"OLD" phones usage... (update, towers, GPS, automatically)

[irman]

For those people who often upgrade their phones rather often, can old phones still be used for anything else, except making a phone call?
I do know you can still call 911 on a not-activated phone.
However, I wonder if you still could use all the private APPS, you loaded onto that phone before?
For instance, could you use a not-activated phone to run a GPS APP?

[dontaskwhy]

The apps will continue to work, even without a cellular connection. The phone will allow you to connect to Wifi but you might not automatically get app updates. You may need to periodically check for updates manually. Don't forget that (as an example) if you had an old Analog phone, it cannot make 911 calls any longer as all of the US carriers have disconnected those networks/towers from their system.

[akrausz]

Everything will work. Take your SIM card out and try it.

[phetaroi]

I use it as a timer, and as a camera.

[Peregrine]

Originally Posted by irman

For instance, could you use a not-activated phone to run a GPS APP?

This will work ONLY if you download the maps data ahead of time. Otherwise you won't see the map... just a cursor on a screen.
Google Maps and Waze both allow this and you can download pretty substantial areas.

[Deuce88]

I don't keep my old phone, I trade it in. My last phone was a year old and I got a $600 trade-in. I only lost $99 and tax for a year of use!

[Amontillado]

I use a navigation app which doesn't rely on a cell connection at all--you have to download data off the internet for the states (or European countries--sometimes regions of a country) you plan to travel in, or if you fall off the edge of the area you've got the information for, you can use a very basic "world map". But once you have the maps loaded, you're all set. So an old phone would be usable as a GPS receiver or a camera; just don't expect to make actual phone calls with it.