Cheap iPhones You Shouldn’t Buy in 2024

If you’re in the market for a new iPhone, and you don’t want to break the bank, you’ve got some great options. That being said, there are some cheap iPhone models you’ll want to avoid buying in 2024 for various reasons.

Apple’s iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer the company’s advancements in hardware and software, but they’re expensive without a trade-in or a deal. And that might have you looking at older iPhone models.

Fortunately, there are a bunch of great options out there including, but not limited to, older flagships like the iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.

If these are too expensive for your tastes, you’ve also got alternatives like the iPhone 11, iPhone XR, iPhone SE 3, and Apple’s iPhone SE 2.

If you want a cheap iPhone, these are the devices that should be at the top of your shopping list. They offer the best hardware, and software support, for the price.

If we failed to mention the device you’ve been looking to buy, there’s a reason. There are a bunch of cheap iPhone models that should be avoided in 2024.

iPhone X

The iPhone X is the only model on this list with Face ID authentication. It was the first iPhone to come without Apple’s physical home button. It was also the first iPhone with an OLED display.

While it might be tempting to buy the iPhone X, given its feature set and its price point, there’s a glaring issue you should be aware of.

The iPhone X didn’t get upgraded to iOS 17 which means the device misses out on all of operating system’s features and enhancements.

That doesn’t mean software support for the iPhone X has ended. Apple’s still providing it with new versions of iOS 16, but these updates will most likely carry security patches and not much else.

These updates may offer an occasional bug fix, but new versions of iOS 16 won’t bring new features to the iPhone X.

Software support will continue throughout 2024. We expect Apple to stop providing regular support to the iPhone X in the fall after iOS 18 for iPhone arrives.

This makes it a hard phone to recommend in 2024, especially if you plan to hold onto your next device for awhile.

iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus

Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus launched in 2017 with the iPhone X. So unsurprisingly, they’re in a similar boat. Neither device was upgraded to iOS 17 and they’ll remain on iOS 16 with a year of security patches in the cards for 2024.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are both extremely cheap and unlike the iPhone X, they come with a physical home button which some of you might prefer.

That being said, their hardware is outdated and neither is an ideal option for those that want to shoot high quality photos and videos or play the latest games.

If you want a physical home button, you’ll want to check out the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone SE 3 instead. The second-generation and third-generation versions of the iPhone SE look a lot like the iPhone 8 series, but offer better hardware and software support.

iPhone SE

If you want a small, compact iPhone, the iPhone SE might have caught your eye. While it might be tempting, especially because you can get it for less than $200 from retailers like Amazon, you’ll be much better off with another device.

The 4-inch iPhone SE was the last iPhone to come in that screen size. A lot of people have been clamoring for Apple to release a smaller iPhone model, but that seems like a pipe dream at this point.

While its size might be appealing, its hardware and software simply aren’t. The iPhone SE is stuck on iOS 15 and we may not see any additional software releases from Apple.

Even if you can do without the latest software features, not having access to the latest security fixes is a tough pill to swallow, especially if you plan to store sensitive data on your phone.

Others

You may also have your eyes on a device like the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, or maybe something even older like the iPhone 6.

The price tag might look great, but these devices are stuck on their current software as well. In the case of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, they’re both running iOS 12.

The camera lenses on these devices are generations old, as are the processors. This means you won’t get the best performance in key areas like gaming, speed, and battery life. Far from it actually.

You are much better off spending a little extra money on a newer iPhone model. You can snag the iPhone SE 2 for less than $200 at Amazon and even Apple’s iPhone 11 is less than $300.

Wait for the Best Version of iOS 18

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We've heard a lot about the iPhone 16's hardware, but the software might offer the biggest changes. The iPhone 16 series will be powered by iOS 18, Apple's new operating system. It will debut in the summer at WWDC 2024.  Thus far, everything we've heard about iOS 18 points to major AI upgrades. A leak from Tech_Reve on X states that Apple's using LLMs, or large language models, to "revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant." The leak also suggests that some of these AI features will be exclusive to the iPhone 16 series. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in a report about iOS 18, says the "update also needs to be extra-impressive because the iPhone 16’s hardware won’t have any major advances" in 2024. He says Apple is "banking on the software to sell people on the new models." In an earning's call covering, Apple CEO Tim Cook essentially confirmed the company's big plans for AI during the company's Q1 2024 earnings call.  Cook says the company continues "to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort" on artificial intelligence and the company's "excited to share the details of our ongoing work in that space later this year." In follow-up comments made to shareholders, Cook stated that Apple believes it will "break new ground" with "transformative" AI features later this year. Due to the processing power required for advanced AI features, the iPhone 16 series will likely have a leg up on the iPhone 15 series and older models.  For more about iOS 18, check out our guide.

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