Upgrading your iPhone costs vary, but expect to pay anywhere from $0 (with significant trade-in/plan deals) to over $1,000 for a new flagship model, depending on your current phone's trade-in value (often hundreds of dollars off), the new model's price (like an iPhone 17 Pro Max starting at $1,999+), and whether you use installment plans or carrier deals like Apple's Upgrade Program. The final cost depends heavily on your chosen device, trade-in, and payment method, with trade-ins reducing new phone costs by up to $1,120 or more.
The Yearly Upgrade
Cost of a new iPhone: $800 (or $33/month for 2 years) Trade-in value (after 1 year): $410. Net cost of upgrading: $390.
Upgrading from an iPhone 13 to the 15 is worthwhile if you value significant camera upgrades (48MP sensor, better zoom), the convenience of USB-C, the Dynamic Island, and a brighter display, as these offer a noticeable jump in features and future-proofing. However, if your iPhone 13 still performs well and meets your needs, holding onto it is a sensible choice, as the 13 remains a capable device, making the upgrade a "nice-to-have" rather than a "must-have" unless specific features are a priority, say T3 and Swappie.
It's not a mistake. You can upgrade early after 6 months by paying another 6 months worth plus returning your iPhone in. Otherwise you'll have to wait until you made 12 payments in order to be eligible for an upgrade.
Often, people choose to upgrade due to new models being released, which can be quite tempting. But if there is nothing wrong with your phone in terms of functionality and you are still able to get the latest updates, then we suggest keeping hold of your phone for longer.
Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago.
The reality is that upgrading your phone yearly can save you money and cost you money. If you pay monthly for your phone, and you haven't yet paid it off, an early upgrade might mean you're not getting the full value out of your original investment.
In most cases you may need to pay off the remaining balance on your current phone before upgrading.
The 20-80 rule for iPhones suggests keeping the battery charge between 20% and 80% to minimize stress on the lithium-ion battery, thereby extending its overall lifespan and health by avoiding the high-stress points of full discharge (0%) and full charge (100%). While not a strict necessity for daily use, this practice reduces battery degradation by avoiding deep discharges and the taxing final 20% of charging, helping maintain battery capacity longer, though modern iPhones have built-in features like Optimized Battery Charging to manage this.
If you download from iCloud, your apps and data will be downloaded in the background so that you can start using your new device straight away. If you transfer directly from your previous device, you'll need to wait for the transfer to be finished on both devices before you can use them.
For most people, the iPhone 15 is the best choice due to its significantly improved camera (48MP), brighter display, modern Dynamic Island, USB-C port, and better performance with more RAM, offering better future-proofing than the older iPhone 13 or 14. The iPhone 13 remains a great value option for budget-conscious buyers needing solid everyday performance, while the iPhone 14 offers fewer compelling upgrades over the 13 to justify its cost over the 15.
Apple hasn't announced an official end date, but based on trends, the iPhone 12 series (released in 2020) is expected to receive major iOS updates until around 2027-2029, with security patches continuing even longer, potentially into the early 2030s, though performance might slow and apps drop support sooner. Expect iOS 20, 21, and possibly iOS 22 before major support ends for the iPhone 12.
An iPhone 13 can last 4-6 years or more with proper care, benefiting from Apple's long software support (expect updates until ~2027-2028) and physical durability, but a battery replacement around year 2-3 is crucial for maintaining performance, extending its useful life significantly beyond typical 2-3 year upgrade cycles.
Although new phone features can be tempting, you should typically finish paying off your current device before upgrading to make sound financial decisions.
An iPhone hit the $2,000 price point with the iPhone 17 Pro Max (2TB variant in late 2025), catering to heavy professional users, but the base models remain much cheaper, while the original 2007 iPhone started at $499 (4GB) or $599 (8GB) with a contract, and rare sealed first-gen iPhones now sell for over $100,000 at auction.
Apple can no longer block links to external payment methods, ending the mandatory use of its in-app purchase system and its steep 30% commission. This means any app on the App Store that handles purchases, subscriptions, or digital payments can now redirect users to an external payment gateway—saving up to 90% in fees.
It's especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 95° F (35° C), which can permanently damage battery capacity. That is, your battery won't power your device as long on a given charge. Charging the device in high ambient temperatures can damage it further.
You can charge your iPhone every night even if the battery isn't fully depleted. iPhone automatically stops charging when the battery is fully charged, so it's safe to keep your iPhone connected to a charger overnight. Charging resumes automatically if your battery level drops below 95 percent.
iPhone battery's maximum capacity
It starts out at 100% (or just under), and as the battery ages, capacity decreases, which means you get fewer hours between charges. If the number you see under Maximum Capacity is more than 80%, you have a healthy battery, according to Apple.
If you'd prefer to carry out extensive research and find satisfaction with the perfect phone, go for an online purchase. But if you want a smooth, simple experience with straightforward expert advice, in-store might be the best place to buy your phones.
iPhones generally last four years or more without any major issues. But unless you have a pressing need or a lot of disposable income, upgrading every year is just contributing to unnecessary waste — and let's be honest, it adds to the growing carbon footprint we should all be more mindful of.
If you're buying outright your plan won't change. If you're going to finance the phones you may need to change the plan if you're going to take advantage of a promotion.
Three-finger gestures on iPhone primarily activate accessibility features like VoiceOver (for screen reading and navigation) and Zoom (magnification), allowing scrolling, zooming, and text manipulation (copy/paste/undo) with specific taps and drags, though some text actions work without VoiceOver enabled for quick editing. Common gestures include three-finger double-tap to toggle VoiceOver speech, triple-tap for the screen curtain, and pinching/spreading with three fingers for copy/paste actions, notes this YouTube video.
Driven by a desire to escape screens and reclaim a sense of control, they are resurrecting digital cameras, flip phones and CDs. It's not unusual to see them roaming the aisles of a record store or doing sidewalk photo shoots with digital cameras, as if they had traveled back to the early 2000s.
The most strategic months for buying a new cell phone typically fall around late summer through early fall—specifically August to October. This period aligns perfectly with major smartphone releases from leading brands like Apple and Samsung.