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

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)

Whenever the old one dies or becomes unusable. A new phone doesn't really offer much new, so I see no reason to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading

If it aint broke, don't fix it. That's my general idea anyway. The other thing to consider is security upgrades (end of life). Then again, this time around I may just install a de-googled OS instead of buying again.

Its been 6-7 years for this one. I replace them when they stop working

I use my phone until it is completely inoperable so a few years.

I once used a phone where half the screen was broken but the touch sensors still worked and I'd memorized where all the buttons were so I could still receive and send calls and texts.

People that replace electronic devices that still work confuse and annoy me.

As long as the one I have works, I keep using it.

Every 3-4 years which is when it starts becoming really slow or something breaks. I still keep and use the old phone though and it usually works, just not enough to daily drive.

I won't replace it unless it's needed. And that includes data security reasons. If my phone stops receiving security updates, I buy a new one. Trying to sort out identity theft is not worth being cheap over.

I've always thought it's a little crazy to buy a new phone on a schedule. Like some people do every year or two. That's expensive and terrible for the environment.

Only when the previous one is completely out of commission. My last phone was a Samsung S20 I got in 2020 and it finally died when it took it's last fall on to some concrete, and I replaced it a few months ago with an S24

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.

When I can't use the old one anymore. Every time so far, that's been because of a hardware failure.

I'm currently on a Pixel 4A. It's running Android 16 (LineageOS), and I limit battery charge with AccA so that it doesn't wear out. It's currently showing 92% capacity, which seems pretty good for five years. I don't think I'd actually like a new phone; it would be faster and have a better camera, but my current phone isn't a bottleneck, and a new phone's camera will still be worse than my Olympus. It would have 5G, but why should I care? Most new phones are bigger, and as an adult, my hands are not growing.

I love that answers like this are popular here. There was a time when phone tech was improving fast enough that frequent upgrades made a lot of sense, but now is not that time.

About every 5 years, usually when either the phone breaks, or key software no longer supported.

I had a moment of reflection last year about this. I told a coworker that my phone doesn't have service in the building and I refuse to get on company Wi-Fi with my personal device.

He explained that when he gets a new phone, he uses his old one as work only.

My brain hovered for a minute in "but the old one is broken do you get it fixed or something?" Before clicking in "oh, he buys a new phone before the old one goes bad"

My brain genuinely struggled with the concept. Maybe if he'd been a rich person it would have connected sooner. I dunno

Bit off topic, but do yourself a favour, take a wooden toothpick and gently remove the lint from the USB-C port. You can thank me later.

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.

I have averaged about every 5-6 years

My main phone is now 5 years old. The only way I'm replacing it, is if it breaks or becomes too much of an issue running things. I only got it for the 5G speed which means it's good for awhile. Functions fine, I hadn't done anything too stupid with it, it's got an Otterbox protection case on it.

Generally I wait until it dies. My current one is testing my patience at 3 years old while I've disliked it since the start, but the cost of a new one is sobering enough to let me suck it up.

My first phone died under a bus after 4 years, my second one stopped getting security updates after 2 or 3 years and was starting to get seriously slow, so that one I sold, my third one took 5 years to die to repeated water exposure... And this is my fifth one.

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.

I would still be using my pixel 3 XL if the battery hadn't died. 

Until a foldable is inexpensive, I don't see much point. They seem to have stopped major innovations that I care about.

I will use this pixel 8a until it is a brick like the 3XL

When it dies.

I've had my current one since 2019. One before that I had for about the same amount of time.

This current one is starting to get issues with battery drain though (going from 100% to dead in less than 4 hours, used to last 8-12 hours)

I replace mine when it either breaks or becomes too slow for/incompatible with the apps I use. If it works, why upgrade?

I also find old phones make for great dash cams. There's a few apps out there built specifically for this purpose and they work pretty well overall

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/

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.

The last three have been s/h when I have bought them and then I have hung on to them for around 5 years each myself.

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 used to yearly, but i told myself that was shitty for the environment. In my mind Ive been thinking I had my current phone for 3 years, but i looked it up and its been 5.

Current phone is from 2019 (iPhone 11 Pro) so 6 years and counting, but im getting real jealous of Android users as all the cool FOSS stuff gets released there first or exclusive . Wont be buying a new one until it breaks though. Honestly its a miracle how well it still works, I did swap out most apps with FOSS alternatives though and I do notice the difference when i compare it to an iPhone 15 running Instagram and other spyware in terms of battery life and overall performance. Liquid ass, 120hz, 5G and other stuff doesn't help either.

Never. I never buy a new phone. If my current phone suffers a critical, unrepairable mishap, I'll buy a refurbished used phone, two or three generations old.

My current is now going on 8 years and I have no intention of replacing it. About time for a new battery tho

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

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 it is about to die, then I buy the best one I can find for less than 300€ in second hand or refurbished. It is easy to find 4 year old flagships.

I use my phones until they're limping and pleading me to just let them die. At that point I look on the used market and buy the best previous-gen phone I can find for the cheapest price, then repeat. I'm not a fan of cell contracts - I like to buy my phone outright to keep my monthly bill as low as possible.

Up until now I was only buying used Pixels so I could install Graphene, but if Goog ever locks the bootloader or anything like that I will move to something else supported by Graphene.

Or maybe just revert to dumbphone and start carrying a small ultralight laptop around for internet stuff. Probably less doomscrolling that way.

When I can no longer update apps because the phone is not able to update operating systems due to old hardware/memory issues etc.

Because I use my phone for banking I am stuck with OEM android. I have an S21 that loses support soon, that pushes me to upgrade when the next version comes out but will also be jumping to the S26 Ultra. The S26 series gets updates for 7 years so after that I will look at upgrading again.

Hardware changes are no longer huge leaps like they used to be. With devices no longer being functionally obsolete every few years squeezing as much life as possible is the new game.

My old devices end up being used for dashboards for HomeAssistant or turned into picture frames. So they will live on and still be useful for a long time.

I started with an iPhone 5. I replaced it after the second battery started dying with an iPhone 8. Replaced that with an iPhone 16 when the second battery started dying. I always have them in an OtterBox Defender case and take good care of them, so batteries become the deciding factor.

I typically use it untill it becomes unusable. Typically around 5 to 6 years I guess. On my last phone I had changed so many parts it was practically a new phone.

I bought my current phone in 2017. It will be replaced when the cons of continuing to use it outweigh the cons of buying a new one. Fortunately phone manufacturers have removed most of the features I want in a phone and added nothing of value so I'm saving a ton of money.

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.

• 2006 or so
• 2009 or so,
• 2012? 13? gifted to me
• around 2017, first smartphone, my previous' phone speaker broke, got a used one
• 2019 or so, used phone's battery died badly, friend gave me this reconditioned one
• 2025, previous phone's screen turned purple, idk what's up with that

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.

When it breaks. I don't remember how long I've had this one but it was made in 2019.

I purchased my current phone (Fairphone 4) in January 2022. And that was because my last phone's battery was dying, and the screen was very cracked.

I decided for a Fairphone because you can easily replace the battery (already done once) and the screen (not yet broken).

As of now, I still have no plans to buy a new phone.

I replace a phone when it becomes intolerably difficult to use due to hardware failure.

My current phone was bought refurbished in July of 2020. Phone before that was purchased in 2018, and the phone before was purchased new in 2014.

The current one is a Samsung Galaxy S10, and I'm not seeing any reason to replace it yet.

I'm banking on my fairphone lasting at least a decade.

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.

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

Only when it no longer works. I would have kept my last phone much longer, but the basic function of connecting to cell/mobile towers stopped. Still works as a wifi-only device.

I keep mine until they die or become so slow that it just isn't very usable anymore.

I used to have a One Plus 3 for 4 years until it fell out of my pocket and a cow (or cows) stomped on it. It came back to me after another farmhand found it in the mud 3 months later. Still works, but completely bent, and screen is cracked and crazy discoloured. I keep it now as a paperweight, or to hotspot. I also keep my Canadian sim card in it so I know exactly where it is when I go back.

Then I had a OP6 for another 3 years, and it black screened.

I now have a Samsung S23, and will keep it until it dies.

BTW, I think there are charging port cleaners out there, if nobody has mentioned it already.

I replace it when it stops working. I replaced my old phone after 6 years of use, after it suddenly decided to just not work. Litterally from one day to another. Still not convinced it wasn't some kind of software end of life bullshit, because litterally everything broke at the same time.

Whenever I want, though I usually wait until someone else's (family) phone goes EoL with security updates, then I get a new device (pixel) and they get my used device for whatever the going rate is for trade-in to G. They get a gently used phone at like 1/3rd the price I paid, I get a new shiny thing to geek out on, I trade in their device that was once my device to help contain the costs of the new device, and they stay secure which makes my life easier and keeps my nerves relatively-relaxed. The circle of liiiiiife~

This fall will be different though, since I got the 10 fold this past year, so I won't need/want a new phone, but a family member has the pixel 6 that will be going EoL. Probably help them trade in the 6 for an 11 and call it a day, keep my 10. Fall 2027 will be different, another pixel going EoL, so I might grab the 12 fold or whatever, pass down my 10 fold, trade in their 7 pro. Then everyone will be on security updates for... 7 years from release? So we won't need new devices until 5 years from now, that being our 8 pro.

When I break it or it becomes unusable. I paid extra when I got my current phone for a thicker case that also plugs up the charging port, because the charging port has been the point of failure on most of my phones so far. On the other hand, I do have wireless charging built-in this time, so I could use that if the USBC port dies.

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)

My current one is around 6 years old. I don’t really have a set time table, what made me replace my last one is it slipped out of my hand I watch in slo-mo as it fell to its death.

iPhone 11 Pro Max. Still on ios18 but will probably go to 26 soon because of security updates. I expect this to be the last iOS update that will install, so I’ll probably pony up for a new phone in September, for a 7 year lifespan.

I went with the top of the range $1400 model because I knew I’d use it for hours every day, for a long time. It ends up costing ing about 55 cents a day, and saving a couple bucks on the front end doesnt make sense to me.

Typical dad here. I replace it when it dies. I usually get 5 years or so out of each one.

I kept my S7 until they shutdown 3g service and then bought the oldest 5g phone I could find and ill keep it until it dies or they shutdown 5g.

Got my first smartphone when I was 30 already (it was a gift), I'm closing to 40 now and I'm still using the same phone.

Only when absolutely necessary. Like, it doesn't work at all anymore. I've only ever had 6 phones including the one I have now. A sidekick, the original Razr, a Nexus 4, a Samsung S4, a OnePlus 6, and currently on a Pixel 8.

Only when it's unusable. I recently got a new phone, my old one was an iPhone XR but the last few months it just randomly restarts and overheats like crazy.

I did a battery replacement a year ago but I think it was time. I also got a cheap Samsung, I'm not about to pay the money that Apple is charging customers just so I can make phone calls and use maps

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!!!

My current phone is 3 years old. I have no intention to replace it unless it breaks.

Still got my pixel 6 running GrapheneOs.

My previous phone was replaced when the main (for most apps only) camera stopped working, and more importantly, it randomly rebooted frequently whenever Wi-Fi was on. Also, my carrier didn't acknowledge that it used LTE, so it was about to be booted off the network.

Also the OS was old enough that some apps I used were starting to drop support and I would hear about others I couldn't install.

And Google Services Framework very often got into a rut where it would use 100% CPU and crash every few seconds, eventually getting bad enough that rebooting rarely helped. I wrote a long bash script to try and monitor it and reset it when it did this (by deleting a file that occasionally seemed to help and killing all its processes at once) but it just got worse over time. I didn't want to do a factory reset for some reason I've now forgotten.

My previous phone was a Xiaomi on which I installed LineageOS. I was very happy with it, but my GF's son had a very very old phone, so I changed it after only 3 years and replaced it with another Xiaomi. I'm deeply unhappy this time because they've made it practically impossible to unlock the bootloader without using dodgy unverified tools. It's only a year old and now I'm replacing it with a second hand Pixel.

Before the first Xiaomi, I had a OnePlus that I kept for six years.

When Motorola renders it unusable with software "updates"

5 years if I can't flash open rom and nearly 7 years if I can.

When the old one breaks or is so damn old there simply isn't enough RAM to run the OS plus any apps.

The RAM thing is what happened to my last one. Got to the point that it would take minutes to launch an app, even after a fresh restore.

So probably close to a decade for each phone, barring an accident. I'm at 5-6 years now with my Pixel4a and it's still working perfectly fine.

The earliest order I can see related to my current phone is 2021. I quite like it and changed out the battery this year, so it lasts all day again.

Sometimes the performance slows down and I don't know if that's because of poor software updates, but it has a headphone jack and a great DAC. The screen is still in good condition, etc, so I don't intend to replace it any time soon.

Seven years so far.

I kept a flip phone until 2015, so I'm pretty hardcore about the don't replace it if you don't have to vibe we apparently all have here. I did swap the 2015 smart phone for a different one in 2019, because it was essentially 'broken' by the cell carrier into not receiving important functions like connecting to their towers. I've decided to not replace this current one until I'm forced to, and then it's time for anything but an iphone/android.

I just updated both my phone and my wife’s. I went from an iPhone 13 to a 17, and stayed with apple only because I am locked in to the ecosystem by IT policies. Fortunately, the allowance for using my own device covers 80% of the cost of the phone and plan. My previous phone wasn’t charging reliably, and after an unfortunate incident where it was wet for an extended period, was doing some odd things.

Wife had a pixel 6a which was no longer holding a charge, or reliably charging. Upgraded that to a pixel 10.

I have sent both old phones to be fixed, which includes a new battery for the pixel and will be donating them to a Women’s shelter when they come back.

When it dies, replaced my first phone cause it was sprint locked and sprint got bought out. The second one snopped working in a car accident, and the third one's SOC started dying so funny glitchy colors and massive lag made it impossible to use

I usually replace it with an old used one...

Got a xiaomi 13T 1TB for 300€ last year. The one before that (9bNote pro, 200€) lasted 4-5 years IIRC. It was a used one too.

Current phone, Pixel 6a, is getting security updates for 5 years. Got 2 years left. I'll keep the phone for low risk activities (car navigation with offline maps, music player) if the battery is still good.

My next phone should either be a Pixel or a GrapheneOS branded phone, at least 7 years.

Had my Librem 5 for 2.5 years now, and in my head I expect another 2 years or so with it. Before this, I had Samsung Note 5 which I kept for I think 5 or 6 years.

Yearly upgrades are dumb.

3-4 years, because I need it for my job to be nearly up to date.

I kept my previous phone for 4 years, I've had my current one for 2, and I'm hoping to keep it for at least 2 more, hopefully longer

When the battery does not hold long enough. I don't care enough to put effort into my phone anyway. I pick between the cheaper models at the local store despite work paying for it.

When it stops working. I've had this one for 3 years

I'm still using a Note 10+. Battery is solid and it does the job. I have no desire to upgrade, but when that does happen, it will happen out of necessity. I've replaced the Otterbox (my old one cracked) and a few screen protectors, but that's it.

When I do upgrade? I'll keep it as long as it still works. I already set up my wife's old phone (Note 10) for my daughter to function for music and digital drawing (she loves Penup and Samsung Notes).

Just looked it up: my Note 10+ hit EOL two years ago! I'm calling that a win.

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!

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

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 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. :(

More often than I should. I try to balance that my work will buy one every few years with preserving the materials and labor.

Haven't had enough phones yet to determine that. I got my first proper phone 3 years ago which was a Samsung Galaxy A14. I LOVED it when I first got it, then had to watch as every update it got made the phone worse until it got so bad I HATED using it. Then out of nowhere just a few days ago, my Mom surprised me with a new Motorola G Stylus 2025. Runs better, has better battery, and DOESN'T look ugly as hell so contrary to what I thought it wasn't Android that got worse (I mean, it probably still did lol) it was all the fault of Samsung SUCKING.

Last time i bought one is 2018, then it got replaced for free in 2020, and i am still using it right now

Huawei Honor 10

Lately every two years. I also have a Pixel. When a new Pixel comes out Google offers a good trade in deal where you get a $100 of store credit on top of what AFAICT is a good trade in value. Get on the Google Store mailing list to be alerted of it. The resale value on Android phones seems to drop off really sharply after 2 years. So when I calculate the long term annual cost of owning a phone I think it comes out pretty good.

I'm not shooting for the absolute cheapest. Phones are so integral to our lives, I don't think it's rational to cheap out on any part of the phone that matters. IMO what doesn't matter is the difference between the Pixel a-series and a flagship phone. Battery life definitely matters so having a pretty new battery is worth some of the premium of upgrading so often.

Warning, the store credit applies to your next purchase. But I'm pretty loyal to Google and Pixels.

I trade it in for a new one every 2-3 years so I can get the most money for it

2006 - 2G Siemens

2016 - 3G Samsung (2G turned off)

2022 - 4G ZTE (3G turned off)

On average every 5 years. The battery life is always the issue. I will get a fairphone next time...

I may have a special case here so either 3 or 5-6

• replace every 2-3 years or battery health == 80%
• replace battery and give old one to my teen

I personally replace frequently but I as the owner keep them 5-6 years, replaced on a rolling basis

Started year 5 on this one, if the batteey was user replaceable, I'd so that and keep using it.

Best of times a phone hast lasted about 4 years

At most every 3 years but only because I like new tech. I could easily keep my phone for longer which I will probably do from now on because the changes from generation to generation aren't as dramatic for iPhones (I used Android before until last year)

I usually send in my old phone for trade in or sell it to a refurbisher or to family.

Probably around 5 years but sometimes I have an opportunity to give it to a family member and get a new one

As often as I need to, not as often as I want to. Either it's second hand or fair trade (as fair as possible), and it should come with a private respecting android version, and be by a European company. https://feddit.uk/post/42069586

I have a Pixel 3a, they stopped doing updates in May of 2022. It works just fine. I'll get a "new" phone when my wife is eligible for an upgrade on her plan, I'll just format/reset her old one. I no longer buy new phones, I just take people's old phones and use a cheap carrier (Mint, currently). My days of spending $1K for a new iPhone, or whatever, are long over.

I had the first G1 android, overall better than the flip it replaced. Replacing that got me something better. Every other one the specs were better on paper but in reality I couldn't tell the difference. Which is why I replace when it breaks.

I used to buy a new one every two years, now it’s 3-4 years. The new phones just don’t excite me anymore and I’m basically just waiting for the battery to run down or it becoming laggy.

Currently have an iPhone 15 Pro so there still some time until I need a new one. Not a fan of the new design anyways.

I had an iPhone 3gs, then an iPhone 6s, can’t recall what years, but they were new phones, just not the newest model out. That 6s got to be a real pain at the end, I’d have to sync my photos and then delete them, and delete apps to give enough space for iOS updates since I only had the 16gb version. In 2022 I think they were handing out big trade in offers to get people off 3g phones so I got an iPhone 13 mini with 512gb. Going to ride this thing for a while

Before I had an iPhone I had various Nokia flip phones. I’d have to replace them every year or 2 because I had a tendency for them to catch when pulling them out of my pocket and slip from my grasp. After a few falls they’d start getting finicky and less responsive. I still have this happen with the iPhones, but they keep trucking

Edit: I have had charging issues with my 6s and 13 mini a few times. But after giving the port a thorough cleaning it always went back to working. I don’t think I was particularly gentle

My 6s had the battery degrade significantly a year (or few?) before I traded it in. I took it in to have Apple replace it, but the phone got bricked and they replaced the phone for just the price of the battery. I had hoped I’d get a 32gb model then because the 16gb was discontinued, but guess they still had stock. My battery for the 13 mini is starting to wear down, so I think in a year I might have it replaced. Might be neat to do myself, just don’t think I’ll have the time to

Like you, I only replace when there is a major problem. When there are repairs I can do myself, I do them to extend the life of the phone. My previous phone had corrupted internal memory or storage, and that was that.

I have run into issues where newer software runs poorly. I solve this issue by not running that software.

I have never purchased the exact same model, but they tend to not be offered at that point. I have purchased the same model line. I had really enjoyed the Motorola G line, especially the extended battery iteration.

Generally only when it breaks, my goal is 5 years

My last phone was a 2017 model, I replaced it early 2025 with a Pixel 5. I have since bought 2 more Pixels (because they're cheap) and keep one as a hot spare (boot it once a month to update) and one as a test bed.

I kept my galaxy 10 until my grandson broke the screen. probably 6 years. upgraded to a galaxy 20. I plan on keeping it until it stops working. I did end up fixing the 10 and gave it to my mom. her phone was so old it still had a removable battery. If I didn't need it for work, I'd go back to a flip phone.

I think almost all of my phones failed due to the charging port giving out over time (microUSB was the worst). Last phone had USB-C and wireless charging, so the port was no longer the weak link. It lasted about 4 years before it fell out of my pocket at an unrecoverable height.

I suspect my current phone (Pixel 7) will last me several more years. At this point I think a drop or GrapheneOS EOL are the only things that'll get me to buy a new phone again.

If your phone is feeling sluggish, factory reset, then as you install new apps, remove their background usage permission unless real-time updates are critical. Delete anything with a functioning mobile website.

I would get a new phone almost yearly. But, I would change phones instead of buying the same phone. So, I'd go from a galaxy, to a Huawei, to a flip, to a fold, and now I finally settled on a red magic pro 10. Been using it ever since.

Almost never. Only if my phone breaks

My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S7 from a decade ago, so not often. A few years back I had to replace the battery, but it's still going.

Since it doesn't have an open bootloader I'd like to use it until it dies, as otherwise it'll probably just become ewaste.

I assume it's not very secure anymore, so I don't really do anything important with it.

If I cared as much about my phone as I care about my PCs I would have almost certainly replaced it with something better by now.

Pixel 7a and last week I replaced the spicy pillow battery just outside of warranty. The kit from iFixit had the adhesive strips and battery for a solid price, the process was way less painful than when I've worked on iPhones.

These days only when they break. Had a used Note 20 Ultra for 3 years. Brilliant phone but the screen broke. After watching the Fold range & thinking we'd been beamed into the future I finally took the plunge & got a used Fold (an older model for the S Pen compatibility).

What I would say is some apps that were broken on the Note work fine on newer Android version (for me, YouTube on Firefox used to kaput after exactly 60 seconds).

Fully intend keeping this bad boy until Android finally shits itself with the whole sideload debacle & all the general war on privacy/FOSS. Hopefully Linux phone will become a viable alternative

When I start you start hating your phone.

When I do not get security updates anymore which is around the time the phones battery gets very hot and dies by just existing. It does not feel safe to have that thing in the pocket any more. And I do want security updates. My current workplace has the rule that we can switch after 2 years (but I try to use it as long as possible). So I have mine for 4 to 5 years give and take. Just read pixel 8 gets 7 years of updates so I will strive for that.

I'm typing this on my first smartphone ever (previous one was a BB Q10)

The last two times I upgraded was because my employer offered me phones with no strings attached. Before that I had gotten an iPhone XR that I had for only 2 years before I dropped it and it fell off the second story of my work and shattered. Thats probably what prompted my employer to offer me a phone

Usually after 4-5 years

I'll only say mine is a Moto G7 Power.

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.

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.

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.

Typically between four and six years. Bought a Fairphone two months ago and hope to get to six years with that.

As a Sailfish Linux OS user, perhaps about every five to six years. The last two died because of falls / hardware damage. Performance was fine.

Depends whom I’m talking to.

If by holdings onto your existing device your are inconveniencing others then replace it.

If by holding onto your existing device it is inconveniencing you, replace it.

Otherwise keep it. OS version and software support is arbitrary these days. Some times it matters, other times not so much

When the battery quits. I replaced the battery in my last phone myself, got an extra year and a half out of it, but then I f‘d up the camera and figured that was it. So…6-7 years? Went from a iphone X to a 16, and previously it was a 6, so 5+ years for that one. The recent replaced phones were traded in to knock a few $ off the purchase price, but previously phones were handed down to the kids to use. Still have a couple working 4s‘s around.

When I had the chance, I had a Samsung A01 Core for 5 years, and now I finally managed to change my phone. The other one still worked, but I decided to buy another one. I don't understand people who change their phones every year

2020 - Samsung A13 5g

2025 - Xiaomi 14

When I was younger I got new cheap Tracfones at least once a year cause I didn't take very good care of them. Nowadays I've had 2 phones since 2020 with the second being one I got last year since my previous one nearly shattered after dropping it at work (it was a moto g power).

went from pixel 2016, pixel 2 2018-22?, and then disasterous PIXEL 5A 2025 it died in Jan.

got a ONE PLUS 12 R currently.

When it stops working.

When someone is giving away a better phone than mine. A lot of hand me downs out there.

If you feel that you need a new phone, but your recent one ist still working (no cracked screen, still sufficient battery life) it could help to tweak the UI settings. Change the appearence of the clock, pick another highlight color, delete apps you don't really use, rearrange apps, change the wallpaper, etc. This way, your phone will feel new to you, despite being still the old one. Also, maybe a new phone case could help.

Try to unclog the charging port with a sewing needle. Switch off your phone and pick dust and lint carefully with the needle. Try not to touch.the contacts inside the port.

i'm still using an 2013 phone. the touch panel is kinda fucked and I do have a replacement phone already but I'm too used to it, so probably gonna use it till it physically breaks down or the cell towers die. would be cool af if i can make it till 2038 lol

Like about every 5 to 7 years as that's usually when it starts getting pretty slow. Not sure why or if it's planned obsolescence, I take good care of my phones. My current one was gifted to me by my aunt last year, at the right time.

I always keep it until I break it, usually about 2.5 years.