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bushman4

macrumors 601
Mar 22, 2011
4,043
3,553
There is no answer to your question
It depends on what you use it for
How many times have you dropped it
Etc etc etc
 

Julienne

Suspended
Apr 26, 2018
170
221
Texas
There is no answer to your question
It depends on what you use it for
How many times have you dropped it
Etc etc etc
If you ask me my phone was never dropped always kept in case and I use it for every thing from social media to YouTube,calling, texting and everything. Battery is a bit weak at 71%.
 

Pilot Jones

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2020
891
1,674
My iPhone 7 is still doing well. Works perfectly with iOS 14 with no lag. Only complaint would be worsening RAM management since it usually ends up reloading an app if I keep it open in the background for too long.

Battery health is at 82% but once that's swapped, it should be good to go for at least another year or two. It's truly a quality piece of hardware.
 

Rashy

Suspended
Jan 7, 2020
186
372
Same here, still rocking my 7 for now about 3 years, with one battery replacement in between (all payed by the company). Before I had the 5S and the 4 as only iPhones. I can't [under]stand people who are changing their phone every year, just to have the "newest" device, while ignoring impact on the environment. Rather keep it for 2-3 years, save money and enjoy bigger jumps in terms of new features.

Going for the 12 Mini or 12 as next iPhone. It will serve me well for a long time again, I am certain.

Next to the battery (which can be replaced), RAM remains the biggest limiting factor. So I definetly wouldn't recommend any iPhone 6 nowadays, since even 2GB become limiting slowly.
 

skogkatt

macrumors member
Sep 11, 2017
65
111
My glorious 6S is still going pretty OK: I replaced the battery once taking advantage of that 29$/€ replacement campaign in... 2017? I can't remember, but it was the aftermath of the "remote throttling"-gate.

I never had much care of it: used it while sailing, riding, trekking, under the rain, in the snow etc. without much caution.

Now I got the battery at 86% according to iOS, but I started using it as a bike computer (Komoot) and that drains the battery pretty fast. Also playing around with apps doesn't feel that smooth any longer.

It could easily go on for another year, probably. Yet I'm really tempted of ordering a 12 Mini when the preorders open on 6/11... then I would be OK for another 5 years.

Considering the price these things have, I think 4-5 years is a reasonable life cycle.
 

Muppetcrazy

macrumors member
Oct 15, 2020
55
62
I'm tempted to run my iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max for 5 years or more this time.
My dell laptop purchased in 2009 ran it upto 2020.. 11 long years upgraded that laptop to a MacBook Air 2019 last year. Also my gaming pc built in 2009 still running strong after 11 years.

You get so much value for money by doing this..
 
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aenflex

macrumors regular
Jun 17, 2013
209
236
FL, USA
I have had my trusty 6s since a day after its debut in 2015 and surprisingly, I haven't had to replace my battery should I expect problems other than a battery that will eventually deplete to 0% battery capacity?

my moms 6s is about to **** the bed, even with a battery replacement via Apple. Slow as can be, still works, yellowed screen around the edges and second battery can’t hold a charge more than 2 hours. We tend to recycle phones or use them as long as possible. My husband used a 5s until early 2019.
 

ET iPhone Home

macrumors 68040
Oct 5, 2011
3,823
529
Orange County, California USA
I still use a 6 Plus, and like many of you, it won't take certain the software updates on certain apps. Besides, I need a better camera. I do reviews on items and I need a good camera to show the items I've reviewed. I'm branded an INFLUENCER...LOL.
 

wysiwyg1972

macrumors regular
Aug 2, 2012
190
152
Toronto, Canada
Use a 6S Plus as my daily driver. About 3 years ago, I was on vacation in the streets of Tokyo checking out Google maps when the phone just shut down for no reason. I got the faint dead battery screen when trying to turn it back on. I remember being around 80% full when this happened. This is when I knew something wasn’t right with the battery. I ended up finding a public charging station and upon plugging it, it went immediately to ~80%. When Apple offered the discounted battery replacement program, I took advantage of it. Best $$ I ever spent. Phone felt like a brand new device after!!

Since loading 14.0.1, I’m impacted by the severe battery draining. At times it drops 2-4% every min or so just in the settings screen or using Twitter. Waiting for 14.1 or 14.2 to fix this, but also have a 12 Pro on its way
 

dcipjr

macrumors newbie
Jul 8, 2010
28
19
My iPhone 6 has lasted 6 years. I replaced the battery 3 years ago, and now that replacement battery is starting to show its age. Since I can’t update beyond iOS 12, and the battery is going, now I’m upgrading.

I’d love to keep my incoming 12 Pro for 6 years too!
 
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ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,636
Indonesia
I'd say for the phone itself, so far at least 5 years, as shown by the 6s running iOS14.
As for the battery, around 2 to 3 years before you need replacement. This is also why Applecare previously didn't exceed 2 years. Apple knows their math.

The performance of any flagship phones (all new iPhones are always flagship in their respective year, running the latest chip) should be fine for at least 5 years or more. The problem is software support and consumables (battery).
 

TheRoadRunner

Suspended
Oct 7, 2020
83
163
United Kingdom
My first iPhone was the 5S in February 2017 and that lasted me three years to June this year when I upgraded to the new SE.

The battery on my 5S was poor and often dropped spontaneously for no reason, for example from 20 to 0. With just 16GB of storage it was becoming unusable, and the third reason for changing was that it’s stuck on iOS 12, and security is very important to me. By June I had enough so called my carrier (EE) and they recommended the new SE based on my needs, and never looked back, an amazing phone and a huge leap forward from my 5S.

I’ll hang on to my SE at least until it stops getting software updates, as I don’t need the top of the range features so don’t need to upgrade every year, but I respect that others on here want or need to and there’s nothing wrong with that.
 

skogkatt

macrumors member
Sep 11, 2017
65
111
I'm tempted to run my iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max for 5 years or more this time.
My dell laptop purchased in 2009 ran it upto 2020.. 11 long years upgraded that laptop to a MacBook Air 2019 last year. Also my gaming pc built in 2009 still running strong after 11 years.

You get so much value for money by doing this..

Oh yes. By the way, I was typing from a 2011 MacBook Pro... which is also old and tired and asking me to get retired. Let's these new ARM Macs soon...
 
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imagineadam

macrumors 68000
Jan 19, 2011
1,702
876
I used to be on a 2 year cycle starting with the iPhone 4 but every since my 7 which I’m currently using I haven’t felt the need to upgrade. This phone feels just as fast as it did at launch. If there is 120hz screen next year though I’m all in! 5 years with my 7 makes me happy though! It will last far beyond that too when I hand it down to one of my kids. Might need another new battery but that’s no problem!
 
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a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
I'm going to hang on until hopefully September. (Apparently a new iPhone will be released! :D )
 

Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
558
549
I'm still using my XS Max with it's original battery. It was purchased in October of 2018. Battery health is 90% It will easily go until the fall when I will decide if that iPhone is worth buying.

Haven't felt the need to upgrade. I'm also still using my S10+ and Note 10+.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
Not to be rude, but I meant if you have an older iPhone. I never had anything done to the iPhone itself. The battery is aging severely, but I am seriously considering replacing it when the new one comes out later this summer/fall. I can deal with the fast drainage of the battery charge since it's likely I will be upgrading (hopefully) in the fall.
 

Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
558
549
Not to be rude, but I meant if you have an older iPhone. I never had anything done to the iPhone itself. The battery is aging severely, but I am seriously considering replacing it when the new one comes out later this summer/fall. I can deal with the fast drainage of the battery charge since it's likely I will be upgrading (hopefully) in the fall.
I still have my 6S+. I had a new battery installed in it back in November, the year that Apple decided they would start replacing batteries in them in December of that year. Apple refused to replace my battery in November of that year because they said it tested good even though it would have sudden battery % drops in 15 minutes. I hardly used it since the battery replacement because I bought a 7+ the day I had the battery replaced in the 6S+. I still have the 7+ but the battery capacity is down to like 87% so it's sitting in the drawer with all my other old iPhones. The only problem with all these old iPhones has been the battery.

I stil have two SEs also that I barely used because they were just too small. The battery in one is starting to fail from non use because it shut off on me at like 20% the last time I turned it on a few months ago. The battery cycle count was 23. Apple had poor batteries in those iPhones around that time. Even my 6S battery failed and had to be replaced. I replaced the battery in that one myself with an iFixit battery which was faulty from the start.

Other than the battery, your 6S should keep going forever. Last time I used my 6S+, I was surprised at how fast it was. My XS Max has been my best ever iPhone to date.
 

lordhamster

macrumors 68000
Jan 23, 2008
1,644
1,643
I'd say for the phone itself, so far at least 5 years, as shown by the 6s running iOS14.
As for the battery, around 2 to 3 years before you need replacement. This is also why Applecare previously didn't exceed 2 years. Apple knows their math.

The performance of any flagship phones (all new iPhones are always flagship in their respective year, running the latest chip) should be fine for at least 5 years or more. The problem is software support and consumables (battery).
This. The phone itself (with battery replacements) could last 10 years or more in theory. That said, the REAL killer for the phone will be the end of support period.

Many apps stop working on unsupported OSes after a year. Especially apps that are more "security" focused like banking apps. For phone calls and texting you may be able to get away with longer while out of support... but personally I'd replace my phone at the latest when it goes out of support.
 

Geepaw

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2021
135
193
I'm going to hang on until hopefully September. (Apparently a new iPhone will be released! :D )
I'm in the same boat as you. I too am holding out for the new iPhone (it is rumored to have touch id so that would be great for me). I just do not know if my phone will comply with my plans. As it is, it sometimes needs two full charges to get through a day when I use more than for just phone calls. I am afraid to travel with it actually.
 

rui no onna

Contributor
Oct 25, 2013
14,559
12,670
I'm in the same boat as you. I too am holding out for the new iPhone (it is rumored to have touch id so that would be great for me). I just do not know if my phone will comply with my plans. As it is, it sometimes needs two full charges to get through a day when I use more than for just phone calls. I am afraid to travel with it actually.

That does suck. Personally, I upgraded to the SE2 asap and didn't bother waiting for the 12 mini because my main AT&T iPhone 7 has gotten quite unstable (random restarts, battery percentage jumping all over the place). Only reason I didn't replace it before then is because I had a work Verizon iPhone 7 that I could fall back on.
 

Phil77354

macrumors 68000
Jun 22, 2014
1,918
2,006
Pacific Northwest, U.S.
Similar experience to others here.

My wife and I both had 6S Plus models, replaced batteries in both when they were about 2 years old, then we both upgraded to XS Max (just over 2 years ago) and gave the old phones to family members for their use. Both of the 6S Plus iPhones are still working fine as far as I know.

I expect we will continue to use our XS Max iPhones for as long as they continue to work well, and I am able to resist the temptation to upgrade! I replaced the battery in my own XS Max a couple of months ago, it was not all the way down to 80% but I was having it serviced at the Apple store anyway so I went ahead and had it done.
 

mnsportsgeek

macrumors 601
Feb 24, 2009
4,381
6,850
My blind guess would be about 3 years before it gets serviced with a new battery or thrown into a landfill.
 
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