When the new iPhones were announced I quickly made the decision to upgrade from my 6S. I resisted an upgrade for as long as I could but what finally got me over the hump was not any of the features, as incredible as they are, but instead the need for a longer battery life.

My 6S couldn’t last a few hours of limited usage without running out of power. Similar to how someone will look at their gas tank before leaving on a trip I was doing the same for my phone’s battery charge any time I’d be away from a charger. It’s a surprisingly stressful and not healthy way to be and sadly highlights our dependence on always being connected.

The iPhone 11 makes a world of difference. I have yet to worry about running out of power and even with minimal charging it rarely drops below 50%. I have no clue how Apple managed to increase the battery life that significantly it but I’m eternally grateful.

The entire ordeal got me thinking of the different cohorts of upgrades. Some people just want the latest and greatest and will always spring for the new release. Others are all about photos and will go for the best camera. Another group does a ton of gaming or app usage and wants the improved performance. Then there are people like me who just want improved battery life. Sure we can pay for a replacement battery but it’s been a few years and the new features do sound nice.