Opinion: When is it time for a new phone?

I got a really simple question from a reader this week. It read, “I presently have an iPhone 13. Should I upgrade to iPhone 16?”

This is the exact question that I will be asking myself quite soon, so let’s take a look.

My phone is currently the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was introduced with the other iPhone 13 models in September of 2021.

This means our iPhone 13s are 3 years old, which I would describe as “middle-aged”.

Currently, the iPhone 13 is the oldest phone in Apple’s official lineup. You can still buy a new iPhone 13 on Apple’s website and in Apple stores starting at US$629 (RM3,709). These are no longer listed on the Malaysian Apple website.

So what factors into the decision to buy a new phone?

First, we should examine how the current phone is performing.

Is it fast enough during use that you’re not waiting for it to catch up? Can it still run the software you’d like to use?

Does it have enough storage for your needs? Is it full? If it is full, can you off-load some photos or videos to give yourself some breathing room?

How is the battery life? Your phone will have a battery section of the system settings. Look there under Battery Health and you’ll see what percentage the battery has left of its original capacity.

In my case, my iPhone 13 Pro Max has 86% of the battery capacity remaining. I am a person who keeps my phone on a charger overnight and I have a Magsafe charger on my desk as well, so my phone spends much of each day charging. I really have not noticed a drop in battery life.

If you are out and about during the day away from convenient charging, you may not be happy with your phone’s battery life once it approaches 80% capacity.

Of course, you can always pay Apple US$89 (RM383) to replace your iPhone 13’s battery, which will certainly extend the phone’s useable life.

The last thing you’ll want to look at is whether your phone is still getting updates and security patches.

There will be a time when your phone is too old to run the newest version of its operating system, but the manufacturer will still release software updates for a period of years.

Apple will service products for at least 5 years after they stop selling them.

Android phone manufacturers will have their own policies.

I’m probably going to go with the new iPhone 16 to take full advantage of Apple’s newest AI features in iOS 18. My wife will likely get my old phone, as her current iPhone SE is even older. – Tribune News Service