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.
Apple fanboys, buy a new phone every year when the new one comes out
The ‘new phone every year’ types are usually on a contract with their carrier where they get the latest model every x amount of months/years. Most aren’t buying it outright
I keep my phones for 5-7 years. Generally once it stops receiving security updates I’ll get a new one
I avoid it as much as possible.
The current phone I am using to type this right now is someone’s old phone that they graciously gifted to me when they went and got a new one.
Not going to spend lots of money on tech that is going to be called old in a year.
I use my wife’s old phone when she changes, which is roughly every 5 years or so. Chinese brand, excellent quality, running some fork of Android (couldn’t tell you which).
Every 4 to 6 years; using Iphone.
Usually wait for some reason to change, which is almost always unrelated to features on new phones. Either the phone breaks, gets lost or there is something specific I want which my phone doesn’t have. Plan to get a new one this year to get a bigger screen, otherwise would have kept the existing one which works perfectly fine, does everything I need and is going on 6 years without any issues.
I think I have you all beat. I’m still rocking an iPhone 6S Plus released in 2015. The latest update was for iOS 15.8.8 on May 11, 2026.
I had the non-plus. The battery went poof on me and cracked the phone wide open.
genuinely impressive given how lots of apps (and increasingly more of them, but afaik messaging apps generally still fall behind?) seem to require iOS 16 or later nowadays
I spent a little more to get the upgraded newest model of the android phone I’m currently typing this on, released in January 2021 and received by me in March. I had to replace my previous phone because the battery started to fail and it was failing behind in Android versions, meaning some newer apps could no longer be installed and some older apps could no longer be updated. Current phone still going strong, no signs of being any slower than it was originally. Mostly have used wireless charging and battery protection schemes in the OS, so USB port still works well and charges just fine either way. I feel like phones hit a performance plateau a few years ago and I see no reason for an “upgrade”. If my current phone needs to be replaced, I fully expect to be forced to pay more for less given the costs of memory these days. Previously I’d been basically forced to upgrade every 2 years because I always bought the contract special “free” phone and updates stopped or the battery pillowed.
I want to do now, I have mine since 2019 and still working but im tired of android
Linux next?
Yes, sadly im not smart or rich enough
I used to change every 2 years. First, it was included in my mobile plan and each was really better than the previous one. Then, I took a plan without mobile. I bought one, I lost it after two years. I bought a really old second-hand one, it broke after two years and it was not updated anymore, so I changed. I bought a very old one that was not updated after two years. It was frustrating, so I bought a new one four years ago. I plan to keep it as long as possible now they are updated longer.
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.
Still using my OP8T (kebab) from 2020. 6 years strong with LineageOS.
I’ll wait till I leave the USA to swap to a new phone, just one more year…
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.
I’ve had my current phone for about 5 years and am thinking of getting a new one this fall.
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.
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.
