Three warning signs you need a phone upgrade ASAP

Whether you are the type to grab every new iPhone the moment it drops or someone who holds onto the same phone until it falls apart, knowing when an upgrade can save you a lot of money.

Tyler Morgan is a former Apple employee (known by his TikTok handle @hitomidocameralroll) and regularly shares iPhone tips and hidden features with his following, from keyboard hacks to daily optimisation tricks.

Now, he has shared some signs that you probably don't need to upgrade your smartphone.

The TikToker opened by making clear that most people are upgrading 'a lot more than they need to,' and it's costing them money they 'don't need to spend.'

So how do you know when an upgrade is actually worth it?

Well, for starters, if your phone comfortably lasts the day on a single charge, that is a pretty strong indicator you don't need a new one yet. That said, if you've purchased something like the iPhone Air and find the battery doesn't hold up to your daily routine, it might be time to look at other models that better suit your needs.

According to the TikToker, jumping between close generations, such as from an iPhone 14 Pro to a 17 Pro Max, will not deliver the dramatic difference that Apple's marketing might suggest.

"If you're upgrading from something like a 14 Pro to a 17 Pro Max, you're not really gonna notice a drastic difference," he said, adding that his new model gave him only around an 'hour's extra battery life'. So upgrading too soon might not be the best value for your money.

The Apple expert then went on to say that too many people upgrade too often.

"Most upgrades only happen every 3-4 years. Everything in between is just small upgrades that don't really affect your day-to-day use of your phone," he explained. "I wouldn't say you're missing out on anything."

Features like Apple Intelligence and Siri are also supported across a wide range of Apple's older devices, meaning you are likely not missing out on as much as the adverts suggest.

An upgrade may be more necessary when your device is approaching the end of Apple's software support window and is at risk of no longer receiving iOS or security updates.

The content creator's advice to his viewers was to upgrade only when you notice a difference in your phone's specs and features.

"So upgrade when you'll notice it, not just because you want to get the newest thing," he concluded.

Several viewers in the comments said they are holding out until their iPhone 13 gives up entirely, while others admitted they were already looking ahead to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is set to release in September this year.