With Apple releasing its latest iPhone range, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, it’s that time when many people are contemplating whether they should update their current iPhone. But the bigger question is how long should you wait between updates?
The iPhone is incrementally changing
While Apple makes a big deal of each new iPhone release, the reality is that we are now at a stage where we are seeing incremental improvement rather than massive step changes. While the iPhone 14 offers a number of improvements over the iPhone 13, they aren’t massive changes (unless you believe all the hyperbole coming from Apple).
But when you skip three or four generations – say coming from the iPhone Xs or iPhone 11 – you can see significant improvements. That’s because the smaller annual changes accumulate into something more meaningful.
This is not all Apple’s fault. In the days for the first few iPhone generations, we moved from 3G to 4G, screen technology improved substantially as we moved from LCD to LED and OLED and Appel refined its manufacturing process. So we saw some significant changes from one generation to the next.
Apple also changed the form factor a few times along the way with the most recent iPhones something for a throwback to the well-liked iPhone 4 with its less rounded edges.
Cost is a factor
A new iPhone is not cheap. Most businesses depreciate the value of technology assets over three or four years. They do this because there’s an understanding that a technology asset remains useful, and therefore valuable, for several years.
$1399 to $2769 for a new iPhone is a significant investment for most people. Holding onto your iPhone for a few years means you maximise the return on that investment.
New versions don’t make old ones instantly obsolete
Apple releases operating system and other updates for iPhones many years after they are released. There is a perception that older iPhones start to slow down when new operating systems are released. And there has been research done that shows the number of Google searches relating to slowing of iPhones peaks when new models are released and when there’s a major update to iOS.
The reality is that your iPhone 13 did not magically become a brick the day iPhone 14 entered the world. But, iOS 16 will not install on devices released before the iPhone 8 from 2017. iOS 15, released in 2021, supported devices going back to the iPhone 6s from 2016.
Apple seems to have established a policy, which I can’t find officially documented, where it will support the last five years of iPhone models with iOS updates. But, older versions of iOS for older phones still get some updates to protect users from major security vulnerabilities. Again, if there’s a policy about this I can’t find it.
When should you update your iPhone?
If your iPhone is less than five years old there’s no reason to update it in order to access the latest version of iOS unless there is a specific new feature that will not work on your iPhone. There are occasions when a new feature will rely on a piece of hardware that is not included on older iPhones.
If your iPhone is more than five years old, I recommend upgrading. The good news is that you can minimise the cost by either purchasing a newer refurbished models (either from a reputable second hand dealer or from Apple’s refurbished products store) or buying a new, older iPhone.
Apple still sells the iPhone 12 and 13 as well as the entry level iPhone SE.
My general rule is that an iPhone should last at least three years as long as you don’t drop it or mistreat it by leaving it in the sun for excessive periods. At the three year mark, it’s time to start asking whether the accumulation of new features added in each incremental update warrant a new iPhone. The answer to that will depend on your specific wants and needs.
If you have strong technolust, an annual upgrade might be on the cards, if your budget can handle it.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.