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 Sure, you could sell, donate or recycle your old iPhone, but you
probably will not. And there are better things to do with it.
One creative example: At the Missouri University of Science and
Technology, a biology class is making old iPhones into microscopes.
Using less than $10 worth of supplies, the old phones are mounted
onto a lens and can magnify an object to 175 times its size.
Even an old phone with a cracked screen can be repurposed, says Josh
Smith, editor of GottaBeMobile.com. "You're only really limited by
your imagination," Smith says.
Here are 10 smart - and cheap - uses for old iPhones.
CLOCK
Set your old phone on a dock or a stand and use a clock app. With
Standard Time ($3.99), you will have a timepiece unlike any other.
With this app, your clock is a non-stop time lapse video of
construction workers switching out pieces of lumber to shape the
actual time. "It's mesmerizing," says Shawn Roberts, 47, an Oakland,
California, marketing executive.
You can also set up flexible alarms and get the phone to play
soothing white noise as you go to sleep. Set it close enough to the
bed, and it can be a sleep tracker, too, with an app like SleepBot
(free).
MUSIC FOR YOUR CAR
Take your music library on the road. Some cars come equipped with
docking ports for iPhones and have dashboard screens so you can
navigate your musical options hands-free. Or you can just use the
cigarette lighter for power.
REMOTE CONTROL
Televisions, speakers and other devices now have apps that allow
users to make their iPhones into sleek remotes.
Carm Lyman, 42, of Napa, California, converted his iPhone 4 into a
remote for his household sound system after his iPhone 5 arrived.
Lyman can control the audio levels and activate speakers in various
parts of his home as well as access different music services.
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
Apps can convert an old iPhone that has access to WiFi into a
surveillance camera and motion detector. Presence, which is a free
app, provides a live stream from the area you want to monitor. You
can set it up to record video clips when it detects motion, too.
If you buy a robotic viewing stand for about $100, you can move the
camera 360 degrees rather than stick with a stationary view.
COOKBOOK
No need to go through recipe books or hunt around for other devices
when you have a kitchen iPhone. Download a cookbook app, such as My
Recipe Book (99 cents) or Big Oven (free), and just leave the device
on the kitchen counter. It takes up almost no space and will hold
far more recipes than any book.
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EXTRA STORAGE
Need a place to store old photos and music or other files? Turn your
old phone into a storage drive using a free app like USB & Wi-Fi
Flash Drive.
VOICE RECORDER
Why buy a digital voice recorder when you have a retired iPhone?
Using any of several free apps, including Voice Recorder and Voice
Record Pro, you will have a designated memo recorder or a device to
record interviews and speeches.
DOCUMENT SCANNER
Genius Scan and Doc Scan are two apps that will turn an iPhone
into a handy portable scanner that you can use for work, school
reports, genealogical research, or recording receipts. And they will
not cost you a penny.
For $20 and up, you can buy a stand that makes your iPhone into a
stationary scanner.
BABY MONITOR
Sure, you can spend $100 or more on a baby monitor, or you can just
set your old iPhone up to watch streaming video of your baby as well
as hear and even talk to him or her.
Cloud Baby Monitor ($3.99) also allows parents to receive the signal
on a wireless network or on WiFi so they do not have to be within a
certain number of feet of the monitor.
VEHICLE TRACKER
Whether you need to find your car if it is stolen, record where you
have traveled, or spy on your teenage driver, the built-in GPS in
your phone can be used as a tracking device. An app like InstaMapper
($2.99) lets you watch the vehicle in real-time and have a record of
it.
Of course, you may end up taking the simple path of letting a child
use your old iPhone as an iPod Touch. Keep in mind that the phone
can still dial 911, even if it does not have cellular service, Smith
said.
You can also use your old phone as a back-up in case your new model
suffers irreparable harm. That said, the battery of a phone that
sits in a drawer unused could drain to the point where it is no
longer viable.
(Editing by Lauren Young, Beth Pinsker and Lisa Von Ahn)
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