When it no longer works. Current one is 4 years old and everything except the fingerprint scanner is still working fine.
Mine is 4 years old and still works perfectly fine. I did start looking at some phones with a better camera recently, because my wife got a new one not so long ago and the difference in picture quality is almost absurd. But then I have also started looking at getting an actual camera to remedy that, for the price of a flagship phone you can get some amazing digital camera's.
I usually keep my phone until it has degraded / become so incredibly slow, that I can't use it properly anymore.
Yes which is usually at least 3-5 years.
People can (rightly) shit on Apple, but my phone has been working for 5 years now, still works quite well, with only the battery life being an issue. As long as easy charging is within reach, I’m unlikely to get a new phone.
I didn't realize people's phones actually broke down in less than 5 years, I thought they just upgraded because they wanted to.
I've had my Sony XZ2C since 2018 and I haven't had any issues. I'm sure the battery must have been better in the past but it easily lasts me the day, so I don't really notice.
I’ve been poor long enough that the phone companies have learned not to fuck with my phone. Whereas a richer person would respond to a remote nerfing by buying a new phone, I respond to a remote nerfing by cursing and battling through whatever simulated tech shade they throw my way. I think they just realized it’s not worth the effort as it will never result in me buying a new phone.
Agree, iPhones' longevity is hard to beat
When it stops receiving OS version updates
Only when it physically breaks beyond repair. And even then, sometimes I buy the same model again.
I take good care of my phones, so they physically last longer than the firmware does. I upgraded my Pixel 3a to a 7Pro because the 3a would start freezing, crashing apps, rebooting, etc, pretty much making it unusable for anything longer than a couple of phone calls or 15 minutes of internet/socials usage.
I imagine I'll have this phone for like 4-5 years, fingers crossed.
Why upgrade when it still works?
The problem with waiting until it's totally and completely borked is then you have to panic scramble to get another phone instead of planning out a purchase. And I had difficulty doing this because my bank wanted to verify it was me making a large purchase...but my phone wouldn't work so I couldn't authenticate myself because that's how everyone authenticates themselves. It's a whole ordeal.
Granted, this can even theoretically happen with a new phone if you drop it or something. But at least with an old one, there are often signs before it goes completely kaput. My beloved cheap ass Motorola phone would bootloop occasionally and started doing it more and more often toward the end of its life. One morning before work it just totally died and would never turn on again, not even able to get the boot screen. (Troubleshooting revealed unfixable eMMC failure.) That was a fun couple of days trying to figure out how to buy a more expensive item without authenticating myself on my phone lol.
I usually sell my old phone and buy a new to me used phone. The cost for upgrading is usually only $100-150 for me and I typically end up getting a pretty massive upgrade hardware wise. I haven't had a brand new phone in over a decade now.
Only when forced to by the phone breaking, switching providers, or, as in the case of my last phone, when they shut down a network (2G).
Generally about every 4 years - I feel like it's the sweetspot between longevity and keeping up with the technology, plus that's usually around when updates stop and physical issues start
I switch phones when they become unusable, so about 4 years in my experience. That's plenty for me, especially since I buy older (cheaper) models. Also, I'm rough on my phones so I outfit them with heavy-duty cases from day one.
My previous phone was a LG Stylo 3. It lasted 5 years, albeit with greatly decreased battery capacity. I was just thinking of ordering a replacement battery when it suddenly bricked itself while charging... first time I ever lost a phone unexpectedly. Before it I had a Samsung Note 2 - its charging port started failing but I still managed to backup everything by hotwiring the battery.
I really wish we could repair phones more easily and cost-effectively. I just can't accept that something that costs ~500 CAD is "temporary", technological changes be damned.
When my battery dies or there is a REAL upgrade not just a new camera. Or my dog eats it (it happens)
About four years on average. I would go longer, but at that point the phones I buy tend to go buggy. I buy phones in the € 250 to € 300 range.
Work exposure to extreme heat and cold usually kills mine every year. I'm looking seriously at repairability.
My iPhone 8 from 2017 is still going strong, it replaced an iPhone 4 (2011-ish I think) when WhatsApp, the bank's app, and other important applications stopped working. I guess I'll have to switch later this year or maybe next since the battery life is getting too short and summers hit it good. I hope they make the iPhone 16 tough cause it has to last me until the put out the 32 to keep on this neat powers of two progression lol.
when I accidentally drop it and it somehow lands screen-first on the most pointy screen-protector-piercing object in a 300km radius
screen replacements either cost like more than half the price of the phone or I have to import the replacement from China
rather just upgrade
As a younger man, I used to always get an upgrade after two years but I finally broke out of that cycle and finally got a SIM only contract and bought a decent mid range phone. It's now three years old, still working fine and I don't see myself changing it anytime soon.
Whenever the one I have stops working. The last few have kept going for 2-3 years until they wouldn't charge. This time I have a case that covers the charge port from dust, I expect to keep it going 3-4 years.
Only when it breaks. My last phone I had from 2016-2022, the one before that from 2011-2016.
I wish I could say not very often. But the last few years I have made shit decisions with phones. I can't remember what phone I had when it started, but I think it was a Galaxy. It would mess gifs up and take hours to send them. One time it sent one to my friend at 3 am the next day.
So I switched to a Pixel (I figured I may as well go all in on the data sharing). It lasted for awhile but then I ran into issues with phone signal, ended up getting a new sim card and kept having the issue. Tried a new phone same issue, so I returned it and went back to my old one. Then this year I switched to a new Pixel (I'm poor now and it was free*). Surprise, surprise, I still have a lot of issues.
Best and first smartphone I ever had was the Nokia Windows phone, can't remember what it was called but it was brilliant aside from the lackluster app availability. I miss flip phones but I am scared to switch back to one because my laptop also sucks (thanks HP!).
When I'm forced to. My most recent phone was free because carries were upgrading to 5g and I was still rocking 3g. Same story with the phone before that but it was some other network thing I can't remember. I haven't paid for a phone in almost 10 years.
I used to upgrade every year, then every 3 years, and now have had the same phone since 2017.
I think this will be my last, I only use it for whatsapp, banking, and doomscrolling.
3-5 years
I replaced my last phone after a year because my sister's phone broke. I gave her my s20 and bought a Pixel 7 because I wanted root
I still use my s9 which I bought when it came out. The s24 is out now.
Works perfectly fine and has absolutely everything I need.
Same for me. I've forgotten when I bought it, it's been a while. I'd prefer a smaller one, even, they keep getting larger...
When it stops receiving security updates.
My current (Android, custom ROM that still gets updates) phone is 6 years old. I tend to upgrade when the phone breaks, the battery gives up, I hear of some severe vulnerability, or even these updates stop. As a replacement I get something used in the $100-150 range, so at least a couple years old. Maybe every 5 years or so.
Edit: The power bank is my friend.
Around every three to four years, particularly for major photography-related upgrades.
I'm the kind of nerd who tracks this kind of thing, so here is a list of the number of months between purchasing each phone I've owned, from newest to oldest:
5, 44, 47, 28, 23, 18, 46, 40
The first number is 5 months from my latest phone purchase to the present day. I'm not looking to replace this device any time soon. The previous two phones I owned lasted a decent amount of time, nearly 4 years each. Before that I was buying cheaper second hand phones that didn't last as long. And if you go way back, the final two devices are pre-smartphone era where phones were simpler with less to go wrong and less need to upgrade.
Do you keep this kind of data on other areas of your life?
I know everything I've spent on video games/gaming hardware since 2016, and all the books I've read in the last couple of years.
Every two years. The carrier I'm on has a thing where I keep the same plan if I get a new phone when the current one is paid, and they have a "phone of the month" that is always on a two-year plan with 20GB of data and unlimited calling and texting for about $35. Currently have the galaxy S22, which included the galaxy buds pro, so getting a new one this year. I always give my last one to a family member or friend that needs it.
3 years or so for me. That seems to be when my current phone starts to slow a bit, and when the newer phones have a new feature or two worth paying money for.
When the phone doesn't serve it's purpose anymore, and/or is ungodly laggy. That can be anywhere between 3 months to 5 years.
Thanks for starting this question: I have to figure out a new usage pattern
We have two kids who also need phones, so ….
New iPhones every 2-4 years. The kids get the previous ones with a new battery. Adults get new high end (iPhone 15 Pro 256 GB), kids get a recent phone (13 Pro 256GB). This past one was only 2 years because the previous had been 4 and the kids old ones were trash - iPhones are good for 6 years. Cost averages out to not quite as bad as it could be.
However my first kid is in college, so we really only have one more shot, before we adjust to him being an independent adult
I got my current phone in 2020 and I'm thinking of replacing one of the parts soon (it's a Fairphone). The one before I got in 2015 and was a cheap and cheerful Huawei smartphone that got sadder over time. The one before that someone had given me in 2006 or something because he was getting a new phone; that was similar to this one on the right: link. Before that was some sliding phone. Before that I had a Nokia Ngage, and that was when I decided I didn't need all the bells and whistles.
So to calculate the average: (4+5+9+2+2)/5=4 years, 5 months ish.
Every 6 years or so. On my previous device I had replaced so many of its parts that it could hardly even be considered the same phone anymore.
When they become unusable due to freezing, bad hardware failures, etc. That has usually been around every 3-4 years.
I only upgrade when my current device becomes unusable.
I recently had to upgrade because the power connector for my LG V60 snapped off and it can't be charged anymore. I got it only a month or so after release so I had to have it for almost 4 years. Ain't nothing wrong with it other than the power port, but I figure it's probably cheaper to just use the free upgrade offered via my service plan than trying to fix this old phone that I can't even root. Before that I had a Samsung S4 (accidentally sat on it and busted the camera, the screen and bent the whole device) and before that was my first smartphone ever, the Nexus 4 (had it so long the battery itself just stopped holding a charge and finding a replacement at that time was impossible even though it had a replaceable battery).
Got a Pixel 8 since it was the least garbage device I could get. I'm not all that happy with it, but most of that is simply because it's carrier locked so I can't enable OEM Unlocking until it's completely paid off.
Just got a new battery in my three year old phone. Hoping to get at least a fourth year out of it.
When it breaks + the replacement cost as much as the phone costs (I generally buy secondhand)
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