12 Signs You Should Get a New iPhone

You Can Afford It

If you're on a tight budget, upgrading your iPhone might not be the best idea. For those of us who can't afford a new iPhone every year, we need to start saving some money before we even consider upgrading.

But what happens if you actually have some money saved up? Well, if you can afford a new iPhone and you feel like your current device isn't working as it's supposed to, you should totally take the plunge.

Getting the newest iPhone will guarantee that you don't have to upgrade to a new phone for at least five more years.

Your iPhone Is Too Damaged

While most iPhones are durable enough to take a drop or two, there might be a time when you completely damage your iPhone.

Some of us might continue using a damaged iPhone because it still works. However, using a damaged iPhone isn't much fun, and it could even be dangerous depending on how damaged it is.

For instance, if you have a cracked display, the cracks could potentially harm you when you scroll your finger on the display.

You shouldn't be afraid of using your iPhone because it might hurt you, so consider upgrading to a new iPhone or at least repairing the old one.

Battery Life Isn't as Good as It Was

It doesn't matter if your iPhone is still a performance beast if you can't make its battery last more than a few hours.

Sure, the iPhone has never had the best battery life on the market, but as your device gets older, the battery will also start to reduce its capacity.

There are a few things you can do to slow down the aging process of a battery, but if your battery is too old, the damage will already have been done, and you should consider upgrading your iPhone — or at least changing the battery. However, even though a battery replacement is reasonably affordable compared to the price of a new phone, you have to ask yourself if it's really worth pouring money into a much older model.

Your iPhone Has a Lot of Issues

If you're using an older iPhone, it's likely that you will run into some software problems. Whether it's small bugs or phone-breaking glitches, your iPhone might start to act up randomly.

What's worse, if you have a really old iPhone, you probably aren't getting software updates anymore, which means Apple won't bother fixing your issues because not many people use older iPhones anymore.

If you're tired of these bugs, the only thing you can do is upgrade to a newer model.

Your iPhone Is Overheating

All iPhones, new or old, will overheat from time to time. Of course, it'll also depend on the way you use and charge your device.

With that said, older iPhones might overheat for no apparent reason. You might experience overheating while your iPhone is charging, even if you aren't using it when it charges.

Not only is this an issue, but it can also damage your iPhone's battery and hardware in the long run. If this is happening to you, upgrading your iPhone might be the best solution.

No One's Repairing Your iPhone Anymore

There comes a time with any iPhone when repair shops might not have the necessary equipment to fix your old iPhone. Depending on where you live, Apple will continue providing parts for an iPhone for 5–7 years after it's discontinued. Beyond that point, it's considered "vintage" or "obsolete."

You can go to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, and chances are they might be able to fix it. However, if not even Apple's own stores can fix your iPhone, that's a clear sign that your iPhone is far too old, and you should consider getting a new one.

Your iPhone Has Become Too Slow

One of the best things about the iPhone is that it performs well even after several years of use, but that might not always be the case.

While your iPhone might still get software updates, they might be too big or demanding for it to work properly.

Not only that but with apps and games constantly adding new features and updates, your iPhone might not be able to run your favorite apps as smoothly as before.

Unfortunately, besides trying to restart your iPhone, there isn't a way to fix this issue. The only thing you can do is upgrade to a newer, more powerful iPhone.

It's Become Less Expensive to Buy a New iPhone

In most cases, repairing your iPhone will be cheaper and more convenient than just buying a newer phone. However, if your iPhone is too old or too damaged, you might actually be losing money repairing it.

There might be times when repairing your iPhone is just too expensive, and you might be better off buying a new iPhone. If that's the case, it's best to kiss your old iPhone goodbye and focus on buying a newer model.

Apps Keep Crashing

A common problem with older iPhones is that they can't run new apps as well as they used to.

As we mentioned before, most apps get updates that are more demanding because of all their new features. The result will be that your iPhone won't be able to handle these apps, and they'll crash randomly.

In the worst-case scenario, your old iPhone might not even be able to install these new apps, which would leave you with older, unsupported versions of the app or trying to find a good replacement.

You Want a Faster Connection

Older iPhones can use Wi-Fi and cellular, but Apple has been improving connectivity with the newer models over the past few years.

For instance, you now have access to 5G and Wi-Fi 6E, which are both more secure, reliable, and faster connections than before.

If you feel like browsing the web is daunting on your current iPhone, you might want to upgrade to a newer iPhone.

You Need a USB-C Port

In 2023, Apple finally changed the iPhone's port from Lightning to USB-C. Granted, Apple was basically forced by the EU, but it's still great news for iPhone users.

However, this means that if you have an older iPhone, you don't have a USB-C port. Having a universal port is more useful than carrying a different cable for all of your different devices.

Moreover, if you need a faster way to transfer data from your iPhone, the USB-C on the iPhone 15 Pro models will make the upgrade worth it.

Apple Doesn't Support Your iPhone Anymore

Generally speaking, Apple supports most iPhones for around five years, which means you'll get at least five different software updates if you buy a new iPhone.

But what happens if your iPhone can't support the latest software update? Well, Apple might still release a few updates to your older model, but they'll mostly be to fix critical security problems, not everyday bugs.

Granted, it's great that you might still get a couple of upgrades every now and then, but if you want to try Apple's latest features or you want your iPhone to use the latest software update available, you'll need to upgrade.