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Ask HN: Should you buy an iPhone 11 in 2022?

9 points by mahathu ↗ HN
My old android phone kicked the bucket and buying a new screen would cost upwards of 80€ plus tools to repair it myself.

I really don't want to spend more than 500€ on a "new" phone so buying a local used iphone 11 for ~420€ and replacing the battery in a few months for another 80€ seems like an enticing option to get a few years worth of life out of my next phone. Is there something I'm missing?

14 comments

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ohiovr
I sold my samsung and got a acatel flip phone. It has a calender, messages, clock, timer, alarm, and can even make phone calls.
Comevius
I couldn't imagine living without a smartphone. Even the homeless have smartphones nowadays. Everything is either a web page or an app.
jjgreen
I've never had one, no real problems. You don't need a phone to access a webpage.
hulitu
Google, facebook, electronic arts and others would like to politely disagree. /s
ohiovr
TV, internet, and phones are subsidized for a reason and it isn't to help people but to keep them under control.
32gbsd
Just buy another old android unless you want to see the dark side.
joshxyz
i have an iphone 6s its better than most android phone these days
rdtwo
The 11 is a solid phone but 420$ for it used is a lot. The XR is probably just fine too if it’s cheaper
gt565k
The 11 doesn’t support 5G. Buy the cheaper SE model that has the later chip which supports 5G if you don’t care about having 3 cameras.
yakak
Google Pixel 6A is less than this and has grapheneos and a 5 year service life.

The only other Android manufacturer I would still consider is Samsung. Ironically, Samsung doesn't have GrapheneOS or similar to protect you from google apps like a genuine google phone.

I simply don't believe any of the other manufacturers when they claim they will make updates, most of them have failed to deliver for me at least once.

batmaniam
Honestly the newer iphones are pretty decent. The screen feels sharper, less contrast and easier on the eyes. Camera is much better, and everything just feels faster too. If you want small form factor, the iphone 13 mini is the last of its kind, but has specs that don't differ too much from the latest iphone 14.

My last iphone was an SE phone, so these devices can last a good bit. If you think of it as an investment and treat it well, they can last past a few iphone generations, so it's a better deal than buying an old phone. I definitely don't regret moving from the SE to the mini, if that helps, and am very happy with my current phone.

simonblack
I spent 15 years going from a 'small brick' phone down to a lovely, small and light, shirt-pocket phone in the mid 2000s.

Now I watch in disbelief as phones just get larger and heavier year by year.

My current phone is an iPhone 5S. It's about the largest and heaviest that I would want to have.

Sateeshm
Buy pixel 4a if it's still available. Great form factor.