My new iPhone | hun.io

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My current phone

In December of 2022, I bought a refurbished iPhone X, and it has been a great daily driver. Even today, the battery still gets me through a full day of light use, and the camera continues to take incredible photos and videos. It’s been outstanding for a phone that released in September of 2017 - over eight years ago now.

However, after it officially went end of life in March of 2025, I began to experience some occasional bugs and crashes with iOS. Nothing major, but inconvenient and annoying when they happen.

At the time of writing, my iPhone X is running iOS 16.7.12, has a maximum battery health of 84%, and has taken some serious physical damage over the years!

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Reasons for upgrading

If I’m being honest, I don’t have many practical reasons to upgrade. My iPhone X still meets most of my needs, and if I wanted to, I could likely squeeze a few more years out of it. I don’t use my phone often - just for communication, reading, and journaling.

However, I’ve recently rekindled my photography hobby and want to learn to edit RAW photos. While I could invest in a dedicated camera, I much prefer the convenience and form factor of the iPhone, even if it doesn’t match the depth of field or sensor size of a mirrorless camera. And for the price, it’s simply a better use of my money, since I have no plans to pursue photography professionally.

My new phone

I noticed Verizon was offering $300 in trade-in value for my iPhone X, which is an absolutely wild amount for hardware this old. However, I didn’t want to purchase a Verizon-locked iPhone, even if they are unlocked after 60 days.

I then stumbled across this video, which explained how to apply a carrier deal through Apple’s official website, resulting in an unlocked phone while still benefiting from the carrier’s promotion.

With that, I purchased a new iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB of storage in this beautiful deep blue color. With the trade-in, what would have been an $1,100 phone came down to roughly $800! Still expensive, but I fully intend to use this device for the seven years of support it will receive. I also picked up a cheap MagSafe wallet and a Dbrand Ghost Case 2.0 to show off the blue color.

At the time of writing, I haven’t received the case yet, but I’m very excited for it to arrive. :)

Value proposition

I originally considered a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro, as it easily would have met my requirements. However, comparing refurbished pricing to the discounted 17 Pro, the cost relative to each device’s end-of-life date was basically identical.

For example, the refurbished iPhone 15 Pro on Amazon I was looking at sells for about $540 and will lose support in roughly five years. If I used the device until that time, I’d spend about $108 per year.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro with the $300 trade-in value sells for about $800, and will lose support in roughly seven years. If I used the device until that time, I’d spend about $114 per year.

Needless to say, this deal came in clutch, as I’m spending essentially the same amount with an additional two years of support. Of course, I’m still spending for longer with the 17 Pro, but I think it’s reasonable because I’d prefer to receive major updates for as long as possible.

And while it’s unlikely I’ll run the 17 Pro beyond its end of life date, I do have a tendency to run devices long after major updates stop. I mean, the reason why I picked up my iPhone X in 2022 was because Verizon killed CMDA, finally rendering my iPhone 5s unusable. Rest in peace to my favorite phone!

Maintaining boundaries

Despite the improved hardware, performance, and capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro, my usage is still going to remain the same.

Nowadays, I maintain strict boundaries with technology because staying constantly connected had major impacts on my mental health. I found myself wasting time and energy on media that didn’t support my goals, didn’t make me happy, and left me disconnected from being present with myself and those I care about.

Over time, those habits led to some of the worst burnout periods I’ve experienced, leaving me exhausted and distant from my long-term goals. To remain grounded, I need extended periods of silence, journaling, and a simple, calm environment.

Aside from better photography opportunities, I’m still primarily using my iPhone for communication, reading, and journaling. No social media or anything that encourages indulgence without intention.

Experience

So far, this thing has been awesome. I LOVE the blue color, appreciate the convenience of MagSafe, and really like the higher refresh rate display. The phone is incredibly fast and responsive, and does everything I need with zero problems so far.

Everything migrated flawlessly from my iPhone X, including my locally installed applications and all of my personalization settings.

Lastly, I really like the introduction of Liquid Glass with iOS 26. It feels refreshing and is really nice to look at. It reminds me a lot of the Windows Aero theme when using Windows Vista and Windows 7!

Conclusion

This is the first new phone I’ve ever had, and I’m really happy with the experience so far. It’s been a major upgrade and can fulfill my goals of being an overpowered e-reader and text editor among other things. :)