NEW YORK (AP) -
The iPhone 5, out later this month, is
thinner, lighter and has a bigger screen than its predecessors. For
hordes of Apple fans who have some money to spare, the question is: What
should you do with your old iPhone after you buy a new one?
The new phones will join
some 244 million iPhones sold since the first one launched in 2007. Some
have been lost or stolen. Some of us are still hanging on to our old
gadgets in some futile attempt to resist the constant upgrade cycle that
technology companies are forcing on us.
But it's fair to say that
millions of iPhones are languishing in desk drawers or gathering dust.
Here are a few things to do with yours to keep it from meeting that fate
once you buy the iPhone 5.
1. Give it to your kids so they stop taking yours...
Every parent, aunt and
uncle knows that no toy in the history of toys has ever been as
appealing to a kid as an iPhone. They are shiny, they have games and
grown-ups use them for important things. More importantly, they are
either off-limits or doled out in limited quantities as a reward for,
say, sitting still for a minute. Load up your old iPhone with games and
give it to a deserving child in your life.
2. ...or to your mom so she can finally see the light
Alternately, if a Luddite
adult has been thinking of taking the plunge into the world of
smartphones, your old iPhone may help him or her get over the hump. If
you have an iPhone 4 or 4S, you might also find someone who's still
hanging on to an earlier model and give them the gift of an upgrade. You
may just buy a friend for life (or at least until iPhone 6 comes out).
3. Use it as a teeny-tiny iPad
You'll be able to watch
videos, send email and search Wikipedia for random facts to end
cocktail-party disagreements with your decommissioned iPhone - as long
as you have a Wi-Fi connection. There's even a camera, which means you
can avoid being that guy (or gal) at the concert who's turning heads for
taking photos with an iPad.
4. Donate to charity
Several charities accept
old phones for donation, though it's worth remembering that these groups
likely won't physically give your old phones to people in need. Rather,
they work with phone recyclers and sell your donated phones to them.
A nonprofit group called
Cell Phones for Soldiers will take your "gently used" phone and sell it
to recycling company ReCellular. It will then use the proceeds to buy
calling cards for soldiers.
The National Coalition
Against Domestic Violence works with another recycling group in a
similar manner. About 60 percent of the phones it collects are
refurbished and resold. The money goes toward supporting the coalition.
The remaining 40 percent of the phones are recycled, according to the
group's website. It pays for shipping if you are mailing three or more
phones.
There are a few more suggestions from New York's Department of Environmental Conservation at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8818.html .
5. Alarm Clock
Do you still use that old
radio alarm you bought for your college dorm room in the 20th century?
Join the 21st century by turning your old iPhone into an alarm clock.
Hide it in a different spot in your bed each night for an added
challenge.
6. Sell, sell, sell!
Join the eBay hordes and
sell your phone for a few hundred bucks if you can. There will likely be
a flood of the gadgets soon after people start getting their new
phones, so it might make sense to wait a little.
A company called Gazelle,
meanwhile, will make an offer for your old phone based on its condition,
your phone carrier and other information. A 32 gigabyte iPhone 4S on
Verizon Wireless, for example, was recently going for $237 if it's in
good condition and $90 if it's broken.
Glyde.com also offers to
help you resell your old phone. A recent check showed the above 4S
getting roughly $325 to $350 after fees are deducted - provided there is
a buyer. A "speed sale" that guarantees to sell it in seven days will
get the seller slightly less money.
7. Trade in at GameStop
The video game retailer
offers cash or store credit for old iPhones (along with iPods and
iPads). The service is only available in stores and not online. A 32
gigabyte iPhone 4S on Verizon will get you up to $335 in store credit or
up to $268 in cash.
8. Stream music
Stick that baby in a
speaker dock, spring for a Pandora subscription ($36 per year) or
Spotify ($10 per month) and bam, you have a stereo.
Or try SoundCloud. Although
it's meant to let you create and share music with people, it's also a
good place to listen to DJs you like or discover new ones. TuneIn,
meanwhile, will let you listen to online radio stations playing music,
sports, news or talk shows.
9. Keep as a backup in case you lose your fancy new one.
Nearly one-third of
cellphone owners have had their gadgets lost or stolen, according to a
recent survey from Pew Internet & Pew Internet & American Life
Project.
10. Use as a camera
At its core, a
decommissioned iPhone is a hard drive with a camera. Snap photos with
it. No Canon needed. You can also use the iPhone to move photos and
other files from one computer to another.
11. Recycle with Apple
Apple Inc.'s own recycling
program will give you an Apple gift card if it is determined to have a
"monetary value." A 32 gigabyte iPhone 4S with some light scratches but
in good working condition was recently estimated at $280. That's higher
than Gazelle, but you'll have to spend the money at Apple. The company
also accepts broken phones for recycling but you won't get any money for
them.
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Follow Barbara Ortutay on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/barbaraortutay .
Copyright
2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
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