I used to upgrade my Android phone every year. Here’s why I finally stopped

Rising prices have been rippling across the global smartphone industry for months, and now, they’ve come for flagship Android phones in the US. Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra start $100 higher than their 2025 equivalents, and last week, Google’s Shakil Barkat all but confirmed rumors that the Pixel 11 will start at $899, up $100 from the base Pixel 10.

Year-over-year price increases are never ideal for consumers, but it’s especially inconvenient that new phones are getting pricier while everything else is, too. From laptops to game consoles to TV streaming hardware, practically all of consumer tech has shot up this year, not to mention steadily rising prices for non-tech essentials.

With smartphones more expensive and arguably less exciting than ever, I think it’s a good time to take a break from chasing the latest flagships.

Like many Android enthusiasts, I used to upgrade my phone quite often. For a good while, starting with the Nexus 6P and going on through to the Pixel 5, I bought a new Google flagship each year. Fast-forward to 2024, and I found that while I had steady access to borrowed phones through my job, I didn’t actually own any phones that I wanted to use. An appealing Google Fi discount on the Pixel 9 Pro convinced me to take the plunge.

At the time, I figured that when I paid off my discounted flagship, I’d trade it in for whichever the current model was. I paid off my balance earlier this year, and while I was admittedly briefly tempted to trade up to a Pixel 10 Pro for its magnetic wireless charging and slick new Moonstone color, I scratched that itch with a new case instead.

New phones are still getting better with each hardware generation, but the gains are smaller with every year. The Pixel 10 Pro’s flashiest new capability was compatibility with magnetic Qi2 accessories. We don’t know much about the Pixel 11 Pro yet, but it seems like that phone’s defining new hardware feature will be a rear-mounted notification LED. Samsung, meanwhile, may use silicon-carbon batteries in its upcoming Galaxy S27 phones, squeezing longer battery life into a similarly sized chassis.

These are all good improvements, but in isolation, none of them are all that exciting. Given that phones from the past few years are already so capable and affordable, the idea of paying $1,000 or more for a new flagship has never seemed less appealing — especially as buzzy, cloud-based AI features promoted by companies like Google don’t require bleeding-edge hardware.

If your current phone is on its last legs, there are plenty of great options from the past year or so that’ll get you almost all of the brand-new-phone experience for hundreds of dollars less than you’d pay for the latest from the likes of Samsung, Google, or Motorola. If you’re willing to go second-hand or refurbished, you can get a very good phone from 2024 — something like a Galaxy S24, Z Flip 6, Moto Razr Plus (2024), or a Pixel 9 — for about $400.

Apple’s plan to address ever-inflating sticker prices by offering long-term rental contracts might be good for some enthusiasts who want to sample the latest tech each year, but it doesn’t bode well for the market’s trajectory. Prices will continue to rise — but thankfully, the phone you already have is probably already pretty good.

It’s easier than ever to make a phone last three, four, or five years, and upgrading more often than that brings diminishing returns. If I break my phone beyond repair or come across an unbeatable incentive to trade up to a newer model, then sure, I’ll upgrade. Otherwise, until tech inflation cools, I’m in it with my Pixel 9 Pro for the long haul, and I don’t feel like I’m missing much.