Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 37 posts

Re: Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

#11

Post by patio11 »

justinnoel wrote: post #9
patio11 wrote: post #8

Softbank (Japan) will buy it back from you. Yesterday they gave me $240 (structured as $10 a month for 24 months as a statement credit) for my iPhone 4S. ( http://www.softbank.jp/mobile/campaigns/list/tada-kisyuhen/ ) Generally they're rather less generous ( http://www.softbank.jp/mobile/campaigns/list/shitadori/ ) I assume that Softbank processes 10,000 of these at a time and then sends them to China for resale.

$240 is a good price for a used 4S! Now I'm thinking how can they afford to do that so?

I assume that a portion of the calculation is "We got him to switch from a $60 plan to a $90 plan to support the iPhone 6, so rebating him $10 a month is not a hard decision."

Re: Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

#13

Post by mseebach »

justinnoel wrote: post #9
patio11 wrote: post #8

Softbank (Japan) will buy it back from you. Yesterday they gave me $240 (structured as $10 a month for 24 months as a statement credit) for my iPhone 4S. ( http://www.softbank.jp/mobile/campaigns/list/tada-kisyuhen/ ) Generally they're rather less generous ( http://www.softbank.jp/mobile/campaigns/list/shitadori/ ) I assume that Softbank processes 10,000 of these at a time and then sends them to China for resale.

$240 is a good price for a used 4S! Now I'm thinking how can they afford to do that so?

Depending on which discount rate you use in your NPV calculation, it's a good deal less than $240. Also, if softbank are like mobile providers in Europe, it's a $10 credit on the most expensive plan with everything and the kitchen sink included - not the smaller tier or pay as you go plan that's actually plenty for most people.

Also, $10/month (well, less, depending on what the iPhone is actually worth) doesn't seem to be totally out of whack for a short term promotion to grab some market share.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

#17

Post by Marcus10110 »

keep it, with the intention of using it as a development platform for a robot or something, but then never end up doing anything because who wants to learn another toolchain, right? Instead, lets just drop that in the box next to the palm pre and the old windows mobile phone.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

#18

Post by kamikazi »

jordanthoms wrote: post #10
dangrossman wrote: post #4

I have five old Android phones serving as IP cameras in my house. Some WeMo motion sensors can alert me to a possible break-in, then I can check the cameras from my phone. Also lets us check in on the pets while we're out.

What apps are you using? It'd be great to have an android app that could do the motion detection and IP camera

I hesitate to link to this because they're still one year away from shipping but this could be one option: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/smartrico/rico-turn-you...

Re: Ask HN: What do you do with your old iPhone when you buy a new one?

#20

Post by apricot13 »

I keep them in a drawer with the intention of putting them in a frame in an office when I have one. It will be nice to see the evolution of them over time...and that way I dont have to part with them!

I dont upgrade every single time so i only have a 3G and a 4, will probably get the 6S but am quite enjoying my moto e atm!

I also keep them all charged, so the batteries don't get all bloaty. (and I still use the 4 as a camera!)

Post reply on HN