A New iPhone Is Coming. Should You Upgrade or Just Fix Your Old One?
By improving sluggish performance or replacing a broken screen, you can make your old iPhone feel new agai
4 min
When the scent of pumpkin spice lattes starts to fill the air, I know it’s time for those texts from friends and family: “Should I get the new iPhone?”
My answer? Ehh, probably not. Temptation to upgrade will be high after Apple’s Sept. 9 launch event. And there are very good reasons to buy the new model.
But just because your oldie but goody suffers from sluggish performance, short battery life or a cracked touch screen, it isn’t doomed to become e-waste.
By spending a little on repairs, you could save hundreds of dollars and extend your current iPhone’s life by a year or more. Plus, it’s worth waiting for the imminent iOS 26 software update , which will add new tricks to recent older hardware—at no additional cost.
Upgrade, update or repair?
That all depends on your model and its condition. Is your current iPhone…
…more than six years old? Upgrade. Apple supports iPhones with new software updates for about seven years. The version of iOS expected next month doesn’t support iPhone XS, XS Max or XR, or any earlier models. These updates include crucial security fixes, and outdated software can put your data at risk, so yes, you’ll need new hardware.
…a 2019 or newer model? Update. iOS 26 comes with a live translator, spam-call screener and other helpful new capabilities, though the “liquid glass” redesign will require some adjustment.
A note: Even if your model is compatible with iOS 26 , some tricks are only available in the newest iPhones. Apple Intelligence, which includes access to ChatGPT via Siri and Genmoji, only works on iPhone 15 Pro, all of the iPhone 16 models (including the 16e ) and of course the iPhones Apple is about to announce.
… feeling slow? Or short on battery life? Repair. A battery replacement can help with performance and battery life. As your iPhone’s battery ages, the device is designed to draw less power, which means occasional unexpected shutdowns.
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If the capacity is below 80%, you should replace your battery. That should cost $99 or less, depending on the model.
If your battery is above 80%, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Deleting unused apps or uploading photos to the cloud can help with speed too.
…cracked? Repair. The cost depends on your model and the damage.
Apple’s online tool can spit out an estimate for an Apple Store screen swap, which generally runs between $199 and $379. You typically make an appointment and then wait about 30 minutes.
Independent shops can offer you a lower price for a third-party aftermarket part, but quality can vary. While iPhones now have OLED screens, you can go cheap and replace yours with an LCD screen. But they don’t look as good and can cause rapid battery drain, said Jessa Jones, owner of iPad Rehab Microsoldering, a mobile-device repair and data recovery shop in Honeoye Falls, N.Y.
If you’re given the option, go for a “soft” OLED screen for the best combination of sharpness and durability.
Broken back glass is trickier. Apple charges between $199 and $499 for this repair. Jones said it often requires swapping the whole external housing to preserve water-resistance.
Cameras are one of the simplest repairs, Jones said. She replaced two different camera lenses on her iPhone 12 Pro, and the raw materials only cost her $1.43. Through Apple, this repair costs between $169 and $249. Jones’s shop charges $50 plus tax for a repair with aftermarket parts.
…not working properly? Repair or replace. Start with an Apple Store consultation. Issues such as water damage or a faulty charging port need a deeper assessment. For these trickier cases, Apple may recommend paying for a replacement phone. In that event, if you don’t have AppleCare, it might be better to buy one of the latest iPhones instead.
A local, independent shop might have more creative solutions. “For water damage, we’d tear down the entire phone, remove everything, and let it sit in a dehumidifier for a little while,” said Alex Hausfeld, a franchise consultant and former technician at uBreakiFix, which has over 680 repair locations.
Apple Store vs. repair shop vs. DIY
If you live near an Apple Store or an Apple-authorized service provider, a repair is straightforward. You can make an online reservation for in-person support , and often the repair can happen while you wait.
If you’re far from a store, Apple’s mail-in option can take up to nine business days, round trip.
There are also DIY kits from Apple , iFixit and others—a route for savvy tinkerers only, warned Jones. “Taking off a screen used to be like shucking an oyster. But they have become thinner and thinner. They’re easy to break, and really expensive.”
A local repair shop can be more convenient and affordable than either of those options. But because quality varies, uBreakiFix’s Hausfeld suggests vetting the technician with these questions:
• Is the replacement a genuine original manufacturer or aftermarket option? If it’s the latter, ask about potential impacts to performance.
• After the repair, how will the water-resistance and durability of the phone change?
• What warranty do you offer for replacement parts? Many shops should guarantee their parts for at least six months; uBreakiFix has a one-year warranty.
This year, your best iPhone upgrade might be a fresh battery, a clean screen and some new software tricks. Plus, the extra cash you get to keep in your pocket.
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Apple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, combines an iPhone and iPad Mini experience—but its size, weight and price come with compromises.
4 min
As I watched a Netflix show on Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, I had two surprising thoughts.
The first: Maybe I don’t need my iPad Mini anymore.
The second: Uh oh, am I about to spend $1,999 on a phone?
I didn’t think folding phones were for me. I’ve been testing Android versions from Samsung and Google since 2019, and those early editions came with too much screen and too many compromises.
Fast forward seven years, and the technology has come a long way. Apple—in its very Apple way—has also come up with some hardware and software trickery to make up for some shortcomings of the basic design. My desire for a folding phone before today was zero. After today, it’s a lot more than zero.
I’m not ready to recommend the Duo, which ships on Oct. 23, just yet. Not until I am able to test it more fully, so be on the lookout for that review in a few weeks. But from what I experienced at Apple Park on Wednesday, I could actually picture myself using this new half-phone, half-tablet hybrid.
Crease camouflage
For months, I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, a similarly squat, passport-shaped foldable that opens up to a larger screen. It’s impressively thin and can easily fit into the infuriatingly tiny pockets in women’s pants and dresses. Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
When I held the iPhone Duo open, the crease was barely visible. As I slid my finger across the display, I could feel it, but it’s more subtle than Samsung’s. Most of the time, the screen looked as flat and smooth as the one on an iPad.
Apple employed both software and hardware techniques to camouflage the crease. The matte surface of the interior 7.6-inch screen minimizes reflections to hide it. (Samsung’s Fold 8 screen is shiny.)
And as you begin to open or close the iPhone Duo, the interface shifts the controls and content away from the center crease. If, say, you’re watching a video on the outer screen, you can open the Duo to switch to the bigger display within. A black fade marks the transition. You don’t see the video full screen until the phone is completely flat.
Heavy handed
My second observation was that, when the Duo is closed, in phone mode, it was harder to use one-handed than I expected.
In the keynote trailer and press release, Apple touted how thin the Duo is. It’s marketed as the thinnest iPhone ever—when open.
But it’s actually thicker and heavier than most of its Android competitors. The Duo weighs 254 grams, and is 11.3 millimeters thick when closed. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 is just 201 grams, with a thickness of 9.7 millimeters. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 239 grams and 10.1 millimeters.
Because the Duo is also wider than a standard iPhone, I found it quite a challenge to type.
I admit, I do have smaller-than-average hands. So I consulted my colleague Rolfe Winkler, who has a larger grip. He agreed the Duo feels big.
Apple rearranged the interface on the outer screen so it looks different than traditional iPhones. The dock and control center are off to the right to be more reachable. Committing to the Duo as your main device will require adjustments in your handling. You will have to learn a new way to use and type.
Work and play
My most surprising takeaway? I feel a pull toward this device.
I always thought that combining an iPhone and an iPad would mean bigger compromises. The battery life is about the same as the 18 Pro (up to 24 hours of “regular use” on a single charge), though I’ll need to verify that in my real-world testing. And it’s also as durable, with the same IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating as the rest of the iPhone lineup.
There are trade-offs, for sure. Trying out the camera, I immediately missed the 8X zoom in my Pro model. The Duo has just 2X zoom, which wouldn’t cut it for the dozens of pictures I take of my kid every day.
But the dual screens unlock new photo functionality. You can see what your shot looks like from the outside screen. As someone who has tried tirelessly to self-direct a family photo—or a spouse—I am very eager to try this out more.
Foldables, I initially thought, were for classic mobile-warrior jet-setter types, who never sit at a desk and are always on calls. For that crowd, the Duo can run two apps side-by-side.
Me, I’m more of a bed binge-watcher and ebook reader. That’s what my beloved iPad Mini is for.
Watching videos on the Duo is a nice experience—nice enough that you forget the screen is 0.7 inches smaller than the iPad Mini’s. The main screen is also a 4:3 aspect ratio. Very similar, by the way, to the IMAX edition of the Odyssey.
Because I wasn’t able to snag a ticket to one of the sold-out screenings, I will be watching Christopher Nolan’s version of Homer’s epic on the Duo, just as the director intended. (Just kidding! Sort of.)
The Duo costs $800 more than an iPhone 18 Pro, and I’m not sure I want to spend that premium on a first-generation Apple device. But I’m not ruling out the idea that a Duo might one day be in my future. Stay tuned for my full review.
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