What do you do with your old phone?

[ashune]

I was wondering - what do you do with your old phone after buying a new one? Do you reuse it for something else? Do you keep it as a backup phone? Do you give it someone else? Or do you just throw it away or keep in a box/closet?

I myself tend to find a new use for it. I use one of my old phones as kind of a media player by installing TuneIn radio, Google Play Music and YouTube. The screen isn't all that great, but sound quality is good for podcasts, music and YouTube videos where the video itself isn't as important as the audio. Another old phone has an IR blaster so it's a good remote control for various set-top boxes and the TV. It's also great for controlling VLC and Kodi by installing VLC Mobile Remote and Kore.
Another use I saw somewhere is as a navigation system in your car. You just install Android Auto, maybe buy a car phone mount and you're good to go.

 

[anon(5719825)]

Normally I keep all of them. I recently tried to sell two of my S7 Edge phones, my Note 8 and a few iPhones. All I got was lowball offers so I figured I would just keep the phones.

We have a guy at my job who was in prison for a while and has been doing some good things in his life and even got his monitor taken off and is proving he's a good guy in everything he does. He didn't even have a smart phone so I figured I would give him one of my unlocked S7 Edge phones. He's gotten it activated and got a nice screen protector and he babies the thing and he's just enjoying every second of that phone. That has made me happy knowing that even though I couldn't sell the phone, giving it to someone who is so appreciative of it is far more worth then any money I could have gotten for it. I gave him the box, all unopened brand new headset, cord and charger so it was basically a brand new phone for him including a case.

I wouldn't mind finding other people like this near me who could use a phone.

 

[danielcooper511]

Well, you have done a really good work. keep it up !

 

[ashune]

We have a guy at my job who was in prison for a while and has been doing some good things in his life and even got his monitor taken off and is proving he's a good guy in everything he does. He didn't even have a smart phone so I figured I would give him one of my unlocked S7 Edge phones. He's gotten it activated and got a nice screen protector and he babies the thing and he's just enjoying every second of that phone. That has made me happy knowing that even though I couldn't sell the phone, giving it to someone who is so appreciative of it is far more worth then any money I could have gotten for it. I gave him the box, all unopened brand new headset, cord and charger so it was basically a brand new phone for him including a case.

Wow, that really nice of you, great job!

 

[tony bag o donuts]

I keep my very first device.
I have a few low cost Android devices as a backup, but I typically sell them on swappa to help pay for a newer device.

 

[tony bag o donuts]

Normally I keep all of them. I recently tried to sell two of my S7 Edge phones, my Note 8 and a few iPhones. All I got was lowball offers so I figured I would just keep the phones.

We have a guy at my job who was in prison for a while and has been doing some good things in his life and even got his monitor taken off and is proving he's a good guy in everything he does. He didn't even have a smart phone so I figured I would give him one of my unlocked S7 Edge phones. He's gotten it activated and got a nice screen protector and he babies the thing and he's just enjoying every second of that phone. That has made me happy knowing that even though I couldn't sell the phone, giving it to someone who is so appreciative of it is far more worth then any money I could have gotten for it. I gave him the box, all unopened brand new headset, cord and charger so it was basically a brand new phone for him including a case.

I wouldn't mind finding other people like this near me who could use a phone.

Would you donate one if I could swing it? An 11 year old child in our area lost his father a few weeks ago and the local men's baseball league is sending him to great wolf lodge and among other things. Us umpires for the league are donating money. It's completely legit. Pm if a possibility.

 

[Morty2264]

Very interesting thread - love it! I keep my old one as a backup in case something happens to my new phone. Lately, however, my brother and boyfriend will make use of my backup phone (s) until they get new ones.

 

[kramer5150]

I have an iPhone 5C. Keep it as a backup. its so cheap and easy to replace the battery, for $10 I do it every year. Even a new screen is only like $35. I run the GAIA app and use it as a hand held GPS for backpacking and trail hiking. For whatever reason is has a really good GPS / glonas radio... it tracks and clings onto satellite signals better than my android phone.

 

[Mike Dee]

I was wondering - what do you do with your old phone after buying a new one? Do you reuse it for something else? Do you keep it as a backup phone? Do you give it someone else? Or do you just throw it away or keep in a box/closet?

I myself tend to find a new use for it. I use one of my old phones as kind of a media player by installing TuneIn radio, Google Play Music and YouTube. The screen isn't all that great, but sound quality is good for podcasts, music and YouTube videos where the video itself isn't as important as the audio. Another old phone has an IR blaster so it's a good remote control for various set-top boxes and the TV. It's also great for controlling VLC and Kodi by installing VLC Mobile Remote and Kore.
Another use I saw somewhere is as a navigation system in your car. You just install Android Auto, maybe buy a car phone mount and you're good to go.

I have quite a collection....some aren't even that old but they aren't worth much

 

[Jay Sacks]

I have quite a collection....some aren't even that old but they aren't worth much

I am one of those crazy types that even has the original boxes. I use my first giant screen smart phone, a Droid X, as a bathroom clock. It has that really slick custom desk dock and still looks great. Use my Note 2 and Note 4 as security cameras with the Alfred app. Just can't seem to part with them.
Having same problem with watches. Can't seem to part with them either.

 

[tube517]

I keep mine for backups. I have sold a few but mostly keep them. My son uses one of them as a tablet.

 

[Morty2264]

I have an iPhone 5C. Keep it as a backup. its so cheap and easy to replace the battery, for $10 I do it every year. Even a new screen is only like $35. I run the GAIA app and use it as a hand held GPS for backpacking and trail hiking. For whatever reason is has a really good GPS / glonas radio... it tracks and clings onto satellite signals better than my android phone.

I always liked the 5C line. Apple should do more phones like that.

 

[Ry]

keep as backup usually

 

[Billy Bob Jimmy Joe]

I kept my Pixel 1 as a backup and to test out the developer previews.

 

[Johnly]

I have a very large graveyard box with old phones / tablets. Its quite amazing that there are so many flip phones in there as well Broken glass or water every time ha ha.

 

[Morty2264]

I have a very large graveyard box with old phones / tablets. Its quite amazing that there are so many flip phones in there as well Broken glass or water every time ha ha.

That's pretty cool! Could you please post a picture of the box?

 

[Rukbat]

I go back to an old Motorola MicroTAC. The only phones I haven't kept are mobiles (yes, we used to have a radio mounted in the trunk and a control head with a handset on the hump, under the dashboard) and my bag phones. But by the time I buy a new phone, the last one isn't worth anything - it's not worth the trouble of putting a phone on Letgo for $150, only to get offers of $50.

 

[technomom]

We keep a few around the house as backups in case one of our new phones dies and unexpected death. I have phones dating back to my kids' old Samsung slider phones (can't remember the name but they were sweet phones for pre-teens), and my old Samsung S3 still works. My favorite "old" phone that I still have around is my Moto X 2014. My husband would vote for his still-working-despite-its-cracked-screen Moto X 2013. Both are still in use as video/audio Chromecast remotes and/or Google Voice / Google Hangouts "home" phones.

 

[gendo667]

my Honor 8 is now my backup device/casting machine. still love that little phone.

 

[cowboys2000]

Normally I keep all of them. I recently tried to sell two of my S7 Edge phones, my Note 8 and a few iPhones. All I got was lowball offers so I figured I would just keep the phones.

We have a guy at my job who was in prison for a while and has been doing some good things in his life and even got his monitor taken off and is proving he's a good guy in everything he does. He didn't even have a smart phone so I figured I would give him one of my unlocked S7 Edge phones. He's gotten it activated and got a nice screen protector and he babies the thing and he's just enjoying every second of that phone. That has made me happy knowing that even though I couldn't sell the phone, giving it to someone who is so appreciative of it is far more worth then any money I could have gotten for it. I gave him the box, all unopened brand new headset, cord and charger so it was basically a brand new phone for him including a case.

I wouldn't mind finding other people like this near me who could use a phone.

See there!! That was a nice gesture. I'd rather give my gently used device to a deserving person, than sell it for pennies on the dollar.