Asking because… On one hand I do see smartphones being released left-and-right, and they are rather integral to modern life
On the other hand I’m still chugging alone with my Pixel 6a that I bought 3 years ago with a replaced battery and a somewhat clogged charging port… and all my previous phones I only replaced when they have serious deficits that make them difficult to use
Wondering when you all replace phones. Please definitely mention it too if you ended up repurposing the old phone for something else
As long as the one I have works, I keep using it.
On average every 5 years. The battery life is always the issue. I will get a fairphone next time…
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.
I was just thinking the same. Simple oldstyle flip phone and a tablet or tiny laptop.
My wife has had her Samsung Note10+ for 8 years, battery just hit the wall where its charge drops too rapidly to be a reliable phone.
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
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.
When someone is giving away a better phone than mine. A lot of hand me downs out there.
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
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.
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)
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.
Its been 6-7 years for this one. I replace them when they stop working
Only when an essential function breaks. Current phone is about to turn 6 years old.
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.
When it stops working.
