Is It Time To Upgrade Your Phone, Or Just Change The Battery?

With shiny new smartphones due this summer and fall, manufacturers like Samsung and Apple want you to upgrade. But do you really need to trade in your old reliable?

By Shelly BrisbinJuly 5, 2018 9:30 am,

Did you know that phone upgrade season is just around the corner? It’s kind of crazy to think this way, but it’s how smartphone makers have trained consumers – expect shiny new models in late summer or early fall, and buy right away, no matter the cost.

But how should we be thinking about whether to get a new phone or not? What’s the best way to choose, or get the best deal? Digital savant Omar Gallaga of the Austin American-Statesman’s 512 Tech published some tips for new phone buyers, and anyone trying to decide when and whether to upgrade. He says even the way we buy phones is changing.

“The two-year contract, subsidized phone thing is really going away,” Gallaga says. “What’s happening now is that a lot of people are leasing their phone, where you don’t actually own it, you’re just paying a monthly fee.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– What new phones are coming this fall

– When upgrading makes sense

– How to keep your older phone going strong