Buy or wait? Here is a guide to phone updates

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It’s almost phone season again, the time of year when tech companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung bombard us with glitzy marketing campaigns to get us to upgrade.

Their new phones vary somewhat, but the tone is always more or less the same: the phone you have is no longer good enough because this new one has a fancier camera and brighter screen, as well as being faster. Then give the old one to a less tech-inclined family member or exchange it for credit for a shiny new gadget.

This hype cycle creates an annual dilemma: is it time to upgrade? We all know that after a few years our phones no longer work as they used to. It may not be able to run the latest apps. It may seem slow. Some components, such as touch screens, may begin to fail.

At some point, it becomes practical to get a new phone, like when you add up too many negatives or the cost to repair a broken part is too high. But often, updates may not be necessary because the elements that make us dissatisfied with our phones can be fixed with some care.

Either way, let your personal situation and not the charm of the phone season guide you and take your time to contemplate.

In general, we need to avoid tying the update to: Hey, a new iPhone is out. Now is the time to think about it, said Nick Guy, a senior writer on the staff of Wirecutter, the New York Times’ sister publication that tests the products. There is nothing wrong with getting a phone later.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and some practical advice to help deliberate on this decision.

Not satisfied with my phone?

The first and most important step is to evaluate your satisfaction with your phone. If there are things that are making you unhappy, delve into the problems.

Much of what makes us unhappy with our phones can be fixed, so it’s helpful to be aware of the solutions. Here are two of the most common frustrations and their remedies:

If the device feels sluggish or doesn’t last all day, one of the simplest and cheapest solutions is to replace the battery. Apple stores will replace a $ 50 to $ 70 iPhone battery, and many independent technicians can repair Apple and Android phone batteries for the same price.

Replacing the battery significantly extends the life of a device and speeds it up. Because batteries have a limited life, it is still recommended to replace them every two to three years, said Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a company that publishes instructions on repairing gadgets.

Another common problem is running out of data storage space, which prevents people from taking multiple photos and downloading apps. A quick fix is ​​to delete the apps you no longer use. On iPhone, Apple offers the iPhone Storage tool, which shows a list of apps that are taking up the most data and when they were last used. On Android devices, Google offers a similar tool, Files.

Some important problems cannot be easily solved. A broken touch screen could cost $ 200 or more to replace, for example, which comes close to the price of a decent new phone, like the $ 400 iPhone SE or the $ 300 Google Pixel 4A. more than half of a new phone, it may be time to think about exchanging your battered gadget for credit for a new one.

Can i get software updates?

Phone manufacturers regularly release software updates that include new features but also fix security vulnerabilities, so it’s important to stay up to date on the installation. A good rule of thumb is to consider an update when you can no longer get software updates.

Apple phones receive software updates for five to six years. (Apple’s iOS 15 software, coming this fall, will be compatible with phones up to the iPhone 6S from 2015.) Android devices get them for a shorter period of about two to three years.

While security updates are important, it may not be practical for some people to update them as soon as software updates run out, said Sinan Eren, an executive at security firm Barracuda Networks. In countries like Turkey, various taxes can add up to a roughly 100% markup on electronics, he said, which means customers have an economic incentive to keep a device for more than five years.

It’s a difficult situation and therefore a luxury to even think about safety, Eren said.

There are ways around this problem. Anti-malware apps, such as Malwarebytes, can safely keep older Android phones running just a little bit longer. Apple phones can also run apps like 1Blocker, which blocks malicious ads from loading on websites.

How would a new phone change my life?

It’s important to imagine what your life would be like with a new phone, said Guy of Wirecutter. If you have a newborn on the way and your phone’s camera takes blurry photos, an upgrade with a better camera will likely change your phone experience in a remarkable way.

But if you primarily use a phone for just basic tasks like making calls, texting, and browsing the web, a newer, faster one won’t make a big difference because phones have been very fast for years.

Don’t replace something that works well just because there’s a newer, brighter version, Guy said.

This story was originally posted on nytimes.com. Read it here.

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