Technology changes rapidly, but that’s not the only reason why we often find ourselves buying a new phone every other year. Smartphones aren’t exactly easy for the average owner to repair, and the latest apps to hit the market tend to only function on the latest operating systems.
These factors make it nearly impossible to get the same enjoyment out of, for example, an iPhone 3 than an iPhone 8 or X. At some point, you’ll wish you could still use all of your apps and enjoy a functional iPhone, but without the enormous cost of a brand-new model.
Fortunately, there are some affordable ways to do just that.
- Sell your old iPhone. To put some cash back into your bank account after buying a newer iPhone, you can sell your iPhone to a refurbishing company. All your personal information is on a SIM card that should be removed before selling your phone. Also, be sure not to sell your iPhone until you have a new one that works, since being without a phone is true a modern-day tragedy.
- Buy a refurbished iPhone. Just like your old iPhone can be spruced up and resold to someone looking for that particular model, you can buy a pre-owned iPhone for a fraction of the cost of a new one. You may need to buy a new SIM card, or it may already come with a new one ready to go.
- Buy last year’s model. The price of an older (but still quite “new”) iPhone, such as the iPhone 7, tends to drop after the release of a brand-new model, like the iPhone 8 or X. You can still enjoy improved functionality when upgrading to last year’s model versus the latest (and most expensive) release.
- Shop around for deals. Your mobile data company will surely offer a deal or a sale for iPhones at some point. Wait for holiday deals or simply ask about available discounts or savings. It’s beneficial to these companies for you to have an upgraded phone, because that means you’ll probably use it more often and therefore use more data.
- Ask about payment plans. Even if your mobile data company is selling iPhones at full price, you don’t necessarily need to pay for it all at once. Ask about a payment plan. What often happens is that the price of the phone is divided up into monthly payments that are simply tacked on to your monthly phone bill. If you can accommodate the monthly increase, this is a great way to take away the sting of buying a brand-new iPhone. You can even get a payment plan from Apple itself.
- Keep your phone up-to-date for as long as possible. Don’t skip out on the operating system updates! These ensure all of your apps and settings run smoothly, giving you the best usage experience with your iPhone for as long as possible. Note that Apple eventually stops releasing updates for older models.
