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[Drake]

I'm just curious as to what the general consensus is around here. I'm still rocking my Galaxy s5 from 2014. It does basically everything I need it to. It has bluetooth, it's strong enough to play most emulators (which I don't do very often anyways) and I can browse the web when I need to. I have noticed over the last 6 months or so that the phone has started to slow down. The screen is also sub-par to the newer phones and the camera on it kinda sucks. It also only has 16GB of storage which will become an issue sooner rather than later. The battery is still going pretty strong though. Smart phones are so damn expensive, I just can't justify the cost of a new one right now.

 

[fusious]

Roughly every 2 years is when I upgrade. But I'm Also pretty rough on my phones. The HTC one m7 was my favorite modern flagship phone because it was made of metal. I didn't even need a case for it and it lasted me over 2 years. Sadly the public didn't show as much interest.

 

[mekes]

I have a Note 8 that I got at launch. I’m going to run this phone into the ground before I get a new phone. I’d be happy if I can get 4-5 years out of it. Prior to this I always got a new phone every time my contract was up for renewal, but this time around I bought the phone standalone.

 

[O.v.e.rlord]

Once it starts shitting the bed. Sooooo once every 4 years maybe.

 

[God Enel]

Had an iPhone 6 now on XS max. So 5? Years. If my iPhone 6 wasn’t totally fucked up i would’ve still used it. But the battery was broken and everything else too so I had to buy a new one

 

[Threeshotgamer]

Until I break it which is generally about once a year or so lol

 

[Grinchy]

Maybe every few years. I've had this 6s for 2 years now and just don't see any reason to upgrade yet. I've tried my friends' newer models and I just don't see what the hell is worth $1000 about them.

 

[Papa]

When the battery on my iPhone slows down enough to warrant it. Works out to every second gen. I went iPhone 2 > 4 > 6 > 8.

 

[Nelsin]

Every 2 years for me Samsung galaxy S line I never would switch to other phone provider its best phones line up I tried in my whole life.

 

[plasmasd]

I'd upgrade from my v20 but there are no more high end removable battery phones

 

[JORMBO]

Used to be every two years. I am going for 4-5 years this time. Phones are too expensive now and the improvements are not that big.

 

[Chairman Tickles]

Once every ~4-5 years I will get a mid-high end phone. All I need is simple browsing, camera and phone functionality. I really don't care about phones beyond their utility as a...phone, compact camera or mobile internet device.

 

[haxan7]

Got my iPhone 6 in 2014. Just bought a XS Max with part of my Christmas bonus a few days ago. So I guess every 4-5 years, which I feel is really long.

The XS Max is a MAJOR upgrade over the 6 in every possible way- screen size/picture quality, speed, interface (haptic feedback, no physical button to deal with, face unlock), battery life, camera...everything. I love the phone.

 

[Rest]

I replaced my last one when it started having issues sending and receiving calls and text messages. As long as a phone can do those two things, I won't replace it.

 

[Dark Star]

used crappy, standard cellphones all through 2000's, nokias, flip phones, etc.
owned an iPad / iTouch early on and i was content with just using it at home, for a long time.

my first smartphone was an iphone 4s in like early 2012.
then i got an iphone 5s in 2015.

in august of 2018 i finally upgraded to the One Plus 6.
for the first time, in years, i finally feel "caught up" with smartphone culture.
i don't see myself upgrading for another 2-3 years tho, perfectly content.

 

[Antoon]

I dont think Ill ever switch to Smartphones, as their battery life is abysmal

 

[bitbydeath]

I dont think Ill ever switch to Smartphones, as their battery life is abysmal

Wireless chargers are fantastic, I just sit my smartphone on one as I get to bed each night and it’s fully charged again by morning. No fuss.

 

[Raptomex]

Phones are ridiculously expensive so I usually wait up to five years before dropping that kind of money.

 

[Jaxx_377]

About every 3 to 4 years for me thats about how long it takes for me to trash my phone well enough to need a new one. I will have had my S7 3 years come April and if it continues to perform like it has lately it wont last much longer after that

 

[yeahokaywhatever]

I had the iPhone 5c when it first came out and had it for four years. I barely upgraded to a 6 since a friend purchased a new phone and gave me theirs. As long as it works, I'll wait to upgrade. These phones have a quick turn around and I don't like having to spend every two years just to be up to date.

 

[Antoon]

Wireless chargers are fantastic, I just sit my smartphone on one as I get to bed each night and it’s fully charged again by morning. No fuss.

Still too much hastle to place it everyday in the certain place, not to mention this is not gonna work if you travel. Old phones work forever, and also are very durable so I can drop it as many times as I want and not even a screen crack.

 

[J-Roderton]

Whenever the one I have craps out.

 

[Bullet Club]

Every 2 to 3 years. I've got a Pixel 2 at the moment which I really like but 64GB isn't enough space, so will probably upgrade at the end of the year.

 

[Jae Mara]

Whenever I lose it or more commonly it breaks. Feels like the build quality of most phones is a bit trash but I'm also not the most careful with phones.

So it works out between 1.5 - 2 years. I'm hoping to have my lame but lovable 2015 j3 for as long as possible. Lower budget phones are the way forward!!!

 

[JimmyRustler]

I keep a phone for at least 3 years before even considering to buy a new one. But even then I only switch if there is something that justifies it. That said, I have the iPhone SE for 2 years now and still have to see something that is making me change it.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Basically until they break

 

[Ownage]

Still using my Nexus 6P. Replaced the screen and battery, and it's a champ. No errors or loading concerns. While it's not quick as compared to new devices, it does exactly what I want it to do.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I still have my first smartphone, iPhone 5.

 

[nkarafo]

Got my S3 in 2014 when it was already a bit old. I just upgraded to a 2018 A7 a couple of months ago.

In other words, i try to keep them as long as i can. But i always keep them in pristine physical and very smooth operational condition . I gave my old S3 to my mom and it still looks/works as new.

My rules: Never pay more than 250 euros for a phone. Always have a good protective case that wraps the whole phone, asap.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Basically when it breaks.

 

[The Elite]

Used to be every two years. Now it might be every three or four.

 

[nkarafo]

Smart phones are so damn expensive, I just can't justify the cost of a new one right now.

Flagship phones are expensive, yes. You don't need those, unless you try to emulate the Gamecube at full speed or become a competitive player in Fortnite on your phone.

Right now, in the mid-range you can get a much more powerful phone than the Galaxy s5. Mine is close to s7 in terms of performance according to every benchmark. And it rocks 64GB of internal storage and 4GB or RAM, plus the latest and finest in what Samsung has to offer when it comes to screen quality.

 

[Drake]

Flagship phones are expensive, yes. You don't need those, unless you try to emulate the Gamecube at full speed or become a competitive player in Fortnite on your phone.

Right now, in the mid-range you can get a much more powerful phone than the Galaxy s5. Mine is close to s7 in terms of performance according to every benchmark. And it rocks 64GB of internal storage and 4GB or RAM, plus the latest and finest in what Samsung has to offer when it comes to screen quality.

What phone do you have? I literally know nothing about phones other than the flagship ones.

 

[nkarafo]

What phone do you have? I literally know nothing about phones other than the flagship ones.

Got the A7 (2018).

If you prefer Samsung phones there are three "tiers". the "J", "A" and "S". The J is the budget ones, the A is the mid-tier and S the flagships. With the J and A, the number near them i think indicates the screen size, mine has a rather large 6 inch screen, the A5 is smaller and the A8 even larger. Also keep in mind the year of release. There is the A7 (2016), A7 (2018) for instance. You always want the most recent because they are not at all the same phones as there is a difference in performance and specs.

With the S line it's different, they all have the same screen size and the number indicates the generation (so they don't use a release year indicator).

There are also the Notes and maybe some other stuff that i don't know much about.

 

[Renoir]

Just got a new phone. spent $300. its not s flagship, but its sexy and has good specs to last me a few years. I had a One plus 2 from 2015.
Most phone do the same things. Unless your particular about Camera,Aesthetics,Specs. Even specs now can be debated... is a snapdragon 845 realllllly that much better than a Snapdragon 835??

 

[Turnip Truck]

Used to be every 2 years. Now it's more like 3+. The technology isn't changing that much these days to warrant frequent upgrades. The only reason to upgrade now is when the phone is no longer suited to task, or you bust it and the cost to repair is not much more than the cost of a new purchase.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

I used to do it way too frequently. But you can never keep up, it's fighting a losing battle. So I stopped.

Instead, I bought a budget smartphone for around £200 and went sim only for £11 per month. It's the way to go.

 

[Souless_PJ]

Every year. Just trade in the “old” one

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I used to do the new phone every two year thing back when it was just $200 and onto the monthly bill.

That was dumb given how basic my phone usages are and how much I use my iPad for things lots of people use their phones for (bigger screen is much better for my aging eyes). Now I'm still on an iPhone 6s that's still great for my needs after getting a new battery a couple months ago.

 

[TheUsual]

Basically until it breaks/wears down to the point of not being useful anymore.
First smartphone was a galaxy s3 and used it until I moved to the s7. Plan on keep using the s7 until it basically dies.

 

[ValiantTraveler]

My personal rule is to keep a smartphone for at least three years. I've had my Xperia Z5 Compact for two years now and it still does everything I need it to, but the difference in camera quality is very noticeable when compared to newer phones.

 

[Night.Ninja]

I have a iphone 8 before that a iphone 6 and before that a iphone 5s

I think my next phone will be a one plus

 

[Ovek]

When I get bored of my current one, that could be sub one year to several years.

Case and point I rocked the epic Nokia N900 for many years...

I used this bad boy along side several phones over the years including the original iPhone and always went back to it.

Sadly one day it died and I had to put it to rest in the “old mobile phone” draw.

 

[Redneckerz]

• When the current one breaks or becomes unresponsive.
• When Android apps are slowly moving away from supporting the Android version that i use.

So between 2-4 years.

I still have an oldskool 2006 phone which beats most phones on battry by a long shot.

 

[kingbean]

I work for a data comms company so I get free phones every 18 months. I'm due a new phone this month. Probably gonna get a note 9.

 

[V2Tommy]

Every other iPhone generation, and getting back 60% of my money in resale.

 

[Gander]

What do you think phone updates are about. Rarely if ever do they improve functionality. They load these massive updates to sabotage your phone to get you to upgrade.

 

[-Minsc-]

Well,

I had a used iPhone 3GS for about five years. About two years ago I moved to a new Samsung Galaxy J3(6). This year I'm planning to ditch it and look into a dumb phone.

 

[Mexen]

Usually when a phone starts to die on me is when I upgrade, out of necessity rather than desire. My current Infinix Hot 4 Lite is 2 years old and still works just fine. I don't know when I will upgrade TBH.

 

[Daniel Pacheco]

Normally I let fall and fall every day my phone to the floor. Then always I have a broken phone.

In my last year my company change 4 times the phone. Was a bad luck year for me talking about phones. Just bad luck, I am always traying top take care about my stuff. And my last phone was stolen with only a week of life . A couple of mini- gypsies take my phone in a coffe shop while they aske me for money. They took my phone from the table and I didn´t see nothing... They were magic gypsies...