Phone Upgrade Cost Calculator
Trade-in credits and monthly billing can hide the total price of an upgrade. Start with the full amount you will pay, then compare it with extending the life of the phone you own.
A $900 phone costs 45 work hours at $20 of take-home pay per hour. Keeping it for three years assigns $300 of purchase cost to each year before service or repairs.
Find the true device price
Add the down payment and every device installment, then subtract only trade-in credit you are certain to receive. Keep the service plan separate.
Compare cost per year owned
Divide the device price by the years you realistically expect to keep it. One extra year can materially lower the annual cost.
Price repair as an alternative
Compare a battery or screen repair with the upgrade’s total work hours, warranty, expected life, and features you will actually use.
Run your own numbers
The free calculator works in your browser and requires no bank connection or account.
Open the calculator with this example →