Purchase Reviews Continue for iPhone 6S and SE 1st Generation
Despite Lower Image Quality, Praised for Their "Sentimental Value"
"Unboxing" Videos of Old iPhones Trending on YouTube
A selfie Kim Yuna posted on her Instagram on May 28 last year. Screenshot from Kim Yuna's Instagram.
The popularity of older iPhone models, released primarily for younger users, continues to thrive. Although their battery performance and camera resolution lag behind the latest models, many praise them for capturing sentimental photos, leading to a high demand for these older iPhones.
Recently, on the e-commerce platform Abley, transactions for models like the 'iPhone 6S,' 'iPhone 7,' and 'iPhone SE 1st generation' have been active. These models were released in September 2015, October 2016, and March 2016 respectively, yet they are still sold at prices in the low to mid 100,000 KRW range. They have dominated the top ranks, holding positions 1 through 4 in Abley's real-time digital and mobile phone categories. Buyers have left reviews such as "I'm satisfied because I can take photos full of sentiment," "I recommend it as a secondary phone," and "I bought it for the camera, and it takes photos with a unique feel, so it will be useful when traveling."
The style commerce platform 'Abley' shows that older iPhone models are ranking high in the popular search rankings in the digital/mobile phone category. Screenshot from Abley
Compared to the latest models, which come standard with ultra-high definition, the image quality of older smartphones is significantly lower. The iPhone 16 standard model released last year features a 48-megapixel wide-angle rear camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, with a 12-megapixel front camera. In contrast, the iPhone SE 1st generation released in 2016 has only 12 megapixels on the rear and 7 megapixels on the front.
While the latest models allow for clearer photo shooting, the reason younger users are drawn to the older iPhone cameras is that their distinctive warm tones and lower resolution ironically act as hip and sentimental elements. This phenomenon is similar to the resurgence of film cameras. Just as some people deliberately choose film cameras despite their inconveniences due to the retro trend, selecting an older iPhone has become a way to express one's individuality and taste.
Unboxing reviews of older iPhones are also trending on YouTube. Tech review YouTuber 'Tino,' who has 210,000 subscribers, said in an unboxing video of the iPhone SE1, "This is a small and compact design that could never be released these days. Compared to modern phones, the feel is completely different," adding, "Even though it's small, it's quite responsive, so it might be good as a secondary phone or for studying." The short video recorded 720,000 views.
The preference for iPhones among younger people has also influenced the trend of older iPhones. According to the '2024 South Korean Adult Smartphone Usage Survey' by Gallup Korea, 64% of respondents aged 18 to 29 use iPhones, while 34% use Galaxy smartphones. Notably, among women in their 20s, 75% reported using iPhones. Women in their 30s also favored iPhones at 59%, surpassing Galaxy users at 38%.
Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "Because Apple holds significant symbolic value, younger people tend to prefer iPhones," adding, "The recent popularity of used and older iPhones is mainly because they can be purchased cheaply and allow for taking sentimental photos."
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