iPhone 6s or 7?

[happybird]

I'm finally upgrading from my crappy $50 Chinese spyphone to a prepaid iPhone tomorrow. Woohoo! I have an iPad but have never had an iPhone. Looking at reviews, people seem to love the 6s, but I was thinking a slightly newer model might be better? Idk. They look to be pretty similar except for price. The X models are just too pricey for my typical usage (some calls and texts, browsing, listening to music, an occasional movie).

Any opinions or advice from those familiar with either or both models?

[Mme. Defarge]

1. I can't bear the thought of getting rid of my 6s.

The right size and an old fashioned headphone jack- what’s not to love?

[Pachamama]

3. Same here!!!

My kids make fun of me...but I love it....

[happybird]

8. Thanks!

That's similar to many of the reviews I've seen. I have wireless headphones, but use earbuds when at the grocery store so a headphone jack is great- I didn't even think about that until you mentioned it!

[DonaldsRump]

2. Not an expert on iPhones

I personally think they are ridiculously expensive. Sadly, most everyone in my family has drunk the Apple-flavored propaganda.

We've bought iPhone 6 and 7's from reliable sellers on eBay, so please consider saving money by buying used phone from a reputable seller. Amazon has not been great for iPhones, based on our experience.

[happybird]

9. I love, love my iPad

and have hated this Android phone. The way Apple stuff works makes more sense to me, feels more intuitive, but I do think their products are stupid expensive. The updates usually annoy me, too. It seems like they change stuff just to say say 'Look! It's different now!" Regardless, I definitely prefer iOS.

[matt819]

4. Skip the iPhone 7

This was a problem model, primarily bad batteries. Stay away.

6s was fine. If you have the money go with the 8. I like my 8 plus.

[happybird]

10. I think maybe the 8 is not available for prepaid?

At least, I didn't see any on the Verizon and AT&T sites. I will check into that at the store tomorrow. Thanks for the info about the batteries on the 7. I was already leaning towards the 6s, now it's looking like the winner. Unless maybe the 8 is available and not out of my budget ...

[Big Blue Marble]

17. MY iPhone 7 is great.

I have had an iPhone 7 for three years. I love it. No problems at all.
I am planning to keep it another year.

[smirkymonkey]

30. I would agree.

I had a 5 that kind of died on me after 5 years. I went to get a new one and they advised me to get an 8 because they said the 7's would be kind of obsolete/have software problems in another year or two. You can work out a payment plan for about $20 per month over the next two years so you don't have to pay it all up front.

So far, I am pretty happy with it.

[Pachamama]

5. 6S or skip to the 8

Not an iPhone expert, but a lot of people I talk to say the 7 is flawed...

Personally I would stick to a 6S and get a good refurbished one or go get an 8....

[happybird]

11. Thank you!

I appreciate the advice.

[ProudLib72]

6. I have had my 6s for three years now, and I still like it

Heck, I'm still learning about some features. Back in the 2016 it was something like $700. I can't imagine paying that much for a phone again when all I'm getting are a few more doodads that I'm not going to absolutely need.

[happybird]

13. The refurbished X models are anywhere from $600 to $1000, from what I saw online

I just about dropped my teeth when I saw that! Yikes. I went into this thinking I'd get the newest model... and that's a big ol' Nope! There's another new model coming out this fall, I hate to think how much those babies will cost.

Since I don't do anything fancy on a phone, the 6s is looking to be the best choice. Saw some new ones priced around $200, which is perfect, and even one (at AT&T, iirc) for only $140. Almost every review I've seen from folks who have a 6s is positive, and they are still happy with it.

Thanks!

[LuvNewcastle]

31. I have an SE, which I was told is very similar to a 6s.

My phone company sold it to me for $180 a couple of years ago brand-new. I've had a great experience with it. The only slightly negative thing I can say about it is that it's just a little on the small side, which I wouldn't mind if I could see better. There's really no excuse to shell out $1000 for an iphone when they have some great products at a fraction of the cost.

[James48]

7. Get the 6s

The 7 doesn’t have a headphone jack. The 6s was the last model you can use regular headphones. The storage capacity and camera are great- no reason to get anything newer in my opinion.

[happybird]

16. Thanks!

After all these comments, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the 6s. The headphone jack info is great, I didn't pick up on that while reading reviews.

[captain queeg]

12. I had a 6 for years, finally ended up losing it

I had a policy for replacement if lost stolen or damaged so asked for a new 6. They didn’t send me a new phone, sent a refurbished model. The first replacement the outgoing speaker didn’t work. Took me a little while to figure out what was happening then wasted a couple days try to troubleshoot it with a tech. Went thru 2 more replacements. One was the battery and I can’t remember now but the other one was crap. This was all going on in the midst of some serious health issues where I really need a phone and the ability to communicate reliably. Finally just told my son to go to store and get me a new 6 and I’d pay for it. They told him they weren’t making the 6 anymore or something so I told him to just get me the next newer model which turned out to be the 7. I was in pretty bad shape and really didn’t need the hassle of learning any new stuff. There were some small changes but got it out of the box, had my kid download my backups from the cloud and I was off to the races.

Anyway it’s been fine I probably could have told you some annoyances when I first got it but none of them were so bad that I can even remember now. But I’ve had to play with a couple charging cables. Seems to be pretty picky about the chord and a couple of them don’t work. And I think the battery life is worse than the 6. Not dramatically, but noticeably. I’m not that tech savvy so it was important to me for my new phone to operate as closely as possible to my old phone. I’d have rather gotten a new 6, but no major complaints with the model 7.

[happybird]

23. Wow! That sounds like it was an ordeal

I've seen several complaints about refurbished phones, but also an equal number of reviews where there have been no issues. To (hopefully) avoid any complications, I want to get a brand new phone. The carrier websites offer both new and used 6s's, maybe they started manufacturing them again since they are so popular??

I think charging cables are an Apple issue, in general. I can't even tell you how many cables and plugs I've had to buy for my iPad. Got a whole bag of them. The non-Apple ones charge the device more slowly, but they cost a whole heck of a lot less, so that's what I buy.

Thanks for your response!

[captain queeg]

25. I got my phone (6) thru Verizon

The insurance apparently is thru a third party...starts with a A. I might have kept fighting for my free replacement phone that actually worked but like I said I was in and out of the hospital and assisted living and I needed people to be able to reach me.

[JCMach1]

14. None of the above

Not a fan of overpriced phones and devices. ... I.e. Apple

[emulatorloo]

28. OP wants an iPhone though. He has an iPad and likes iOS. If you don't want one, don't buy one.

[MrScorpio]

15. I've got the iPhone SE

It was cheap and does everything I want... Plus it has an earphone jack.

[happybird]

21. Thanks!

[LuvNewcastle]

32. Mine is an SE as well. See post 31.

I think it might be just right for you.

[Big Blue Marble]

18. Consider the iPhone 7. I love mine.

I have had mine for three years an am planning to keep it at least one more year.
It does everything I need and more. It has been trouble-free.

A 7 or 8 will likely offer you longer service and qualify for security updates longer, an important factor in your decision.

[happybird]

22. Security updates were my biggest concern with getting an older model

I'm now thinking I'll wait until Sept. to see if the 6s will still be fully supported. My iPad is old and no longer gets security updates. I definitely don't want that situation with my phone.

Thanks!

[unc70]

19. Be careful of losing iOS support

Apple is pretty good at continuing to provide software upgrades for older phones, but there are limits. When iOS 13 is released in September, my guess is that it will not be supported on the iPhone 6. There are rumors to that effect, but nothing official yet.

If that is the case, then you have a big worry about Apple continuing to provide security updates for iOS 12. You don't want to start out already in a dead end with the software.

BTW I have a 7 Plus and the earphone plug is a nonissue. I leave the conversion dongle permanently attached to the earphone cord and just plug that in. Can't charge while using earphones, but isn't an issue for me.

[happybird]

20. Thanks for your response

Updates are one of my concerns. My dear old iPad 3 is forever stuck at iOS 9.3.5. Since there haven't been new security patches for ages, I can't use it for shopping, checking my bank account, etc.

I'm thinking I'll wait to see what happens in Sept. before getting a new phone. My little ZTE will most likely be able to limp along for another 2 months. I just cannot believe it's already nearly August! Feels like March was just last week.

[dalton99a]

24. Prices also drop in September when Apple releases new models

Not a fan of Apple prices, but it is really hard to beat Apple for hardware durability and user experience

[kimbutgar]

26. I had a i6 my sister gave me and I use it as a mini iPad

I love that phone. My sister got the i7 and said she misses the i6.

[happybird]

29. I had been using my iPad only, for years

I don't make many calls so didn't have a phone. A texting app on my iPad was enough. But, when my Mom was in the hospital last year, I needed a phone to quickly get in touch with/update family and friends, so I got the crappy little ZTE at Walmart for $50. Now I love using a phone for all my browsing. Don't know how I lived so long without one! And now the iPad feels huge and heavy to lug around.

So, instead of replacing my old iPad (my original plan), I decided to get an iPhone. It's just like an iPad, but smaller. 😁

[BluesRunTheGame]

27. a-Phone .001

[Submariner]

33. Got an iPhone 6S Plus 3 years ago and it works great

I used the headphone jack obviously, but I just got an iPad Pro, so I had to get Apple Airphones to go with it because of no iPad headphone jack.

It was only then I learned (duh..) that I was able to pair and connect my new Airphones with both the older iPhone and iMac desktop. If you get an iPhone 6s, from what I've been reading you won't regret it.