How long do you keep your phone before buying a new one? It is based on this article that especially Apple fanboys, buy a new phone every year when the new one comes out.
When it dies or becomes obsolete (~5 years)
I think it’s a tech fanboys rather than Apple fanboys that change it every year : one can observe the same modus operandi for Samsung.
Most Apple users will keep their device for a while, just as most android users. Those that change tend to value peer recognition above eveything else and having the latest gadget is a way to achieve that goal.
It keeps surprising me that in the US you are so limited in choice. Most people in this thread only refer to Apple or Samsung because that is the choice they have. I’m in China currently and Apple is not even in the top 5 and Samsung has no presence here at all in the phone market.
But I agree with you. The tech fanboys are the same. Whenever Xiaomi for example, releases a new model, it sells out in one day.
Like the iPhone fold, will barely make a dent here because all other local brands have folds that are much better and are already in their 5th iterations. The Xiaomi 18 fold sold 36. 000 units in its first day.
every 5 years, which imo is even too often. the reason is usually a combo of os slowdown/battery life/lack of storage which really is a little ridiculous. f capitalism!
Until it is entirely unusable. My last phone I had for years after it stopped being supported, it would hardly charge, the screen was totally shattered, and I was still using it up until it bricked itself. I’ll probably see if I can convert my current GOS phone into a Linux phone after GOS stops supporting it, for security reasons to use a supported OS, but I want to minimise my contribution to e-waste.
I recieved my first phone in 2003 and as far as I can remember, I have owned 8 phones from 2003 to 2026.
I owned 4 phones from the ages of 14 to 19 From 20 to 30 I owned 3 phones. In my 30s I have so far only owned 1 phone. On average that means I have replaced my phones every 2.8 years.
Three of my phones were used phones I either bought from friends or got for cheap at phone stores because they had been display models.
My first phone was a nokia 3510i and I replaced it with a Sony Ericsson phone around 2005 because I wanted a camera phone and it was no longer cool to own one of the old school Nokia phones.
My next one was a bronze colored Sony Ericsson dumbphone and I think I got it in 2007. It fell into a river. We managed to save it, but it was never the same. I forget if I got it new or if this was a display model.
The one I got after that one was a purple phone, similarish to the bronze one. We are still in dumbphone land and I’m pretty sure it was 2008. I think it was one of my friends’ old phones and I bought it from her because she felt sorry for me that my “river phone” was acting up.
The one after this one was in 2011 when I got my first smartphone. Xperia Ray, I think it was called. It lasted me 4 years and then fell out of my pocket when I ran across the road and it died a horrific death on asphalt.
I got myself a used dumbphone in order to stay in contact with people, but it genuinely sucked. It had been a display model at a store and it was dirt cheap and barely worked. This phone only lasted me some months before my temper could no longer handle it being so shit at everything. I don’t even remember, what it looked like.
I finally bit the bullet and splurged on a smartphone. My first Andriod. I think it was called something-something “Edge”. Broke easily. Couldn’t handle shit. Definitely the weakest phone I ever had, productionwise. Somehow, it lasted me 7 years. Maybe out of stubbornness because I fucking hate spending money and if something has cost me more than a thousand in my country’s currency, it better survive, bitch. One day, it simply just went black after two years of barely working.
The one I have now is also an Andriod. Got in 2022 and it was apparently a dated model when I bought it, but to me it was insanely futuristic compared to my other phones. The best thing about it is that I have dropped this bitch on nearly every type of hard surface you can think of, and it’s barely got a scratch. I don’t buy phone cases for my phones because I hate phone cases. I think this might be the best phone I have had since my Nokia 3510i. This thing takes every hit life gives it and it doesn’t even flinch. The battery is still pretty good as well. I hope it will last me until 2032 at the earliest.
Every phone I buy for the rest of my life will only be replaced when I have no choice. I hate spending money and I increasingly hate modern phones.
My next phone will more than likely be a Fairphone.
Four years. I’ll typically buy a new phone, but an older model. I’ve still managed to always have a headphone jack!
Until the security updates stop coming out from the manufacturer
About 5 years. I don’t care much about the canera. I went from a note 20 Ultra to getting a red magic 11 pro late last year. It has pretty bad cameras but everything else is awesome and the battery will probably be what will eventually make me upgrade again. Just seeing how long it will last and how hard a time it will be to get a hold of a replacement battery. I know how to repair and work on phones and electronics, so doing repairs and getting to the battery isn’t much of a challenge for myself, but getting batteries that aren’t utter trash is a lot harder.
Once every 2 or 3 years back when I was buying the stinky cheap ones. My current Pixel, however, is approaching 5 years strong. No good reason to buy a new one at this point, maybe until the GrapheneOS Motorola comes out since I don’t do anything computationally intensive on my phone.
I’m still using my Galaxy Note 9 from 2018
Great phone, kept my S9+ until 2 years ago. Upgraded because the battery was dead. Could’ve replaced it but wanted to switch it out anyways. Couldn’t go back anymore now though, that 60Hz screen is a deal breaker for me now
About every 5 years. Also weird to hear that about Apple fans. Everyone I know with an iPhone uses it until they can’t anymore or it stops getting updates. Maybe we Europeans use our phones longer or something.
I use them until they’re literally too broken to be worth fighting with anymore. Only then do I buy another one.
only right answer imo /lighthearted
I’ve had my current phone for about 5 years and am thinking of getting a new one this fall.
Had my last smartphone, Honor 20, for 6 years, it didn’t get any safety updates for the last 3… Bought a refurbished iPhone 2 years ago, I will either use that until the safety updates stop or until I ragequit myself out of the modern society. Whichever happens sooner, following the ID laws and all.
But my main phone is a dumb Nokia I found from the trash. I don’t see it breaking and they do sell aftermarket batteries still, so no issues. Can call mom and so on.
When my old one dies. Currently only on my 2nd smartphone.
Every 5 years. For next year, I want to buy a custom Android (GrapheneOS - Motorola, or Degogled Android/Ubuntu Touch - Volla, or Fairphone with /e/ os), I will see.
