Can anyone please help me with iPhones?

[JMSA]

Hi. I’m currently on a coach trip and have vowed to buy a new phone on my return. I have an iPhone 8; usually I’ll run things into the ground before replacing, but it’s time to give up the ghost with this! The coach has no charging points (usually they do, but not this one) and it’s stressful with how quickly the phone is losing power. Not only that, but I can’t get any new apps on it.
So I’m going to buy a secondhand iPhone in good condition and with decent battery capacity. I’m not interested in having to have the latest model (obviously 😆), but it needs to hold a charge and stay up-to-date for some time to come.
Which would be the best model to get? Like the oldest/cheapest one that would still suit my needs, at least for a year or two.
Thank you 😊

I know this is not what you are asking but Iv’e recently got the new IPhone 17 Pro and the charge lasts forever! The camera is amazing!
im planning to keep it 5 years as I did my last one, IPhone 12 😃

Have a look on Google. There’s a few big companies that refurbish iPhones, they fit a new battery if needed and the phone will come with a warranty. You can buy different grades which relate to the overall condition of the phone. I bought a refurbished iPhone about three years ago and you would think it was brand new, no damage at all. Batteries can only be charged a certain amount of times, sounds like your’s has reached its limit. On the phone I bought I never let the battery go below 20% and don’t charge it over 80%, this supposedly prolongs the life. I used to go to bed and leave my old phone on charge so it was 100% when I woke up, this is not good for the battery. I would go for maybe a three year old refurbed iPhone with a warranty and the highest or one but highest condition grade

Thank you, that’s really helpful.

I would buy a new iPhone from Apple themselves on interest free finance

I'd buy the best spec one, so the 17 Pro

And then get a cheap sim only deal

Treat yourself x

I'm still using my iPhone 12 mini, and I really hate that phones are so big now. Not great for small hands!

I have a backup iPhone 13 mini waiting for when my current 12 mini dies (still going strong although struggling for some reason with ios18.7. Lagging and glitchy.)

Got it secondhand online from The Big Phone Store (uk site), they also seem to have some 12 minis right now which are at good prices. I found ordering from them fine. If you can, I would choose one that is "brand new" "like new" or "pristine"

I just bought a new one from Back Market. They’re refurbished and you can pick how new you want it. I got a very good condition iPhone 16 for £450.

Have a look on backmarket. I got my phone from there second hand but it’s like new

Thanks very much, everyone!

I would check online reviews of Back Market before you buy. The reason I went with The Big Phone Store is because at the time Back Market were getting some bad reviews. Might have improved by now

Yes - BackMarket. I have bought my last 2 iPhones from them and they've been great. You can choose the condition you want, and that obviously affects the price, but they have some great deals and their customer service is excellent.

So do we think it should be an iPhone 13 at the very minimum? I’m not sure how they all differ. Off to google!

Wish I could listen to music right now - on headphones, obviously - but it would totally drain the battery before home 😭

I have just recently updated my 12 mini to 18.7 for the new security patches, and they have also offered me ios 26. So looks like at the moment at least, Apple are still supporting and updating the 12 mini. If you went for a 13 or 13 mini, my guess is it would update to ios 26 as soon as you set it up ( which is what mine did), and you would probably get a few years out of it

I’ve just inherited dd1s 13 (I pay the dds contracts and then get there old phone as I don’t care about phones as long as they work).

it’s better than the 12 I was using mainly because it comes with more storage as standard and as everything takes up so much space these days I was struggling with the old one. It’s fine, does everything and don’t think I’m missing out on anything great not having a newer modal.

My 12 mini was fantastic for battery on ios 16, but both 18 and 26 do drain the battery faster, I'm afraid. The nature of the beast. I think The Big Phone Store guarantees at least 85% battery capacity, but you might be able to ask them to put in a brand new replacement battery, probably not an Apple battery but similar

I have a iPhone 11 and the next big update that’s coming (September I think but don’t quote me) I won’t be able to update to it, so make sure it’s newer than the 11.

Yes, you're right, I think the 13 series has much better choice of capacity, better than the 12

If you want a small phone, I think your only iPhone choices now are 12 mini or 13 mini. Apple did say they wouldn't be making any more mini phones. That may change if they ever decide they have to compete with some of the flip phones

@AngleofRepose
Thanks. Current phone, the 8, is rather tiny and I find it infuriating, to be honest.

Might be worth buying a portable battery pack in the meantime just so you can enjoy listening to your music on your trip and not worry about running out of battery. You can pick one up from so many shops these days and you charge the pack and then plug your phone in using a USB cable that you’d usually use to charge your existing phone. Mine is a Belkin and it charges my phone so quickly.

If you aren’t needing high spec graphics and video editing, it’s not worth getting the pro version. I went from an 11 to 16 last year and there was a noticeable difference with everything. Going from an 8 to either a 17 or 18 if you can hang on until Sept will be huge.

I’ve had iPhone since day dot, generally I love them, but I will say - don’t get a 14 pro max! It was the wordy phone I ever
had, the camera was woeful.

I would probably go for the 13 at the oldest. The 11 is no longer getting updates I believe, and if you want to keep it long term, then the 12 will probably only get a year or 2 before they stop updating it

My DS has a 12 and it won’t update. His birthday is in 5 weeks and I plan to get him a 16 or 17. Lots of 0% deals around.

My mum has just done exactly the same thing, she had an eight and it was just no longer functional. I went on live chat with apple and they recommend a iPhone 16. He said it had all the features that she would need without all of the razzmatazz that she doesn’t.

She has been going to sessions at the Apple Store to acclimatise to it. You book online and they have one every day at every Apple Store. She’s not incompetent or anything! Quite the opposite but it is quite a big step up. No button and Face ID being the big ones.

You need a good amount of storage in order for the phone not to go obsolete as quickly apparently.