Although currently we usually change terminals relatively quickly and that is good to always be up to date, it is true that this rapid change cycle causes there to be excessive hardware hanging around. To prevent this and give you ideas, we have made a small summary of the alternative uses for an old iPhone, so you know how to give a second life to your old iDevice.
Sell, exchange or donate: let's give your old iPhone an alternative use
Many people sell their devices on online platforms such as eBay, Wallapop, or physical sites specialized in second-hand technology, such as CEX, although it is also common to take advantage of exchange programs offered by Apple or electronics stores to obtain discounts on the purchase of new devices, any of these options being one of the most common alternative uses for an old iPhone.
All of this falls within the scale of the so-called “circular economy”, which is an economic and production model that seeks to maximize resource efficiency and minimize waste, creating a more sustainable and regenerative system in contrast to the traditional linear model of “take, make, throw away.”
Instead of extracting resources, producing goods and then discarding them as waste, the circular economy proposes a continuous cycle of use and reuse and both selling and exchanging that good, or even donating it to friends, family or charities that distribute them to people in need or to schools fall into that category.
If you are interested in selling or exchanging it, we advise you to take a look at this post that we recently made where we explain the best tips for selling your second-hand iPhone and get more benefit from it.
Reuse for specific tasks: let's give it an alternative second life
The fact that an iPhone cannot run the latest version of Genshin Impact does not exempt it from being used for other purposes, being totally valid for alternative uses of an old iPhone.
In fact, here is a server still using your old 1st Generation iPad Mini as an eBook, after my old Nook Simple Touch died in combat. Today, a device with iOS 9.3.4 would be unthinkable to use, but to read eBooks with the Kindle app it is more than enough and its small size is satisfactory for those other alternative uses.
Next, we will show you other uses that can be made of your old iDevices, as well as other mobile phones and accessories that you have lying around:
Remote control for your devices
A relatively cool use for your old device is use it as a remote control for other smart devices in the home. Although iPhones do not have an infrared sensor like older devices in the Android world such as an LG G7 or a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may have. (to name obsolete hardware I've had in my hands), you can use an iPhone as a remote control for the following uses:
Apple TV Remote: If you have an Apple TV, you can download the Apple TV Remote app from the App Store, which allows you to control Apple TV, navigate menus, and use Siri.
Smart Home Apps: Many TV and entertainment system brands offer their own apps, such as the “Samsung SmartThings”0, “LG TV Plus” or “Google Home” apps, that you can use with your old device.
Universal Applications: There are universal apps that can control multiple devices, such as AnyMote or Unified Remote.
Low Cost multimedia center
You can also turn the device into a low cost multimedia center to play music or videos, especially due to the functionality of connecting your devices via HDMI using the charging connector.
In fact, with a good MHL to HDMI connector you can have a multimedia center that even exceeds the capabilities of an Apple TV, recycling your old iPhone for these purposes. The key to all this is summed up in a single word that we have already talked about in the past: Kodi.
A homemade retro console
If you haven't seen our post about the compatible controls for iPhone, and about the alternative stores, we strongly advise you to take a look at them, because thanks to both posts with a little imagination you can build a retro emulator console using your old iDevice.
For little money, you can feel like a retro YouTuber like your friend TuberViejuner o SpineCard, whose channels we recommend if you are quite into tinkering with outdated hardware.
Digital photo frame
Another option is to use your iPad or old iPhone to show photos on loop using the device as a digital photo frame, when you install an app dedicated to them like LiveFrame.
LiveFrameis an excellent solution for those who want to repurpose their old iOS devices as digital photo frames, offering a stylish and functional way to display memories and favorite photos.
You simply have to download the application itself from the App Store and configure it by choosing the photos that we want to display on the screen. Once everything is configured, when LiveFrame opens it will show the photos we have chosen in a loop as if it were a preconfigured digital frame.
The application is no longer available in the App Store
DIY projects (Do It Yourself): for the most recycling fans
Some people They integrate their old devices into home projects, such as home automation systems, homemade weather stations, or even technological art, being a tremendously creative form of recycling while having a minimum of security and is undoubtedly the way to find certain alternative uses for an old iPhone on the most basic side of it: its components.
For example, if you have the right knowledge, you can adapt an old iPhone battery that is in good condition as the battery of an external device such as a Bluetooth speaker, before throwing it away.
Specifically, this was a project that I put together in 2018 with a “Chinese” Bluetooth speaker that they gave me that had a short battery life, and an old iPhone battery that was removed from a terminal that was irreparable.
By using the iPhone's battery, we were able to extend the use of the speaker from 3 hours of continuous playback to 4 days of use without charging. Not bad for two devices whose destiny was to end up in the trash, right?
Keep it on your phone “just in case”
Have a backup phone in the event of a breakdown it is a prudent and useful practice, especially in a time of humanity where we depend so much on our mobile devices for communication, navigation, work and entertainment.
And I can think of a ton of situations where it might be useful to have a “just in case” phone in your drawer, such as in case your main phone goes out. is damaged, lost or stolen, so you can continue communicating without interruptions.
Of course, charge it periodically and prevent it from being discharged to zero to prevent it from becoming unusable, and you will have a phone that will be able to serve you for a good period of time in case of a setback.