I plan on upgrading to a 6s+ and keeping my 6 as a backup instead of paying for insurance. The Apple website says to store an iPhone in a cool place with 50% battery life. It also advises to power on the device every 6 months and recharge.
Any other steps I should follow? I hope to use this as a back up for many years to come.
Posted Aug 31, 2015, 12:10 AM UTC
Just leave it in a drawer. But do follow the 50% battery life rule. It will prolong the life of an idle battery. There's a reason basically all electronics you buy whether it be a laptop, new phone, battery pack, etc. are never fully topped up. Usually 40-50%.
If I were you, I would carry it with you. Or use it for something like sleep tracking with Sleep Cycle every night (so you don't have to worry about killing your primary phone's battery).
I have an iPhone 5s that I use as a backup, similar to what you're planning to do. Except that I carry it every day with my 6, so I can switch to it if my 6's battery dies or the phone itself is lost/stolen/broken. I also use my 5s every night for Sleep Cycle. It gets use, yet is still a backup.
Thats some fucking expensive insurance, are you crazy?
Math out the insurance cost vs the re-sale value of the phone and you might reconsider. Why not just sell the 6 and put the money towards an older, cheaper phone for emergency use and get insurance?
I don't think it's that crazy. I've got some serious dings on it and expect I could get about $400 for it. This would be a backup for my husband and I. Insurance that covers lost/stolen phones on my carrier is $10/month with a $200 deductible. Considering this would be a viable replacement for 3+ years, it makes sense to me.
Edit to add: convenience of immediately having a working phone in case of a needed repair or loss/theft.