How often do you upgrade your cell phone?

FIYes

Full time employment: Posting here.
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
790
Okay, I’ve been getting the itch to upgrade my cell phone. My current phone is two years old and in good shape. This is definitely a want to and not a need to. My cellular service provider is a cheap Tracfone plan. My phone purchases are not tied to my service plan. I will spend nothing on cellular service for DH and myself this year. I can certainly afford a new phone. My current phone still has a decent trade in value.
 
About every 4 years or so. Ditched my Moto G7 for a Pixel 7a this summer. T-Mobile plan is $15/mo for unlimited talk/text and 5gb data. DW picked up a Samsung A15 from QVC for $100 a few months ago - came with1yr talk/text and 24gb data so new phone and no monthly bill for a yr.
 
I upgrade about every 3->4 years , whenever the battery starts needing charging too frequently.

As for price, I pay ~ $50 per phone via QVC/HSN which includes a year of Tracfone service, that I don't really use except for the 2 months, so the phone will unlock. Then I switch the sim from my old phone to this "new" unlocked phone.

My cell service is grandfathered with T-Mobile and works out to about $25 -> $50 for a year of service but zero data.
 
A year or so ago I traded my iPhone7 for an iPhone13. I'd had the 7 for a number of years and the 13 was not top of the line at the time. I tend to keep devices and tech a fairly long time and I never buy the latest and greatest. I do have a fairly new Win11 laptop (wanted a new Win10 laptop but none were to be found), an older Win10 desktop and a Win7 desktop. Our newest TV is 4-yrs old, the oldest around 10.
 
I don’t upgrade any sooner than necessary. It’s hard to find what I’d gain if I upgrade after just a few years. My main use is texting, phone calls and gps. I also stream music. DW is drawn to the camera but even that doesn’t really change in just a couple years, if that.

OP - ask yourself what you would get from upgrading that you don’t have now. I’m guessing nothing.
 
Every 3-4 years. There is no reason to replace my current phone, Pixel 5a, which is 3 1/2 years old. Still works perfectly and the battery remains a beast. However, it just received its last OS update.

Like you, I've got the itch. I see a Pixel 9 Pro XL in my near future.
 
We went from iPhone 6 Plus’s to iPhone 12’s. So I guess we’re every 6 years? But really we upgrade when whatever we have isn’t fully supported any more.
 
I have no schedule on replacement. A few years back, we got 2 new Moto G7 phones for "free" when switching to T-Mobile's 55+ plan. I recently upgraded that phone to a Moto G 5G 2024 get a 5G coverage. DW still has her G7. Then 3-4 months later, I bought a second G5G when my 1st went swimming in salt water and died. When it is time, it is time. BTD or is it Cheapwad Finds?
 
I upgrade when my phone battery won’t hold a charge anymore. I know batteries can be replaced but I figure at that point the technology is sufficiently outdated that it’s time to upgrade.
 
About every two years, currently with a Pixel 7A which was about $250 a year ago.
 
I don't have a particular schedule. Basically, when it starts to malfunction or annoy me. DH "upgraded" his and came back with a smaller phone. He volunteered to get me one, and I politely declined. (I totally don't want a smaller screen.)
 
Last time I got a new phone when the battery swelled. Before that I got a new phone when they phased out 3G. No need or plan to replace this one.
 
A year or so ago I traded my iPhone7 for an iPhone13. I'd had the 7 for a number of years and the 13 was not top of the line at the time. I tend to keep devices and tech a fairly long time and I never buy the latest and greatest. I do have a fairly new Win11 laptop (wanted a new Win10 laptop but none were to be found), an older Win10 desktop and a Win7 desktop. Our newest TV is 4-yrs old, the oldest around 10.
Same here conceptually. The fiance is looking for a new iphone, possibly the 12 model. She currently has iPhone SE. That is how old it is.
I trade mine in about every 3 years but never get the latest Samsung.
 
Every 5 to 7 years. Usually, upgrade the phone when it will no longer handle the latest version of iOS. That triggers a host of issues with apps I use not being able to be updated, and that snowballs.

My iPhone 7 died on me after only three years. Since then I have had an iPhone SE that is now over 5 years old. The exterior buttons are definitely showing their age. But, it still runs the latest iOS (though it can’t take advantage of many iOS features. )
 
About 4 years. Just went from iPhone 12 to 16 and had 8 plus prior to that. For camera and hoping slightly wider phone better for typing. 12 pro max was not as good as 8 Plus which was fractionally wider (for typing). DD took my 12 to replace her XR.
 
FYI there are 3 generations of the iPhone SE. The 3rd gen was released in 2022 and has 5G
 
When the battery takes a crap is when I reluctantly get a new phone, but never the latest model, and it has been 4 iPhones over about 13 years
 
As long as it works I will keep them. I have this one about four years. The one before was 10 years.
 
A year or so ago I traded my iPhone7 for an iPhone13. I'd had the 7 for a number of years and the 13 was not top of the line at the time. I tend to keep devices and tech a fairly long time and I never buy the latest and greatest.
Same here--ditched the iPhone 7 for a 13 last year. The motivation was that some apps stopped working because the app updates were not backward compatible with the 7. The 7 was becoming obsolete.
 
I finally went new because I wanted 5G, NFC, and eSim capability.
 
Back
Top Bottom