What is the longest you've kept a phone?

[MC.Morrado]

(self-explanatory)

I was wondering how long any of you kept a cell phone. I've had my current Kyocera S2720 flip phone since 2019 (pre-pandemic) and it somehow keeps working. How were you able to keep your phone for much longer than the other phones you've had?

 

What specific phones would you recommend for longevity as someone who doesn't do any mobile gaming? What brands and/or models of phone do you prefer or avoid?

[strange13930]

in our house we have had a iPhone 5c from 2013 which was originally my dads phone and I'm now turning it into a shadow box art piece.

[GuiltySpark_]

My iPhone 12 Pro Max that I got on launch day and replaced a few weeks ago. 

[Millios]

Redmi note 9a (? dont remember if its the 9 or 9a exactly) for about....I'll say 5 years

That was when I was still parent dependend tho so "new phone" wasnt really an option on the 2-3 year cycle many usually go for

I'll say tho that Iphones starting from 12 and up would last for a while tho so prob an Iphone 13 pro max or a 14 pro would be your best choice imo 

[NinJake]

@GuiltySpark_ Still using the 12 pro max as well lol! Was anything starting to bug out that caused you to replace it? Or did you just decide it's time for an upgrade finally?

[Kilrah]

My Mate Xs, 4.5 years.

[191x7]

Ericsson A1018s 2 years till I got a Nokia 3310.

Then a Nokia 3410. Siemens S65, Nokia N73, Nokia 5630XM, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Huawei Y300, LG G3, Oneplus 6, 9, 13, ...

I tend to keep a phone for about 3 years. These new flagships, they might last even longer.

[Mumintroll]

Oh I rarely change phones. I'm more comfortable using my pc to do most stuff what other people are using their smartphone for nowadays.

I'm using my phone to make calls, send messages and take photos/film something.

 

So I got a new phone previous year because of the 2G and 3G net shutdown.

My previous phone had Android version 2.

 

[Dr. Will0hlep]

Probably about 5 years, although I usually don't replace until the last device is dead.

[DreamCat04]

My Huawei P10 Lite. Got it for my birthday in march 2018 and kept it all the way through 2022 where in september I smashed the screen after an unfortunate fall. Eventually got a Galaxy A52s for christmas 2022. I was given a Galaxy S23 FE by the company I currently work in but I'm still using my A52s and my P10 lite has become my game tester where I test random games I come across. That thing's battery is at like 64%, the A52 is still at 85% thanks to me always using the 80% limiter. The shortest I've had a phone for was just over 3 years with my Nokia Lumia 930 as it was a Windows phone handed down from a relative. Yep, Windows Phone. Switched mainly because so many things wouldn't run on it and since the battery was getting weak

[Ha-Satan]

My wife kept her Pixel 3A XL from 2019-2024. In general we try to keep phones until they either entirely stop working or stop receiving security updates.

[CasualExtremist]

I've had a Galaxy S9 since release (2018). Swapped it for a (used) Pixel 5a as of 3 years ago. Only reason to swap was battery life. Samsung seems to just be rough on their batteries. Pixel 5a has had insane battery life thanks to some customizations that "trimmed the fat" in the software side of things. Hoping to have this Pixel 5a until the battery explodes or the 5G networks get turned off. Another user in my household had the iPhone SE since release and swapped to an (used) iPhone 8 Plus 2-ish years ago. Never updated the IOS to hopefully prevent the malicious battery decay and so far, so good for all the phones.

[porina]

About 3 years: Xiaomi Note 10 Pro May 2021 - May 2024. I think I changed because it went out of security support. Still had some value on used market so sold it on.

 

Looking at my history back to 2016 as my memory gets a bit fuzzy what phone I had before then, looks like 2 years is average. Shortest was the Xiaomi Mi A1 at just over a year. I couldn't stand the camera on that.

 

My current phone is the Pixel 8a. It still has nearly 6 years of software support promised, and the camera doesn't suck. Let's see how long I keep that before I feel an urge to change. I'm going to guess battery life might be the limit and I have no idea how easy that is to get replaced.

 

There's a trend, that I find myself most happy with Google phones. Not Android, but Nexus then Pixel series. Generally whenever I deviate from that I get disappointed. No BS OS, fast updates, decent camera. What more do you want?

 

Technically I still own older phones but I'm not going to count them since they are not usable.

[Ha-Satan]

Also I just wanna rant about how much forced obsolescence there is in the smartphone market. Like, the way I use my phone has not changed at all in the past 10 years. I use it for calls, texts, watching videos on Youtube/Jellyfin/etc., and web browsing. 

 

And for stupid reasons, all of those tasks have become more demanding despite not actually offering any more meaningful functionality than they did 10 years ago. And I don't think I'm alone in this - I doubt that the average person is actually using their phone for anything that's meaningfully different than they were 10 years ago. But because of stupid software bloat and forced obsolescence we have to keep buying new phones.

[GuiltySpark_]

48 minutes ago, NinJake said:

@GuiltySpark_ Still using the 12 pro max as well lol! Was anything starting to bug out that caused you to replace it? Or did you just decide it's time for an upgrade finally?

Honestly I just had that realization that its been a while and I was curious what was new. A higher refresh screen seemed nice. 

 

Frankly, all said and done I think my 12 Pro Max still felt like new and was in perfect condition. Not a scratch on it and 92% battery health. I can't say moving to a 16PM felt like the biggest upgrade.

 

That's been the most impactful change from moving to iOS from Android. I used to have all flagship Android phones but after 2 years, I they always started to feel slow and outdated. I never got that feeling with the 12PM. This 16PM feels largely the same so I expect I'll keep this for possibly even longer.

[DragonFriend120]

I like google pixels but thats just cuz i can change the os to something more secure.

[leclod]

My (only) phone is an Iphone SE (2016)

I don't have it since 9 years though, I broke at least two of them while servicing something.

[OddOod]

Kept? I still have my Katana II from '07. 

[jaslion]

Like in active use? One plus one still going since 2014 and my moms nokia 3310 I got from her in 2009 still goes too.

 

Else euhh some stuff in my drawer is like mid 90s

[SansVarnic]

5yrs

[VirtualDelinquent]

I still have my first cell phone from 2017, an LG Tribute HD from Wal-mart, but I don't use it. I've never really wanted a cell phone but with the extinction of pay phones it was probably a good idea to get one. 

I think the cell phone I have kept the longest that I still use is my Galaxy Note 9. It was purchased by my partner in 2018 and they gave it to me after getting a Galaxy S22 Plus Ultra in 2022, so I've kept it for just over three years. Don't use it for much because I have my Motorola Razr+ 2023 I just bought this year. The shortest amount of time I've kept a cell phone is three months after destroying my Motorola Razr Minus, so I upgraded to the Plus model.

[Commodus]

I haven't gone further than three years, but that's mainly because I work mine hard enough that I can either see the advantages (better cameras,  newer displays) or have just put the battery through the ringer.

 

It's a lot easier to hold on to a phone these days. The performance is often good enough for longer, and of course major brands like Apple, Google, and Samsung are offering seven years of OS updates. The days where your phone is left insecure before you've even finished paying it off are over, at least for some devices.