New battery or a new phone? How you may be able to save hundreds of dollars

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 as 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 at least $800 to $1,000, why not look first at cheaper options?

Alex Hausfeld, regional manager of uBreakiFix by Asurion says, "It's about a 10th of what a new device would cost to get a battery replacement."

Hausfeld says he is stunned at how many people pitch toss out a perfectly good phone.

How to find out if you need a new battery

He showed how anyone can easily check their iPhone battery's life.

"All we have to do is click battery health and charging," he said as he found an iPhone had a battery health of 86%.

The iPhone 12 was close to needing a new battery.

"85% for those iPhones is really when it's recommended to get that battery replaced," he said.

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 to consider getting a new phone:

• 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 on those iPhones

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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