When is the right time to upgrade your phone?
Consumers vary as to when is the time to upgrade. Some will upgrade every year whilst others will hold onto their current phones until they begin to experience signs of aging.
If you are satisfied with your current phone then there is no need to upgrade to a better model. If you find the phone you have as fast, then upgrading to a faster one will be superfluous, as is upgrading your camera to a macro lens if all you use your camera for is to take casual pictures or selfies. Just because the new phone has more features doesn’t mean that you need them.
However, there are instances where an upgrade becomes necessary and that is because the hardware and software on your phone is not designed to last indefinitely.
Hardware
Over time hardware components will degrade. Battery degradation is a prime example of this when it comes to smartphones. Over time the capacity of the battery to remain charged gets less. It is possible to buy new batteries, and many people do choose to do this, but it should be weighed up against the price of buying a new phone. If you have a relatively old and cheap model it may not be worth replacing the battery as additional hardware or software issues may begin to surface.
An average phone user can wait for a few release cycles before thinking about upgrading to a newer model.
Software
At some point older models will not be able to update software and this can lead to difficulties with performance like incompatibility with apps. The most up-to-date software is important if you want the best performance from your smartphone. However, it is worth noting that updates for Android phones remain compatible for a few years and Apple updates even longer.
Are new technologies the reason to upgrade?
The release of new and advanced technologies together with the fact that many technologies do become dated, seems like a good reason to replace your old phone with a new and updated model.
Many of these new technologies are incorporated into these newer models and therefore at some time it will be necessary to upgrade as many of them will become standard.
Below are a couple of these new technologies:
5G. wireless mobile technology which performs much better than 4G in terms of faster downloading speeds for example. Many newer smartphones have 5G.
Wi-fi 6. Is now a wi-fi standard – faster network speed. It is however compatible with prior wi-fi standards.
New hardware
Each new smartphone will deliver the latest technologies, designed to provide a better performance. But it is important to consider if you will actually benefit from these therefore get value for your money. Depending on how and what you use your smartphone for should be factored in.
New software
Android or iOS operating system will have the newest security updates. But it will also contain many new innovations to enhance user experience. These new operating systems will be loaded with new features. It is worth checking out these features to see if they will be useful to you.
How much of an upgrade should you make?
Before you upgrade, consider what you need from your phone. You don’t necessarily need the latest model on the market and with each new release cycle, the previous models will drop in price. Perhaps one of these earlier models will work for you.
Another possibility is buying a refurbished phone rather than a new and expensive one and this also means you are doing your bit to protect the environment
Looking after the phone you have
As mentioned earlier, people are holding on to their phones for longer so it’s important to really look after it so that it continues to perform well. Protective screens are important as is using the correct charging accessories and a battery saver in order to prolong the life of the battery. It is also important to make sure you always download software updates when they become available so that you have all the best security features on your phone.
