With each passing year, Apple comes out with a new iPhone, promising better cameras, faster performance, and new features. Many people leap to upgrade, but is it really necessary? While technology is always evolving, the differences between each new iPhone and its design seems to shrink more with each passing year. The question now would be, do we really need the latest model, or has society conditioned it to want?

Marketing is one of the biggest reasons, in my opinion, that people upgrade. Apple markets each new iPhone as a must-have device, even if the changes in a minor difference. While some updates, like improved battery life or a better camera, can be useful, most people might not notice a big difference in everyday use. In fact, older models often still work well for years, especially with software updates.

Another concern is environmental impact. How often phones are changed. To produce new devices,metals and energy are needed, and old phones are often simply thrown away, furthering electronic waste. While many are resold or recycled turning it into the trash that pollutes our world. If more people keep their phones longer, it would save unnecessary waste and decrease the demand for constant production.

Then, there is the money issue. New iPhones are costly, and each year the new model will make the sum bigger. People do trade-in their old phones to lower the price, but even then, they are still paying for something that they don’t really need. In my opinion, keeping the phone for some extra years may be wiser and more financially reasonable, as most iPhones function well beyond the first years.

Of course, some people simply like having the latest and greatest, and that’s fine. Consider whether a new iPhone is really something that’s needed. For most, the phone in your pocket is good enough.