5 Signs It May Be Time to Upgrade Your Tablet

As components become increasingly scarce and the price of electronics continues to rise, squeezing the full life out of a tablet you already own can be a smart move. However, at some point your device will reach the end of its life and purchasing a new one will likely be the next logical step. Whether you’ve purchased an expensive tablet or invested in one of the more affordable tablets you can use for your home or office, you need to know the signs to look out for when it comes time to upgrade your tablet.

From no longer receiving updates to storage or screen issues, there are several signs that your tablet may be reaching the end of its life. You may just want a hardware upgrade, but we also have some suggestions on how you can extend the life of your tablet, if applicable. As useful as a tablet can be for streaming content, playing games, or even staying productive, even the best tablets must retire eventually.

Of course, it’s also important to remember that an old Android tablet can still be useful. This means that users can reuse a device if it is not too worn out. But if you’re the type who likes to save your items, consider the indicators below to see if it’s time to send your tablet to a landfill.

In addition to allowing users to access new features, keeping an operating system up to date is also important for security reasons. For example, iPadOS 27 brings improved Siri and additional child safety features, while Android 17 brought new multitasking features to tablets, among other notable improvements. However, since some iPads will not receive iPadOS 27 or Android 17, your device may already be behind schedule.

Fortunately, the window for tablets to receive updates is quite long with Apple or Android. iPad users can expect updates for approximately 8 years, with security updates lasting up to 10 years. Android users can expect a delay of 2-5 years, although this is highly dependent on the model. If you’re no longer receiving software updates, this may be a good sign that it’s time to upgrade. This is especially true if you no longer receive security updates, as they tend to extend beyond typical software updates.

You can check on an iPad by going to Settings > General > Software Update, or on Android, go to Settings > System > Software Updates. If you can download and install it, it might be worth keeping the device. You may have other factors to worry about, but running the latest software may mean one less thing to consider if you’re considering an upgrade.

No matter what tablet you use, chances are it runs on a lithium battery. Unfortunately, these batteries can degrade over time, although how long this can take depends largely on the type of device, the size of the battery, how you use it, and other factors. In fact, there are many mistakes you can make that can damage a lithium battery. If you find that your battery is constantly draining no matter how much you charge it, it may be time to consider a new portable device.

An important thing to remember is that tablets can have a specific number of cycles for their battery. Essentially, a device only has a certain number of charge cycles (meaning it goes from 0% to 100% and back to 0%). A high cycle count may mean it may be time to buy a new tablet. Typically, an iPad is supposed to retain 80% of its battery and can typically complete 1,000 charge cycles. For Android, this varies by device.

On newer iPad models (iPad Pro M4 and M5, M2, M3, iPad Air M4, iPad mini A17 Pro, and iPad A16), you can check your battery health by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. You may need a third-party tool on Android, but you can also check if you have battery settings under Settings > Battery. Keep in mind that other signs that your battery may be going bad include the device randomly shutting down or not being able to maintain a charge.

A tablet is only as good as you can use it, and a damaged screen can easily prevent you from completing even simple tasks. This is especially true if you primarily use your tablet to watch media. For what it’s worth, you can protect a screen without a screen protector, but if you’re already past the point of no return, it might be time to replace it.

If your screen is flickering or unresponsive, that alone may indicate that the screen is over. However, cracks, inconsistent brightness, strange colors, or even peculiar shadows or lines could also indicate that you need a new screen. Essentially, if the screen isn’t working the way you expect it to, it might be time to replace it. If you experience these issues, first check to see if you have an active warranty that will replace the screen or device. Even though it is expired, you may still have other options.

Keep in mind that you may be able to find a service technician who can replace the screen for you. You may also be able to do it yourself with some research and a little know-how. If you go this route, consider the cost (and time investment) of replacing the screen versus purchasing a new tablet. Depending on what you find, it may be more cost-effective to replace the screen than to buy an entire device.

Depending on your experience with a smartphone or tablet, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a low storage warning on your device (especially if you’re an Apple fan). Some tablets allow you to expand storage with something like a microSD card, but once your storage is full this can cause issues. These problems may start small, but they can quickly become major problems if left unaddressed.

At first, you may find yourself simply deleting photos or deleting apps to free up space (we also know ways to free up space on an iPad), but over time this may not be enough. You know things will start to become a real problem when apps start crashing or stop working, you have difficulty taking photos, or you notice that the overall performance of the device is suffering. This may largely be because your device doesn’t have enough space for temporary files, meaning background processes are fighting for resources and some virtual memory techniques may fail.

Fortunately, a new tablet doesn’t have to be your only option. In addition to looking for ways to free up space, you can also consider cloud storage options to free up additional space. Something like iCloud for iPad or Samsung Cloud for Galaxy tablets can give you a little extra space, but you may also want to consider the cost of these services versus buying a new tablet entirely.

We’ve explained why it’s important to keep tablet software up to date, but access to new hardware can also be a factor if you think it’s time to upgrade. Just as software can add new features, new tablets can usually come with hardware upgrades. Although they may seem flashy, new hardware can indeed be nice, but it is not always entirely necessary.

Let’s take the iPad as an example. If you were using something like a seventh-generation iPad, upgrading to the iPad A16 would take you from a 10.2-inch screen to an 11-inch screen. You would also upgrade from an A10 Fusion chip to an A16 chipset with a 5-core CPU and 4-core GPU. The upgrade would also move you from a Lightning port to USB-C, and we know of plenty of ways to take advantage of this (other than charging).

Of course, it all depends on your needs. Depending on what you use the tablet for, upgrading just to a new camera or improved processor may not be necessary. If you use the tablet casually for watching movies, what you have may be fine for you. If you use it for work, the new upgrades can help. Before spending money, think about what you use your tablet for, then try to get some hands-on experience with a new model to see if it’s worth it. You may find that your old vehicle still has some gas in the tank.