About

About and
methods

Skip the Unboxing helps you decide whether to keep, fix or upgrade your iPhone, using Apple's own prices. It's an independent site, built and run by one person.

Updated 11 November 2026

Who makes it

I'm Manmohit Singh, a software developer with nine years in the industry who follows Apple closely. I built the calculator because the answer to "should I upgrade?" is usually a math problem, and most of the advice online skips the math. You can find me on X at @ManmohitSandhu.

Where the numbers come from

• Repair prices: Apple's US out-of-warranty repair estimates for repairs done by Apple, before sales tax. Apple confirms the final price after inspection.
• Trade-in values: Apple Trade In's published maximum US values for phones in good condition.
• New iPhone prices: Apple's US prices. Where Apple's price includes its $30 discount for activating with a carrier, we say so.
• AppleCare+: Apple's published US plan prices and service fees.
• Battery health data: the Envirofone iPhone Battery Health Index (CC BY 4.0).
• Carbon figures: Apple's Product Environmental Reports.
• Accessory compatibility: Apple's specifications and compatibility pages, and the makers' own product pages. Where we rely on a review, we name it.

Every page shows when it was last updated. Prices are rechecked against Apple's pages, and when Apple changes a price, the calculator and every page that uses it change together, because they read from the same data.

What we don't do

• We don't claim to have tested products we haven't tested. Where we point to a product, we say what it's for and when to skip it, instead of ranking it.
• We don't accept payment for placements or verdicts.
• We don't show Amazon prices or ratings, because they change constantly.

How the site makes money

Some guides link to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Those links are marked, and they never change a verdict: if a $89 battery is the better deal, the calculator says so, even though that earns nothing. You can also support the site through Buy me a coffee.

Corrections

Spotted a wrong price or a mistake? Message @ManmohitSandhu on X and it will be checked and fixed.

Not affiliated with Apple

Skip the Unboxing is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. Apple, iPhone, AppleCare+ and other Apple marks are trademarks of Apple Inc.