The iPhone 4 is the classic camera phone that retro lovers can't get enough of — but don't skip these essential security tips
Retro revival
· TechRadarFeatures By Jamie Richards published 8 January 2026
(Image credit: Shutterstock - Sean Locke Photography) Share Share by:
Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google
In 2025, Apple released its most advanced iPhone lineup of all time. From the great-value iPhone 17, to the sleek iPhone Air, to the super-powered iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, these are some of the best iPhones ever made and, in the case of the Pro models, some of the most advanced handsets ever released to market.
Apple’s current smartphone offering is the best it’s ever been, but in a world where Y2K fashion dominates the racks, vinyl fills record stores, and the Nintendo DSi has found a second life as a concert camera, it’s not that surprising that retro-obsessed tech fans have driven a huge increase in demand for the nearly 16-year-old iPhone 4 over the past 12 months.
According to research from online phone recycling company Compare and Recycle, Google searches for “buy iPhone 4” have increased by 979% in the last year. That’s almost a tenfold increase in search interest for the long-obsolete handset.
That surge has seemingly been driven by nostalgic tech users looking to buy the iPhone 4, and other older iPhone models, to use as a digital camera. The throwback aesthetic of older cameras is definitively on-trend at the moment, with almost 350,000 TikToks and nearly 700,000 Instagram posts using the hashtag #digicam.
As so many Gen-Z and Millennial users grew up with an early iPhone, it makes sense that the iPhone 4 and other classic iPhones would swing back into the trend cycle as younger folks and retro tech enthusiasts look for their next hit of nostalgia.
And being a proud member of Gen-Z myself, I can tell you that I’ve come across one or two 'zoomers' who've picked up an old iPhone to use as a digital camera, whether for their own personal use or to market projects and events on social media.
As you might expect, the iPhone 4’s camera can’t hold a candle to the current iPhone’s photography system when it comes to the spec sheet or objective test scenarios. The iPhone 4 sports a single 5MP camera with up to 5x digital zoom and the ability to shoot 720p video. The iPhone 17 Pro sports three 48MP cameras (wide, ultra-wide, and 4x zoom), up to 40x digital zoom, and 4K video recording.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors