We understand. Phones are expensive and they seem to come out with a new model every other day. Upgrade too early and you may end up with little to no new worthwhile features; upgrade too late and you may end up spending more than you expect.
So, when should you upgrade when the new iPhone 15 arrives? There are two major factors to consider when answering this question: hardware and software.
Hardware Considerations
As with any other electronic device, wear and tear will eventually cause your iPhone, Android, or smartphone to cease functioning. Whether it’s a dead or bloated battery, a damaged screen display, or it was dropped in the toilet one too many times, electronic components will not last forever.
Getting your phone repaired is always the best first option. But when the replacement value becomes lower than the repair cost, you’re better off upgrading your phone to a newer model, whether pre-owned or fresh off the production line.
Software Considerations
Whether it’s Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, Motorola or any other smartphone manufacturer, no company is going to support every software version forever. At the same time, as software becomes more advanced, older models will fail to support the upgraded complexities.
Generally, when a new model is released, it’s installed with the newest version of the manufacturer’s software. When that happens, that software update is also sent out to every other active phone. At this point, certain models become obsolete in the eyes of the manufacturer. If this happens to be your device, you will no longer be able to upgrade your software.
Apple’s new iOS 17
In the coming weeks, Apple will release the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. As we stated above, this new model will come installed with the new iOS 17.
If you own an iPhone model older than iPhone XS, your device will no longer support this or any future software upgrade. Simply put, you will need to make a choice: Keep using and repairing your current phone or upgrade to a newer pre-owned device or new iPhone 15.
Keeping your current phone shouldn’t be an issue for a while, especially if it still works for what you need. However, without the update, you will be missing out on some important and trendy new features, such as:
- Line Voicemail: Ignore a call because you think it’s SPAM? Now you can see a live transcription of the caller’s voicemail so you can instantly connect with the caller if it turns out to be important.
- NameDrop: Much like AirDrop, you can now exchange contact information by bringing two iPhones together.
- Interactive Widgets: Having to open an app when using Lock screen and Home screen widgets is a thing of the past.
- Improved Autocorrect: a new machine learning system helps your phone better predict what you would like to say based on your texting habits. Autocorrected words will now also be underlined, so you can quickly change what shouldn’t have been corrected.
- Stop saying “Hey” to activate Siri.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. See more iOS 17 features and details.
Protection Matters
If you do make the decision to upgrade to the new iPhone 15, All Mobile Matters has you protected. We will have tempered glass for all new models in stock upon release. So, the moment you purchase your new phone, drop by one of our store locations and protect your display before your excitement gets the better of you (and your phone).