If your phone’s battery starts draining quickly, you may be tempted to trade it in for a newer, more expensive model.
But if the phone is in good shape, a simple battery swap could save you hundreds of dollars.
Some phone owners we spoke with, however, told us they rarely consider that option.
Montalee Berry is among them: she gets a brand new phone when her battery won't hold a charge.
"Typically you want a new camera, a better quality camera," she said, "so I just end up getting a new phone."
Trevor Booth told us he also does a full upgrade.
"I'd probably buy a whole new phone honestly," he said.
But with a new iPhone or Galaxy costing $800 to $1,000 (or more), why not look first at cheaper options?
Alex Hausfeld, regional manager of uBreakiFix by Asurion said "It's about a tenth of what a new device would cost to get a battery replacement."
Hausfeld said he is stunned at how many people toss out a perfectly good phone.
How to find out if you need a new battery
He showed me how anyone can easily check their iPhone's battery life.
"All we have to do is click battery health and charging," he said, "and you are at 86 percent."
My iPhone 12 was close to needing a new battery.
"85 percent for those iPhones," he explained, "is really when its recommended to get that battery replaced."
For $75 to $100, Hausfeld said, a new battery can give your phone potentially two more years of use.
When you should replace a phone
But when should you buy a new phone?
Hausfeld said:
- If your phone's buttons or screen are damaged, repairs may not be worth the cost at that point.
- If it is no longer supported, like an iPhone 5, 6 or 7 as of September 2024. You can no longer get essential security updates.
But if money is tight, "if it's in good shape and it's just the battery that's acting up, it doesn't make sense to buy a whole new phone."
That's a smart move that could leave hundreds of dollars in your wallet, so you don't waste your money.
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