Haven’t had enough phones yet to determine that. I got my first proper phone 3 years ago which was a Samsung Galaxy A14. I LOVED it when I first got it, then had to watch as every update it got made the phone worse until it got so bad I HATED using it. Then out of nowhere just a few days ago, my Mom surprised me with a new Motorola G Stylus 2025. Runs better, has better battery, and DOESN’T look ugly as hell so contrary to what I thought it wasn’t Android that got worse (I mean, it probably still did lol) it was all the fault of Samsung SUCKING.

When the battery quits. I replaced the battery in my last phone myself, got an extra year and a half out of it, but then I f‘d up the camera and figured that was it. So…6-7 years? Went from a iphone X to a 16, and previously it was a 6, so 5+ years for that one. The recent replaced phones were traded in to knock a few $ off the purchase price, but previously phones were handed down to the kids to use. Still have a couple working 4s‘s around.

As long as the one I have works, I keep using it.

• 2006 or so
• 2009 or so,
• 2012? 13? gifted to me
• around 2017, first smartphone, my previous’ phone speaker broke, got a used one
• 2019 or so, used phone’s battery died badly, friend gave me this reconditioned one
• 2025, previous phone’s screen turned purple, idk what’s up with that

I bought my current phone in 2017. It will be replaced when the cons of continuing to use it outweigh the cons of buying a new one. Fortunately phone manufacturers have removed most of the features I want in a phone and added nothing of value so I’m saving a ton of money.

Seven years so far.

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.

Depends whom I’m talking to.

If by holdings onto your existing device your are inconveniencing others then replace it.

If by holding onto your existing device it is inconveniencing you, replace it.

Otherwise keep it. OS version and software support is arbitrary these days. Some times it matters, other times not so much

Last time i bought one is 2018, then it got replaced for free in 2020, and i am still using it right now

Huawei Honor 10

As a Sailfish Linux OS user, perhaps about every five to six years. The last two died because of falls / hardware damage. Performance was fine.

When Motorola renders it unusable with software “updates”

Typically between four and six years. Bought a Fairphone two months ago and hope to get to six years with that.

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.

In August it will be 15 years since I purchased the phone I’m typing this reply on, Samsung Galaxy S2. All I do is calling, basic browsing, and checking the weather, so I don’t really feel like I need a new phone. Battery is replacable, so until the screen is broken, this phone will serve its purpose.

Usually when I think that its time for a new one because my current one has an unuseable battery or is unuseably slow, but most important is, that I need to be table to afford a phone. My current phone is now closing in on 6 years, but I want to get a new one when I can afford it (maybe until the end of year I should be table to gather enough money for a new one)