Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#21

Post by phoenix9 » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

gregoriol wrote: post #17

Old smartphones are good as security cameras: they have a nice camera and wi-fi of course, but also could be much better than traditional security cams as they also can have 3G/4G networking and a battery, in case power/internet is cut for example. They could also record or play sounds, like an alarm. I have an iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 doing that. However, it's not easy to find an app for such a use, I'm planning to ope…

I agree with your use case and I am interested in your solution. So many functions to add like face recognition, record only on motion detection (what is threshold)--object size/distance, send alerts, attempt license plate scan, etc

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#22

Post by ryandrake » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

anigbrowl wrote: post #6

I have several phones doing sterling duty as paperweights and look forward to suggestions. One disappointment of our market system has been the failure to produce new apps designed to run on older hardware.

It’s also kind of tragic that companies stop providing software updates for older working devices, or allow open source to fill in. I can pull my PC from 20 years ago out of a closet and reasonably expect to run Linux on it, yet there is no equivalent for my 8 year old iPad.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#23

Post by macintux » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:06 PM UTC

inertial wrote: post #18

gregoriol wrote: post #17

Old smartphones are good as security cameras: they have a nice camera and wi-fi of course, but also could be much better than traditional security cams as they also can have 3G/4G networking and a battery, in case power/internet is cut for example. They could also record or play sounds, like an alarm. I have an iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 doing that. However, it's not easy to find an app for such a use, I'm planning to ope…

> Old smartphones are good as security cameras They don't get updates and are not secure to be used as network connected security cameras.

I suspect that relative to the vast majority of IoT devices they're quite secure for a use case like that, at least iPhones.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#24

Post by davchana » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:07 PM UTC

jareds wrote: post #11

I created an itunes account for my daughter when she was two months old. The phone stays on a charger in her room and is used for nothing but playing apple music when she's sleeping.

I hope you realise & know that an old device with always connected charger is at high risk of fire.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#25

Post by rhcom2 » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:07 PM UTC

JansjoFromIkea wrote: post #20

This might be quite UK centric and is a very dry answer but old smartphones should be donated to asylum seekers. I remember reading an article a year or so ago about how asylum live on the welfare afforded to them and their phone bills (a necessary expense) were a huge chunk of it, basically all of them paying well more than I do on my PAYG for similar service. What I see must be the issue is that, without a phone of…

For the colonies there is https://securethecall.org/

"Secure the Call is a 501(c)(3) charity that provides free 911 emergency-only cell phone to Domestic Violence Centers, Senior Citizen Centers, Police and Sheriff departments."

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#26

Post by quasse » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

perrohunter wrote: post #5

I always look for that one friend who still has a really bad/old smartphone and give it to them for free.

As someone who was that friend, it's greatly appreciated. It's nice to still be able to use a semi-modern phone when you're living on $14,000 a year.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#27

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:15 PM UTC

JansjoFromIkea wrote: post #20

This might be quite UK centric and is a very dry answer but old smartphones should be donated to asylum seekers. I remember reading an article a year or so ago about how asylum live on the welfare afforded to them and their phone bills (a necessary expense) were a huge chunk of it, basically all of them paying well more than I do on my PAYG for similar service. What I see must be the issue is that, without a phone of…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#28

Post by gonehome » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:17 PM UTC

Sell the old one - I get around $500 back every year from Craigslist when I upgrade. If that’s too much of a hassle Apple will buy it back from you for a little less.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#29

Post by tmaly » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:17 PM UTC

I give them to my family overseas in the Philippines. Old IPhones are still very useful over there.

Re: Ask HN: How do you make good use of old iPhones?

#30

Post by ericabiz » Thu, Sep 27, 2018, 4:21 PM UTC

I run repair shops for a living, so I can tell you the #1 thing people do is give them to their kids or other family members.

Trade-ins with carriers are big as well, and of course selling them will still net some money as well. You can sell to local stores or online at sites like Swappa.

People who aren't as technical as the typical HN reader often don't know that iPhone, iPad, and laptop batteries are replaceable, and it's usually relatively cheap to do so. Please educate your friends and family members!