What is a realistic amount of time to keep a smartphone before upgrading?
Carriers use a 2 year contract to lock customers in each time they get a new device, although there are options with most carriers that allow you to upgrade before then. Of course, they will charge you something for it, and lock you into another 2 year contract. How long is a realistic amount of time to hang onto the same smartphone before it becomes so obsolete that you are pretty much forced to upgrade? Two years seems like an awfully long time, and I’ve never managed to make it.
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It all depends on what you use a smartphone for. If it's mostly for texting and calling, an older phone is fine. But if you use a lot of apps, especially for your job, I think you need relatively up-to-date hardware and mobile OSes. I hung onto a Motorola Droid for three years, and the last year was torture. I bought an HTC One a month ago and it was like when The Wizard of Oz switched to color. I agree with you; if you're a power smartphone user, two years is a long time.
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Two years does it for me. I have an iPhone 5, but I'm not upgrading to the iPhone 5S. I see no real need to do so right now, my iPhone 5 works just fine. And the new features in the iPhone 5S aren't worth doing an upgrade.
It's different for different people though, I have a friend who had an iPhone 5 who eagerly upgraded to the 5S. He upgrades every year, while I simply cannot be bothered with it.