How often do you upgrade or switch phones?

[James Falconer]

Simple question here for the community - how often do you upgrade or switch phones?

 

[libra89]

It depends on what I have. Since I like smaller phones, I'm more likely to try what is available for phones under a certain height and there's not much there so I don't upgrade or switch much unless there's something good for me to switch to.

Before recently, I switched phones every month.

 

[Al Sacco]

Whenever there's a new iPhone. I pretty much need to have the latest and greatest phone on the platform I'm currently using. It's a problem. I know.

 

[rinosaur]

Every year, but I’ve been buying used phones for nearly all the changes and I can sell the previous one or give it to my parents. But on the next iPhone I want to buy new and keep it for 2 years though, don’t know if it’ll happen lol

 

[Cale Hunt]

I'm a simple man who needs a phone for text messaging and wasting time on various forums/message boards around the web. I stick with I have until I either break it or it becomes so slow that one day set it down and forget about it while it tries to load an app.

That way I also don't feel like I'm being as wasteful, even though I always try to recycle or give away any old tech.

 

[James Falconer]

@Cale Hunt - Use it until it doesn't work anymore! I've done that with a few phones in my day as well.

 

[mc_razza]

I upgrade when I need to. For example, I used a ZTE F256 and later the Nokia E63 for two years until the contracts finished. The E63 had got quite long in the tooth by the time I upgraded to the Nokia Lumia 520 in 2013 (unlocked). It served me well for three years until the I accidentally dropped it and smashed the screen. Since then I’ve been rocking the Microsoft Lumia 640 (unlocked) for the last 18 months, however I anticipate moving on to Android in the next few months. I’m looking at the Nokia 5.

As you can see with my low-end phones, price is also a factor. I have never owned a flagship phone. As much as I would like to have something like an iPhone or a Galaxy S8, they’re just too expensive, as are the contracts too.

 

[rchapman80]

I used to be an every 2 year guy but... I like to get a new one every 1 - 1 1/2 years. I'm a tech junkie so I love the latest and greatest. Although I really enjoy my Samsung s8+ so I may keep it longer than normal.

 

[Alex Zapata]

Simple question here for the community - how often do you upgrade or switch phones?

I keep my phone until it's no longer supported or the experience becomes almost unusable. I try to go at least 3 years if I can.

 

[Burnnerman]

Simple question here for the community - how often do you upgrade or switch phones?

Basically when the phone dies, or does not function properly.

 

[srmccoy]

For the longest time I've upgraded my phone every 1-2 years, as often as I could justify. However, over the past year I've decided to really simplify my life and only upgrade items when absolutely necessary. This goes for all tech as well. Currently I'm using an HTC U11, and plan on keeping it for as long as possible.

 

[Tyrone Bigguns]

not sure now, all things considering i HAAAAATE Apple's iphone and am simply not ready to give up my privacy and become part of the google machine

 

[Azensun]

I pretty much need to have the latest and greatest phone on the platform I'm currently using. It's a problem. I know.

I used to be the same way with Blackberries and Windows phones, but now I'm hanging on to my Win phone as long as I can. There just isn't anything I want.

 

[ryanlrobinson]

Simple question here for the community - how often do you upgrade or switch phones?

I'm usually only going to buy a new one if there's some obvious improvement over what I have, which has averaged about every 1.5-2 years. I'm pretty much always going to buy something close to top of the line that just got released, though.

Then again, that 1.5 years was possible with some serious luck and the generosity/desperation of BlackBerry. My history of smartphones
- I paid for a BlackBerry Storm 9530, on a 3 year contract
- I paid for a BlackBerry Bold 9780, full price still on the same contract, about a year and a half later. I loved the Storm at first, but it had issues which anybody who was paying attention at the time knew about.
- I paid for a BlackBerry Bold 9900, on a new 3 year contract about a year and a half later. Significantly faster and a bit bigger than the 9780, plus I was up for a contract anyway. Then I later won a Bold 9900 in a BlackBerry contest (along with 2 PlayBooks and $500 in Visa gift cards), so that one I gave to my dad.
- Then I got a developer Z10 free from BlackBerry for developing a (terrible) app. I think this was about 2 years after the 9900. If I didn't get this, I probably would have waited and bought the Q10 instead, really pushing the life on the 9900.
- Then I won a Passport from Crackberry about a year and a half or two years later. I don't know if I would have bothered if I didn't win it, although I'm very glad I did as it was a great upgrade over the Z10.
- Then with the death of BlackBerry 10, I came to Windows when I bought my current HP Elite x3 no contract as soon as it was available to my work supplier in Canada (about 15% discounted from retail price). I think this would also be in the 1.5 to 2 year range.
- My hope is to ride this out until the Fall when I can best weigh my next options including a Pixel 3, which would put me around 2 years with this, but I'm starting to get that itch with WP dead and the app gap finally starting to feel like a factor to me (new house so want smart home, and there are a few work things we use including Microsoft's own Planner which are available on Android but not WP).

 

[Kevin Hill2]

It depends on the phone and how much I like it, if it is getting updates, how the battery is holding up. But I never keep one longer than 2 years.

 

[rromerof]

I have to feel comfortable with I have to stick with it. That's what happened when I had my Lumia 1020 with Windows 8.1, now I've been carrying an iPhone 6S for 2.5 years. What a piece of hardware and OS! So I am not thinking in changing it anytime soon.

 

[michael rau]

When carriers gave away phones with contracts i got a new phone every 2 years. Now that we must pay retail or use silly rent to own plans we keep our phones until they are dead. Then we wait until a decent midrange or highend phone gos on clearance under 199 dollars. So it usually every 3-4 years now.

 

[netmann]

Every 3 to 5 years....

 

[sporosarcina]

I used to be on the two year cycle, but now there hasn't been a real reason for a while.

 

[Mattemt294]

I've been in the habit of switching once a year lately. I'm always on the go and my phone is probably the single most used item I own so it is usually the first thing I want to upgrade.