How Long Should A Cell Phone Last?

[Mitchell]

I found one answer to a question I had.

My phone became unusable on Thursday.

The part where the charger is plugged into the phone.. became, bent, to the point where I could not charge the phone.

Thus, when I took it to the cell phone store, I was advised that fixing it would be not advisable.

Thus, I bought a newer version Android, from the phone I just had problems with.

I had the previous Android phone for three years, since the Spring of 2016, before this problem happened.

Thankfully, I got a good deal on the phone.

I guess my question is, and i'm sure this depends on the phone, the person involved, etc.

How long should a cell phone last before having to be replaced?

Is three years a good life for a phone, or should it be longer?

 

[happydarwin]

Honestly, I think a lot of the lifetime of any electronic device is based on the owner's habits. For example, I'm a techie and zealously guard and protect my devices. I gave my niece an old smartphone I had from 2009 that was still working, she just plays games on it. Whereas my sister is on her 3rd phone in as many years. Typically though, I'd say somewhere between 3 and 5 years is the average lifespan in most cases.
The carriers and manufacturers wish it was more like one year though...

 

[maniactickler]

I think about three years or so.

 

[Mitchell]

Thanks, happy.

Thanks, maniac.

Until my last two phones.

When I first moved to NY in 2012

I'm pretty sure that my father was giving me very old phones that either he or his wife had.

When they became unusable, he would just give me their old phone.

I could swear that I got the previous phone on Christmas.

I remember my father was away, I went to the phone store, and they had to call him, and put the new phone on his plan.

The last phone was either from Holidays 2015 or Spring 2016. I don't remember.

I just use my phone for occasional texts, talking to family and friends, and to arrange appointments etc.

I'm not constantly on it with texting etc.

I also feel like an Android phone is fine.

I don't like the idea of having a very expensive cell phone, that could get lost/stolen.

This phone seems faster and more streamlined than my other phone.

Updated technology, I'm sure.

 

[paracarl44]

Nowadays if you get two years of service out of a cell phone or computer consider yourself lucky.


We are becoming a throw away society.

 

[Mitchell]

I use things until they actually die.

This computer, knock on wood, is four years old.

I thought it was having a problem a few days ago, but it seems to have been ironed out.

The problem I mentioned with the last cell phone was not the cell phone itself, but with the attachment where one puts the charger into the cell phone. The inner piece where one plugs the charger into the phone somehow became bent, and I had to buy a new one several days ago.