HOW LONG DO IPHONES LAST?

HOW TO DECIDE WHEN TO THROW IN THE TOWEL

- AMY SPITZFADEN BOTH

Most of my rules of thumb about how long technology is supposed to last come from the early 2000s and are wildly out of date. In general, more affordable parts for mass production means our at-home tech fizzles out much faster than it used to, but those of us stubborn enough to hold onto something until its dying beep may need a little guidance on when to let go. To save you all from that heartbreaking moment where your iPhone simply refuses to ever start up again and you’re suddenly without any phone at all, here are some tips on when you might want to consider springing for a new one.

WHAT IS AN IPHONE’S LIFESPAN?

Many people see a decline in performance around the twoyear mark. A lot of this can depend on wear and tear, along with how many times you’ve dropped your iPhone, but since this seems to be a pretty consistent trend for most iPhone users, I think two and a half years is a more accurate measure for how long your iPhone will work well.

Some people keep their iPhones for five years or more before they squeeze out that last drop of life, and a lot depends on how many trips to the Genius Bar you’re willing to make and how much you want to spend on new batteries, screens, and other physical parts. Overall, you can expect a regular iPhone to be in your life for at least two or three years. If your iPhone 13 or 14 is still working fine, you probably don’t need an iPhone 15 (but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade if you want to). On the other hand, if you’re rocking a much older model, an upgrade might make more sense.

WHEN SHOULD I BUY A NEW IPHONE?