Should You Repair or Replace Your Phone?

As children, we had teddy bears and blankets. As adults, many of us have iPhones to make us feel safe and secure. Sometimes it can veer into addiction, which is a problem. But even people who try to use their phones a little less still have to use them from time to time. That’s because your phone can be everything from a work resource to text your boss, to a social resource to check out the latest events on Facebook. You need a reliable device that works all of the time.

When your iPhone starts going on the fritz, your first instinct may be to take it to the Apple store and replace the whole thing. Yet that’s not necessary in many situations.

When to repair your iPhone

If this is your first real issue with your iPhone and you’ve only had it for a few months to a year, then you’re probably better off taking it to get repaired. Of course, that also depends a lot on what, exactly, happened to your iPhone.

Let’s say you dropped your iPhone while you were sitting at a bar, and the screen cracked. That’s unfortunate and frustrating, as no one wants to carry around a phone with a beat-up screen (well, a few people do, but they’re the exception). But you don’t have to wait long to get it repaired. As it turns out, iPhone screen repair is one of the most common types of phone repair. It happens to almost everyone at some point or another, so don’t think you’re a bad phone owner just because you dropped your phone and cracked the screen.

A battery that doesn’t seem to last is another problem that a lot of Apple fans encounter. In general, older iPhones tend to lose their ability to hold a charge faster than newer models. But in some cases, you might get a message that your phone’s battery has degraded and needs a replacement. It doesn’t mean your phone is about to explode or anything, but if you can swing a battery replacement, now’s the time to do so.

When to replace your iPhone

If your phone’s repair is complicated and will take more than a few hours, then you might want to consider replacing it instead. Sure, you can probably manage without your phone for one or two days, but one or two weeks is another matter. Also think about how complicated the repair process is. If there’s a chance that something significant could go wrong, you’re probably better off taking the repair money and putting it towards a brand new phone.

Also think about how much your phone is worth in relation to how much the repairs will cost. An iPhone is a lot like a car: If the cost of repairing it costs more than the value of the item, then you’re better off just trading it in for a new (or used) model that works better. Look at what your current iPhone model is selling for and then go from there.

In general, replacing your iPhone is the more drastic option. It’s best not to do it on a whim. For instance, if you feel like your iPhone’s screen is always blurry, that might mean you need to see an eye doctor rather than get a new phone. Also think about how many other people are going to be getting new iPhones. You might love all the extra cameras on the iPhone 11, but are you willing to wait in line outside your Apple Store the day it’s released? If the answer is no, maybe now is a good time to upgrade to a newer-to-you model that isn’t the hottest thing on the market.