Good blurb from Brian Lam at The Wirecutter on the logic of upgrading your phone when the current one is “fine”. It’s “The One Thing That’s Always Within Arms Reach”, and has such an increasingly large effect on our lives that it’s the one thing worth shelling out to keep upgraded. I’m in complete agreement.
Should I get an iPhone 5 if I have an iPhone 4s or 4?
I am really against buying new gadgets when they’re not needed. But when it comes to smartphones, I think you should consider keeping up with the best. Here I will quote myself (am I allowed to do that; doing it anyhow):
Unlike other gadgets, I think you should get the best one you can and upgrade whenever you want. Go buck wild.
For me, that’s about every year…. Why? Because the smartphone is the gadget that can do anything, anywhere, any time. And its hard to think you won’t get a lot of utility and use out of the latest and greatest when it something you use that often. Also, a new handset is just an fraction of what you’re really paying for–your cellphone plan. The cost of a new handset is a few hundred dollars; the network, a few thousand over a few years. That’s pretty simple math.
I’d say a good rule of thumb is never pay more than two-thirds of a phone’s value in early termination or early upgrade fees.