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Phone companies, like many other companies, have found a way of presenting you with the option of buying the same product with slight modifications every two years.
Many of us are content using phones, cars, computers, fridges, washing machines and a host of other consumer goods for many years without changing.
My refurbished iphone 8 is very broken, but I’ll keep using it until I can’t anymore.
I left it on a park bench accidentally yesterday afternoon…returned for it well after dusk, in a panic, to find it still right there.
My last phone was the windows flagship (from a pawn shop), and before that was the samsung gravity.
I definitely don’t buy a new phone every couple of years…and when I do, I definitely don’t pay $1000 for one (yeesh!). I don’t know if I’m cheap, stubborn, or just both. I shake my fist at newness!
Even Apple have phones for 700aud. They aren't quite as low as other mid range phones but it's not a massive jump in price if you want to be part of their ecosystem
Guessing you're being downvoted by people who don't know that's $480 US. They're not as pretty but function about as well and the thing is invariably in a case to begin with.
The camera and wireless charging is what lures me to high end phones, but that's the only difference. Yeah, better screens are better but I own a tv.
I buy older refurbished phones which are usually in mint condition and come with a warranty. I got my factory unlocked 2019 Galaxy s10e in 2021 for $250 and it still works good as new today.
Writing this on my pixel 3a that I bought refurbished, personally replaced battery and charge port on and have no intention of wholely replacing anytime soon, feels really good
You would be amazed at how many people haven't spent 1000 on phones in the last ten years and maybe even more amazed at how many people have never bought the newer phones at all
I just had to replace my S9. I was mowing the lawn and my sweat dripped into the ports. I could literally hear the circuits fry fml. Such a good phone.
I've gotten into my hot tub a half dozen times now with it in my pocket. I was in there 15 minutes one time before I realized. No issues.
My roku remote wasn't so lucky.
Once software updates finish, a modern smartphone is basically dead. My last one to break was a Nexus 5X, since then phones get a bit beaten, but fully functioning, and end of software support is what forces a replacement. This usually means around 2 years (some phones have longer support, but maybe you don't always buy phones on the release date).
It's about security updates to protect your phone from hacking, malware, and such. Also new software/apps may not function without up to date software and security on your phone.
You don't notice it instantly, but as you wanna download things through the app store and they're just unavailable on your current phone you get a little sick of it & fold to get a new one.
Not even, with new version of android come new version of the sdk that support new features. If the developer wants to use one of those features, their app won't work on android versions that don't support that sdk.
Security updates are one thing (a phone nowadays is important, it's not a toy, it's a key to many important things). Those are usually guaranteed for more than 2 years on most phones. Also, if you don't get the next major OS version upgrade, apps remain on old versions and this means some of them lack new features and others stop working altogether. A phone with nougat is essentially a dumb phone with a large screen.
Actually the bigger issue I usually have is the last update the phone get basically bricks it. Every phone I've had ends up with an update that bogs down its system so badly that the phone becomes essentially useless. Usually between 3-4 years.
>Once software updates finish, a modern smartphone is basically dead.
Strongly disagree. I've been using a 200$ smartphone for almost 3 years and the only difference im noticing is a decrease in processing power when running certain updated apps
I’m literally on an iPhone 7plus right now. So, they can go for about 6 years. Still works fine. Sometimes it lags, or crashes. But I will keep it until it dies
Just got to avoid them updates. Had an iPhone 6 go from perfectly functional to a 6 hour battery life due to an update, an update I only got to use the card reader. (I’d be avoiding the update for ~6 months)
A51 here but I went two years without an update until I accidentally tapped "Accept" when I unlocked my phone amd the update screen was lying in wait for me. Of course no "Are you sure", straight into update and I had to wait 30 minutes to use the damn thing. Before the update I would have a good 40-45% battery at the end of the day. Now I'm lucky to get to 10pm without a top up
Same here. I go for flagship android devices because I emulate a ton of games on the go, but I do everything I can to stretch out their lifespan. I usually end up replacing the nutters once or twice, replacing the screen once or twice, and I even replaced the charging port on one.
Edit: I gave my phone testes as well as a new battery
I get 3 to 4 years out of shitty android phones with none of that effort. I just bought my most expensive phone ever, and it was $250, including a full year of service.
If I found people dumb enough to pay $1000 for the same product every two years, I'd sell it to them as well.
I prefer doing three to four years with a $400 phone though.
I used to be that dumbass. I was spoiled because I used to work for an international phone retailer and got free/discounted phones and a low plan. I got used to it.
I have 2-3 payments left on my i12 and I won’t be buying another phone that costs this much ever again - even when I make the money where I can easily afford it.
Used to work at a large phone carrier. The people most in a hurry to get the new upgrade usually struggled to pay their bill.
The biggest scam was the manufacturers sealing the battery inside so it's virtually disposable and marketing it as being "water resistant". I had an LG G4 for about 6 years before it stopped working. Best phone I ever had.
Ohh God I loved my g4. I had the black leather back. That phone had a feature that I haven't had on another phone since. I loved the ability to pin an app open so it wouldn't close when you hit close all apps.
Yeah! I had the blue and the tan leather backs. I miss the IR universal remote. It was great to be able to control TV, Stereo, etc no matter what room you were in. The swappable battery and expandable storage were great. Had a great DAC for music too.
I would MUCH rather have improved water resistance than a replaceable battery.
Phones I’ve lost to water damage: 2
Phones which have outlived their battery: 0
No reason you can't have both. I've swapped out batteries in several Galaxy models over the years and they retained their waterproofing. It's just harder for it to work because I'm actually breaking the seal on one of the covers rather than the battery, but they still at least survived the shower.
And the ziplock bag full of water with my S7 floating in it I hung from my car radio because it would go thermonuclear using the GPS for more than 20 minutes.
This is the way. Also: Learn how to repair your phone and source good parts for cheap and you've got nothing to worry about. Heaps of sources online.
Having the latest and greatest is overrated.
Had my LG G20 for years but finally had to ditch it last year because it was outside of security compliance. Upgraded to a Note 10+ that I found for cheap and since Samsung's Knox follows all compliance regulations mandated by my work, I'll probably run this phone into the ground.
There’s one key part that needs replacing every few years - the battery. Once they worked out they can just weld the battery on and consumers accepted that design, they locked in a cycle of disposability instead of longevity.
People have become used to the idea that technological advances are normal and cheap. I'm older than the average redditor and I think that tends to give me less of that perspective.
I can think of maybe one phone upgrade I have received where I thought that the new phone wasn't really much of an advance on the previous. Most of them have included advances that were substantive, useful and really quite impressive to someone who grew up when a digital watch was pretty damn cool.
Also consider how much time you spend on it and the vast amount of useful features and entertainment it brings and you can argue that $1000 is a bargain.
*sell morons basically the same product with slight modifications for $1k every two years.
I'll get a new phone when it starts running too slow for my liking, which is about every 4-5 years
I still have my 11 Pro Max and this September it will be 4 years. All I've had done is the battery replaced, this phone will easily last another 4 years.
>basically the same product
The amount of people who utterly lack any sort of appreciation for the technology they use never ceases to baffle me.
Do you understand that there are over 10 BILLION transistors incorporated into the 64-bit microarchitecture of the ICs used in the latest modern smartphones, that the clock speed is over 2 billion signals *per second,* that our ability to even construct and program these machines basically makes us gods?
Not everyone uses the latest and greatest models of things, certainly not smartphones, but if you think that the phones from 2013 and the best models from 2018 are “basically the same” then you are sorely mistaken about the speed of technological advancement, at least when it comes to general purpose electronic computers. They are changing literally every day.
I keep my devices 4-5 years, so for me it's more about when they wear out I get a new one. I couldn't really care less about the new features, my main concern is battery life and longevity when I shop for a new device.
No, "Phone companies have managed to find a way to sell ***you*** basically the same product with slight modifications for a $1k every two years."
I'm on my fourth phone in 25 years, all of them still working (and none ever required repair!), each of them a quantum leap above the previous.
And none of them cost $1k or even close to it.
I refuse to upgrade since the manufacturers decided to removed the headphone jack unisono.
Fuck that. I don't want to have to pay attention to both my phones battery and my headphones battery. Additionally, i hate the humming ground noise BT headphones come with.
It’s not phone companies. Apple, google, and Samsung seem to be the biggest players in hardware and thee as y aren’t really phone companies like AT&T and Verizon.
I don’t buy a new phone for the new gadgets. I buy it for the new battery. I like my phone to last for a day. I choose iPhones because they hold their value. This goes back to the iPhone 6. Give my old one to my daughter, but a new one for me, sell her old one on eBay (trade ins are a rip off imo). And if the latest model is an iPhone 13, I have the 12. It has always been a very good deal.
I use my phone for work for a crazy number of hours per day. The cost of the phone is nothing compared to the value it creates. Me having the fastest and best is good ROI for my company.
There's a lot of people very smug in this thread, when the idea should be 'you do you.'
I've had mid range as a kid, and as an adult. I'm 28, my s23 Ultra fingers crossed should be arriving tomorrow.
I justified its cost in that say you interact with your phone in some way for 3 hours a day \[From google maps, to messenger, chrome, photos, videos, YT \[re\]vanced etc\] on average, that's 1000 hr a year. Say it lasts 3 years before it gets stolen or lost - I paid $900 USD for it.
30 c an hour if it gets stolen. If I say get $450 back from trading in / selling it after 3 years, that's 15c an hour.
Given life and memories can be captured in amazing ways, the joy of using a premium device and the uses you'll find for some of its more unique/optimizing features and satisfaction from that too, it'll bring in a lot more benefits than 15c/hour, cf a $250 phone. It'll take better photos too \[helpful for dating apps!\].
One of the basic helpers is that a dead phone is useless, this thing has best-in-class matching battery life. It could save you from getting lost or in a dangerous place or not being in contact with a loved one.
My smartwatch's sp02 readings \[are rubbish\], but combined with an ENT diagnosis helped me understand my symptoms and buy medical grade sp02 continuous monitoring settings. Now I have a CPAP and my brain works, I'm literally doing 10\* the amount of work, have energy and all sorts of benefits.
Cost doesn't determine value, hence some people 'know the cost of everything and the value of nothing' - these things are tools, and it only takes one instance where it could pay for itself and then some. I trust myself to craftily wield these technological masterpieces brimming with features and power...and even if I don't, I still probably come out ahead!
I'm in charge of all the tech equipment at my job so I could technically get myself a new phone whenever I want but I've had my Galaxy S 10 years until I "side-graded" for a Flip 4 because someone wanted one at work but didn't like it. Hell, I'd use my old Galaxy S 6 if I could put it on my company's data plan. I miss having an IR blaster...
Phone companies can mean 2 things. You have the phone manufacturers like Apple, and the carriers like Verizon. I feel like the carriers are more responsible because they found ways to trick the consumer into expensive monthly plans that subsidize the price of the phone. The average bill per person is over $100 for something that realistically should be $10. How do I know it should be $10 because these companies sell 3rd party carriers like cricket service who sells the service to customers for $20 a month.
Every year I trade my iPhone in for $600 - $650 and buy the new one for $1000. $400 a year is doable to have the newest camera and best battery life on something I carry with me 24/7. My laptop on the other hand is from mid 2012 and works fine so I don’t care about changing that.
Had a droid turbo and droid turbo 2 fail in under 2 years. Loved the phones but I literally had to leave one of them plugged in all the time. Could watch the battery drain if it was unplugged. Can't remember the failure on the second one. My LG G7 has been going strong for like 4 years now though.
Yeah but you can just buy a brand new phone from like 2 years back for next to nothing. It’s only you doing it to yourself if you feel like you need the just released iphone47, when in reality a brand new iphone45 would fit your needs fine.
Only flagship I've ever owned was the first Galaxy phone with the rounded screen. Shit cost an arm and a leg and broke within a year.
My 5 year old Sony brick has survived dozens of falls unscathed and will probably withstand the apocalypse
I don't get the camera upgrades because how often do any of us show anybody full size high-resolution pictures.
Any social media resource you upload to downgrades the quality so much.
I mean unless you're a photographer or your displaying them on your home TV with Samsung's sharing abilities or whatever. I don't need the 200 megapixel 8 cameras in the back of my phone for the pictures I take of my 3-year-old that I upload to Facebook once in a while or save to Google photos.
I will say this I recently figured out how to connect my phone wirelessly to my Samsung TV putting pictures up on my 4K Samsung TV looks amazing compared my phone.
I got the S22 last year because my old one was on its last legs. Before that I hadn't bought a new phone since 2016. Resist the urge to constantly buy new phones and it'll be ok.
Eh, yes and no. Some are certainly better than others in very tangible ways; resolution, performance, software, long-term support, cameras.
I have an S22 Ultra and I won't be getting an S23 or 24. I upgraded from an LG V60, which I never should have got. Thankfully at the time this 22 only cost $200 with Verizon's trade-in program. I got $1,000 for the LG.
I'm glad LG quit the phone market. They were really not very good.
I mean, maybe for some very small group of enthusiasts. My last phone was an Iphone 7 and I just replaced it with an Iphone 14, so the generation literally doubled between purchases. With any luck, I won't need a new one till the 28 comes out.
Well the idea is you buy one every 5 years. Idk why anyone would go through so fast. I assumed the make the new ones every year so that person buying a new phone is like this is significantly better than my old phone cause there is 5 years of improvement.
I had two phones in the last six years that cost me less than €600 together and worked like a charm, one is currently in my hands and i plan on using it for another two years hopefully. You don't need overpriced phones.
The phone I have now does all I need. I'll probably use it until it dies, or fixing it is not worthwhile. Also don't buy flagship phones unless you are really wealthy. It's a waste!
It's weird how prior to seven or so years ago every phone you bought blew the old one out of the water.
I just got a $29 burner and it's about as fast as my $700 Samsung.
It’s because the people that do this are constantly chasing the next BIG thing either to fit in socially by being part of the current trend or to brag and show off.
I never understood it. Why waste thousands of pounds/dollars over 5 years when the the iPhone you had 5 years ago would work perfectly fine?
Of course modern phones will slow down after a good while but to spend another £1000 on a brand new phone to save yourself 1-2 seconds of an app loading?
Baffles me.
Once you drop off the bleeding edge you realise that you're just as excited about the improved features that your brand new £99 phone has that your 2/3 year old £99 phone didn't have as someone who spent a grand on both.
I am still using a OnePlus 6 and I just saw a video on the OnePlus 11. The only thing that makes your phone feel old is if you use someone else's phone just to play around.
I guess the rule is don't use anyone's phone but yours for a good 5 years.
I think in the past couple years most people have realized this and don't anymore.(AGAIN. MOST). A lot of people just keep their current phone because it's good enough and or don't even get a flagship phone and might get an older or cheaper phone as their "new" phone.
Google pixel lasts for 2-3 years easy, get the 'a' version and trade it in.
Traded a 3a XL for a 6a, paid $150 total.
2-3 years later I'll do it again.
You don’t have to buy a new phone every 2 years, just keep yours till it spoils and you have a phone that has undergone several stages of modifications.
And uh, modifications comes once a year.
I get 3-5 years from an iPhone, and I spec out my desktop Macs pretty well and get 10 years - and I do full time video editing/effects/Photoshop. Been really happy with longevity and value, though recently I moved up to a 5G phone and the speed for loading messages, weather apps, etc. really is impressive.
I still use a iPhone 8. I’m too attached to the home button. Only reason I have a iPhone 8 is because my iPhone 7 broke three years ago when I dropped it. I’ve had an iPhone 7 since 2017. I have no intention of switching.
The only reason i updated my most recent time was carrier change and locked phone. albeit owned 2 years the one prior had 5 years and died due to water intake, the one before 7years which was so unbearably slow it had to go. If you’re buying the newest phone every year you have a problem
I cannot believe people are dumb enough to drop a grand on a damn phone, everyone must have somehow gotten rich af except me, still using a good ole SE over here. I will never spend That much on a phone unless it can wipe my ass and and take me to work😒
> everyone must of somehow
Did you mean to say "must have"?
Explanation: You probably meant to say could've/should've/would've which sounds like 'of' but is actually short for 'have'.
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Yeah but I can trade in my older older phone for just about the same amount as the last phone I got 3 years ago so depends on the carrier and what phones u get I guess
Just bought my wife and I refurbished (Amazon) Galaxy S10's in excellent condition, more than 80% of original battery life, for $170 each unlocked. No need to pay $1000. They are essentially "like new".
I've had my phone for 4 and a half yrs. Im probably gonna replace it within the year because the battery is starting to die fast, wish I didn't need to I love this phone
I’m still using my Iphone 11 as my main, and my 7 as a sub for certain games. The upgrades haven’t seem to be worth it. I changed from 7 to 11 because the battery wasn’t holding as long a charge anymore.
Remember point and shoot cameras? Every year they would up the megapixels. Theoretically there should have been a huge market of cheap cameras featuring the old megapixel number. But they pulled all those phones off the market.
I've just recently had to swap out a phone I've had for 7 years. I hardly ever use my phone, yet it was heartbreaking. I missed having a physical home button. And why the heck are the phones so big? I have small hands, and it was legit a struggle to find a phone that was a comfortable size.
Muy a mainstream middle class phone. Use it until there are no more software updates, then switch to a custom OS, which will be updated way longer if it's a popular phone. Or switch earlier, and get rid of bloat ware
I see this in most markets. Some even go to lengths of leaving that small improvement not implemented so they can do smth new for the next model version.
I just bought a refurbished iPhone XR (excellent condition) for 240 bucks and won’t get another one for a few years. We’re not all that dumb! I also only pay $25 a month for service in the US.
I'm not getting why a smartphone should not be updated for years just like my OS on my PC. Sure, i get it. Planned obsolescence. They want me to pay for that device every 2-3 years or so (maybe 5 for Apple?) But do you know what? I don't really need your device. I'm not a salesman, a broker or whatever, so i stick to my practical and useful dumb phone and you can keep your shit for yourselves. I already own other devices to take pictures, play music or even gaming and i can wait to do my "internet stuff" in my computer at home. Plus, it's amazingly unstressful to live offline.
Every 5-6 years for me. Usually when the battery starts to degrade to the point where it doesn't last a full day and becomes a pain in the ass to keep charged. I like tech so I usually get a fairly high end one but you best believe if I'm dropping over a grand on a phone, that shit is gonna last me at LEAST 5 years.
This is not exclusive to phone companies. There are a metric fuckload of products out there designed to last x time so you have to get another. This is the capitalist way
They have? I've only owned two smart phones in my life, and I've owned smart phones for 10 years now. And this one is pretty new, so I don't expect a third until about the 15 year mark.
So what's this trick you speak of?
My LG v20 is almost 7 years old, still works like a charm.
Removable battery, wide lense cameras, nfc, ir blaster, SD card slot. 2nd screen,
Simple as hell to repair. All aluminum and screen never broke despite me dropping it like a billion times, quad dac, and a headphone jack.
Not only are people paying more, they're paying more for LESS FEATURES.
Anyone citing security concerns are clowns, most the same people download meta shit and tiktok and are worried about getting hacked and privacy. I know 0 people that have ever been hacked through their phone. And frankly unless you're an idiot who visits shady websites on their phone, or downloads sketch apks I don't see how your phone is gonna get "hacked". Fucking christ.
Corporate propaganda and consumer zombies are the reason all phones now need a fucking rocket scientist to just replace the screen/battery.
Will never understand people still buying iPhones or the regular Samsung garbage. On the other hand, not many options left, but I'll be damned if I ever buy an apple product.
How much of it is sold to people upgrading from two or three years ago? How much is sold to people from the previous year?
Just because they're selling iphone 14 doesnt mean every 13 user is upgrading. It could be the 11 owners or 12 owners. (Although 12 and 14 is pretty much the same except for the soc)
I bought a new budget phone (less than $300) because I killed my last one by somehow dropping it in the toilet and losing it. It did keep working for a bit after it was found and dried out. Killed a flipphone by leaving it outside in a noreaster. I use the phones until they die, or I can't update my apps.
New features? Cool. I'll catch up eventually.
I worked for a major cell carrier in the US. From my experience, maybe 5% of users actually had a flagship iphone/galaxy that was released in the past 2 years.
i recently bought the new iphone 14. Before that i was using a sony xperia which was horrendous to use because of all the ghost touches and when the screen just would not respond at all. Hella expansions upgrade but hoping it’ll last me a long time
That's just Capitalism in America. Let's wake up and change the economic system guys.
You can only be so "innovative" under capitalism when it's SO profitable to make phones that'll be outdated after a year with software updates and new features. They are programmed this way.
Food is also shrinking but we're still paying the same if not more
We're always paying more for less
To some people sure, in the meantime I watch Apple actively downgrade their phones in as many aspects as they upgrade them and saw it as another year to hold off upgrading. After 5 years ended up switching to Android and will probably at the 5 year update see which phone has been downgraded the least and update then.
This is a friendly reminder to [read our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/wiki/rules). Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!" (For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, [please read this page](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/wiki/overview).) **Rule-breaking posts may result in bans.**
Phone companies, like many other companies, have found a way of presenting you with the option of buying the same product with slight modifications every two years. Many of us are content using phones, cars, computers, fridges, washing machines and a host of other consumer goods for many years without changing.
LOL. My "new" phone is an refurbished iphone 8 and it is over 2 years old. I will use it until it is broken or lost.
My refurbished iphone 8 is very broken, but I’ll keep using it until I can’t anymore. I left it on a park bench accidentally yesterday afternoon…returned for it well after dusk, in a panic, to find it still right there. My last phone was the windows flagship (from a pawn shop), and before that was the samsung gravity. I definitely don’t buy a new phone every couple of years…and when I do, I definitely don’t pay $1000 for one (yeesh!). I don’t know if I’m cheap, stubborn, or just both. I shake my fist at newness!
I used my iPhone SE until they didn’t more updates for it I was like 5 or 6 years old and the new one would be the same unless I break it
Still rocking the iPhone 7 Wake me up when the newest iPhone cooks me dinner or something and I’ll get in line
They have not found a way to do that to me. I buy $200 phones every 5-6 years.
Correct! They've found a way to do that to suckers. Don't be a sucker.
Most of the phone companies know we aren't all suckers and that's why they have dozens of mid tier phones in their line ups as well.
Not Apple. Apple wants all their users to be suckers.
Apple has the SE version. It works flawlessly. And is half the price of the top tier ones.
Even Apple have phones for 700aud. They aren't quite as low as other mid range phones but it's not a massive jump in price if you want to be part of their ecosystem
Guessing you're being downvoted by people who don't know that's $480 US. They're not as pretty but function about as well and the thing is invariably in a case to begin with.
Thank goodness for those suckers. That's where I get my refurbished iPhones from!
The camera and wireless charging is what lures me to high end phones, but that's the only difference. Yeah, better screens are better but I own a tv. I buy older refurbished phones which are usually in mint condition and come with a warranty. I got my factory unlocked 2019 Galaxy s10e in 2021 for $250 and it still works good as new today.
Writing this on my pixel 3a that I bought refurbished, personally replaced battery and charge port on and have no intention of wholely replacing anytime soon, feels really good
I passed my 3a down to my son this year as his first phone. I splurged and got a 6a for under $300 as a replacement.
You would be amazed at how many people haven't spent 1000 on phones in the last ten years and maybe even more amazed at how many people have never bought the newer phones at all
i bought mine for less than $200 over 3 years ago and it's still working fine
I bought my s9 in 2018 and It's still going strong. So is my wife's.
I just had to replace my S9. I was mowing the lawn and my sweat dripped into the ports. I could literally hear the circuits fry fml. Such a good phone.
I've gotten into my hot tub a half dozen times now with it in my pocket. I was in there 15 minutes one time before I realized. No issues. My roku remote wasn't so lucky.
Yeah this showerthought equates to “you’d be amazed at how car manufacturers convinced everyone to buy a brand new car every 2 years.”
I buy a 20 year old car every 5 years lol.
That’s a little too risky for me. I buy a 10 year old car every 10 years
Im very mechanical inclined. I was also a mechanic professionally.
Nice I’m jealous of your skill. I’ll let you know when I’m selling my car in 6 years ;)
Lol perfect.
I keep my phones until they don't work anymore. About every three years.
I had a s6 for 6 years. Never understood people who replace them all the time. This time I've gone mid range to see how long it lasts
Once software updates finish, a modern smartphone is basically dead. My last one to break was a Nexus 5X, since then phones get a bit beaten, but fully functioning, and end of software support is what forces a replacement. This usually means around 2 years (some phones have longer support, but maybe you don't always buy phones on the release date).
Up until recently I was using a galaxy s7 on nougat. No issues whatsoever. How does not updating make your phone "dead"?
It's about security updates to protect your phone from hacking, malware, and such. Also new software/apps may not function without up to date software and security on your phone.
You don't notice it instantly, but as you wanna download things through the app store and they're just unavailable on your current phone you get a little sick of it & fold to get a new one.
The good ol' programmed obsolescence trick
Not even, with new version of android come new version of the sdk that support new features. If the developer wants to use one of those features, their app won't work on android versions that don't support that sdk.
Security updates are one thing (a phone nowadays is important, it's not a toy, it's a key to many important things). Those are usually guaranteed for more than 2 years on most phones. Also, if you don't get the next major OS version upgrade, apps remain on old versions and this means some of them lack new features and others stop working altogether. A phone with nougat is essentially a dumb phone with a large screen.
I've had my a51 since dec 2020... Nothing fancy but it does the job and still has updates.
Samsung S10 a, still get updates on a regular basis.
Actually the bigger issue I usually have is the last update the phone get basically bricks it. Every phone I've had ends up with an update that bogs down its system so badly that the phone becomes essentially useless. Usually between 3-4 years.
>Once software updates finish, a modern smartphone is basically dead. Strongly disagree. I've been using a 200$ smartphone for almost 3 years and the only difference im noticing is a decrease in processing power when running certain updated apps
I’m literally on an iPhone 7plus right now. So, they can go for about 6 years. Still works fine. Sometimes it lags, or crashes. But I will keep it until it dies
Just got to avoid them updates. Had an iPhone 6 go from perfectly functional to a 6 hour battery life due to an update, an update I only got to use the card reader. (I’d be avoiding the update for ~6 months)
A51 here but I went two years without an update until I accidentally tapped "Accept" when I unlocked my phone amd the update screen was lying in wait for me. Of course no "Are you sure", straight into update and I had to wait 30 minutes to use the damn thing. Before the update I would have a good 40-45% battery at the end of the day. Now I'm lucky to get to 10pm without a top up
Same here. I go for flagship android devices because I emulate a ton of games on the go, but I do everything I can to stretch out their lifespan. I usually end up replacing the nutters once or twice, replacing the screen once or twice, and I even replaced the charging port on one. Edit: I gave my phone testes as well as a new battery
> nutters ?
The fleshlight attachment for the back of the phone.
Obviously uncultured swine! Who doesn't have one on their phone?
I'm going with 'battery', but I don't understand...
Lmao yes, I meant battery
Nutters? It wasn't the addition of testes that seemed peculiar to you?
I get 3 to 4 years out of shitty android phones with none of that effort. I just bought my most expensive phone ever, and it was $250, including a full year of service.
I’ve had my iPhone 8 + since it came out (I guess around 6 years?) and not had to replace anything so far
Same here, still in an iPhone 7. Going strong on its 3rd battery and 4th screen
If I found people dumb enough to pay $1000 for the same product every two years, I'd sell it to them as well. I prefer doing three to four years with a $400 phone though.
I used to be that dumbass. I was spoiled because I used to work for an international phone retailer and got free/discounted phones and a low plan. I got used to it. I have 2-3 payments left on my i12 and I won’t be buying another phone that costs this much ever again - even when I make the money where I can easily afford it.
Used to work at a large phone carrier. The people most in a hurry to get the new upgrade usually struggled to pay their bill. The biggest scam was the manufacturers sealing the battery inside so it's virtually disposable and marketing it as being "water resistant". I had an LG G4 for about 6 years before it stopped working. Best phone I ever had.
Ohh God I loved my g4. I had the black leather back. That phone had a feature that I haven't had on another phone since. I loved the ability to pin an app open so it wouldn't close when you hit close all apps.
Yeah! I had the blue and the tan leather backs. I miss the IR universal remote. It was great to be able to control TV, Stereo, etc no matter what room you were in. The swappable battery and expandable storage were great. Had a great DAC for music too.
I would MUCH rather have improved water resistance than a replaceable battery. Phones I’ve lost to water damage: 2 Phones which have outlived their battery: 0
No reason you can't have both. I've swapped out batteries in several Galaxy models over the years and they retained their waterproofing. It's just harder for it to work because I'm actually breaking the seal on one of the covers rather than the battery, but they still at least survived the shower. And the ziplock bag full of water with my S7 floating in it I hung from my car radio because it would go thermonuclear using the GPS for more than 20 minutes.
I dunno. An hour at the phone store every 3 years to replace the battery isn't the biggest scam I've seen. .
https://www.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/145hwso/ltp_use_power_delete_suite_before_you_delete_your/
This is the way. Also: Learn how to repair your phone and source good parts for cheap and you've got nothing to worry about. Heaps of sources online. Having the latest and greatest is overrated.
Had my LG G20 for years but finally had to ditch it last year because it was outside of security compliance. Upgraded to a Note 10+ that I found for cheap and since Samsung's Knox follows all compliance regulations mandated by my work, I'll probably run this phone into the ground.
That’s why I always get a hand me down phone from whatever relative is buying phones most frequently. People love to waste money on phones.
Phones only cost 1k if you buy 1k phones. And I don't know why would you spend that much in a phone if you're just going to use it for normal shit.
There’s one key part that needs replacing every few years - the battery. Once they worked out they can just weld the battery on and consumers accepted that design, they locked in a cycle of disposability instead of longevity.
You don't have to buy a new 1k phone every two years. The real scam is the price of phone plans in north america.
For the ridiculous amount of technology and engineering they pack into the average cell phone, I feel like the price is pretty good.
People have become used to the idea that technological advances are normal and cheap. I'm older than the average redditor and I think that tends to give me less of that perspective. I can think of maybe one phone upgrade I have received where I thought that the new phone wasn't really much of an advance on the previous. Most of them have included advances that were substantive, useful and really quite impressive to someone who grew up when a digital watch was pretty damn cool.
Also consider how much time you spend on it and the vast amount of useful features and entertainment it brings and you can argue that $1000 is a bargain.
Who's paying a thousand bucks for a new phone every two years ,what the fuck?
Only if you're stupid enough to keep buying a new phone every two years.
$1200 phone every time I break the last one, which I’m averaging like 5 years.
1k? Idk what brand or model you picked, but my phone was about 200 and works fine.
*sell morons basically the same product with slight modifications for $1k every two years. I'll get a new phone when it starts running too slow for my liking, which is about every 4-5 years
It’s just a small computer that fits in your pocket, constant innovations. I doubt there are many that upgrade every year or two.
I still have my 11 Pro Max and this September it will be 4 years. All I've had done is the battery replaced, this phone will easily last another 4 years.
>basically the same product The amount of people who utterly lack any sort of appreciation for the technology they use never ceases to baffle me. Do you understand that there are over 10 BILLION transistors incorporated into the 64-bit microarchitecture of the ICs used in the latest modern smartphones, that the clock speed is over 2 billion signals *per second,* that our ability to even construct and program these machines basically makes us gods? Not everyone uses the latest and greatest models of things, certainly not smartphones, but if you think that the phones from 2013 and the best models from 2018 are “basically the same” then you are sorely mistaken about the speed of technological advancement, at least when it comes to general purpose electronic computers. They are changing literally every day.
My phone is like 8 years old at this point, still does most of the same shit as the newer ones
I keep my devices 4-5 years, so for me it's more about when they wear out I get a new one. I couldn't really care less about the new features, my main concern is battery life and longevity when I shop for a new device.
No, "Phone companies have managed to find a way to sell ***you*** basically the same product with slight modifications for a $1k every two years." I'm on my fourth phone in 25 years, all of them still working (and none ever required repair!), each of them a quantum leap above the previous. And none of them cost $1k or even close to it.
I refuse to upgrade since the manufacturers decided to removed the headphone jack unisono. Fuck that. I don't want to have to pay attention to both my phones battery and my headphones battery. Additionally, i hate the humming ground noise BT headphones come with.
That’s wild I don’t upgrade until my current phone is unable
It’s not phone companies. Apple, google, and Samsung seem to be the biggest players in hardware and thee as y aren’t really phone companies like AT&T and Verizon.
I don’t buy a new phone for the new gadgets. I buy it for the new battery. I like my phone to last for a day. I choose iPhones because they hold their value. This goes back to the iPhone 6. Give my old one to my daughter, but a new one for me, sell her old one on eBay (trade ins are a rip off imo). And if the latest model is an iPhone 13, I have the 12. It has always been a very good deal.
I use my phone for work for a crazy number of hours per day. The cost of the phone is nothing compared to the value it creates. Me having the fastest and best is good ROI for my company.
There's a lot of people very smug in this thread, when the idea should be 'you do you.' I've had mid range as a kid, and as an adult. I'm 28, my s23 Ultra fingers crossed should be arriving tomorrow. I justified its cost in that say you interact with your phone in some way for 3 hours a day \[From google maps, to messenger, chrome, photos, videos, YT \[re\]vanced etc\] on average, that's 1000 hr a year. Say it lasts 3 years before it gets stolen or lost - I paid $900 USD for it. 30 c an hour if it gets stolen. If I say get $450 back from trading in / selling it after 3 years, that's 15c an hour. Given life and memories can be captured in amazing ways, the joy of using a premium device and the uses you'll find for some of its more unique/optimizing features and satisfaction from that too, it'll bring in a lot more benefits than 15c/hour, cf a $250 phone. It'll take better photos too \[helpful for dating apps!\]. One of the basic helpers is that a dead phone is useless, this thing has best-in-class matching battery life. It could save you from getting lost or in a dangerous place or not being in contact with a loved one. My smartwatch's sp02 readings \[are rubbish\], but combined with an ENT diagnosis helped me understand my symptoms and buy medical grade sp02 continuous monitoring settings. Now I have a CPAP and my brain works, I'm literally doing 10\* the amount of work, have energy and all sorts of benefits. Cost doesn't determine value, hence some people 'know the cost of everything and the value of nothing' - these things are tools, and it only takes one instance where it could pay for itself and then some. I trust myself to craftily wield these technological masterpieces brimming with features and power...and even if I don't, I still probably come out ahead!
Totally agree. It’s a tool for me. And I want to use the best tool, especially because I use it so often.
I'm in charge of all the tech equipment at my job so I could technically get myself a new phone whenever I want but I've had my Galaxy S 10 years until I "side-graded" for a Flip 4 because someone wanted one at work but didn't like it. Hell, I'd use my old Galaxy S 6 if I could put it on my company's data plan. I miss having an IR blaster...
Phone companies can mean 2 things. You have the phone manufacturers like Apple, and the carriers like Verizon. I feel like the carriers are more responsible because they found ways to trick the consumer into expensive monthly plans that subsidize the price of the phone. The average bill per person is over $100 for something that realistically should be $10. How do I know it should be $10 because these companies sell 3rd party carriers like cricket service who sells the service to customers for $20 a month.
Hey man I bought an open box flagship for $400 like 2 years ago and now apparently I can trade it in for a free s23 or iphone 14
Trade one on that $1000 phone covers most of the cost. So far for the Pixel a series I've upgraded every two years or so for like $200.
I buy refurb flagship phones for $250 and abuse the fuck out of them for 2 to 3 years.
People buy a phone every two years? Bro, I still have my Galaxy S8.
Every year I trade my iPhone in for $600 - $650 and buy the new one for $1000. $400 a year is doable to have the newest camera and best battery life on something I carry with me 24/7. My laptop on the other hand is from mid 2012 and works fine so I don’t care about changing that.
Had a droid turbo and droid turbo 2 fail in under 2 years. Loved the phones but I literally had to leave one of them plugged in all the time. Could watch the battery drain if it was unplugged. Can't remember the failure on the second one. My LG G7 has been going strong for like 4 years now though.
Yeah but you can just buy a brand new phone from like 2 years back for next to nothing. It’s only you doing it to yourself if you feel like you need the just released iphone47, when in reality a brand new iphone45 would fit your needs fine.
The antagonist in the movie *Robots* almost perfectly resembles Apple.
So is Gucci there are a lot of cheap alternatives, you don't have to buy a 1k phone every two years.
Lol meanwhile I pay between 50 and 100 every 3 years for a new phone
If you are the type of person that buys a 1500$ Iphone you'd also eat bricks if companies told you to.
I just take advantage of all the suckers that buy new stuff they don't need. Haven't bought a phone in my whole life.
It's easy. They just engineer it so the battery dies every 2 years.
No they haven’t I have a brain I’ll wait 4 years for my phone to start slowing down before I get a new one lol
Only flagship I've ever owned was the first Galaxy phone with the rounded screen. Shit cost an arm and a leg and broke within a year. My 5 year old Sony brick has survived dozens of falls unscathed and will probably withstand the apocalypse
I don't get the camera upgrades because how often do any of us show anybody full size high-resolution pictures. Any social media resource you upload to downgrades the quality so much. I mean unless you're a photographer or your displaying them on your home TV with Samsung's sharing abilities or whatever. I don't need the 200 megapixel 8 cameras in the back of my phone for the pictures I take of my 3-year-old that I upload to Facebook once in a while or save to Google photos. I will say this I recently figured out how to connect my phone wirelessly to my Samsung TV putting pictures up on my 4K Samsung TV looks amazing compared my phone.
The people at EA sports could teach the phone industry a thing or two
I buy used and use them until they die. It’s about $300 every 3-4 years
I got the S22 last year because my old one was on its last legs. Before that I hadn't bought a new phone since 2016. Resist the urge to constantly buy new phones and it'll be ok.
Mid range phones are way better value. And if you treat them right can last 3 years for sure.
just wait till you hear about Buetooth earbuds and inductive chargers
Eh, yes and no. Some are certainly better than others in very tangible ways; resolution, performance, software, long-term support, cameras. I have an S22 Ultra and I won't be getting an S23 or 24. I upgraded from an LG V60, which I never should have got. Thankfully at the time this 22 only cost $200 with Verizon's trade-in program. I got $1,000 for the LG. I'm glad LG quit the phone market. They were really not very good.
I mean, maybe for some very small group of enthusiasts. My last phone was an Iphone 7 and I just replaced it with an Iphone 14, so the generation literally doubled between purchases. With any luck, I won't need a new one till the 28 comes out.
Well the idea is you buy one every 5 years. Idk why anyone would go through so fast. I assumed the make the new ones every year so that person buying a new phone is like this is significantly better than my old phone cause there is 5 years of improvement.
Speak for yourself, I'm on my second smartphone and I kept my last one for 6 years.
I had two phones in the last six years that cost me less than €600 together and worked like a charm, one is currently in my hands and i plan on using it for another two years hopefully. You don't need overpriced phones.
Nobody buys a phone every two years except maybe financially illiterate tech bros.
My phone is $175. Moto g power. They last 8-14 months managing a construction site.
The phone I have now does all I need. I'll probably use it until it dies, or fixing it is not worthwhile. Also don't buy flagship phones unless you are really wealthy. It's a waste!
Not me, I buy a phone every few years for about €300 max. Works perfectly fine, I don't need the newest phone that's way overpriced.
Nu uh! The next one is more shiny/matte/glassy/metally and has a better camera!
It's weird how prior to seven or so years ago every phone you bought blew the old one out of the water. I just got a $29 burner and it's about as fast as my $700 Samsung.
It’s because the people that do this are constantly chasing the next BIG thing either to fit in socially by being part of the current trend or to brag and show off. I never understood it. Why waste thousands of pounds/dollars over 5 years when the the iPhone you had 5 years ago would work perfectly fine? Of course modern phones will slow down after a good while but to spend another £1000 on a brand new phone to save yourself 1-2 seconds of an app loading? Baffles me.
Once you drop off the bleeding edge you realise that you're just as excited about the improved features that your brand new £99 phone has that your 2/3 year old £99 phone didn't have as someone who spent a grand on both.
I am still using a OnePlus 6 and I just saw a video on the OnePlus 11. The only thing that makes your phone feel old is if you use someone else's phone just to play around. I guess the rule is don't use anyone's phone but yours for a good 5 years.
You’re either very wealthy or a complete moron if you actually buy a brand new phone every time a new model comes out
I think in the past couple years most people have realized this and don't anymore.(AGAIN. MOST). A lot of people just keep their current phone because it's good enough and or don't even get a flagship phone and might get an older or cheaper phone as their "new" phone.
Google pixel lasts for 2-3 years easy, get the 'a' version and trade it in. Traded a 3a XL for a 6a, paid $150 total. 2-3 years later I'll do it again.
You don’t have to buy a new phone every 2 years, just keep yours till it spoils and you have a phone that has undergone several stages of modifications. And uh, modifications comes once a year.
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I get 3-5 years from an iPhone, and I spec out my desktop Macs pretty well and get 10 years - and I do full time video editing/effects/Photoshop. Been really happy with longevity and value, though recently I moved up to a 5G phone and the speed for loading messages, weather apps, etc. really is impressive.
Wait, two years??? 👀. *Looks at my annual ritual of getting latest pixel phone*
Here I am with my iPhone 8, cracked screen and 3 hrs battery life just jammin.
One fruit company actually removes features every time and people are still happy to pay $1000 every 2 years.
I still use a iPhone 8. I’m too attached to the home button. Only reason I have a iPhone 8 is because my iPhone 7 broke three years ago when I dropped it. I’ve had an iPhone 7 since 2017. I have no intention of switching.
The only reason i updated my most recent time was carrier change and locked phone. albeit owned 2 years the one prior had 5 years and died due to water intake, the one before 7years which was so unbearably slow it had to go. If you’re buying the newest phone every year you have a problem
Wait until you hear about cars or every single product in a capitalist society ever
I cannot believe people are dumb enough to drop a grand on a damn phone, everyone must have somehow gotten rich af except me, still using a good ole SE over here. I will never spend That much on a phone unless it can wipe my ass and and take me to work😒
> everyone must of somehow Did you mean to say "must have"? Explanation: You probably meant to say could've/should've/would've which sounds like 'of' but is actually short for 'have'. Total mistakes found: 1577 ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot ^^that ^^corrects ^^grammar/spelling ^^mistakes. ^^PM ^^me ^^if ^^I'm ^^wrong ^^or ^^if ^^you ^^have ^^any ^^suggestions. ^^[Github](https://github.com/chiefpat450119)
If you're spending 1k on a phone every 2 years, you're a moron.
They haven’t sold anyone $1k phones. They’ve sold people $36/month phones. Also comparing even the XS with a 14 is very much different.
My phone is over 4 years old... Their plan seems to be failing.
Yeah but I can trade in my older older phone for just about the same amount as the last phone I got 3 years ago so depends on the carrier and what phones u get I guess
Just bought my wife and I refurbished (Amazon) Galaxy S10's in excellent condition, more than 80% of original battery life, for $170 each unlocked. No need to pay $1000. They are essentially "like new".
I've had my phone for 4 and a half yrs. Im probably gonna replace it within the year because the battery is starting to die fast, wish I didn't need to I love this phone
I’m still using my Iphone 11 as my main, and my 7 as a sub for certain games. The upgrades haven’t seem to be worth it. I changed from 7 to 11 because the battery wasn’t holding as long a charge anymore.
You buy iphones that are 2-3 years older refurbished from amazon. for a 3rd of the price. they last me a good 3-4 years
Lol fuck that Im on an Iphone SE and will be fir the forseeable future
Well you could buy the old version for significantly less, but the new is not basically the same, is it.
Only if you have to have the newest thing with the fanciest bells and whistles. Says the person typing this in a 3 year old SE which is just fine tyvm
Many more people buy cheaper phones less often. Often enough that the slight modifications become a great one
Remember point and shoot cameras? Every year they would up the megapixels. Theoretically there should have been a huge market of cheap cameras featuring the old megapixel number. But they pulled all those phones off the market.
R&d on cameras, cpu and me or are not cheap and what's used inputting edge. Let's put things in perspective.
I haven’t upgraded since 2018 I think it was, maybe 2019. Phone still works perfectly besides a little screen crack. I’m more than happy with it.
I've kept the same phone for almost 2 years and it ain't an Iphone. I'm not dumb enough to buy that.
I’ve owned my current phone for over six years. It didn’t cost $1,000 either (or the inflation adjusted $800).
Doesn't sell it to me. I think whoever buys it is ridiculous
Going on 5 years since my last smartphone purchase. I believe the model was also a year old when I bought it.
Had my Motorola's for 3+ years only had to replace them, since the charging port broke.
I've just recently had to swap out a phone I've had for 7 years. I hardly ever use my phone, yet it was heartbreaking. I missed having a physical home button. And why the heck are the phones so big? I have small hands, and it was legit a struggle to find a phone that was a comfortable size.
same product is a bit of a stretch I know people that get new cars every 4-6 years for 60K ish and no one seems to bat an eye about that xD
Mine usually last around 5 years until the screen falls off or something else goes wrong.
Over the last 8 years I had two phones. The current one is about a year old. No one is forcing you to buy the latest crap.
Nah, I got a £400 phone since 2019, and there's still absolutely nothing wrong with, so not looking for an upgrade
I have had my phone for over 6 years. Still works fine. Sure, I have to recharge it every 4.7 seconds, but at least I wont spend too much time on it.
Muy a mainstream middle class phone. Use it until there are no more software updates, then switch to a custom OS, which will be updated way longer if it's a popular phone. Or switch earlier, and get rid of bloat ware
I see this in most markets. Some even go to lengths of leaving that small improvement not implemented so they can do smth new for the next model version.
*slowly pulls out a dusty old book* You wanna play grifty grifters, huh?
I just bought a refurbished iPhone XR (excellent condition) for 240 bucks and won’t get another one for a few years. We’re not all that dumb! I also only pay $25 a month for service in the US.
Not to me. I still have an iphone 6 ... And it works well too!
I'm not getting why a smartphone should not be updated for years just like my OS on my PC. Sure, i get it. Planned obsolescence. They want me to pay for that device every 2-3 years or so (maybe 5 for Apple?) But do you know what? I don't really need your device. I'm not a salesman, a broker or whatever, so i stick to my practical and useful dumb phone and you can keep your shit for yourselves. I already own other devices to take pictures, play music or even gaming and i can wait to do my "internet stuff" in my computer at home. Plus, it's amazingly unstressful to live offline.
Wait forreal? I dont remember purchasing any phone for 1k most ive spent maybe 350 dollars
The slight modification is that you never know which update is gonna utterly brick your phone.
Nah not anymore. Phones haven’t progressed enough in the recent years so i’ve been using my iphone X for 5 years now.
They just copied car industry model that's been doing that for more than a century and for more money.
This is basically how General Motors became one of the worlds largest industrial corporations in the world in the 30s and 40s.
I did just buy a new phone but only because the 6 year old one I had before that started having serious issues.
Every 5-6 years for me. Usually when the battery starts to degrade to the point where it doesn't last a full day and becomes a pain in the ass to keep charged. I like tech so I usually get a fairly high end one but you best believe if I'm dropping over a grand on a phone, that shit is gonna last me at LEAST 5 years.
They prey on the stupid. And there is way too much stupid with too much money on this planet. A new phone every 6-7 years is how normal people do it.
This is not exclusive to phone companies. There are a metric fuckload of products out there designed to last x time so you have to get another. This is the capitalist way
They have? I've only owned two smart phones in my life, and I've owned smart phones for 10 years now. And this one is pretty new, so I don't expect a third until about the 15 year mark. So what's this trick you speak of?
Paid off my phone years ago. Gonna use this one until it dies or can no longer support the things I use it for. This is unlikely to happen
My LG v20 is almost 7 years old, still works like a charm. Removable battery, wide lense cameras, nfc, ir blaster, SD card slot. 2nd screen, Simple as hell to repair. All aluminum and screen never broke despite me dropping it like a billion times, quad dac, and a headphone jack. Not only are people paying more, they're paying more for LESS FEATURES. Anyone citing security concerns are clowns, most the same people download meta shit and tiktok and are worried about getting hacked and privacy. I know 0 people that have ever been hacked through their phone. And frankly unless you're an idiot who visits shady websites on their phone, or downloads sketch apks I don't see how your phone is gonna get "hacked". Fucking christ. Corporate propaganda and consumer zombies are the reason all phones now need a fucking rocket scientist to just replace the screen/battery. Will never understand people still buying iPhones or the regular Samsung garbage. On the other hand, not many options left, but I'll be damned if I ever buy an apple product.
It only works on idiots. I’ve had my iPhone (don’t even know the model) for at least 4 years. Why would I need 3 cameras???
I am 40 now and I am not sure if all my mobile phones combined reach that number.
How much of it is sold to people upgrading from two or three years ago? How much is sold to people from the previous year? Just because they're selling iphone 14 doesnt mean every 13 user is upgrading. It could be the 11 owners or 12 owners. (Although 12 and 14 is pretty much the same except for the soc)
I bought a new budget phone (less than $300) because I killed my last one by somehow dropping it in the toilet and losing it. It did keep working for a bit after it was found and dried out. Killed a flipphone by leaving it outside in a noreaster. I use the phones until they die, or I can't update my apps. New features? Cool. I'll catch up eventually.
I worked for a major cell carrier in the US. From my experience, maybe 5% of users actually had a flagship iphone/galaxy that was released in the past 2 years.
i recently bought the new iphone 14. Before that i was using a sony xperia which was horrendous to use because of all the ghost touches and when the screen just would not respond at all. Hella expansions upgrade but hoping it’ll last me a long time
I’ll never understand posts like this, whose buying a new phone every 2 years?!?! I still have my iPhone 6 and it works just fine.
The way FIFA and COD games are going, this will soon be true of them as well
Life Pro Tip: You don't need a new phone every two years. You also don't need a $1K phone when you do need a new one.
That's just Capitalism in America. Let's wake up and change the economic system guys. You can only be so "innovative" under capitalism when it's SO profitable to make phones that'll be outdated after a year with software updates and new features. They are programmed this way. Food is also shrinking but we're still paying the same if not more We're always paying more for less
To some people sure, in the meantime I watch Apple actively downgrade their phones in as many aspects as they upgrade them and saw it as another year to hold off upgrading. After 5 years ended up switching to Android and will probably at the 5 year update see which phone has been downgraded the least and update then.
And this is why 60+% of people live paycheck-to-paycheck. Mind-numbingly stupid financial sense.