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
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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)
It may not be broke, but I sure am.
me too fam
I replace mine before it breaks but then I’ll pass it on. My mom gets my old phones. Seems very happy with the iPhone 13 mini right now, I replaced it with my ex’s 14 pro when she upgraded to a 15 pro, as I was the one who paid for it anyway.
Now I’m considering selling the 14 pro and getting a 16 or 17 pro just so it no longer reminds me of her with the broken rear glass (since she’s the one that did the breaking). An important change in my life is that I can now get a work phone through my own company, saving me 33% in social tax (on top of salary), 22% income tax (from the salary) and 24% VAT in the phone’s price. These don’t add up linearly since the %s are from different amounts, but essentially I’ve calculated that the savings from buying things for the company vs paying myself a larger salary and buying for myself, is nearly 60%. This is not tax evasion either, I’m reachable to my clients via my phone so essentially it’s a legitimate business expense to have a work phone!
re-homing the old device is also a decent ewaste reduction strategy, kudos
hm i probably should have expensed more things when I had a business, especially because paying US taxes is inherently unethical these days 💀
Whenever the old one dies or becomes unusable. A new phone doesn’t really offer much new, so I see no reason to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading
Its been 6-7 years for this one. I replace them when they stop working
Ditto.
It historically the charging port for me that fails first to the point I can’t reasonably return it. So this time I got a phone with wireless charging … which stopped working after a few months and I’m back on USB C charging for years now.
At least C is a little more physically robust than older versions.
I haven’t had a phone reach end of life for security updates yet, but that drive me to get a newer one too.
A lot of phones have wireless charging now as well. Even if you don’t use it all the time, It’s fewer wear cycles on the connector.
That’s the rational answer. Replace a thing when it’s no longer fit for its purpose, typically because it’s broken.
If it aint broke, don’t fix it. That’s my general idea anyway. The other thing to consider is security upgrades (end of life). Then again, this time around I may just install a de-googled OS instead of buying again.
As long as the one I have works, I keep using it.
I use my phone until it is completely inoperable so a few years.
I once used a phone where half the screen was broken but the touch sensors still worked and I’d memorized where all the buttons were so I could still receive and send calls and texts.
People that replace electronic devices that still work confuse and annoy me.
Every 3-4 years which is when it starts becoming really slow or something breaks. I still keep and use the old phone though and it usually works, just not enough to daily drive.
Bit off topic, but do yourself a favour, take a wooden toothpick and gently remove the lint from the USB-C port. You can thank me later.
I am doing it… My local convenience store also sells tooth cleaners shaped like tiny brushes which I use. It does help a bit but not entirely
On topic: I’m in the same boat as you. My phone still works and has a decent battery life, so I don’t see the point of upgrading. I don’t game on my phone, well, nothing resource intensive anyway, and setting up a new one to my liking is a pain.
The other criterion for me is whether the phone still gets security updates. Once those stop, it’s time to look around. That may mean a new phone, but for Pixels you also gave Graphene OS as a possibility.
Is there lint packed into the bottom of the port? It’s not just dust on the contacts making a bad connection, it’s dust shoved into the bottom physically preventing the plug from inserting fully. I out my faith in smart ports and use the metal Sim eject tool, alternating with air. Canned air is best, but I’ve done just fine with a hard cheek-loaded puff. Both my type-c phones (pixel 3a, pixel 7) have shiny port floors (the 0) so it’s pretty obvious when I clean it properly
I had a moment of reflection last year about this. I told a coworker that my phone doesn’t have service in the building and I refuse to get on company Wi-Fi with my personal device.
He explained that when he gets a new phone, he uses his old one as work only.
My brain hovered for a minute in “but the old one is broken do you get it fixed or something?” Before clicking in “oh, he buys a new phone before the old one goes bad”
My brain genuinely struggled with the concept. Maybe if he’d been a rich person it would have connected sooner. I dunno
If you still have that service issue, get an MVNO SIM that runs on a different network.
I won’t replace it unless it’s needed. And that includes data security reasons. If my phone stops receiving security updates, I buy a new one. Trying to sort out identity theft is not worth being cheap over.
I’ve always thought it’s a little crazy to buy a new phone on a schedule. Like some people do every year or two. That’s expensive and terrible for the environment.
My main phone is now 5 years old. The only way I’m replacing it, is if it breaks or becomes too much of an issue running things. I only got it for the 5G speed which means it’s good for awhile. Functions fine, I hadn’t done anything too stupid with it, it’s got an Otterbox protection case on it.
When it no longer holds charge.
This is usually about 5 years. I’d change the battery, but by then the web has slowed down and become inefficient enough to warrant a new phone anyway.
About every 5 years, usually when either the phone breaks, or key software no longer supported.
I would still be using my pixel 3 XL if the battery hadn’t died.
Until a foldable is inexpensive, I don’t see much point. They seem to have stopped major innovations that I care about.
I will use this pixel 8a until it is a brick like the 3XL
I have an Pixel 8 Pro after my most recent Oneplus finally died. Having used the pixel with Graphene for a year or so now, I have to agree with you: there’s not much they could add to phones to tempt me to upgrade. I set my family’s last 3 or 4 phones next to each other and they’re practically all the exact same form factor and it’s only a minor difference in notch shape and backplate color accents that set them apart. I don’t play games other than the occasional Tux Kart race in a waiting room, so all the phones have more than enough RAM and CPU. The only reason for most people to upgrade in the current market is a hardware failure or an end-of-support event that you can’t sidestep with third party ROMS.
I just jumped ship to graphene in the last few months. Loving it. Hoping this tides me over until a real Linux phone.
I have averaged about every 5-6 years
