Accessing iMessages and emails on second phone

[Llywelyncrhys]

My personal phone isn't an iPhone, so I'm afraid I'm not greatly familiar with them.
1. Is it possible to access iMessage and emails from my work phone on a cheaper, older iPhone? If so, how? I'm vaguely aware iCloud might be able to do it. I don't need calls.
2. How old an iPhone will be able to do this? The older the model, the less I have to pay. I really only want to be able to check if there is anything really important.
3. If this phone has wifi access do I need network? (Better if not, because more cost if i do.) If I need network, can I use a different SIM card and does that change how it should be set up?

As ancient wise men would advise, I don't want to take my work phone on canoe trip, or the sim card. There is wifi where I will be staying. I just want to buy the cheapest phone I can to check my emails/ messages. I don't really want to autoforward, but if that's the only option...

 

[J. A.]

Welcome to iPhone Forums!

To access emails and iMessages on an iPhone, you just need to set up the iCloud account and make sure it’s also checkmarked in Settings - Messages - Send & Receive.
On your work phone, go to Settings - Messages - Text Message Forwarding and enable this feature for the cheaper iPhone.

If you can access Wi-Fi, you don’t need a SIM card to get emails and text messages on your trip.

My son has an iPhone 6s as his main device, and it’s still working - not without problems, though. I suppose it should also be possible to use these features on an iPhone 4s, but I wouldn’t go back any further.

Hope that helps.