Ask HN: What do you do with outdated smartphones/mp4s?

[toxiclance]

[sidcool]

Some of them are very good for pet projects and hacking and rooting and doing stuff you would not dare to do on your new phones. I would love to tinker with them a bit.

[topp1 → sidcool]

I have a lg risio that is just sitting around and my new Alcatel idol 4 is there anything that can be done with them?As far as rooting and apps.

[jrnichols]

If they're old and junky I recycle them through Apple's program.

http://www.apple.com/shop/help/recycle

if they're horribly trashed, they get taken out and used for target practice.

[zhte415]

I only have one outdated smartphone, bought about 2010, and discarded late 2015 simply because the USB charging mechanism was too worn out (could have got that fixed, but wanted Android 4.x which it couldn't do); was on its second battery. It now sits peacefully in my desk draw at work.

[simon_acca]

Donate them to save the rainforest!

Also, the project is an interesting technical solution in and of itself.

https://rfcx.org/

[camhenlin]

Old smartphones are pretty good to use as security cameras with the right app. I use airbeam on older iOS devices

[herbst]

I scratch my phones badly so i cant resell them. But if i or a friend need a temporary phone i happily give them out.

[tarun_anand]

Usually trading them in for a new phone or resell on a classifieds site. What country are you based in?