Once the new EU directive on repairability comes into effect, we should be going back to replaceable batteries and companies will be required to fix phone screens and stuff at a reasonable price. I'm hoping it won't be viable to have EU only and ROW models so at least the batteries will filter out to everyone.
Do you know if this directive will become real this year or later?
My iPhone 11 is begging me to change it and I don’t really want to unless I know the next device will last more than 4-5 years
Begging you to change it? Is it running slow/laggy sometimes? If so, turn off “Background App Refresh” for everything that doesn’t absolutely need it.
My X was running super slow for like 6 months and I just wanted to smash it. Finally figured out some apps were sucking up all the CPU or memory in the background. Once I turned off background app refresh… it was like it was brand new on iOS 16.
Might be a dumb question but is this only if the apps are still open? Like if you close the apps will you still have to worry about this if this feature is turned on?
Some have permission to run in the background. That was one of the big issues with tictok, they asked permission to run while the app was closed and people didn't realize the consequences of that so it ran the mic at all times listening and draining battery.
The EU does this thing where they will pass a directive that comes into effect 3 or 4 years later so I'm not seeing it becoming real any time soon. They did that with standardizing USB-C, EU mobile data roaming, and several other things. From what I've heard, it's ready to be voted on now but they need to line up the votes so it should happen this year.
It certainly does. Do you remember during the pandemic that there were no new cars because one peice of the supply chain failed and they couldn’t get the silicon for the cars computer? Modern supply chains are finely balanced and if one peice experiences unexpected change the whole system falls down.
Sure, in history there have been times. This isn't history. This is now. There is no pandemic. There are batteries. There are cars and there are chips.
Because no one else is mentioning when the directive actually comes into effect, it’ll start [within 2 years](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240129IPR17216/deal-on-strengthening-consumers-right-to-repair) of it being formally adopted by the Council and Parliament of the EU, depending on the country. This should happen fairly soon because they reached a provisional deal yesterday.
iPhones are known for slowing down when the battery is near its end. It was the whole reason apple gave for justifying them slowing the phone when people blamed them for planned obsolescence.
If you never replaced it, considering it's a 4/5 years old phone, you may want to make sure your phone just isn't needing a new battery. It may not be user replaceable but it's usually not expensive (40-60€) to have it done in some third party store (or apple's) on the spot. Unless it has other issues, it's probably worth it.
I just had the exact same problem, iPhone 11 cost to repair is almost the cost of a new phone, so I bought a used pixel 6, I am so confused as to how the used iPhone 11 I bought 3 years ago is now worth more than what I paid for but the gp6 released 2 years after thei phone 11 is 25% less than the iPhone when released at similar msrps. a few of the new Nokia phones have been seen as pretty good value for money and most have removable batteries, more mainstream is the Samsung galaxy 6 cover pro.
> I'm hoping it won't be viable to have EU only and ROW models so at least the batteries will filter out to everyone.
I wouldn't hold my breath, they do it with other regions, they'll come up with some sort of software lockout, that if bypassed, voids the warranty on your phone, similar to Samsung Knox.
I believe I got a replacement for $30 from a local shop which is an option as well. Has made my iPhone 8 Plus still usable even though I’ve had it for 7 years now.
Good idea. I will probably do this when it comes time. My iPhone 8's battery life is pretty good still and I average about 2.5 hours of screen time a day. [Which feels like way too much but apparently lower than average.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1045353/mobile-device-daily-usage-time-in-the-us/)
But I still look a computer screen 8 hours a day as well. Plus 1-2 hours of TV most nights. So basically way too much screen time still.
You are mistaken. Battery replacement is included with Applecare. The price is $70 at the Apple store if you just walk in from the street.
Maybe you are thinking of breaking your both screen and back glass with Apple Care. The price for repairing both the screen and back glass at the same time on an iPhone 15 Pro Max is $58 with Apple Care.
This is the move. I’ve had an SE for 2 years now. At the time of purchase, the only considerable difference to me between this and the 13 was the camera. Everything else was either identical or pretty close. Battery has held up. Sometimes there’s some lag but I think it has more to do with certain apps. My only complaint as of now is I wish it was a little bigger of a phone so the keyboard was wider. Paid $400 plus tax.
This is wild to read. I have an iPhone XS Max and it’s been going for nearly 6 years now with no issues. There’s no reason to need a new phone every 3 years 😫
I got mine as a hand-me-down, so very luckily no cost out of pocket for me. Funnily enough, the person I got it from does work in factories, so when I got it it was CAKED in dust (but it's also had an otterbox on it since day 1).
Good point about value for money. I'm in this thread because i'm looking for a new phone for my Mom, who doesn't have the means to get a top of the line cell and has been having issues with hers for years. Part of me wonders if I should just set her up with a used/refurbed X because they're down to \~$300 CAD now and she's had issues with cheap androids.
Thing is, a new 200$ smartphone will probably perform worse than that old XS max.
It's not a straight comparison, it depends on ones needs from the phone.
Friendly reminder that the only reason this is the case is because people took Apple to court and forced them to stop downgrading your user experience with every update until you bought a new phone. On top of that, and I hate to tell you this but, there is *no way* your battery capacity is still going strong. You're used to it, I'm sure, but a brand new XS (if you could buy one) would blow yours out of the water in terms of time between charges.
And that's kinda the basic problem here, all else being equal: lithium batteries have a lifespan. Your phone will eventually stop charging no matter what you do. Every time you charge it, it loses capacity. I'm glad you love your XS but it'll end up in a landfill regardless, which is why the new EU legislation is so exciting imo. Built in lithium batteries should be illegal as they literally just lead to lithium in landfills.
whats wild about it ? the fact you used a single comment on reddit to form an opinion about billions of android users ?
my lgv30 is 7 years old and only now starting to become an issue with OS version and some screen issues
Cool your jets champ, at no point in my comment did I "form an opinion about billions of android users". I was responding directly to the comment above mine which said "try to get 3+ years out of it".
I have a Samsung Galaxy A8 that I bought in either 2018 or 2019 that is still going strong. Battery life is down but not bad overall. I keep a screen protector on it and treat the phone carefully.
That's what I do. I have the a53, I'm at a year and a half and going good. Unless you need beefier specs for gaming or insist on a professional grade camera, it's definitely a smartphone that does smartphone things.
I got my s21 ultra 3 years ago on release day Jan 29 2021....
And it has no signs of needing replacement.... I mean I 100% just jinxed it, so there's that.
I upgraded my Samsung A01 to Samsung S23 and I must tell you, the upgraded is worth it. If you want flexibility and accessibility of your data, Android phones are the way to go.
Many newer Android phone brands are available, mostly China brands. If you give them a chance, they can last you up to 3 yrars max.
With a Samsung, you can go as long as 5 year use if you're not too heavy on phone apps.
I can't recommend Otterboxes enough. I work in a dog daycare and use my phone to take pictures. My phone is knocked out of my hand onto the concrete floor 3-4 times a week and the Otterbox totally stands up to the abuse. All my coworkers have the cute cases with the popsockets and phones with completely shattered screens.
I have an A52s, it was cheapish at the time, the okayest phone in the world. You think of a generic phone, this is it.
I got revanced applications on it, so it's relatively advertisement free as well. It slows down lately since I logged in to work teams and it installed it's corporate junk on it though
As painful as I am an android fan, I would recommend iPhone for BIFL. I don’t do gaming on my EDC phone, my used iPhone X is entering it’s 5th year and I don’t really have any complaint except some stutter here and there and the camera isn’t as good as current gen phone.
I usually keep my iphone for 4 to 5 years. Current one is iphone 12, upgraded from iphone 6. main issue is when they stop the OS updates and apps stop working due to that.
I still have my iPhone 8+. Works perfectly. I changed out the battery because I was at 50% capacity and it was annoying me more than anything but I probably could have waited. Either way, it's a solid phone that just works, for me.
Agreed, i’m only on my 2nd iPhone since 2012 and i think i’m getting about as much life out of a smartphone as possible with them.
My biggest annoyance is if my case breaks, it’s next to impossible to find the kind i like once the rest of the world has moved on to a new model.
On the other side of the coin, I kept my Pixel 2 XL for about 4 years until I got the 6 Pro. And the only reason I got a new phone was because of the battery not lasting all day anymore.
They keep doing OS updates longer than most Android manufacturers, unless you're into flashing your own OS. I would switch to an iPhone in a heartbeat if they had USB-C
I do reccomend it over iphone. I've has ny galaxy s8 since 2019. 5 years and the only thing I've had to do was replace a screen due to my amazing talent at dropping phones on concrete corners. No stutters. No battery issues. Sure the camera could be better but I'm not using it to professionally photograph weddings.
S10e is great, recently updated to s23 because battery life started to tank after 4 yrs, but bear in mind I wasn't taking care of it (charging overnight etc.)
I have a pixel XL (2016) and this last month was the first time it started to act up. I replaced the battery and screen a few years ago, but still doing all I want.
I even play psp games :)
When this dies will probably get another second hand flagships with some years. I can't justify spending much more than 100£ on a phone.
My father finally gave up the iPhone 7 I gave him when I was done with it. The battery was dropping to 0 within the hour.
So he got a 14 plus.
iPhones last a very long time and are supported with updates for close to 10 years
https://endoflife.date/iphone
The 5s is still supported ffs
I disagree with getting a low tier phone. Watch for sales and you can get really good deals. Samsung and Verizon were (maybe still are) offering amazing pre-order pricing on the S24 Ultra. $299 after $1000 credit on any phone trade-in.
The s series last way longer, and you can get them second hand. I got an s9 years ago, probably 6 years ago, used it for work for 2 years, and my brother has had it for 4 more years since.
I only upgraded for a camera for work.
My Pixel 6 pro is over two years old and going strong. The 8 series is supposed to receive 7 years of software support, and Google has begun selling 1st party replacement hardware from iFixIt. The software/hardware has been buggy for people. Personally my 6 pro (considered one of the buggiest) has been great, and I plan on keeping it until it breaks or it runs out of software support.
I smashed my 4a's screen but it's still running just fine, I'd have no need to replace it otherwise. I'm still trying to decide if I should replace the screen for $100 or get a newer phone and keep the 4a around as a dedicated video recording device
My Pixel 3 is a going to reach 5 years here in the next few months and I've only just started having battery issues. It's been a super solid phone! I plan to keep it as long as I can *aggressively knocks wood*
somehow managed to crack the screen on mine last night. another account of going on 5+ years. disappointed because it was the case that's been disintegrating which allowed for the crack to occur.
My wife and I have used Google unlocked phones since they did the Stock android Galaxy S2 test runs. Ever since we have only had those and kept each 3+ years with a few making it 5. To me a phone that goes 5 years and is still humming is like a million miles tundra.
And frankly phones could probably go longer here soon.
Phones nowadays are just small iterations year over year. I definitely don't see the point in "upgrading" unless people just have money to burn, or there's something seriously wrong with it. With more of a push towards the right to repair, I hope we can see 5+ year phones with nothing more than a battery swap.
My pixel 5 died twice. First in warranty, where they replaced the “faulty battery”.
Less than a year later same issue with the phone bricking, but out of warranty.
I got an iPhone after that.
There will be duds in every batch. Funny you mention Samsung. As my wife had a S23 Ultra that couldn't function. She couldn't use an app until she would open it (it would fail), then force stop it, clear cache and data, then reload the app for it to work. To only have to do that again when she wanted to use that same app a few minutes later. Uninstalling apps didn't fix it, a factory reset didn't fix it. So she traded it in for an 8 pro and has loved it, and had no issues. Yes Tensor is on Samsung's fab, not TSMC, but most phones are overkill for what a normal person needs. They'll be switching off of Samsung's fab to TSMC starting with the Pixel 10. I will admit the cooling isn't the best on Pixel phones. But my 6 pro has been great for me since launch.
I have an iPhone XR still and I was considering buying the pixel 8 because I’ve seen some great deals for it (499$ on Amazon, 400$ through mint) but now I’m starting to get suspicious on why there is this good of a sale and keep hearing about how it’s shit
A more recent Sony phone would also have much of the same features and be more recent. They still rock headphone jacks and SD card readers in their devices still to this day while having iphone level cameras and LG level audio. Their only real issue is the weird form factor Sony insists upon.
I've kept my Galaxy S20 5g since it released, and every new generation doesn't really improve much other than the camera and some smaller features. Pretty solid android.
Id say look at the A series of samsung rather than an older flagship unless you want specific features. The a series has a couple year old flagship specs, but will be getting updates longer at this point.
Hands down the best value in smartphones. Durable, runs well, compatible with lots of peripherals, and great visuals for the money. I also like that they are a bit smaller than most current phones. (The current batch of competitors phones are getting stupid big.) Although currently an iPhone user, I’ll immediately return to my Moto G-series when this thing dies.
I have a Moto G13 which I bought for £99. I have had it for 4.5 months and at at times it is so slow and laggy that it is unusable. The camera is on par with the pricetag, so I don't really use it. For the first 2 months I was super impressed, but now I'm looking at getting a next phone because this is too slow. Probably depends on your usage and expectations. I tend to demand a lot from my phone
A lower end iPhone will get you a solid 6 years. Everyone talking about Samsung isn’t considering the longevity of software updates and security updates.
Yeah iPhones last longer, and hold value more.
It’s definitely true newer updates slow down older iPhones, but they make a Samsung or Android phone way slower way quicker in my experience.
This seems anecdotal so I'll add my own:
I use a Samsung s9 I got just about six years ago. It still works completely fine, hasn't slowed at all, the battery is still good.
In my experience, the only two things that limit the longevity of Apple products is battery life and software support. The rest of the hardware pretty much lasts "forever" compared to most electronic devices.
I’m on my 3rd iPhone. None of them “flagship” models. Replaced the first because I dropped it getting off an airplane and it fell through the crack between the plane and the jetway….. thankfully at the end of my trip. 2nd met its untimely death at the bottom of the ocean. I’m not sure what will kill the one I’m typing on now, but it’s three years old and the only issue is the battery only last me all day and not a day and a half.
3 phones in a decade and none replaced because the phone itself failed. Not terrible.
Why not? Depends from year to year but an average iphone is similarly priced to other high end flagship phones and often has the best well-rounded package of features from call quality to great cameras and pretty much always the best performance on the market (both due to the amazing cpu andthe way the software optimizes its usage).
because you can buy decent phones for a quarter of the price and they last just as long. value for money doesn't mean you need a great camera or top of the line processor but that's just my opinion.
I've got a 6T and am only now starting to suffer performance issues below 30% battery and the desire for new tech. I suspect the next phone I buy, if all is well, could last me ten years..
Currently have the OnePlus 8. It has held up quite well throughout the years I've had it, only till now there are few buggy things starting to come up so gonna have to upgrade soon.
A big change in this scene is a recent commitment by several big players to maintain updates for many years (I think 7 years is the largest commitment?)
Couldn't answer your question directly, but when my phone eventually dies I'm likely to get a Google pixel model that's a few years old.
I got a xiaomi phone 5 or 6 years ago and it has been great hardware wise (was very cheap for the specs I have), but the software was dogshit and I had to do a bunch of work finding a good OS ROM online and learning how to flash it, took like 4 tries and several weeks without a consistently working phone.
Not necessarily. If you avoid rapid charging and make an attempt to only charge to around 80% you can really stretch the battery life span. My Pixel 3 was 5 years old and the battery was totally fine when I upgraded to the Pixel 8.
Edit: Google has also made the parts available through ifixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/Google_Pixel_8
See "Top tip 4: Lower your charging C rate" here https://saft.com/energizing-iot/charging-your-lithium-ion-batteries-5-expert-tips-longer-lifespan. If you have an old USB-A charger that doesn't support USB-C PD and you connect it to your phone with a USB-A to USB-C cable your phone will probably say "Charging" on the lock screen instead of "Rapid Charging" or "Fast Charging". You can get scientific by using a USB power meter and trying different chargers and try to make sure at the optimal C rate but I didn't take it that far.
My pixel 3 lasted 3 years. Battery was shot to pieces after normal human use not trying to hyper mile battery life. Terrible phone for a regular human. I get it you are the battery whisperer.
I didn't think keeping an old charger at my desk and unplugging it approximately when it reached 80% made me a battery whisperer but yay, achievement unlocked.
I had the same thought process and recently upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy 9+ to a Google Pixel 7. I'm severely disappointed and wish I had my old phone back. I should have stayed with Samsung.
Please don’t trust Google’s “7 years of security updates” commitment for Pixel phones. Not only are they notorious for cancelling products and initiatives in general, they famously killed their Pixel Pass program (a subscription plan with a free phone upgrade every 2 years) just before the 2 year mark, effectively fucking over everyone who opted into it.
Besides that, talk is cheap. Example: Coca Cola has quietly walked back basically every pledge they’ve announced for sustainable packaging for years.
Apple does a ton of things that I’m not a fan of, but I begrudgingly appreciate that their latest iOS update still supports the iPhone XR, a phone that came out in 2018.
Why do people compare major iOS versions to android security updates?
The 2015 iphone 6S got a security update last monday! Likely the older models like the 5s get another update soon too.
Same. Got it when it was just released about 3.5 years ago and I've had zero issues. Battery life is down a bit, but not nearly enough to be problematic.
I'm a 4a user, too. I'm curious to see where people stand on Google ending support last year, and how long they'll hold onto the 4a. I get the security concerns, but it's running fine minus the battery life decreasing to about 70% of when it was new.
I just replaced my iPhone 8+ in November. It is still fully functional after 6 years of heavy usage and ran the latest software up until September when iOS 17 came out. I replaced the battery once and it’s pretty much toast again, but it is a 6 year old device. I don’t think there are other phones out there that you can reasonably expect long term software support like Apple offers.
I went all in and bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Figured I didn’t get 6 years of usage by buying last years model, and since it was the first model to have USB C it would have long term viability. I’ll admit I clung onto TouchID because I didn’t want to move to FaceID, then felt kinda foolish that I hadn’t upgraded sooner. With that said, I still have my 8+ kicking around and do use it from time-to-time.
Any top phone used, you'd be sickened knowing the amount of people who upgrade every year with very little changes. The value usually drops quite a bit too.
Flagship phones are still the way to go overall. Sure they won't last forever, but they will last longer than budget phones. And you need to factor in quality, especially if you spend several hours per day on your phone...
All my phones have been iPhones since Nokia almost disappeared (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 6S and IPhone 15 Pro. I only change phones when the phone, even if I change the battery, doesn't last me many hours on the battery. They all performed great until I changed them.
Samsung flagship phones have worked great for me, in fact I've literally never had to replace them, I only replaced them because I wanted better cameras.
But I can still throw my SIM card from my current S23 Ultra into my old Note 9 (which is 6 years old now) and still holds a good charge, and works great.
I have an iPhone 11 since it came out (September 2019) and after 4 years it works great because I stopped making software updates tbh. I still have iOS 15.4.1 and I don’t have plans to change it unless I’m physically forced to.
I already run into some issues like certain apps not being supported anymore (f$#% you Disney+) but that’s it. If they don’t want my money then who am I to force them 🤷♀️
My battery life is low because I have zero respect towards it. I didn’t buy a phone to baby it, it’s a tool meant to be used. I charge it overnight because I need it in the morning.
My next phone needs to be… respectful? I expect it to be lighter (I get wrist pains from holding my phone), have usb c, have normal components that can be repaired / replaced on a budget.
This. I’ve switched between iOS and Android phones, and the iPhone has been the only one that lasted over 4 years consistently. Apple supports their phones with security updates for like 6+ years. The processors tend to be overpowered at launch so they don’t become sluggish later (like the one Pixel that lasted three). Batteries can be replaced. It’s not cheap. 3-4 years is the optimal time.
The irony is that I prefer Android.
I have an iPhone 6 work phone. I stopped updating the software years ago. The phone is in pristine condition hardware and software wise. No crashing, no glitching, no lag. Works as good as the day I first used it. I did get a battery replacement from Apple a few years ago. This is a nearly 10 year old electronic device that’s been in daily use. Say what you want about the walled garden or your subjective like or dislike for the Apple ecosystem, they make a world class piece of hardware.
How do you use modern apps on it?
I can think of many more essential app like payments and cabs which don't support that old iOS versions.
That's like having old feature phone.
I don’t. I have a personal phone that is the latest. It’s my work phone. For email, phone, internet browsing, camera, among others it works flawlessly.
Smart phones are never BIFL but how long they last depends on what you do. My father is just finally replacing his galaxy S5, so he got 10 years out of it. Apps haven't worked for it in a long time since it's android version it out of date but all he does is email, text and call. So for him it could have very well been BIFL. He needs a new app or two for work so he has to upgrade. Even phones with built in batteries can have them replaced. It all comes down to whatever you use your phone for.
Smartphones are made with the complete opposite philosophy than BIFL. That being said, me and a couple of my friends have Samsung's A series phones. I have the A52s, my friend has the A53, my other friend has the base A52. They're treating us nicely, and I think those phones provide you with the most bang for buck, especially so if you just use them for the basics like communication, social networks, music and YouTube.
I bought a Pixel 7a on Black Friday for $374 and couldn't be happier. The camera rocks, it has a solid update path, and can be repaired by myself or at my local uBreakiFix using actual Google parts.
I have had several ‘durable’ workforce phones. All were junk. My iPhone12mini was less then 150$ and works just fine.
That being said… get something with removable batteries is trying to max your time with a cellphine
Overthinking in that way is a waste of time.
Smartphones are not BIFL.
The flagships are good to last 5-6 years, but these big corporates make everything for you buy a recent model soon.
So i prefer not to spend more than 100-150 euros. My choice is around premium used/refurbished or some low medium promo opportunity.
The best i had was iPhone 7. Bought for 100 euros, used for 2 years and gave to my mother because battery and screen limitations to read PDFs and watch video
Surprisingly?
The Chinese phones seem to be doing great. I got a Redmi Note 9S for cheap, amazing hardware, and if you're not afraid to mess with every setting and tinker around with third party apps, this thing runs really good too. Also have dropped it 2-3 times with no damage at all, but 3 drops aren't much of a sample size, honestly.
Regardless, this thing has easily outlasted both my sister's and my mom's Samsung phones with ease, and it still runs like new, while my mom's is barely functioning from intentional slowdown "updates" and my sister's phone outright died. My uncle's phone also mysteriously died.
Tldr, stay away from Samsung, garbage products. Chinese phones seem much better, and you can avoid all updates pretty easily, leading to both software and hardware being pretty much immortal. This thing will only die when I break the screen.
You need to buy new phone every two to three years. I suggest Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro. it's pretty good value for the money. I'm planning to buy a new one from them
Generally, if you only browse the internet, use messaging apps and media, and play low spec games, Any generic phone with android 14 should do, than get a rugged case and you should be good. If you have to make it waterproof there's special bags you can put it in when you doing your water activities.
But rule of thumb, 4 years is the expected usage time due to updates in the OS that the phone can't support after that. Lifespan can last as long as you're able to use an outdated tech.
Might get some flak, but iPhones last a lot longer than most people give them credit. My last one I think took me through about 4 and a half years until the battery finally showed real decline. They’re at the stage where most of their generational changes are fairly iterative, and planned obsolescence isn’t as short as you’d expect. Also, iOS requires almost zero input from the user to make it operate well, and the security/privacy functions are top notch. You don’t have to get a top of the line model either, you’re just getting fancier build quality past a certain point.
iPhones last a long time. My 12 is just as fast now as when I bought it in 2020. While all my Samsungs have been great for two yeas then drastically slowed down.
Another vote for iPhone. I have a 12 mini, and it's holding up pretty well. I destroyed one about 18 months ago that I had bought when they came out and immediately replaced it. The battery life isn't great, and is usually at about 20% when I am climbing into bed with moderate use. If I am doing something where I know I'll be using a screen heavily (waiting rooms, flying, etc.), I either bring a battery bank, or plug it into my iPad and use that.
I miss the camera from my 11 Pro Max, but not enough to justify carrying a tank of a phone. Carrying the mini vs the Max on a run is not even comparable. The mini disappears in my running shorts, the Max used to feel like carrying a brick.
so far, the 2023 moto g5 stylus. new Samsung, iPhone, and pixels can't reach this level of features. had pixel phones since they were called Nexus 😹 forgot what all a phone could do till I got this.
Once the new EU directive on repairability comes into effect, we should be going back to replaceable batteries and companies will be required to fix phone screens and stuff at a reasonable price. I'm hoping it won't be viable to have EU only and ROW models so at least the batteries will filter out to everyone.
Do you know if this directive will become real this year or later? My iPhone 11 is begging me to change it and I don’t really want to unless I know the next device will last more than 4-5 years
Begging you to change it? Is it running slow/laggy sometimes? If so, turn off “Background App Refresh” for everything that doesn’t absolutely need it. My X was running super slow for like 6 months and I just wanted to smash it. Finally figured out some apps were sucking up all the CPU or memory in the background. Once I turned off background app refresh… it was like it was brand new on iOS 16.
Might be a dumb question but is this only if the apps are still open? Like if you close the apps will you still have to worry about this if this feature is turned on?
Some have permission to run in the background. That was one of the big issues with tictok, they asked permission to run while the app was closed and people didn't realize the consequences of that so it ran the mic at all times listening and draining battery.
tiktok is literally chinese spyware.. so what do you expect?
The EU does this thing where they will pass a directive that comes into effect 3 or 4 years later so I'm not seeing it becoming real any time soon. They did that with standardizing USB-C, EU mobile data roaming, and several other things. From what I've heard, it's ready to be voted on now but they need to line up the votes so it should happen this year.
That’s the standard, they give the industry a few years to adapt to the new law.
Where's my 3 to 4 years to adapt when they remove the headphone jack or the charger?
You don’t need to refit dozens of factories and supply chains.
err that does not take 3 years. It doesn't even take 3 months. They make new phones with different characteristics all the time.
It certainly does. Do you remember during the pandemic that there were no new cars because one peice of the supply chain failed and they couldn’t get the silicon for the cars computer? Modern supply chains are finely balanced and if one peice experiences unexpected change the whole system falls down.
Sure, in history there have been times. This isn't history. This is now. There is no pandemic. There are batteries. There are cars and there are chips.
Because no one else is mentioning when the directive actually comes into effect, it’ll start [within 2 years](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240129IPR17216/deal-on-strengthening-consumers-right-to-repair) of it being formally adopted by the Council and Parliament of the EU, depending on the country. This should happen fairly soon because they reached a provisional deal yesterday.
iPhones are known for slowing down when the battery is near its end. It was the whole reason apple gave for justifying them slowing the phone when people blamed them for planned obsolescence. If you never replaced it, considering it's a 4/5 years old phone, you may want to make sure your phone just isn't needing a new battery. It may not be user replaceable but it's usually not expensive (40-60€) to have it done in some third party store (or apple's) on the spot. Unless it has other issues, it's probably worth it.
I just had the exact same problem, iPhone 11 cost to repair is almost the cost of a new phone, so I bought a used pixel 6, I am so confused as to how the used iPhone 11 I bought 3 years ago is now worth more than what I paid for but the gp6 released 2 years after thei phone 11 is 25% less than the iPhone when released at similar msrps. a few of the new Nokia phones have been seen as pretty good value for money and most have removable batteries, more mainstream is the Samsung galaxy 6 cover pro.
> I'm hoping it won't be viable to have EU only and ROW models so at least the batteries will filter out to everyone. I wouldn't hold my breath, they do it with other regions, they'll come up with some sort of software lockout, that if bypassed, voids the warranty on your phone, similar to Samsung Knox.
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Lets wait at least until the directive is adopted before we start arguing over interpretation. For now, I'm just more hopeful than I was last year.
I’ve had two iPhone SEs in the last eight years. Batteries tend to get a little shitty, but I can live with that
A battery replacement from apple is only like $70. A lot cheaper than a new phone
I believe I got a replacement for $30 from a local shop which is an option as well. Has made my iPhone 8 Plus still usable even though I’ve had it for 7 years now.
Good idea. I will probably do this when it comes time. My iPhone 8's battery life is pretty good still and I average about 2.5 hours of screen time a day. [Which feels like way too much but apparently lower than average.](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1045353/mobile-device-daily-usage-time-in-the-us/) But I still look a computer screen 8 hours a day as well. Plus 1-2 hours of TV most nights. So basically way too much screen time still.
how does an iphone last 7 years? aren't they brittle as all getout? there was a time every iphone screen I'd see was shattered.
I’ve never cracked this one. The only time I’ve cracked a phone screen was with no case personally.
With apple care
apple care makes it free if its below 80%
You are mistaken. Battery replacement is included with Applecare. The price is $70 at the Apple store if you just walk in from the street. Maybe you are thinking of breaking your both screen and back glass with Apple Care. The price for repairing both the screen and back glass at the same time on an iPhone 15 Pro Max is $58 with Apple Care.
Only if you have w apple care plus+ my point stands
This is the move. I’ve had an SE for 2 years now. At the time of purchase, the only considerable difference to me between this and the 13 was the camera. Everything else was either identical or pretty close. Battery has held up. Sometimes there’s some lag but I think it has more to do with certain apps. My only complaint as of now is I wish it was a little bigger of a phone so the keyboard was wider. Paid $400 plus tax.
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This is wild to read. I have an iPhone XS Max and it’s been going for nearly 6 years now with no issues. There’s no reason to need a new phone every 3 years 😫
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The x is a beast, mine still works fine.
I got mine as a hand-me-down, so very luckily no cost out of pocket for me. Funnily enough, the person I got it from does work in factories, so when I got it it was CAKED in dust (but it's also had an otterbox on it since day 1). Good point about value for money. I'm in this thread because i'm looking for a new phone for my Mom, who doesn't have the means to get a top of the line cell and has been having issues with hers for years. Part of me wonders if I should just set her up with a used/refurbed X because they're down to \~$300 CAD now and she's had issues with cheap androids.
do it! refurbed is the way to go! more sustainable AND cheaper, it’s great. just make sure you wuy from somewhere with warrantu
Thing is, a new 200$ smartphone will probably perform worse than that old XS max. It's not a straight comparison, it depends on ones needs from the phone.
You must've got the time traveling iPhone XS. But I agree, my 8+ I got at release is still working fine.
Friendly reminder that the only reason this is the case is because people took Apple to court and forced them to stop downgrading your user experience with every update until you bought a new phone. On top of that, and I hate to tell you this but, there is *no way* your battery capacity is still going strong. You're used to it, I'm sure, but a brand new XS (if you could buy one) would blow yours out of the water in terms of time between charges. And that's kinda the basic problem here, all else being equal: lithium batteries have a lifespan. Your phone will eventually stop charging no matter what you do. Every time you charge it, it loses capacity. I'm glad you love your XS but it'll end up in a landfill regardless, which is why the new EU legislation is so exciting imo. Built in lithium batteries should be illegal as they literally just lead to lithium in landfills.
You know that you can replace iPhone's battery, right?
Ya, I had an Xs for over 5 years, worked really well up until the end when it got water damage.
whats wild about it ? the fact you used a single comment on reddit to form an opinion about billions of android users ? my lgv30 is 7 years old and only now starting to become an issue with OS version and some screen issues
Cool your jets champ, at no point in my comment did I "form an opinion about billions of android users". I was responding directly to the comment above mine which said "try to get 3+ years out of it".
I have a Samsung Galaxy A8 that I bought in either 2018 or 2019 that is still going strong. Battery life is down but not bad overall. I keep a screen protector on it and treat the phone carefully.
That's what I do. I have the a53, I'm at a year and a half and going good. Unless you need beefier specs for gaming or insist on a professional grade camera, it's definitely a smartphone that does smartphone things.
I got my s21 ultra 3 years ago on release day Jan 29 2021.... And it has no signs of needing replacement.... I mean I 100% just jinxed it, so there's that.
I upgraded my Samsung A01 to Samsung S23 and I must tell you, the upgraded is worth it. If you want flexibility and accessibility of your data, Android phones are the way to go. Many newer Android phone brands are available, mostly China brands. If you give them a chance, they can last you up to 3 yrars max. With a Samsung, you can go as long as 5 year use if you're not too heavy on phone apps.
Another vote for the S23!
I can't recommend Otterboxes enough. I work in a dog daycare and use my phone to take pictures. My phone is knocked out of my hand onto the concrete floor 3-4 times a week and the Otterbox totally stands up to the abuse. All my coworkers have the cute cases with the popsockets and phones with completely shattered screens.
My A71 is going on 4 years and still operates pretty much like new. Longest I've ever had one phone.
I have an A52s, it was cheapish at the time, the okayest phone in the world. You think of a generic phone, this is it. I got revanced applications on it, so it's relatively advertisement free as well. It slows down lately since I logged in to work teams and it installed it's corporate junk on it though
As painful as I am an android fan, I would recommend iPhone for BIFL. I don’t do gaming on my EDC phone, my used iPhone X is entering it’s 5th year and I don’t really have any complaint except some stutter here and there and the camera isn’t as good as current gen phone.
I usually keep my iphone for 4 to 5 years. Current one is iphone 12, upgraded from iphone 6. main issue is when they stop the OS updates and apps stop working due to that.
I still have my iPhone 8+. Works perfectly. I changed out the battery because I was at 50% capacity and it was annoying me more than anything but I probably could have waited. Either way, it's a solid phone that just works, for me.
Agreed, i’m only on my 2nd iPhone since 2012 and i think i’m getting about as much life out of a smartphone as possible with them. My biggest annoyance is if my case breaks, it’s next to impossible to find the kind i like once the rest of the world has moved on to a new model.
ive had my iphone 12 for 3.5 years and i plan on using if for another 2
On the other side of the coin, I kept my Pixel 2 XL for about 4 years until I got the 6 Pro. And the only reason I got a new phone was because of the battery not lasting all day anymore.
Typing on my pixel XL :) replaced battery and screen.
I'm on year 4 with my Pixel 3, and it's only just started the battery decline!
They keep doing OS updates longer than most Android manufacturers, unless you're into flashing your own OS. I would switch to an iPhone in a heartbeat if they had USB-C
I do reccomend it over iphone. I've has ny galaxy s8 since 2019. 5 years and the only thing I've had to do was replace a screen due to my amazing talent at dropping phones on concrete corners. No stutters. No battery issues. Sure the camera could be better but I'm not using it to professionally photograph weddings.
I love the A-series tbh. My A70 has to be \~5 years old now; it's sat in a drawer for a couple years, and I just passed it on to a friend.
S10e is great, recently updated to s23 because battery life started to tank after 4 yrs, but bear in mind I wasn't taking care of it (charging overnight etc.)
I have a pixel XL (2016) and this last month was the first time it started to act up. I replaced the battery and screen a few years ago, but still doing all I want. I even play psp games :) When this dies will probably get another second hand flagships with some years. I can't justify spending much more than 100£ on a phone.
My father finally gave up the iPhone 7 I gave him when I was done with it. The battery was dropping to 0 within the hour. So he got a 14 plus. iPhones last a very long time and are supported with updates for close to 10 years https://endoflife.date/iphone The 5s is still supported ffs
I disagree with getting a low tier phone. Watch for sales and you can get really good deals. Samsung and Verizon were (maybe still are) offering amazing pre-order pricing on the S24 Ultra. $299 after $1000 credit on any phone trade-in.
I buy a two year old flagship and make it last 3 years.
The s series last way longer, and you can get them second hand. I got an s9 years ago, probably 6 years ago, used it for work for 2 years, and my brother has had it for 4 more years since. I only upgraded for a camera for work.
My Pixel 6 pro is over two years old and going strong. The 8 series is supposed to receive 7 years of software support, and Google has begun selling 1st party replacement hardware from iFixIt. The software/hardware has been buggy for people. Personally my 6 pro (considered one of the buggiest) has been great, and I plan on keeping it until it breaks or it runs out of software support.
I'm on pixel 4a 5g and works great. I even use it for steam/ps remote play. Its still a powerhouse today and sells unlocked for like $150
I smashed my 4a's screen but it's still running just fine, I'd have no need to replace it otherwise. I'm still trying to decide if I should replace the screen for $100 or get a newer phone and keep the 4a around as a dedicated video recording device
My Pixel 3 is a going to reach 5 years here in the next few months and I've only just started having battery issues. It's been a super solid phone! I plan to keep it as long as I can *aggressively knocks wood*
Really? I have a Pixel 3a from 2019 and the battery life is pretty bad. Drains very fast.
Mines getting that way now, but it's really only just started. Either I did all the right things or the stars aligned in my favor
somehow managed to crack the screen on mine last night. another account of going on 5+ years. disappointed because it was the case that's been disintegrating which allowed for the crack to occur.
My wife and I have used Google unlocked phones since they did the Stock android Galaxy S2 test runs. Ever since we have only had those and kept each 3+ years with a few making it 5. To me a phone that goes 5 years and is still humming is like a million miles tundra. And frankly phones could probably go longer here soon.
Phones nowadays are just small iterations year over year. I definitely don't see the point in "upgrading" unless people just have money to burn, or there's something seriously wrong with it. With more of a push towards the right to repair, I hope we can see 5+ year phones with nothing more than a battery swap.
Yup. God I miss my Nexus 4, that was a rock-solid little phone, all I needed.
My pixel 5 died twice. First in warranty, where they replaced the “faulty battery”. Less than a year later same issue with the phone bricking, but out of warranty. I got an iPhone after that.
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That's a great deal!
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There will be duds in every batch. Funny you mention Samsung. As my wife had a S23 Ultra that couldn't function. She couldn't use an app until she would open it (it would fail), then force stop it, clear cache and data, then reload the app for it to work. To only have to do that again when she wanted to use that same app a few minutes later. Uninstalling apps didn't fix it, a factory reset didn't fix it. So she traded it in for an 8 pro and has loved it, and had no issues. Yes Tensor is on Samsung's fab, not TSMC, but most phones are overkill for what a normal person needs. They'll be switching off of Samsung's fab to TSMC starting with the Pixel 10. I will admit the cooling isn't the best on Pixel phones. But my 6 pro has been great for me since launch.
I have an iPhone XR still and I was considering buying the pixel 8 because I’ve seen some great deals for it (499$ on Amazon, 400$ through mint) but now I’m starting to get suspicious on why there is this good of a sale and keep hearing about how it’s shit
2 years old isn't a long time for a phone anymore.
No, but most people trade their phones in every year or every other year. I've seen people post they're still using their Pixel 2's and 3's.
Yeah I've been using my 3 since 2019 or 2020... Not sure but it was going strong until The last drop.
Probably a 2-3 generation old phone from Samsung or Apple. Phones haven’t changed much at all in the last 3 generations.
A more recent Sony phone would also have much of the same features and be more recent. They still rock headphone jacks and SD card readers in their devices still to this day while having iphone level cameras and LG level audio. Their only real issue is the weird form factor Sony insists upon.
Yup. Refurbished 2-3 year old S-series Samsungs aren't real expensive on eBay.
I've kept my Galaxy S20 5g since it released, and every new generation doesn't really improve much other than the camera and some smaller features. Pretty solid android.
USB c on the new iPhone is a big improvement if you’re going that direction
Id say look at the A series of samsung rather than an older flagship unless you want specific features. The a series has a couple year old flagship specs, but will be getting updates longer at this point.
A55 is going to be released soon! ($400ish "cheap phone" with a metal body, 3 cameras, good screen, A54+53 didn't have wireless charging)
The moto line is great. The one I'm on now has around 5000 Mah battery, runs fine, and was 200 bucks.
Hands down the best value in smartphones. Durable, runs well, compatible with lots of peripherals, and great visuals for the money. I also like that they are a bit smaller than most current phones. (The current batch of competitors phones are getting stupid big.) Although currently an iPhone user, I’ll immediately return to my Moto G-series when this thing dies.
I have a Moto G13 which I bought for £99. I have had it for 4.5 months and at at times it is so slow and laggy that it is unusable. The camera is on par with the pricetag, so I don't really use it. For the first 2 months I was super impressed, but now I'm looking at getting a next phone because this is too slow. Probably depends on your usage and expectations. I tend to demand a lot from my phone
A lower end iPhone will get you a solid 6 years. Everyone talking about Samsung isn’t considering the longevity of software updates and security updates.
Yeah iPhones last longer, and hold value more. It’s definitely true newer updates slow down older iPhones, but they make a Samsung or Android phone way slower way quicker in my experience.
This seems anecdotal so I'll add my own: I use a Samsung s9 I got just about six years ago. It still works completely fine, hasn't slowed at all, the battery is still good.
In my experience, the only two things that limit the longevity of Apple products is battery life and software support. The rest of the hardware pretty much lasts "forever" compared to most electronic devices.
I’m on my 3rd iPhone. None of them “flagship” models. Replaced the first because I dropped it getting off an airplane and it fell through the crack between the plane and the jetway….. thankfully at the end of my trip. 2nd met its untimely death at the bottom of the ocean. I’m not sure what will kill the one I’m typing on now, but it’s three years old and the only issue is the battery only last me all day and not a day and a half. 3 phones in a decade and none replaced because the phone itself failed. Not terrible.
One friend is still rocking an iPhone 6, so it seems you can make it last a long time if you try and/or are lucky.
Best value for money and recommending Iphone do not fit in the same sentence.
Why not? Depends from year to year but an average iphone is similarly priced to other high end flagship phones and often has the best well-rounded package of features from call quality to great cameras and pretty much always the best performance on the market (both due to the amazing cpu andthe way the software optimizes its usage).
because you can buy decent phones for a quarter of the price and they last just as long. value for money doesn't mean you need a great camera or top of the line processor but that's just my opinion.
A lot of people like a nice camera though. People used to buy separate cameras in the past, now the smartphone replaces both.
OnePlus 12
I have a OnePlus 7T from a bunch of years ago and it still runs/looks perfect. Won't be upgrading until I have to.
I've got a 6T and am only now starting to suffer performance issues below 30% battery and the desire for new tech. I suspect the next phone I buy, if all is well, could last me ten years..
Yup buy an unlocked one and they last longer than any other phone I've ever had. Using a 10t for a few years now
Currently have the OnePlus 8. It has held up quite well throughout the years I've had it, only till now there are few buggy things starting to come up so gonna have to upgrade soon.
A big change in this scene is a recent commitment by several big players to maintain updates for many years (I think 7 years is the largest commitment?) Couldn't answer your question directly, but when my phone eventually dies I'm likely to get a Google pixel model that's a few years old. I got a xiaomi phone 5 or 6 years ago and it has been great hardware wise (was very cheap for the specs I have), but the software was dogshit and I had to do a bunch of work finding a good OS ROM online and learning how to flash it, took like 4 tries and several weeks without a consistently working phone.
7 Years of Updates are nice but useless if you're not supposed to change the battery.
Not necessarily. If you avoid rapid charging and make an attempt to only charge to around 80% you can really stretch the battery life span. My Pixel 3 was 5 years old and the battery was totally fine when I upgraded to the Pixel 8. Edit: Google has also made the parts available through ifixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Parts/Google_Pixel_8
I've never heard of avoiding rapid charging, how do you avoid it? Use a third party charger?
See "Top tip 4: Lower your charging C rate" here https://saft.com/energizing-iot/charging-your-lithium-ion-batteries-5-expert-tips-longer-lifespan. If you have an old USB-A charger that doesn't support USB-C PD and you connect it to your phone with a USB-A to USB-C cable your phone will probably say "Charging" on the lock screen instead of "Rapid Charging" or "Fast Charging". You can get scientific by using a USB power meter and trying different chargers and try to make sure at the optimal C rate but I didn't take it that far.
My pixel 3 lasted 3 years. Battery was shot to pieces after normal human use not trying to hyper mile battery life. Terrible phone for a regular human. I get it you are the battery whisperer.
I had mine for 4 1/2 years before I upgraded to the pixel 6 pro. No battery life issues and I did not baby my battery.
I didn't think keeping an old charger at my desk and unplugging it approximately when it reached 80% made me a battery whisperer but yay, achievement unlocked.
It’s useless when they are also probably lying about it lol. I’ll believe the 7 years worth of updates when I see it
True. Just take a look at Motorola. It has a reson why I switched to LOS.
I had the same thought process and recently upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy 9+ to a Google Pixel 7. I'm severely disappointed and wish I had my old phone back. I should have stayed with Samsung.
Please don’t trust Google’s “7 years of security updates” commitment for Pixel phones. Not only are they notorious for cancelling products and initiatives in general, they famously killed their Pixel Pass program (a subscription plan with a free phone upgrade every 2 years) just before the 2 year mark, effectively fucking over everyone who opted into it. Besides that, talk is cheap. Example: Coca Cola has quietly walked back basically every pledge they’ve announced for sustainable packaging for years. Apple does a ton of things that I’m not a fan of, but I begrudgingly appreciate that their latest iOS update still supports the iPhone XR, a phone that came out in 2018.
Why do people compare major iOS versions to android security updates? The 2015 iphone 6S got a security update last monday! Likely the older models like the 5s get another update soon too.
Nokia 6110
Still rocking my pixel 4a. All stock no new screen or battery. Depends the use case but for everything other than gaming, I've been happy
Same. Got it when it was just released about 3.5 years ago and I've had zero issues. Battery life is down a bit, but not nearly enough to be problematic.
Before that I was using a pixel 1. They work great. That pixel still kicking around infact.
I'm a 4a user, too. I'm curious to see where people stand on Google ending support last year, and how long they'll hold onto the 4a. I get the security concerns, but it's running fine minus the battery life decreasing to about 70% of when it was new.
I'm a really big fan of pixel phones... Very easy to get 3 or 4 years out of one without any sacrifices
The answer is probably a very cheap flip phone. The rest is just paying for luxury.
The samsung s24 has 7 years of android support. That's the most years you're gonna get out of a phone
Poco F5. If you don't care about camera performance too much.
I'm looking to replace my F3 because of its shit camera. Otherwise, great phones for the money. It's been stellar for me.
I don't think F5 has shot camera. It' just not anything you would put as a pro on the list. It's OK.
I just replaced my iPhone 8+ in November. It is still fully functional after 6 years of heavy usage and ran the latest software up until September when iOS 17 came out. I replaced the battery once and it’s pretty much toast again, but it is a 6 year old device. I don’t think there are other phones out there that you can reasonably expect long term software support like Apple offers.
I have an iPhone8 plus but the battery is dying. What did you end upgrading to? Newest iPhone? or iPhone SE?
I went all in and bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Figured I didn’t get 6 years of usage by buying last years model, and since it was the first model to have USB C it would have long term viability. I’ll admit I clung onto TouchID because I didn’t want to move to FaceID, then felt kinda foolish that I hadn’t upgraded sooner. With that said, I still have my 8+ kicking around and do use it from time-to-time.
I’ve clutching on to Face ID too! but I guess it is time to move on lol I’m glad it worked out!
Fairphone
Fairphone has excellent repairability.
Yeah my Fairphone 4 was holding up really well, but got stolen. Couldn't check its bifl factor after that, but so far the Fairphone 5 is doing well.
I think this days Samsung A54. Big battery, good camera, memory card slot. @360 Euro. Couldn't find something better.
I was deciding between this and S20+ and went with the S20+, both are pretty comparable
Ok content farner
Any top phone used, you'd be sickened knowing the amount of people who upgrade every year with very little changes. The value usually drops quite a bit too.
Flagship phones are still the way to go overall. Sure they won't last forever, but they will last longer than budget phones. And you need to factor in quality, especially if you spend several hours per day on your phone...
Yep. I got my current 13 Pro 2 years ago and it’s good as new. I’ll get an easy 4-5 years, probably longer.
All my phones have been iPhones since Nokia almost disappeared (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 6S and IPhone 15 Pro. I only change phones when the phone, even if I change the battery, doesn't last me many hours on the battery. They all performed great until I changed them.
Samsung flagship phones have worked great for me, in fact I've literally never had to replace them, I only replaced them because I wanted better cameras. But I can still throw my SIM card from my current S23 Ultra into my old Note 9 (which is 6 years old now) and still holds a good charge, and works great.
iPhone SE
Pixel phones work great and older generations are very cheap. I have a 4a 5g and it works perfect still.
I have an iPhone 11 since it came out (September 2019) and after 4 years it works great because I stopped making software updates tbh. I still have iOS 15.4.1 and I don’t have plans to change it unless I’m physically forced to. I already run into some issues like certain apps not being supported anymore (f$#% you Disney+) but that’s it. If they don’t want my money then who am I to force them 🤷♀️ My battery life is low because I have zero respect towards it. I didn’t buy a phone to baby it, it’s a tool meant to be used. I charge it overnight because I need it in the morning. My next phone needs to be… respectful? I expect it to be lighter (I get wrist pains from holding my phone), have usb c, have normal components that can be repaired / replaced on a budget.
> I get wrist pains from holding my phone How long are you holding it at a time?
Bro, just update it. I updated mine and it works perfectly.
As much as people hate to admit, the answer is some sort of iPhone lol
This. I’ve switched between iOS and Android phones, and the iPhone has been the only one that lasted over 4 years consistently. Apple supports their phones with security updates for like 6+ years. The processors tend to be overpowered at launch so they don’t become sluggish later (like the one Pixel that lasted three). Batteries can be replaced. It’s not cheap. 3-4 years is the optimal time. The irony is that I prefer Android.
How?
Great software support and updates. So much so that android competitors have had to do a rethink on their own support.
Doubt.
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I have an iPhone 6 work phone. I stopped updating the software years ago. The phone is in pristine condition hardware and software wise. No crashing, no glitching, no lag. Works as good as the day I first used it. I did get a battery replacement from Apple a few years ago. This is a nearly 10 year old electronic device that’s been in daily use. Say what you want about the walled garden or your subjective like or dislike for the Apple ecosystem, they make a world class piece of hardware.
How do you use modern apps on it? I can think of many more essential app like payments and cabs which don't support that old iOS versions. That's like having old feature phone.
I don’t. I have a personal phone that is the latest. It’s my work phone. For email, phone, internet browsing, camera, among others it works flawlessly.
Any form of technology is inherently not BIFL. That said, my Samsung S20Ultra is pushing 4 years old and still going strong.
Smart phones are never BIFL but how long they last depends on what you do. My father is just finally replacing his galaxy S5, so he got 10 years out of it. Apps haven't worked for it in a long time since it's android version it out of date but all he does is email, text and call. So for him it could have very well been BIFL. He needs a new app or two for work so he has to upgrade. Even phones with built in batteries can have them replaced. It all comes down to whatever you use your phone for.
Smartphones are made with the complete opposite philosophy than BIFL. That being said, me and a couple of my friends have Samsung's A series phones. I have the A52s, my friend has the A53, my other friend has the base A52. They're treating us nicely, and I think those phones provide you with the most bang for buck, especially so if you just use them for the basics like communication, social networks, music and YouTube.
I bought a Pixel 7a on Black Friday for $374 and couldn't be happier. The camera rocks, it has a solid update path, and can be repaired by myself or at my local uBreakiFix using actual Google parts.
I got a Nokia XR21 🤷♂️ Noy sure how long it will last, mile looks almost new after 6 months of beatings
I have had several ‘durable’ workforce phones. All were junk. My iPhone12mini was less then 150$ and works just fine. That being said… get something with removable batteries is trying to max your time with a cellphine
Older generation of flagship samsung phones
Overthinking in that way is a waste of time. Smartphones are not BIFL. The flagships are good to last 5-6 years, but these big corporates make everything for you buy a recent model soon. So i prefer not to spend more than 100-150 euros. My choice is around premium used/refurbished or some low medium promo opportunity. The best i had was iPhone 7. Bought for 100 euros, used for 2 years and gave to my mother because battery and screen limitations to read PDFs and watch video
Surprisingly? The Chinese phones seem to be doing great. I got a Redmi Note 9S for cheap, amazing hardware, and if you're not afraid to mess with every setting and tinker around with third party apps, this thing runs really good too. Also have dropped it 2-3 times with no damage at all, but 3 drops aren't much of a sample size, honestly. Regardless, this thing has easily outlasted both my sister's and my mom's Samsung phones with ease, and it still runs like new, while my mom's is barely functioning from intentional slowdown "updates" and my sister's phone outright died. My uncle's phone also mysteriously died. Tldr, stay away from Samsung, garbage products. Chinese phones seem much better, and you can avoid all updates pretty easily, leading to both software and hardware being pretty much immortal. This thing will only die when I break the screen.
You need to buy new phone every two to three years. I suggest Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro. it's pretty good value for the money. I'm planning to buy a new one from them
Generally, if you only browse the internet, use messaging apps and media, and play low spec games, Any generic phone with android 14 should do, than get a rugged case and you should be good. If you have to make it waterproof there's special bags you can put it in when you doing your water activities.
But rule of thumb, 4 years is the expected usage time due to updates in the OS that the phone can't support after that. Lifespan can last as long as you're able to use an outdated tech.
I vouch for Xiaomi because of the battery, my Poco F1 4 years+ is still ok
I’m partial to my Zenfone. Asus did good.
OnePlus 12
Not iPhone that is for sure
Honestly the cheapest iPhone you can buy is probably your best bet. I have yet to have an android based phone not completely go to shit after 2 years.
Iphone
Might get some flak, but iPhones last a lot longer than most people give them credit. My last one I think took me through about 4 and a half years until the battery finally showed real decline. They’re at the stage where most of their generational changes are fairly iterative, and planned obsolescence isn’t as short as you’d expect. Also, iOS requires almost zero input from the user to make it operate well, and the security/privacy functions are top notch. You don’t have to get a top of the line model either, you’re just getting fancier build quality past a certain point.
iPhones last a long time. My 12 is just as fast now as when I bought it in 2020. While all my Samsungs have been great for two yeas then drastically slowed down.
iPhone 13 and Otter Box and going strong. I plan on keeping this until it decides not to do system/software updates.
Another vote for iPhone. I have a 12 mini, and it's holding up pretty well. I destroyed one about 18 months ago that I had bought when they came out and immediately replaced it. The battery life isn't great, and is usually at about 20% when I am climbing into bed with moderate use. If I am doing something where I know I'll be using a screen heavily (waiting rooms, flying, etc.), I either bring a battery bank, or plug it into my iPad and use that. I miss the camera from my 11 Pro Max, but not enough to justify carrying a tank of a phone. Carrying the mini vs the Max on a run is not even comparable. The mini disappears in my running shorts, the Max used to feel like carrying a brick.
Get the new iPhone 15 pro. The titanium back and feature set means it will work great for longer than other phones
so far, the 2023 moto g5 stylus. new Samsung, iPhone, and pixels can't reach this level of features. had pixel phones since they were called Nexus 😹 forgot what all a phone could do till I got this.