Author: Andrew Heinzman / Source: reviewgeek.com
You’ve probably noticed that businesses like Walmart and Best Buy are still pushing the iPhone 6 and 7. Well, people are buying them, and not just for the headphone jack. Oddly enough, you can thank Apple for the iPhone’s resilience.
Old iPhones Were Once Premium Devices
When you look the iPhone 6, it’s easy to forget how it was once a premium, cutting edge device. But just put those 2015 glasses on for a minute. Look at the iPhone 6’s crisp screen, its sleek metallic body, and its 8-megapixel camera. It rivals many of the cheap phones that you’ll find in stores today.
Apple has always designed their products with expensive, reliable parts (with a few annoying exceptions). But this strategy contrasts the usual smartphone market. Most people replace their phone after about 3 years of use, so phone manufacturers tend to cut corners or use cheap parts when possible.
As it turns out, Apple’s commitment to premium parts is the main reason why the used iPhone market is so strong. Companies like Remade make millions repairing and reselling old iPhones, and the company focuses on iPhones (as opposed to Android phones) solely because iPhones are “the strongest product with the longest life.”
But here’s the thing. You can repair old phones as much as you want, but they aren’t going to work if they can’t run modern iOS. Apple forces all phones into iOS updates, and many apps (even native apps) won’t work on phones with out of date firmware. Thankfully, Apple designs new iOS updates to work on old phones.
After a Lawsuit, iOS Updates Work Well on Older iPhones
In 2017, Apple (among other tech companies) was brought to court under the accusation of planned obsolescence. Whether Apple planned it or not, the batteries that came pre-installed in older iPhones, like the iPhone 6, were degrading at an unusual rate. Additionally, forced iOS updates were slowing down older devices, and app support for older devices was dwindling.
Because…
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