A social trend in South Korea has seen a resurgence in demand for old Apple iPhone models, specifically for the cameras and the type of photos they can take. The interest goes beyond “vintage” smartphone cameras and even extends to dated, discontinued digital cameras, according to a report published in English by The Korea Times, from a story in the Korean Hankook Ilbo newspaper.
It’s part of a trend referred to as “youngtro,” a portmanteau of young and retro, and is most popular among Millennials and Gen Z. The interest is being further driven by well-known singers and celebrities embracing the same trend, appearing in photos shared on social media where the old cameras and smartphones take an equally centerstage role in the image.
But why, when the iPhone 16 series has an incredibly versatile camera on the back, would someone choose to use an original iPhone SE to take photos? One student interviewed for the piece said, “I find the design of old iPhones from the Steve Jobs era more vintage and aesthetically pleasing than the latest models,” and another said, “The colors in photos taken with an old iPhone are more unique than those from newer models.”
What’s even more interesting is the individuals caught up in the trend tend to carry both a new iPhone (other smartphones are available, of course) and an old model or aging digital camera for taking photos. What’s also interesting is these cameras are being used over a retro-style filter, the main feature which rocketed Instagram to popularity when it first launched. It’s not only decade-old smartphone and digital cameras that fall into the youngtro trend, with wired headphones seeing a similar level of interest — and social media hype from stars — in mid-2024. The same group of people also pushed the instant camera back into vogue, resulting in recent research indicating the segment is still growing, despite being surpassed, technically, by smartphones.
The trend has seen prices of the most popular devices increase as demand rises. Retailers indicate the price of a used digital camera has tripled over the last few years, and more people are selling outdated iPhone models such as the iPhone 6S in the hope of turning a profit. Nostalgia-fueled crazes are nothing new — see vinyl records and retro gaming consoles for evidence — but it’s interesting to see how relatively recent smartphones are now falling into the category.
Apple is preparing to release a new version of the iPhone SE, which is expected to replace the old 12-megapixel rear camera with a 48MP camera, meaning that old iPhone SE (2022) may become a desirable collectors item soon, at least in South Korea.
