Replace iPhone 11 Pro battery or update phone.

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Replace iPhone 11 Pro battery or update phone.

CeeGee

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#325261 1-Aug-2026 15:09

My hand me down (to my grandson) iPhone 11 battery is getting tired. Given the rate at which Apple ‘retire’ aging phone support & os updates, I’m trying to decide if its better to replace the battery or wait until Inupdate my watch next year and give him my current one.

Any advice appreciated.

Charlie

CtrlAltKiwi

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Geek
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#3515949 1-Aug-2026 15:13

XS Max user here - I had my battery replaced by apple last year at 86% health. Phone still works perfectly think I can get a another year or two easily.

Brumfondl

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#3515958 1-Aug-2026 17:02

The iPhone 11 will get iOS 27 this year so it will still be reasonably up-to-date phone and probably worth spending the money on to get a new battery.

MaxineN

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#3515961 1-Aug-2026 17:25

Create less waste.

Replace the battery.

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.

Dochart

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#3515967 1-Aug-2026 17:42

Replace the battery but make sure you get it change from official Apple authorised repairer.

Asteros

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Ultimate Geek
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#3515984 1-Aug-2026 19:55

I would only recommend getting An original Apple battery replacement but it is at least $175 for an IPhone 11 in NZ. The iPhone 11 is receiving the iOS 27 update but it is debatable whether it will get iOS 28 or newer. Security updates are not back ported completely to out of support iOS versions so out of support versions are unsafe. I would instead recommend upgrading the 11 to a newer secondhand phone such as a 13 (probably 14 would be better) or newer once iOS support runs out.

CtrlAltKiwi

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#3515987 1-Aug-2026 20:03

Asteros:

I would only recommend getting An original Apple battery replacement but it is at least $175 for an IPhone 11 in NZ. The iPhone 11 is receiving the iOS 27 update but it is debatable whether it will get iOS 28 or newer. Security updates are not back ported completely to out of support iOS versions so out of support versions are unsafe. I would instead recommend upgrading the 11 to a newer secondhand phone such as a 13 (probably 14 would be better) or newer once iOS support runs out.

I wouldn't call it unsafe. Apple patch the most severe security vulnerabilities in older OS versions. iPhone 6S still gets security updates May 11th 2026 was the most recent.

I think once your banking app stops working due to an outdated OS then it might be time to upgrade the phone (though you could still bank via the web in safari) you just wont get all the advanced features that require the app.

My bank ANZ requires IOS 16.2 or later for it's app to work.

Lego

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Asteros

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Ultimate Geek
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#3515991 1-Aug-2026 21:09

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/

Unfortunately, hundreds of security vulnerabilities are not being sent out to unsupported iOS or MacOS versions. These are being chained together into viable exploits seen in the wild. An old version, say iOS 15 or 16, has hundreds of unpatched security holes compared to the latest iOS 26.6.

AI is accelerating the discovery of security vulnerabilities at an unprecedented pace. Check the latest release notes and news coverage of the latest iOS 26.6 or MacOS 26.6 where you'll see 60-90 security issues patched.

Out of support iOS and MacOS is unsafe to use.

MaxineN

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#3515994 1-Aug-2026 21:24

Asteros:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/

Unfortunately, hundreds of security vulnerabilities are not being sent out to unsupported iOS or MacOS versions. These are being chained together into viable exploits seen in the wild. An old version, say iOS 15 or 16, has hundreds of unpatched security holes compared to the latest iOS 26.6.

AI is accelerating the discovery of security vulnerabilities at an unprecedented pace. Check the latest release notes and news coverage of the latest iOS 26.6 or MacOS 26.6 where you'll see 60-90 security issues patched.

Out of support iOS and MacOS is unsafe to use.

That is an article from almost 4 years ago.

An iPhone X is sitting on iOS 16.7.16 which IS the latest security patch for this phone (and the 8) from May. Which isn’t that old.

An iPhone 11 (OPs phone is getting 27). There are hardware vulnerabilities, yes, but a lot of them are used to jailbreak the device. Aka, make it do things Apple never intended… which is all user driven.

I think we are overthinking this whilst using an article from 4 years ago as gospel, when a phone that is almost 10 years old, still gets security updates when they’re critical and not related to the hardware.

Even a 6S that is stuck on iOS 15, got a security update in May.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/100100

I’m not even a shill and this quote I am replying to is just overthinking this greatly.

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.