iPhones do not come cheap with a price tag that large you can even buy an entire computer with the cash so spending more than $900 on an iPhone makes you wonder how long it is actually going to last. You would at least want it to last a couple of years before you have to buy another one.
In this guide you will we will tell you how long iPhones usually last backed by real search and how you can determine whether your iPhone needs to be replaced read on to find out all the warning signs.
How Long Does An iPhone Last Before It Needs To Be Replaced?
In total your iPhone should last about 3-4 years before you need to replace it some iPhones can last 10 years hardware-wise. iPhone 6S released in 2015 has iOS 15 6 years after its initial release. iPhones lifespan depends on correct storage and how you charge the device.
All mobile phones including iPhone batteries are not meant to last more than a certain number of charging cycles. Keep reading to know the signs of a good iPhone battery what you can do to prolong its life.
There are many warning signs that can indicate that your iPhone would soon need a replacement. So you should always watch out for these red flags to prepare yourself if you’re buying the iPhone secondhand as well as backup your important data if you accidentally lose or damage it.
7 Signs Your iPhone Needs To Be Replaced
1.Your iPhone Shuts Down Suddenly
If you ever receive a settings notification that your iPhone cannot provide enough power you should replace your iPhone’s battery as the iPhone had to slow down since it couldn’t provide sufficient power.
iPhones have lithium-ion batteries(study) in the words of Apple they lose their ability to store and provide energy as they chemically age Iphones cannot supply bursts of power after they crossed the maximum number of charge cycles.
It’s useful to know an iPhone’s battery health especially if you buy one used from a site like eBay (see the prices) or to check if you need to replace your iPhone’s battery.
How To Check iPhone Battery Health
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select Battery.
- Tap Battery Health, where you’ll find a report detailing your battery’s health percentage with suggested steps to improve performance
Apple released iOS 11.3 in 2018 a software update where iPhones shut down when the battery could not provide enough power to the device if you receive this notification you should replace your battery.
Buying an iPhone from Apple is a fantastic way to ensure the iPhone is in good condition should you buy your iPhone or any Apple device online at Apple.com or at your local Apple store? Learn the facts in my article.
2.Your iPhone Only Works When Plugged In
If your iPhone only works when plugged in or for a few minutes unplugged it’s a classic sign of a faulty battery or disconnected battery if it takes charge after 20 minutes of being plugged in it means the battery is taking some charge but running out at the same speed.
Likely the lack of charging is caused by the battery being partially unplugged or for whatever reason likely a fall the bracket holding the battery connector is missing.
If you have an iPhone 6 please see iFixit’s handy guide on how to fix your iPhone 6 battery make sure you buy a battery from a reputable place like iFixit or Amazon otherwise it could be faulty.
To fix the issue you could get a battery replacement from an Apple store ensuring the battery is legitimate although maybe your iPhones CPU and other parts are too old requiring a replacement phone.
3.Your iPhone Is Hot To The Touch
It’s normal for electronics to get hot Apple recommendation for the iPhones temperature is 32º- 95º F(0-35C)but there’s a BIG difference between warm and hot.
If the iPhone is doing strenuous tasks such as using GPS playing games, streaming HD/4K content, video editing it’s normal to get a little warm however please keep reading to know the signs of your iPhone being dangerously hot.
Symptoms Of Hot iPhone
- Slow charging or no charging
- Screen going dim or black (need to cool down or risk long term issues )
- The phone goes to a low power state which reduces call quality
- Camera flash disabled
- Apps crash when the phone is super hot
How To Reduce iPhone Heat
- If you use your phone in 100 Fahrenheit weather turn off background app refresh )
- Analyze apps and disable apps that consistently crash (check analytics data)
- Reduce screen brightness
- iPhone wastes energy trying to find a cellular connection (put it to Airplane mode)
Turn Off Background App Refresh
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Background App Refresh.
- Turn off Background App Refresh completely by toggling it off – you also have the option to set it to refresh an app-only while using Wi-Fi or while using Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.
Using your iPhone in 100°F(37C) weather puts a huge load on the internal electronics of the iPhone disabling background app refresh turning off the feature gives your iPhone a break as when on apps automatically search for information even when off the screen such as your email app checking for new messages.
Is your iPhone too hot? We have all been there! It’s normal for an iPhone to get hot when you are playing heavy games or performing too many functions on it. iPhones can also overheat in excessively hot temperatures. Apple recommends using your iPhone between 32º to 95º F(0-35C)
However, if your iPhone is constantly overheating to the extent that it hurts to even touch it, it is an alarming sign. Too much heat can actually fry the internal parts of your iPhone.
The reason why your iPhone is overheating might be because something is wrong with its software or hardware. Now this is something that you cannot just fix with a DIY hack. You will need to get it checked at Genius Bar, which is totally free. They will check your iPhone and diagnose the issue.
iPhones usually overheat due to a faulty battery. And the solution to that is either a battery replacement (if battery is the culprit), or a phone replacement. If you have Apple’s one-year warranty or AppleCare+, you can get your iPhone replaced at any Apple Store.
If you are curious whether Apple replacement phones are new or refurbished, check our article where we have found the answer!
Make sure to get your overheating iPhone fixed or replaced as soon as possible because it will damage your iPhone and the overheating battery can even catch fire!
If you are considering getting AppleCare+ with your iPhone but not sure if it covers water damage please see our post.
4.Your Battery Doesn’t Hold Charge
If your iPhone battery has been draining too quickly and does not hold charge, it is a clear sign of an overused battery. iPhone batteries can maintain 80% of their capacity at upto 500 charge cycles. So if your iPhone battery is draining too fast, it is a sign that your battery health has significantly deteriorated.
Although an iPhone’s battery can drain for a lot of reasons including high brightness, excessive use of heavy applications or a cellular connection. But if your iPhone is a few years old, then the chances are that it is most probably due to a faulty behavior.
Because if you are doing everything right, using the original Apple charger and cable and everything else that Apple recommends, then it’s a hardware or a software issue. It is a sign that your phone is starting to give up on you. Battery failures are one of the first signs of an aging iPhone.
5. You Notice Performance Issues
If you have been noticing performance issues on your iPhone like apps suddenly crashing, slow performance and the device shutting down out of nowhere, these are all signs that your iPhone is having performance issues.
The reason why this happens is because Apple deliberately slows down old iPhones in order to protect the internal parts from failing. Why would the internal parts fail, you ask? Turns out, the culprit behind this is again, you guessed it, the deteriorating battery!
Since the iPhone’s battery deteriorates after a certain time, they fail to provide the power needed to run apps. As a result, it supplies that power in spikes that can harm your processor. So your iPhone naturally shuts down to prevent the damage.
To fix these sudden shutdowns, Apple released iOS updates for iPhones with older batteries to intentionally throttle their CPU and slow them down to prevent the shutdowns. Apple was actually fined a whopping $113 million for these slow downs but turns out that Apple actually did that to prevent those sudden shutdowns.
So if your iPhone is at this stage, you probably should replace your phone as soon as possible to prevent any data loss due to shutdowns.
6. You Run Out Of Storage Space
Are you getting “not enough storage” alerts on your iPhone every now and then? It’s a sign that your iPhone is getting old. I had an iPhone 6 last year and I used to get these alerts on my phone all the time! I had no extra apps or photos on my phone. I had already deleted everything I could with just a few essential apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram left. But I still got these alerts and it was really annoying.
So I hopped on the internet and tried looking for fixes. I tried to backup my iPhone and then factory reset it. It didn’t work. I deleted ALL of the photos and videos from my phone and it didn’t work. No matter what I did, I didn’t stop getting these alerts and I had to change my iPhone eventually.
Even if you backup your iPhone to your computer or iCloud, it does not work. You can’t download new apps. You can’t take new pictures. You can’t download any WhatsApp media files. Your phone basically becomes useless. That’s because all the new updated apps generally take more storage.
Moreover, the Other storage in your iPhone also contains all the caches, previous messages, cookies and other data that you can’t entirely get rid of. So a 16GB iPhone would not be enough for it and you’d need to replace it.
7. Your iPhone Is Not Supported By The Latest Software Update
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that tells that your iPhone is outdated. That’s literally Apple begging you to upgrade your iPhone or it won’t be supported by the latest software updates.
If you have an iPhone 6 and you cannot update it to the latest iOS 14, that’s because your iPhone model is not supported for the update. Here’s a list of the iPhone models that are compatible with iOS 14:
iPhone Models Compatible with iOS 14
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone SE (1st generation)
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Updating your iPhone to iOS can sometimes unsync your Apple devices and cause iMessages to not work on a certain device. Check our article here to learn how you can fix iMessage not syncing with Mac or iPhone.
So if your iPhone is not compatible with iOS 14 or atleast iOS 13, your iPhone is too old.
Although these are the most common signs that your iPhone needs to be replaced, it doesn’t mean that you should definitely replace it. If your iPhone is working fine, you can continue using it if you want. But we do recommend you to upgrade it because iPhones start having battery and performance issues after a few years of use.
Want a reminder why upgrading to a newer iPhone model is worth it? Check our article to learn the facts about why iPhones are the best phones you can get.