This is when to upgrade your tech (and when not to bother)
The Telegraph
T
The Telegraph
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Before replacing your gadget, ask yourself key questions that could save you significant money. Experts confirm that the two-year upgrade cycle is no longer necessary in most cases.
When to upgrade your tech – and when to keep it a little longer Jump to content
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This is when to upgrade your tech (and when not to bother)
Before you replace your gadget, ask yourself these questions – it could save you a small fortune
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Alan Martin Freelance technology journalist Show biography !Alan Martin
Alan is a freelance writer for Telegraph Recommended, specialising in consumer technology. From phones to drones, over the last decade Alan has tested hundreds of products.
Published 05 October 2026 12:00pm BST
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!artwork on when to upgrade your tech
*Tech writer Alan Martin gives the top tips on when to know when tech is worth the upgrade Credit: Mojo Wang*
Alan Martin Freelance technology journalist Show biography !Alan Martin
Alan is a freelance writer for Telegraph Recommended, specialising in consumer technology. From phones to drones, over the last decade Alan has tested hundreds of products.
Published 05 October 2026 12:00pm BST
The tech giants’ attempts to persuade people to upgrade to new gadgets every two years are proving less and less effective. According to YouGov polling, Brits are increasingly deciding to stick with the devices they have for longer, and it isn’t altogether surprising.
As well as the inherent wastefulness of the bi-annual upgrade cycle, year-on-year improvements are less dramatic than they used to be, and tech prices are sky-rocketing thanks to the growing needs of AI data centres.
Inevitably, however, there will come a time when you need to bite the bullet and buy a new model. These are the questions to ask yourself to decide whether that should be today, or whether you can kick the can a little further down the road.
How’s the performance?
A good place to start is to evaluate how your device functions day-to-day versus the day you bought it. Tech inevitably slows down over time, but the drop isn’t equal among devices: a five-year-old flagship smartphone may still outperform a budget model from last year.
If it’s still running smoothly enough, and isn’t broken in an unfixable way, then it probably pays to wait until it no longer passes this test. The longer you wait, the more appealing the upgrade choices will be.
The exception to this is if you’re bumping up against storage problems. If there’s no way to add more, and cloud storage isn’t cutting it, then you may need to upgrade early.
Are you missing key features?
Outside of foldable screens and AI features, smartphones no longer offer big changes from year to year, but other products do. The latest Apple Watch, for example, features new health tracking capabilities, while the new generation of Kindles are now waterproof.
If the new features genuinely improve the utility of a device, then it makes sense to upgrade sooner rather than later, especially as the resale value of your current model is likely dropping every day. Just make sure the brand-new feature you want isn’t coming to the device you already own in an upcoming software update – as can sometimes be the case, especially with Apple products.
Is the battery life good enough?
For portable devices, battery life is naturally of paramount importance. Lithium-ion batteries degrade with each charge cycle, so if you have an older gadget, you may find your tech is struggling to make it through the day without needing a top-up charge.
This isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, given the abundance of USB-C charging points and the affordability of power banks. Some phone manufacturers, such as Apple and Samsung, might also put in a new battery (for a fee). But if your device is struggling to hold a charge and you plan to upgrade at some point anyway, it may be best to put that money towards the upgrade rather than paying for a stop-gap cell.
Is it still supported by the manufacturer?
Even if your device is running well enough and the new features on later models leave you less than inspired, you may still want to upgrade sooner rather than later if the manufacturer no longer supports the device with regular software updates.
The main reason for this is security. Now that nearly everything has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, unsupported devices can leave you at risk from hackers as technical exploits are left unfixed.
Is now a good time to upgrade?
From a financial perspective, certain times are better to upgrade than others. If a company is about to release a new version, the second-hand market will soon be flooded with cheaper upgrade options, for example.
While you won’t always know of a company’s plans, some are essentially an open secret. Apple has only failed to release a new iPhone in September once in the last decade, and that was because of COVID-19 supply-chain problems, which delayed it by a month.
The flip side of this is that your device will also see a drop in value when a new generation appears. So if you’re planning on trading it in or selling it, rather than passing it on to a friend or relative, that’s something to weigh up.
Then there are the big sale events: think Boxing Day, Black Friday and sometimes around Easter. It’s also worth keeping an eye on when Amazon has its latest Prime Day sale, because other retailers tend to have their own sales events so as not to miss out.
Join the conversation
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The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy.
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* Tech FAQs,
* Kindle,
* Amazon Prime Day,
* Black Friday
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This is when to upgrade your tech (and when not to bother)
Before you replace your gadget, ask yourself these questions – it could save you a small fortune
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Alan Martin Freelance technology journalist Show biography !Alan Martin
Alan is a freelance writer for Telegraph Recommended, specialising in consumer technology. From phones to drones, over the last decade Alan has tested hundreds of products.
Published 05 October 2026 12:00pm BST
This feature is available for registered users. Please register or log in to continue
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Gift article
Give full access to this article, free time. You have 15 articles left to gift, this month.
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!artwork on when to upgrade your tech
*Tech writer Alan Martin gives the top tips on when to know when tech is worth the upgrade Credit: Mojo Wang*
Alan Martin Freelance technology journalist Show biography !Alan Martin
Alan is a freelance writer for Telegraph Recommended, specialising in consumer technology. From phones to drones, over the last decade Alan has tested hundreds of products.
Published 05 October 2026 12:00pm BST
The tech giants’ attempts to persuade people to upgrade to new gadgets every two years are proving less and less effective. According to YouGov polling, Brits are increasingly deciding to stick with the devices they have for longer, and it isn’t altogether surprising.
As well as the inherent wastefulness of the bi-annual upgrade cycle, year-on-year improvements are less dramatic than they used to be, and tech prices are sky-rocketing thanks to the growing needs of AI data centres.
Inevitably, however, there will come a time when you need to bite the bullet and buy a new model. These are the questions to ask yourself to decide whether that should be today, or whether you can kick the can a little further down the road.
How’s the performance?
A good place to start is to evaluate how your device functions day-to-day versus the day you bought it. Tech inevitably slows down over time, but the drop isn’t equal among devices: a five-year-old flagship smartphone may still outperform a budget model from last year.
If it’s still running smoothly enough, and isn’t broken in an unfixable way, then it probably pays to wait until it no longer passes this test. The longer you wait, the more appealing the upgrade choices will be.
The exception to this is if you’re bumping up against storage problems. If there’s no way to add more, and cloud storage isn’t cutting it, then you may need to upgrade early.
Are you missing key features?
Outside of foldable screens and AI features, smartphones no longer offer big changes from year to year, but other products do. The latest Apple Watch, for example, features new health tracking capabilities, while the new generation of Kindles are now waterproof.
If the new features genuinely improve the utility of a device, then it makes sense to upgrade sooner rather than later, especially as the resale value of your current model is likely dropping every day. Just make sure the brand-new feature you want isn’t coming to the device you already own in an upcoming software update – as can sometimes be the case, especially with Apple products.
Is the battery life good enough?
For portable devices, battery life is naturally of paramount importance. Lithium-ion batteries degrade with each charge cycle, so if you have an older gadget, you may find your tech is struggling to make it through the day without needing a top-up charge.
This isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, given the abundance of USB-C charging points and the affordability of power banks. Some phone manufacturers, such as Apple and Samsung, might also put in a new battery (for a fee). But if your device is struggling to hold a charge and you plan to upgrade at some point anyway, it may be best to put that money towards the upgrade rather than paying for a stop-gap cell.
Is it still supported by the manufacturer?
Even if your device is running well enough and the new features on later models leave you less than inspired, you may still want to upgrade sooner rather than later if the manufacturer no longer supports the device with regular software updates.
The main reason for this is security. Now that nearly everything has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, unsupported devices can leave you at risk from hackers as technical exploits are left unfixed.
Is now a good time to upgrade?
From a financial perspective, certain times are better to upgrade than others. If a company is about to release a new version, the second-hand market will soon be flooded with cheaper upgrade options, for example.
While you won’t always know of a company’s plans, some are essentially an open secret. Apple has only failed to release a new iPhone in September once in the last decade, and that was because of COVID-19 supply-chain problems, which delayed it by a month.
The flip side of this is that your device will also see a drop in value when a new generation appears. So if you’re planning on trading it in or selling it, rather than passing it on to a friend or relative, that’s something to weigh up.
Then there are the big sale events: think Boxing Day, Black Friday and sometimes around Easter. It’s also worth keeping an eye on when Amazon has its latest Prime Day sale, because other retailers tend to have their own sales events so as not to miss out.
Join the conversation
The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy.
The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our commenting policy.
Related Topics
* Tech FAQs,
* Kindle,
* Amazon Prime Day,
* Black Friday
License this content
You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Find out more here.
Log In Subscribe
Advertisement
More Stories
More from Recommended
* ‘It makes maintaining the veg plot effortless’: The best long-handled weeding tools
!Becky Searle became a weed's worst enemy in finding the best long-weeding tool for every situation
* When is Amazon Prime Day in October 2026? Dates and what to look for
!Three Amazon boxes with pound sign stickers on a white and blue background
* There’s another Amazon sale coming – so how do we know if the deals are genuine?
!A neon red pound sign half in a cardboard box
* I’m a professional gardener. These are the six hoses I would use at home
!Gardener Tom Brown tests garden hoses
* The best garden furniture covers to protect your outdoor setup
!Best garden furniture covers: Garden furniture cover in the garden
* Meet the Telegraph Recommended expert deal-finders
!The Telegraph Recommended team on a grey background
More from The Telegraph
Back to top
Follow us on:
* Download the Telegraph App
* Recommended
* Podcasts
* Licensing and Syndication
* Help Centre
* Betting
* Branded Content
* Privacy
* Reader Prints
* Theatre Tickets
* Careers
* About us
* Announcements
* Puzzles
* Guidelines
* Terms & Conditions
* New
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