How long has it been since you unboxed some new hardware?
These days, smartphones last longer than ever. Thanks to a growing group of manufacturers dedicated to extending support for up to five years, holding onto your aging Galaxy S20 remains a surprisingly easy choice. That’s not to say it can’t be tempting to upgrade your phone — in fact, these days, it can be awfully difficult to avoid throwing down your credit card for some new hardware.
As we head into May, we’re in the midst of an absolute avalanche of choice. Next week, Google’s going to take the stage in Mountain View, where the company could announce as many as four new smartphones. The Pixel 7a seems like a lock, as does the Pixel Fold, and if this year’s I/O keynote is anything like last year, we’ll be seeing a sneak preview of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro before a fall launch. Motorola just launched a surprisingly great new device and has a couple of foldables on the way, and Samsung’s usual summer event for its own Fold and Flip successors could be even earlier this year.
And this is all on top of phones that launched earlier in 2023, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the OnePlus 11. If you’re trying to hold onto an older smartphone, or just trying to wait for a device launching later in the year, it can be difficult to ignore the sheer amount of options available to Android users right now. So, I’m curious, when was the last time you upgraded your smartphone? Did you already buy something new this year, or are you still holding on to a OnePlus 7?
