The lifespan of mobile phones is getting longer and longer. Nowadays, few people actually replace their phones with new ones every year. Meaningful upgrades to smartphones do not happen every year. Of course, this situation is kinder to the earth and your wallet.一部 iPhone 的寿命可以多长？ Although you can continue to persist, there will definitely be some signs before it is time to change your phone. When these key points appear, it is time to change your phone.
How long does an iPhone last? What are the signs that it’s time to switch?
Your iPhone should receive about six major updates
Modern iPhones should last six to seven versions of iOS. Take iPhone 7 as an example, it was launched with iOS 10 in September 2016 and will be supported by iOS 15 in September 2021; while iPhone 6S is even longer, ending its life from iOS 9 to iOS 15.
The so-called “major update” refers to a major new version of iOS. These new versions of the system can be downloaded and installed for free. They are usually released with new machines in September every year. Until the next major version appears, some smaller updates will be launched for compatible devices to fix errors, add new features, etc. Every year Apple decides which devices will end support, meaning they will be stuck on the last full version of iOS until they are retired.
Missing out on major iOS updates means missing out on new features and fixes for core apps like Safari, Notes, and Messages. For example, iOS 16 introduced the ability to edit and unsend messages, which you won’t be able to use if you’re stuck on iOS 15.
After iOS support ends, security updates will continue
While your old iPhone may be missing out on the latest and greatest features, Apple has a good track record of providing security updates to outdated devices, and phones aren’t orphaned just because they’re designated as obsolete. For example, iOS 12.5.6 was released in December 2022, nearly four years after the original iOS 12 launch, and the iPhone 5S stopped receiving major updates after iOS 12, but Apple still ensured that the device was patched four years later. The update fixes a zero-day vulnerability in the WebKit rendering engine in Safari (for good reason, as the vulnerability is suspected to have been exploited).
Battery life is also a reason to buy a new phone
One of the reasons why many people want to upgrade to a new iPhone is that the battery life has significantly decreased. According to experience, after about three years of standard use, the decline in iPhone battery capacity will be noticeable. It will no longer have the same bumps as when it was new. This is also a problem that occurs with most portable electronic products equipped with lithium batteries.
You can check the current battery status of your iPhone in “Settings >> Battery >> Battery Health and Charging” at any time to find out what the current maximum capacity of the battery is. If you see a message describing “Unexpected Shutdown” under the “Peak Performance Capacity” heading, your iPhone’s battery may have degraded to the point where Apple has applied performance management features to extend its lifespan, which also means your iPhone is actually being throttled (slowed down) so that system operation does not consume too much power.
The most direct remedy for this situation is to replace the battery. Usually your iPhone has expired Apple’s original warranty at this time, but the cost of replacing the battery is much cheaper than replacing it with a new one. But if your iPhone has been used for a long time and there are obvious deficiencies in performance, then you can consider replacing it with a new one.
iPhone performance is a telling metric
Poor performance is likely a side effect of a faulty iPhone battery, and it also indicates that your iPhone is old. Replacing the battery at this time will not fundamentally solve the performance problem. Newer iPhone models have better CPUs and GPUs, higher memory, faster storage, and better machine learning capabilities. Newer versions of iOS are built according to new specifications, so older iPhones will struggle to run them.
After iOS upgrades, iPhone users complain that their phones become slower and consume more battery. Apple drops support for an older device with almost every major iOS update, which means the operating system becomes more demanding on hardware over time. If your iPhone is running slowly, you may want to consider switching. You may notice slowdowns when swiping on the home screen, browsing web pages in Safari, or using certain apps. GPU-intensive apps (such as 3D games) are often the first to notice that your device is too old. Core features like Siri may take longer to process your requests, you may see noticeable stuttering when viewing gadgets or performing Spotlight searches, and even launching apps and unlocking the device can be noticeable.
Aim for meaningful hardware upgrades
According to the current development of mobile phone technology, iPhone updates every year are not as “wow-inducing” as in the past. The new iPhone may only provide moderate improvements over the previous year, as well as corresponding new features, improvements and design changes. This is especially true in terms of performance. Models launched in the past three or four years are still very good to use now.
This phenomenon is actually a good situation for consumers. You can continue to use your existing iPhone and wait for the things you really like to appear, such as an improved 120Hz display, a better camera system, a better sensor, etc. Most iPhone users would like to see the phone have longer battery life, a brighter screen that can be read clearly in sunlight, and more widespread design improvements. None of these improvements will be implemented in the same generation, and you may need to be more patient and wait for the ideal hardware upgrade to appear.
Before deciding whether to change your phone, you can use Model comparison tool on Apple’s official website, compare the significant improvements in various specifications between the iPhone you are using and the latest model, so as to understand whether the features or hardware configurations you are most concerned about meet your needs and attract you to buy. The same method can be used to compare whether to replace the Apple Watch, because it also upgrades very slowly.
Source: KOCPC Chinese