power? I looked it up and it seems like 6s are still being manufactured. So I don't know what exactly I'm getting when I get a 6 or 7, given that these are models from years ago and some of you keep saying iphone batteries are trash. Also, how much memory should I be going for and are there two ways of measuring memory on phones?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

You should be able to buy new 7 with battery new of course but not sure about 6.


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

usingpc said:


> Device capacity is 8gb
> SD card is 14.5 gb
> 
> Every time I get update messages from Playstore for different apps I am told that I have to free up more memory. My understanding is that every new version of an app takes up more space, thus more and more of my 8gb is being taken up with updates. Also, for a couple of apps I haven't been able to find them again in the Playstore or download them because I get some nonsense message telling me it's not compatible with my phone, which isn't true. I don't know if I need a system update or what but nothing else is prompting me to do that.


Can anyone clarify these issues for me?


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

usingpc said:


> Can anyone clarify these issues for me?


Your device and its OS are too old and no longer compatible with or supported by the current version of the app you're looking for. This is the normal life cycle of any device and software. It isn't nonsense or untrue, unless you're the developer of said app to claim so! I doubt you will find any system/firmware update for that phone, so don't hold your breath. Bottom line remains, you need a device that runs a supported OS to continue using the latest version of apps. This will eventually get too old and the cycle continues!


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## usingpc (Aug 29, 2015)

Stancestans said:


> Your device and its OS are too old and no longer compatible with or supported by the current version of the app you're looking for. This is the normal life cycle of any device and software. It isn't nonsense or untrue, unless you're the developer of said app to claim so! I doubt you will find any system/firmware update for that phone, so don't hold your breath. Bottom line remains, you need a device that runs a supported OS to continue using the latest version of apps. This will eventually get too old and the cycle continues!


That was helpful. So to clarify you're saying that the developer is lying if...?
And my 8gb device memory and 14 gb sd card will never be enough? Again, my impression is that every time apps need to be updated they are fatter (more mbs) and take up more and more room. So ultimately, while my phone and battery work fine, this is the age of apps and if I can't get all the apps I need and/or I constantly have problems updating them, I need to get a whole new phone with lots of memory. But again, what's a good amount these days?


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## Stancestans (Apr 26, 2009)

usingpc said:


> So to clarify you're saying that the developer is lying if...?


Am I?



> And my 8gb device memory and 14 gb sd card will never be enough?


Never heard of or seen a 14GB card! Regardless, internal storage capacity matters more. They won't always be enough, as you've just experienced. How much of that 8GB is already in use by the system (OS)? A lot, leaving you with even less for apps and updates. Some apps cannot be moved to or installed on external storage.



> Again, my impression is that every time apps need to be updated they are fatter (more mbs) and take up more and more room. So ultimately, while my phone and battery work fine, this is the age of apps and if I can't get all the apps I need and/or I constantly have problems updating them, I need to get a whole new phone with lots of memory. But again, what's a good amount these days?


Anything less than 32GB is a no-no for me. Embedded storage is increasing in capacity and reducing in cost every year, so do storage requirements of today. Android alone, will easily occupy 10GB today, leaving you with about 22GB on a 32GB device. That's plenty for apps and system updates, but can easily become insufficient once you start saving media files too. Get as much storage space as your money can buy you.


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