When I see a good deal. I only upgraded to an iPhone 5 because a special was offered that allowed me to get this device for free. The costs of cellphones are just too high - at least the 'smart' ones. For this reason, I REFUSE to pay for them outright.
I was still on the original Galaxy S phone until around the time when the S4 was released. I purchased an iPhone 5 off ebay for $220ish (great deal), but found the lack of additional buttons (menu, back, etc) absolutely drove me nuts. I sold that for $370 and swapped to an S4 off eBay once again. In a month, I decided it would be wiser for me to switch from an S4 to a Nexus device as they will work on virtually every carrier up in Canada -- nice to keep my options open. While I haven't found a great deal on a Nexus quite yet, it's almost comical how long I had my S1 device and now I'm cycling through some of the best phones currently available and not entirely satisfied. All this in mind though, I'm anti-contract moving forward.
I only get a phone when the one I have has gone bad, I never see the need to prioritize upgrading phones after a certain period has passed, I remember when the Motorola Razr was out and was the craze, and was selling for close to $500 USD online, check the price for that now... and has the quality changed? nope, but the price has, so you spent more and the money just for the reason of it being popular and trendy for the time, I can't wait to see the price of the IPhone 6 in 2024!
I keep my phones for around 2-3 years as well before I decide it's time to upgrade to the newest technology and that is usually caused from being awestruck by a phone's quality and features that it urges me to upgrade. Having the Samsung Galaxy S4 now, it's probably going to be the shortest time I've kept a phone for as much as I love it because if the Galaxy S6 delivers greatly to my expectations, I'm going to be upgrading next year.
Two years sounds pretty good. Too long and you end up with an extremely slow device that's nothing more than a pain to use, too short and you're throwing away something that still works just fine. I like to buy my phones upfront, as it saves me money in the long run (and dealing with contracts).
I've been using the same smartphone (Galaxy S3) for three years now, and since it's still working fine I see no reason to invest in a new phone. Personally I'd abide by the mantra that if it's not broken, there's no need to replace it. Especially considering how much the newer branded smartphones cost nowadays, I don't see much point in getting a new phone with only slightly better specs, but fundamentally performs the same functions as an older, working phone.
I have my Samsung galaxy mini for close to 3 years now and I think that I have another year with this phone. Normally I invest in a new phone every 5 years. For my phones that's the normal amount of years that they tend to last.
I change my phone once in two years, it can be earlier sometimes if the phone gets damaged and is not usable. I do not prefer to buy high end phones as it gets easily boring and you will have to replace it within few years.
I would say it's good to get a new phone once every two years as well. I think by that time there have been enough advancements that you kind of have to get one. I think phone contracts are usually two years as well, so if you want to jump to a completely different service provider then that would be a good time to do that.
Like some of the above posters have stated, I will also only get a new phone when the current one is not working properly. I mean, I am sure that we have all experienced it when our phones stop working, feature by feature, and we will keep hold of it because the features that we do use and need are still working. That's the case with me. I'll keep my current phone until I can no longer use it to my liking, and then provided that I have the money, I will change it when I need to.
Well, as for me, i think that a cellphone is a liability and i will use a normal quality phone which will last very long.
I think that it would be safe to say - that as I generally used to change service providers more often than I upgraded my phone and now use pre-paid - its not that often. In fact so much so - that even though my current phone is probably somewhere around 5 years old - its highly unlikely that I'll be thinking of upgrading it any time soon - as I really can't justify the expense of upgrading something - that is currently doing everything and more - that I require it to do.
I won't pay for a new phone unless I actually have to. As in the phone won't charge, the screen goes black, flickering in and out,ect. As a matter of fact that is what happened to my last phone. It was just a hand me down phone that was already used for years so it was bound to mess up on me. It's like they design these phones to last long enough for as soon as your done paying for it you must get another one.
I have had my current smartphone for over seven years now, and it has suffered a multitude of drops and falls, and has still been a loyal piece of technology to me, but it has slowly been exhibiting more and more glitches and errors. I do think that it is time to get a new phone, but I really cannot be bothered to have to learn a new phone. I could just buy the same phone again, but I want an android.
I will invest in a new phone when my current phone falls to bits and pieces and none of those pieces will pick up a signal. Even then.. if I can still take pictures, I'll hold off even longer lol. Cell phones are definitely not my thing.. I find them invasive and boring.. I like to have one for emergencies, but otherwise, I couldn't care less if it were being held together with sticks and glue
I only replace phones when I have to. I've been using my current smartphone for three years now and see no reason to change. It still does everything I want it to. I won't bother replacing it unti it conks out.
I upgrade my phone every 2 to 3 years. As long as the technology is still relevant and the phone functions, I am fine with it. I have no desire to have the latest and greatest cell phone as soon as it comes out. I think that actually, it pays to wait until after the new release of any technology, to see if the upgrades on the new edition are worth the cost.
After purchasing my second phone, I got that habit of buying new phones until my husband called my attention. The last phone I bought was an Ericksson that is not a smart phone yet but expensive. Fortunately, a business associate gifted me with a Samsung S3 several years back and that's still my phone as of today. I had a deal with my husband that I would only buy a new phone when there are exceptional features over my present phone.
I also invest after two to three years, but there was one time that I had a phone for five years before I replaced it. It is the same with other gadgets like tablets and laptops which I change and upgrade after a few years. I am not much of a gadget person because I believe there will always be new technology that would come up and the old ones would eventually be outdated. What I look for when buying is something that can achieve my needs in a phone like games, watching videos, calling, etc. As long as it still works fine, I do not upgrade right away for the sake of having the latest gadget since I am also a thrift person and it not a necessity for me to keep up with the emerging new technologies. Every few years or so, a new gadget appears and I am really sad for those who rush to upgrade because it is hard earned money that they are spending and the gadget that they have upgraded to will soon become old as another new gadget will be available in the market.
I have not upgraded my phone in many years. I am terrible at saving, so it is not easy to buy myself a new phone when I want to. I always give my money to my family so they can be happy. The smartphone I have is a gift. I would love to get a new smartphone. I have no clue which one I want though. I can be really picky with choosing a phone.
