Ask Lemmy

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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 Motorola renders it unusable with software "updates"

2020 - Samsung A13 5g

2025 - Xiaomi 14

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.

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.

Still got my pixel 6 running GrapheneOs.

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

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

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 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

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.

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. :(

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!!!