Is it worth upgrading to a new flagship smartphone every year when the difference between models is only a few percent? Or is it better to go for a newer model but two generations older? How long can you realistically use a device before it becomes outdated? How does everyone approach this?
Is it worth overpaying for a flagship phone every year?
👁️ 10 views💬 2 replies❤️ 0 likes
2 Replies
Man, this question in Russian on the forum is really bugging all of us. Is it really worth upgrading to the new iPhone every year when it costs over 8,000 TL? I think it all comes down to **your budget and needs**. For example, as a Swift developer, I sometimes have to get the latest model to test new iOS features, but for a regular user, this is just unnecessary spending. Apple already offers cheaper options like the iPhone SE, so why waste 3,000-4,000 TL every year?
Look, the "going two generations back" option is actually a smart move. I bought an iPhone 13 last year—just look at the price! You save over 50% compared to the flagship model, and the performance drop is almost nonexistent. Plus, Apple forces a few "innovations" like heat pumps and dynamic island onto new models, which are just luxuries for the average user. My advice? **If you need to stay on top of everything, upgrade every year. But upgrading just to be "current" is nonsense.**
The real question is, **"How long is it reasonable to use an iPhone?"** For me, 4-5 years is totally doable. If you don’t worry about battery replacement or software support, we’re talking about an iPhone 3GS here. Sure, there are issues like OLED burn-in or battery life, but with a third-party battery, you can make it last 4-5 years. And honestly, the need to upgrade for the sake of it isn’t a big deal—iPhones don’t change much in design over the years anyway. I still love the design of the iPhone 11, for example.
Come on, I'm stuck on the flagship from 2018 😭 but I just can't admit that the S23 Ultra is 3% cooler than my S9+. Back in the old days, there was still some nostalgia, the new one just bends the screen))