iPhone 13 is here: Do you really need to upgrade? 5 reasons to hold on to that iPhone 6S or later
If you love tech, it's hard not to catch a case of fear of missing out when a new iPhone arrives.
On Tuesday, in what has become an annual September tradition, Apple unveiled its next iPhone. The iPhone 13 – available in standard, Mini, Pro and Pro Max models – is available for preorders on Friday and hits stores on Sept. 24.
The new iPhone will include a new A15 chip to bring boosts in speed and performance, as well as upgrades to the camera and battery life. It also boasts new features such as Cinematic Video, which helps bring people and objects into better focus.
The new iPhones start at $699 for the Mini, up to $1,099 for the Pro Max.
If you own an older iPhone, you might be thinking now is a great time to upgrade, but you may not want to shell out more money. Don't fret because, although it won't have the latest features, there are plenty of reasons to keep that device running.
Here are five reasons to hold on to that older iPhone:
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1. Your old iPhone is still really good
Give Apple credit for creating smartphones that have a pretty solid shelf life. If you just need a smartphone for the basics like email, social media, games and taking family pics, older iPhone models still hold up very well. Prior to getting an iPhone 12 Mini last year, I held on to my iPhone 7 for roughly four years, and it remained in pretty good shape.
2. You can replace the battery now
One reason your smartphone doesn't perform as well as it ages is the battery degrades over time. Think about how little you actually turn your phone off. The battery is running all the time. "As your battery health degrades, so can its ability to deliver peak performance," reads an explainer on Apple's website. Unlike the early days of the iPhone, you have the option of replacing your battery. Apple charges $49 to replace batteries on devices ranging from the iPhone 6 to the second-generation iPhone SE. If you own an iPhone X or later, it costs $69. Getting a new battery gives that older iPhone some extra life, and for a lot less than the cost of a new iPhone.
3. It still runs the latest version of iOS
Good news if you own a 6S or later: You are still eligible to download iOS 15, the latest version of Apple's operating system for iPhones launching Monday as a free update. Those older iPhones will still get a good number of the new features coming to iOS 15, including Focus mode for managing notifications, as well as updates to Safari, Maps, Weather and the Photos apps. However, you might miss out on some iOS 15 features depending on your iPhone.
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4. You like the features of older iPhones
There are times I miss the Home button on my old iPhone 7, primarily because it supported Touch ID, where users can log in to their phone or access certain apps requiring passwords by using their fingerprints. Plus, if you're not a fan of the larger iPhone screens, it's easy to hang on to that older iPhone 6S, for example, with its 4.7-inch touchscreen.
5. It's good for the environment
According to a U.N. report from 2019, the world produces as much as 50 million tons of electronic and electrical waste, also called e-waste, every year. One way to cut back is by extending the lives of our devices such as our smartphones.
"While recycling smartphones is required when phones truly reach end of life stage, keeping phones in use for longer (and therefore minimizing the number that actually need to be recycled) keeps materials in use for longer, reduces waste streams, and means less energy is required for recycling processes," said Mo Chatterji of the World Economic Forum in a post published in July.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: iPhone 13 is here: Don't ditch your old iPhone. 5 reasons to keep it
