What to do with an iPhone 14 Pro Series in 2026
i bought an iphone 14 pro the december after the phone's release. i still have it to this day... but recently its starting to give me problems (more specifically with battery and charging). and right now im trying to weigh my options...
most logical answer would be to wait for the 18 (since carriers tend to have the best trade in offers after a phone's release) since it'll still be eligible for the highest trade in value. but due to these rumored iphone 18 price increases that the 17 never got... im wondering if getting the 17 pro might be the more appealing option since the differences between the 17 and 18 might be insignificant (even though when the 17 came out initially, people were saying its not worth the upgrade). only issue with this thought is that the promos are garbage atm and from what i hear, its never good to upgrade a phone in the middle of its cycle. maybe wait for the 18 to get the 17 in hopes of a price drop? idk. would the price of the 17 pro series go down from its current msrp or perhaps stay the same to adjust for the inflated price we'll see in september when the 18 drops. or do i just future-proof myself for another year and get the 18.
however, rumors say it might be a $200 increase. is an extra year worth $200 when i plan on keeping this phone for 3-4 years just for it to be valued at the same price as the 17 if i go to trade it in down the line?
another alternative option would be just replacing the battery (which is the main issue for me personally) and prolonging the life of my phone in time for the 20th anniversary next fall. only issue i can possibly think of with that would be not receiving the highest amount of trade in credit by the time that phone comes out.
i am open to other options. im assuming the answer at least for me will vary based on if the specs or the price differences are justified. or perhaps longevity. but at the same time i still want to make the best/smartest decision overall