Ask Lemmy

When Motorola renders it unusable with software "updates"

When it's broken beyond repair, I'll order a cheap one and go without for a couple weeks. This happens every 4 years or so.

My iPhone is up to 5 years, and has no issues. If it had battery problems, I could just replace it.

If your phone contractor says they can give you a free phone with lock in, question how they’re paying for it. I pay my provider $240/yr ($20/mo). They have some less favorable phone-buying plans but work fine. To avoid being an advertising shill, I won’t name them; just make sure you include yearly prepaid options in your price comparison.

Usually when I think that its time for a new one because my current one has an unuseable battery or is unuseably slow, but most important is, that I need to be table to afford a phone. My current phone is now closing in on 6 years, but I want to get a new one when I can afford it (maybe until the end of year I should be table to gather enough money for a new one)

when it breaks, which is not very often so around 5-6 years. this P9PXL is getting quite a lot of software support though, so ideally I'll keep it around longer than that.

unfortunately I know people who get a new phone once simply the battery starts to go bad, as if there wasn't a less expensive way to fix that issue. :(

In August it will be 15 years since I purchased the phone I'm typing this reply on, Samsung Galaxy S2. All I do is calling, basic browsing, and checking the weather, so I don't really feel like I need a new phone. Battery is replacable, so until the screen is broken, this phone will serve its purpose.

When it no longer holds charge.

This is usually about 5 years. I'd change the battery, but by then the web has slowed down and become inefficient enough to warrant a new phone anyway.

I had second to last phone for 5 years before it accidentally slide out of my pocked and I crushed it with a foldable chair. Next phone was also around 4.5 year until January 2025 I was driving back home for 14h and by the end GPS app froze and after restart couldnt transmit AndroidAuto to car's infotainment system anymore. Had to upgrade to g85. If I can go with it next 4-5 years, would be great.

tl;dr 4.5 years on average.

Don't see the point of changing each year. Waste of money and electronics.

When I had a phone with a replaceable battery I used it until the power button stopped working. I wish more phones had replaceable batteries.

My company buys me a new phone every two years. So that often.

Will be getting the 18 Pro this fall to replace my 16 Pro

My first "own" smartphone and not second hand from family members was a samsung galaxy s7 I bought in 2016, I kept using it until the battery nearly died (took a whooping... 15 minutes to go from 100% to 0%) in 2022 and I couldn't simply change it due to the glass back being broken, the screen had severe burn-ins and the OS was no longer maintained so I ended up switching.

That first phone that lasted only 6 years was a valuable lesson, it shaped my wishlist for a "perfect" phone, which ironicaly enough was another samsung one, but xcover rather than S. Hoping that this one with no glass back, an amovible battery, no oled screen and that went from android 12 to 16 (and still going) will last longer.

I wish my old S7 could have any use beside paperweigh but I couldn't find any sadly.

I'm happy if a phone lasts 5 years. I've been using custom ROM the whole time.

Pixel 8 currently with GrapheneOS until something hardware breaks that I can't repair or Graphene due to G**gle.

I tried to keep my phone until it's on its last legs. I had my OnePlus 6T for over 6 years after the battery life was abysmal. Before that I had a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact that literally fell apart.

I'd like to keep my Pixel 9 Pro for several years, fingers crossed!

When I was a poor teenager it was about 3 years before it became unusable. Now that I know how to find good second hand models and can afford better quality it's more like 6 years before I feel the device is kind of inadequate.

About every 3 years, when I break it eventually, I'm forced to get a new one. Would keep this one forever.

I typically only replace my phones when they’re significantly worse than what a new, more modern phone would get me. So, that usually means when there are a bunch of new hardware features on the newer models or when the battery in my current phone is so old that it holds significantly less charge than it did when it was new.

Still got my pixel 6 running GrapheneOs.

I replace my phone when my current one stops working. Went from a Galaxy S2 to a Nexus 5X to a OnePlus 5T. The 5T is starting to exhibit the occasional lag, and the battery life isn't too good any more, but it is good enough. Hopefully get another year out of it. And it has a headphone jack!!!

When it is no longer able to do things I actually need it to do, and fixing is difficult/expensive.

So far that's about 5 years per phone for me.

My current phone is about to start a fourth year, and it still works fine. I replace only when I need to. (My previous phone's charging port/mobo broke down.)

I use my 2018 Samsung S9+. Still has the original battery and screen

I have averaged about every 5-6 years

i was forced to replace it in jan, after dropping a PIXEL 5A only a few feet, the screen went permanently black, as i found out this was 1 of 2 of the defects of the phone. so i just looked around and got an OP12R, DID NOT want a google or samsung phone. and this one had a great battery, dont care much about fast charging.

if i was looking for budget phones, i wouldve been looking at MOTO phones. the other 2 phones have shittier battery tech, in favor of thier AI.

A) A new phone comes out with a feature I'm dying to have, and I happen to have some fun money tucked away

B) My old phone is degraded to the point of noticeably affecting my experience

C (most common)) A little of A, a little of B, and I get a great trade in or upgrade deal

Usually on a 2-3 year cycle, finances allowing

when my phone no longer functions

my last phone was an S9+, first time I'd ever bought a brand new current year model

it met its demise last year in a clumsy drop that finally broke the screen for good (would not display anything). prior to that, both the front and back had some shattered corners where glass was just missing. didn't really matter since it was in a case.

my last phone was really starting to slow down, and typing was getting difficult because of lag. but that wasn't enough reason to replace it

I'd say about every 7 years, or older. Using custom roms, it's possible to keep a phone up-to-date for a while, or even to escape google services (on android, of course) using MicroG. Personally, I use /e/os, which has all that built in (including a tracker blocker). It is very neat.

https://e.foundation/e-os/

ITT: it is confirmed that nearly everyone on Lemmy is die-hard "if it aint broke don't replace it" about their phone (hell yeah)

Only when an essential function breaks. Current phone is about to turn 6 years old.