Curious to see what the trends are
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.
Same. I guess I’m hard on my phones, because usually I start having microphones, speakers, and buttons start failing at about the 2 year mark. My last phone was still perfect at the 2 year mark, but I dropped it on carpet from 2 feet off the ground and the touchscreen didn’t work anymore. I was leaving on a trip like 3 days later, so I didn’t have time to get it repaired.
So I’m pretty consistent about getting a new phone every 2 years.
I usually get mid-range phones, though. Like the cheap ones from high end brands. My current phone is the entry level pixel 7, which I got for $500. I don’t really mind spending $500 every other year.
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
New batteries are really not a big deal, and keep the phones more useful up to the end. We keep iPhones in the family about 6 years, but halfway through replace the battery and give them to the kids
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.
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).
Whenever it stops working.
This is the way.
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.
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
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.
When my battery dies or there is a REAL upgrade not just a new camera. Or my dog eats it (it happens)
Bruh
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.
Only when it breaks. My last phone I had from 2016-2022, the one before that from 2011-2016.
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.
Work exposure to extreme heat and cold usually kills mine every year. I’m looking seriously at repairability.
