In recent years, we’ve been keeping our smartphones longer and longer. The old two-year upgrade cycle so frequently promoted by carriers (the primary smartphone retailers here in the US) is being abandoned as most of us hang onto our aging devices, and current events are only amplifying that. As smartphone season for 2021 starts to heat up, we’re curious to know: How long have you owned your current smartphone?
Analysts claim most folks are upgrading now about once every 2.5-3 years, stretching out how long their smartphones last between purchases. That’s understandable, given we’ve broken the thousand-dollar barrier for many models, and some Android smartphone manufacturers are finally starting to take long-term updates seriously — with Samsung seemingly leading the charge.
The question arose recently among our readers, and the last time we asked was just about three years ago. Presumably, most of those who responded have upgraded since then. Given current events, I’m curious to see if the outlook has changed among our readers, who seemed prone to more frequent updates than average.
This time around, we’ll change the poll options just slightly for even six-month windows across the same period, and if you have multiple devices for work or play, answer for whichever you consider your “primary” phone.
