Let’s face it, iPhones are not cheap.  While the new hotness is fantastic every year, the cost of constantly upgrading is prohibitive.  As an iPhone developer, I see clear indicators when it is time to upgrade. These run the range from code to condition.  Here are the top 3 reasons to trade up

1. Physical condition

I have 3 sub categories for this:

• Your screen is trashed
• Charging cable is finicky
• Battery doesn’t last

The physical condition of the phone is important.  Consider this when you purchase a phone and coordinate your purchase with a case that is compatible with your phone’s lifestyle.  A friend f mine admits she is a dropper! For phones that live a hard life, there’s nothing better IMHO than the Otter Box.  Maybe its something a simple as a pop-socket, which you can buy at Walgreens).  For me, I like my wallet and phone together and have found a good balance of safety and functionality in the Silk cases.

Either way, if your charging cable has to be plugged in a certain way or the battery only lasts so long or your screen is trashed, consider this a sign!  It’s time and also time to consider how you’ll extend the life of your next phone.  Wireless charger maybe?

2. You can no longer get updates

Apple has a schedule for how long a device needs to be supported by developers.  This means that when we build apps in Xcode, we see the device available and the screen size is a consideration for design as well as operation.  At the time of writing this article, the current iPhone is the 12 Pro and I am required to maintain compatibility for my apps on devices ranging back to the iPhone 8.  You can check your device for its support availability online HERE. 

Once your device is no longer eligible for updates, you risk the security of your data on the device.  You also fail to benefit from all the new features when the software updates. The other side of not getting updates is just a general lack of responsiveness.  Is your phone slow to load web or apps?  These are indicators that the model is getting old.

Apple has a good program for upgrading and often takes trade in’s.  It used to not be worth trading a device in, (I used to sell mine on eBay), but anymore, the trade in for a device a couple versions old is as much as it sells for.  I keep an eye on it as the new devices come out.

3. You’re ALWAYS out of space

This is a big one.  There is a very interesting concept named Moore’s Law.  It states that the processing power doubles every 2 years as the cost halves.  What this means is that the pace of change and quantity of data we are able to process grows exponentially. Photos are a great example of this.

As phone cameras improve, the size of the pictures and video grow.  That means that the amount of space necessary on our devices also grows.  If you find yourself always out of space, this might be an indicator as well.  Consider using iCloud to cache your photos and videos as well a files.  The hosting service runs intelligently and manages storage efficiently.  Still, hosting will only get you so far.  Sometimes, you just need space!

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On the subject of Android phones, it is simply not a world I know well enough to opine. There are a great many versions for both phones and software out there. I assume the indicators are the same but I just don’t know. Sorry! I hope this helps – a new iPhone is always exciting.  Use this simple guide to figure out when!