How old is your phone?

[msknight]

On the left... my Jolla was bought in May 2013 as I was one of the backers. It came at a time when I wanted to get the heck off Apple and Android. It was my daily driver until I ordered my second hand Xperia X in March 2018, (some models were officially unlockable by Sony - the phone was released Feb 2016 so it's three years old... just not all in my hands) so the Jolla did 5 years and is now my burner. The Xperia is showing no signs of slowing down. Both are running Sailfish and do me proud. I get a couple of days out of the Xperia as it's just used for phone calls, SMS, domestic and commercial e-mails (so it is polling three different e-mail servers on a regular basis) and general browsing. I believe it will at least last me another year before maybe I have to replace the battery. I have no need to replace it, as I carry a small camera to take pictures with. How old is your phone, how much do you think it has left and what would make you upgrade?

 

[Guest]

iPhone 7. Not thinking of upgrading for another 2 years. 

[PlayStation 2]

iPhone 6 Plus that was purchased in 2014. I plan on upgrading to either an 8 Plus or an XR.

[msknight]

These figures are considerably longer than the 1.5-3 years that was discussed on the WAN show. I wonder why.

[DrMacintosh]

8 Plus. Upgraded from a 6s Plus only because Apple was offering above market value for trading it in. Got my 8 Plus for $450. 

 

I got it after the Xs and XR came out though. So it’s technically less than a year old. 

[RejZoR]

I usually had Android phones for 2 years, coz then software support usually goes out the window. I bought my current iPhone XR sometime in February 2019 iirc. Planning on keeping it for longer this time since Apple keeps things updated for longer. Might flip it sooner if they show something radical. So, not for 1 more year for sure.

[mr moose]

1 year old now,  another 6 months and something will happen requiring that I replace it  as always happens.

 

I've already splattered molten steel on the screen (thank god for gorilla glass).

[19_blackie_73]

Currently 3/4 of a year, but probably keep it til it is really unusable or dies.

The last two phones i had both died one sort or another (one didn't turn back on, the other one had screen issues which funnily enough resolved after leaving it half a year without a battery in it so....)  the first one was already over two years old before i got it and had it for about another year, a bit less and the other one lastet 2,5 years before the issues, though now lives with my mother as it now works again fine-ish for such an old phone.

[Oskar94a]

I'm using a note 9 since it's release, before this I had the note 2 since it's release but it gave up just a  month before note 9 release so I got by with my work phone. I'm not planning on upgrading my phone in at least 5 years.

[Zodiark1593]

This phone launched in 2016, and I've already had it for 2 years. Speed and battery are still plenty, but the satan spawn display has a bad habit of drastically adjusting contrast depending on what is on the display (think blacks turning to very light grey, and everything else following suit). Drives me absolutely crazy when photo editing, and just moving around on my image throws contrast every which way, resulting in hideous color banding as well. Kind of hurts the eyes too when lots of darks suddenly go very light. Also, 64 GB is proving to be quite cramped. And Band 12 support (on t-mobile) is nonexistent, which given my general area, means service is spotty.

 

So the idea of an upgrade has some appeal, though I don't want to be spending money to replace what technically works. So I'm leaning toward sticking it out another year. Definitely willing to give iOS a try though.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, msknight said:

 How old is your phone, how much do you think it has left and what would make you upgrade?

My current one is just a few months old, and the plan is to keep it at least three years (it's a Pixel 3a). Previously, most phones I had I only kept for around two years and either upgraded due to mechanical failure or poor software experiences. I think the longest running one I had was the first Droid Turbo, used that thing for about three and half years before the screen stopped detecting touches.

[msknight]

Cool responses so far. Many thanks.

 

One thing that is standing out to me, is the charge of using our phones to project our image, doesn't really apply to us. Sure, usability and durability has featured, and some of us appear to be harder on our phones, but we're not upgrading to the latest and greatest for the "bling" factor.

[Euchre]

My phone is the LG Xpression C395, from 2012. Yes, that's 7 years ago. It is a full QWERTY keyboard slider that runs Brew (a Java-like OS). I refer to it as a 'clever phone', since it isn't a smartphone, but there has been some software you can get for it, although very hard to find today. I've never really had a need to have a full time smartphone, and once I got an Android tablet, that took care of a lot of my needs that a smartphone might occasionally fulfill. I do love the hardware full keyboard, which is something you effectively can not find today. Some time in 2022, I won't be able to use this on my current network anymore. I'm hoping the slider form factor might make a small comeback by then. People joke about flip phones, but there is a not insignificant segment of the market out there that still wants them, and thus they are still made.

On 8/24/2019 at 2:15 AM, msknight said:

These figures are considerably longer than the 1.5-3 years that was discussed on the WAN show. I wonder why.

I haven't seen the episode, but I suspect it is referring to a rough average of lifespan for phone users globally, or at least in the first world or even just North America. The number of people that replace their phones every 3-6 months is pretty crazy - lots of people buy commodity smartphones, especially on prepaid, like this. That demographic tends to break them and need to replace them, and when they can do so for between $30 to $100 (US), it is feasible and no discouragement. On the other end of the scale, you have senior citizens that see cell phones as exotic and expensive devices that should be cared for, and as durable goods that are meant to last a long time, and will keep them until total obsolescence hits. When people come to my store and buy 30 pin iPhone cables, you see just how long some devices are still being used. The next 3 years are going to push that lifespan number down a lot, as the attrition of 3G devices comes about.

[DumbAsshole32]

.

[TJ10]

My Nokia 6.1 Plus is going to be 8 Months old next month. Before this phone i had a 5 year old Samsung Galaxy core prime.

[atxcyclist]

iPhone 8, haven't found anything to complain about yet. Having even mild weather resistance without an external case is nice, so I just keep a thin cover and screen protector on it that still allows wireless charging. I had a 5S for a few years but I started to have some issues. Since I ride a motorcycle out into the boonies a lot I want a working phone. I had a 3GS before that I bought well used and it became obsolete before I upgraded to the 5S. I have too much invested from iTunes gift cards and am comfortable enough with the interface that I probably won't move away from the iPhone series.

[Radioactive Snowman]

iPhone XS Max, its officially 11 months old but I've had mine for about a month. Switched to it from the Galaxy S10 and couldn't be happier with my decision

[Aliairstinger]

I have a Moto g7, It will most likely last me a year and a half. I would upgrade for poor performance and a cooler phone.