u/maudros

Hello! First timer here. Posting to get insights on my current situation; obligatory 'long post, tldr at bottom' disclaimer.

I've had an iPhone 13 since December 2021. Absolutely adore that phone––it works great, it's the perfect size and weight for me, and never had an issue with it. Over time, the battery naturally began to degrade, so I got it replaced for the first time in September 2025. However, it's been six months since then and my phone has absolutely nuked itself, which only really started once the new year rolled around when I accidentally updated to iOS 26. I had held off because I didn't want to get rid of iOS 18 after hearing so many complaints about the functionality and the impact 26 had on older models' battery and efficiency. It's almost ridiculous how quickly my battery gave out after that. In the span of three days last week, the max charge went from 50% to 32%. The problems were ceaseless: sending one text made my battery drop by at least 3% every time; a phone call would chew through 10% like it was a death row meal; my phone would overheat to the point of shutting down with the legit temperature warning when I tried to charge it; and so on. It got to the point where the front screen is now popping out, and if I pressed too hard on the screen, there would be a clicking sound and my battery's percentage would drop exponentially. Both my friends and family got concerned when I complained about all of this to them and asked me to stop using it for fear that the battery would legit blow up. Currently, I'm using an iPhone 11 my friend had stored away so I can decide what to do with my 13.

My thoughts right now are mixed. I want to keep that phone for as long as I can; it was my first ever purchase as an independent adult, so it's got great sentimental value, I again really like the size and weight, I'm almost pathetically attached to the color (red) and I want to try to reduce my e-waste as I'm concerned about the environment and ethics of consumption. I don't care for the new Apple AI nonsense, I don't care about any of the fancy camera grades or whatever, and the new colors are lowkey wack except for the 16's teal. This 11 that I'm borrowing is so phenomenal, too, and works really well with the iOS 26 software it's running, so I don't see why my 13 can't tough it out a little longer. Lastly, I'm also a pretty poor grad student, so dropping a billion dollars on a new iPhone isn't exactly in my list of 'things I want to do,' especially since I would have to pay more in my current country of residence as compared to back home in the US (~20% increase).

However, I also don't want to keep spending money replacing batteries if this rapid degradation issue that crops back up with every new OS update or anything; that money does still add up eventually, and it already cost me ~60USD for the first battery replacement. I tend to use my phone for literally everything, so my friends and relatives who work in tech are telling me that it's totally reasonable to get a new phone every 4 to 5 years. My mom is being really kind and offered to help me make the monthly payments for my phone, since she helps my sister with hers, so I'd personally only pay about 5 to 10€ (6 to 11USD) per month. Finally, I'm worried that the underlying issue with my 13 is actually water damage because I used to bring my phone into the bathroom for music while I showered and would therefore expose it to a lot of steam. I know water damage can really harm battery health, even if I didn't adhere to that knowledge, and I don't want to keep replacing a phone that's doomed to fail because it's been janked up by water damage. Many thoughts in my head.

TL;DR: My iPhone 13's first replacement battery is officially cooked. I don't know if I should keep replacing the battery, or if I should just get a new phone. If I do get a new phone, I'm not sure if I should get the 16 Plus with 256GB or the regular 17. Any thoughts or insights would be great, and I can answer any questions if needed, too. My fault for yapping