Phone Upgrade Wait Calculator
Upgrading every 2 years feels normal, but stretching to 3 or 4 years, with one battery swap along the way, can cut your true cost of ownership dramatically. See the real cost per year at each cycle length.
Estimate only. This calculator gives estimates for information only. Actual trade-in values, battery-replacement prices and the point at which a phone needs replacing all vary, check current trade-in quotes and manufacturer battery pricing before deciding.
Enter the new phone's price
Cost per year at 2, 3 and 4-year upgrade cycles appears here as you type.
Why the upgrade cycle matters so much
The true cost of a phone isn't the sticker price, it's the price minus what you get back for the old one, spread over however long you actually keep it. A 2-year cycle spreads a big one-off cost over the shortest time, so the cost per year is highest. Stretching to 3 or 4 years spreads the same (or a similar) cost over more time, and even after budgeting for one battery replacement partway through, the cost per year usually falls significantly. The trade-off is a slightly older phone with a slightly older camera and chip, for most people that's a small price for a large saving.
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