How often do you update your important tech?

Mondai

Mondai

Gold Member
My most important tech are my phone and my computer/laptop.

For my laptop: I only ever get a new one when my current does dies and won't turn on anymore, my last one died last year but I waited until my birthday this year to get a new one (bought a Mac and it's been great).

For my phone: I tend to update every 3 years, I just updated this year from an iPhone 13 to a iPhone 16 Pro so next update will be for an iPhone 19 Pro.
 
As often as it needs updating.

Sorry that's a really shit answer its not meant like that.

I haven't needed to update my Mac Book for 4 years, my Windows laptop last year for example.

iPhone is now on a two year cycle, used to be every year FOMO.
 
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Tech is usually twice a year. August/September and Apr/May (mobile tech in sept. computer tech in late spring).

Game stuff is probably monthly at this point. What I mean by that is buying new accessories (don't know if everyone would consider these upgrades) that come out. Controllers, headsets, etc.

Other stuff (like AV/Media) I will update as needed but those windows has gotten larger and larger over the years. Still rocking a few C4's for displays, the Nvidia shield is still the best streaming device imo, apple TV I will snag upgraded versions of those for my bedroom. Projectors and TV's I only upgrade if I can get a decent performance boost.
Projector tech has really fallen off over the last few years...hoping for some great hardware at CES this year, but the big boys in that area have been letting me down!
 
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As infrequently as possible. "Updates" typically means worse build quality, more enshittification, more spyware, more ads.

Nothing gets better; everything gets worse.

Culture-Grumpy-Cat-487386121-2.jpg
 
Phone is pretty much every year. I either get paint and chemicals on them at work, or I'm offered a new model anyway.

TV is generally every 5-8 years. PC is around 10 years. For PC, I'll update the GPU and ram at any point, and them later grab the best CPU for the socket many years down the line when they are dirt cheap. Currently have an AM4 build I put together during COVID. Will switch out the 3060 within the next year. Upgrade the ram to 64GB from 32. And replace the 5700X with a 5800X3D. Will more than likely get another five years before having to replace the motherboard and everything else that needs to be done.

Outside of those things, most tech I use is still the same now as it was a few years ago. My new car for instance. Fancy digital dashboard, but it's the same shit underneath as my first one twenty years ago. Plus some parking camera bollocks I don't use.
 
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Generally nowadays my phone gets upgraded when the battery life drops to unacceptable levels and rarely makes it through a full day without charging.
My computers when they start to struggle with games - other than gaming nothing really is demanding anymore.
 
Dr.Morris79 said:
Emulation got better

75xvzQPGVuldu8Gv.jpg
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I'd say that for any newer systems that are emulated, it hasn't. They all have a shader compilation issue that makes them effectively unusable for me. for instance, Bloodborne via Shadps4. Sure, it can run at 60fps, but with constant shader stutter, I'd rather stick with the same shitty poorly frame paced original on actual hardware. Stutter makes the high frame rates completely void.

For older systems. Absolutely. I have a small 14" broadcast CRT rigged up to Retroarch. The cores now are are far better than the older emulators we used to use many, many years ago.
 
My phone I update my apps, but I will not update to the new IOS. It will kill my 12max.

Computer, generally just do security updates.
 
Ellis said:
I'd say that for any newer systems that are emulated, it hasn't
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vVt4EpUUfdBt3MXV.gif


We'll need another fifteen years of cooking yet!

Ellis said:
For older systems. Absolutely. I have a small 14" broadcast CRT rigged up to Retroarch. The cores now are are far better than the older emulators we used to use many, many years ago.
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Now we're talking! 🧐

I dont think I have a device that doesnt have some form of emulation on it. Nigh on impossible say 15 years ago, well, to any good degree.
 
Moved last year from an iPhone XS Max to an iPhone 15 Pro. Before that I had an iPhone 6S Plus. So around 5-6 years for the phone.

Still holding on my PS4.

Laptop was replaced in 2023 because the old one broke.

Car is from 2007.

Wife from 1977.
 
Mainly when it breaks.

Only time I purposely upgrade to something new is next gen console time (I get it either at launch or 1 year in), and when I moved condos where I got rid of my CRT to get a plasma. Then when I moved again years later, sold my plasma and got a bigger better TV.

But normally, my TV now, car, laptop etc... I replace when they break. Even for small shit like clock radio, mouse, etc.... when it breaks.
 
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When it doesn't work.

I have my MacBook Air for 3 years now, I have the feeling it can last 5 more years without any issue
 
When it's necessary, or when it can't keep up anymore.

My desktop PC is 11 years old, but as I don't play new games on PC, I'm still using it. I've used the same MacBook Air for 7 years, only replaced it because some software had become too heavy for the RAM and because the battery life had halves.

I'll usually keep a phone for 4-5 years before replacing it.

As for TVs, I'd probably still be using my 2011 plasma if HDMI tech advancements and some automatic brightness issues didn't make it obsolete in everything except video quality.
 
Until it's unusable. And then I might still be able to find some use for them. I have no desire to update stuff every year like some do. That hunt would stress me out.
 
It used to be quite frequently. New phone every year, new laptop every 3 or 4 years. New TV every 4-5 years. New PC every 4-5 years. New smartwatch every 2-3 years. Every new console iteration.

Now I have a mortgage, so I have to be a lot smarter about spending. Thankfully, tech hasn't actually changed much in the last 3-5 years. I'm still rocking an iPhone 15 Pro, and I might keep it for another cycle.

I did, however, just upgrade to the AirPod pro 3s from the 2s, mainly cause I use my airpods literally all day, everyday.

I do like having a nice, big house in a super nice community… but sometimes I do lust over the days of living a debaucherous, apartment lifestyle, and just buying whatever I wanted whenever.
 
Only when the old stuff gets too slow or unusable. I went six years with my last CPU and GPU and I could probably have skipped upgrading the CPU in hindsight. I likewise rarely bother upgrading my phones until they go out of support or the battery is dead.

The only thing I like to upgrade these days is my monitor because they're evolving so fast. But I regret switching my console TV from plasma to OLED this summer.
 
The USB stick I have that has all my most important data on it. Every 3-4 years in case it loses the ability to save for whatever reason. I still keep the old one as a backup of the backup but generally I get a big leap in storage space, which is useful.
 
Computer every 6 years, iPad every 4 years, iPhone every 2 years (not this year cause the iPhone 17 is fugly), Apple Watch every 4 years. Consoles the day they are out.
 
I collect VHS tapes said:
I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and haven't even remotely felt the need to update

Never understood the FOMO, all newer iPhones seem pretty much identical to me
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The only reason to upgrade your phone would be for the USB-C port, which has genuinely been a godsend. It's so nice to be able to use basically any modern charge cable with my phone, not to mention standard USB-C accessories, like flash drives, and HDMI adapters.

I'm so happy to be rid of Lightning. Once I get my new AirPods, I'll finally be done with Lightning cables for good.
 
I collect VHS tapes said:
I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and haven't even remotely felt the need to update

Never understood the FOMO, all newer iPhones seem pretty much identical to me
Click to expand...
I have the 14 pro. Great phone. I want usb c and Apple intelligence. Battery is 80% and going to hit the performance issue unless I swap the battery. Getting the Air and coming from steel phone I bet this thing will be so damn light. To your point iphone is already so damn good most don't need an upgrade.
 
Not that often.

Phone maybe 2-3 years.
PC, it's just too expensive to upgrade. Laptop, due for one for convenience but also no need (I'll do the same NeoGaf browsing on my phone).
 
I gave my sister my 4k Sony TV and replaced it with a Pioneer Elite Kuro plasma. Also recently bought a Laserdisc player. So I'm doing things in reverse.
 
It depends how bored I am. Some stuff I'll run into the ground, but if I get the hankering for a new toy, I'll consider an upgrade for something that doesn't need upgrading - like I have shopped around recently for a new GPU and a new phone, despite having a 4070 Super and a Galaxy S23+, neither of which need to be replaced.
 
Trunx81 said:
Moved last year from an iPhone XS Max to an iPhone 15 Pro. Before that I had an iPhone 6S Plus. So around 5-6 years for the phone.

Still holding on my PS4.

Laptop was replaced in 2023 because the old one broke.

Car is from 2007.

Wife from 1977.
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Performance is DEFINITELY below specs from when first bought.

Chassis is loose, tolerances no longer tight. Fan whine almost intolerable. Power unit is weak, barely enough for daily activity. Memory spotty. Current OS upgrade is demanding, full of glitches, not simple and streamlined like before. Disk drive no longer seems to work, haven't inserted a disc in ages. Would upgrade to newer sleeker model but that's cost prohibitive and quite frankly, I couldn't keep up with the new tech anyway :P
 
Speaking of phone upgrades, I have 4 more days of AppleCare+ on my phone, but there's technically nothing wrong with it other than a few scratches and a slightly degraded battery.

Do I "accidentally" damage it in order to get a replacement?



Also, Apple, if you're reading this, this entire post is 100% satire and my phone has been broken for weeks.
 
Dacvak said:
Speaking of phone upgrades, I have 4 more days of AppleCare+ on my phone, but there's technically nothing wrong with it other than a few scratches and a slightly degraded battery.

Do I "accidentally" damage it in order to get a replacement?



Also, Apple, if you're reading this, this entire post is 100% satire and my phone has been broken for weeks.
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You don't have to damage it. It's a no questions asked replacement for $99, at least it was for me

I sent in my phone right before mine expired just to get one with a better battery
 
I collect VHS tapes said:
You don't have to damage it. It's a no questions asked replacement for $99, at least it was for me

I sent in my phone right before mine expired just to get one with a better battery
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What did you actually say? What was the process? Did you go in store, or use their support chat?
 
NeoIkaruGAF said:
When it's necessary, or when it can't keep up anymore.

My desktop PC is 11 years old, but as I don't play new games on PC, I'm still using it. I've used the same MacBook Air for 7 years, only replaced it because some software had become too heavy for the RAM and because the battery life had halves.

I'll usually keep a phone for 4-5 years before replacing it.

As for TVs, I'd probably still be using my 2011 plasma if HDMI tech advancements and some automatic brightness issues didn't make it obsolete in everything except video quality.
Click to expand...

Basically me.

PC is 11 years old (with updated video card) still on Win 10
Phone is however old iPhone XR and that's because my mate gave it to me last year to replace my iPhone 7
TV is a plasma from 2011 still works great

I'm fearing the day I need to replace some of this stuff as I really don't like all the app driven, spyware/ad riddled tech out there today. It's still bad enough deshittifying Windows 10.
 
Work Laptop: My company will get me a new one every 3 years.

Phone: I only get a new one when the current one stops getting security updates. Flagship Samsung phones are usually good for 5-6 years at this point.

PC: I typically upgrade mobo/CPU/RAM every 5 years or so and go for the top-end gaming CPU. With GPUs I typically go for the second highest model and upgrade every generation. I've also been upgrading monitors about every 5 years or so, but I'm probably done with that. I've got a pair of 30" on my work machine and a curved 32" for my gaming machine.

Headphones: When they break/die.

Tablets, Steam Deck, TVs, etc: When they break/die.
 
when I was young, every 6 months or so I would update part of my pc. That was like 20 years ago though when advances were huge and costs were less.

Now, I drive my computers into the ground, and then some.

For phones, I used to be every two years. Now, I just don't see the need. I have a iPhone 14 Pro Max and will keep it for a while more. At least another year, 2 would be even better. I just don't see a big enough change to warrant it.
 
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Dacvak said:
What did you actually say? What was the process? Did you go in store, or use their support chat?
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I requested via Apple care through the phone. It's under settings or something. You have the right to replace your phone for $99 no questions. I just initiate the process through AppleCare on your phone. It's like a built in app that lets you order your new phone

I would search for Apple care + under setting and go from there
 
I collect VHS tapes said:
I requested via Apple care through the phone. It's under settings or something. You have the right to replace your phone for $99 no questions. I just initiate the process through AppleCare on your phone. It's like a built in app that lets you order your new phone

I would search for Apple care + under setting and go from there
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Are you in the US? The only thing I see in Apple Care+ is for me to contact support for specific issues.
 
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