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I lease and I prefer it that way. After 12 months I give it back and get a brand new one. You’ll pay the tax upfront usually about $100. My monthly bill is $90 with all the tax and bs fees that sprint charges.
Years ago, I would pay the $100-$200 down and get a phone under a two year contract. Then hate it after about a year. I’d keep it in perfect condition and eventually meet some riff raff off cl or Facebook and haggle a price in a parking lot. My monthly expense still averaged about $100. Between all three top carriers and bouncing between iPhone and android. I have zero Intrest to own a phone anymore. I get no real benefit from it. I treat phones as a consumable. As long as I get my money’s worth, I don’t care what ultimately happens to the equipment. I definitely get 100 bucks worth of use out of this phone. I use it for practically everything. Photos, video, work, finance, print jobs, notes, all of it. In fact my pc might only fire up once a month these days. It’s in my best interests for whatever device I’m using to be a recent release. Purchasing a phone outright just seems like an unnecessary step and expense. Remember, even when I used a track phone it cost me $65 a month. A flagship with unlimited everything is only $100. Perfectly acceptable expenditure. Leasing fits my needs. Typing from my 11 max pro. No I didn’t wait in any lines to get it. And I’m very aware of the hardware capabilities of Samsung. It’s not about what others think. The only people that get impressed by phones are high school kids. I want the newest one because it’s what I want. |
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I'm still using an iPhone 6.
Yea I use it a lot, every day. I still find it very difficult to find the value in a $1,000 phone. |
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Until I break it or it stops working. Kept my last phone for several years until I accidentally put it in the washer with a load of clothes (it was in my pants pocket).
That was probably 5 or 6 years ago and I have had the same replacement since. Neither is a smart phone. I have no need for one of those, just something people from work can reach me on if there is a problem. And both the phone and service are paid for by work. BTW - thanks for this thread. It reminded me to look for my phone because I heard the washer running and thought maybe I had left it in my pants again, but I found it out in my vehicle. |
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I replace mine when they start acting fucky, that's usually about 3 years. I know some people will let theirs really run toward the end of their life before replacing but I don't let them get that far. The last thing I want is to be out somewhere, have something happen, and have a broken phone.
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18 months to 2 years at most. I don't like to get more than 2 generations from the new phones, so for instance I just traded our Note 8's for S10+'s.
Phones are expensive as hell - a thousand bucks on average - but it is what it is. Next time I *might* go to the refurb market. A friend of mine did, and saved almost 50% on an S10. |
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Work pays $600 or $700 to upgrade my phone every 2 years. I pay the difference if I want a more expensive phone.
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Till they die or are no longer supported
I think I have had four cellphone in my entire life 1 flip phone died and replaced with 2 blackberry - my all time favorite - rode this out until it was no longer supported then got a 3 Microsoft phone - rode this until it was no longer supported then got 4. My current iPhone SE I do not need much in a phone and don’t chase the newest techs gadget and well I just don’t see spending that much money for something that is not much better than what I have. I do have friends that upgrade every year or two years cuz they have to have the new iPhone. I don’t get it, call me cheap, call me sensible. |
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I usually try to go the two years but have had my 10 for about a year. I just ordered the pro max so I could have that night camera.
I take pictures of everything and work nights, so tons of night pics. Edit: Fucking drunken iPad auto correct. |
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2 years. I get a brand new one from Apple care and sell it. Covers a good portion of the new one.
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Until it can't keep 10hrs worth of charge anymore.
Fucking miss replacable batteries, but it's a brave new world... |
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Until recently I have always leased the newest. At the end of the last lease I bought my 18 month old Samsung S9 for $100. I figure what is most likely to go bad is the battery, although it's currently fine. I priced a new battery installed at $40. I hope that is the worst that might go bad, get 2-3 more years out of it and save some money. I don't really need the latest and greatest.
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First phone 6 years
2nd phone 4 years Current phone over 3 years |
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About three years generally. Longer if there are no major issues.
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Often every year, it'll break or I'll see a great deal on an upgrade. I've usually only paid $50-100 for the past several phones.
Currently on a Motorola (China) Amazon version that was $130 and is around 21 months old. Will likely get another LG next, but they don't have as many cheap phones as they used it. Also paying $30 a month with T-Mobile prepaid ($33.08 with tax). |
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Quoted:
Keep it till it starts having problems. I have had the S7 paid off for more than a year. No plans to upgrade although I did think about it right after I passed the NCLEX just to splurg, but I didn't want another $30 on the phone bill. View Quote |
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2-3yrs typically
Now I’m on the Apple upgrade program. This is almost a year old and probably swapping it in the next month |
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Well, I start by not paying $1k for a phone! We keep them until they are no longer reliable, just like every other tool.
Wife got a refurb'd Galaxy S8 when the S9's were coming out ... I think it was $400, That replaced her Galaxy Note 3. I bought a Nokia 6.1 last year, $250 |
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I've been bad, usually getting the latest model. I had a Pixel and liked it, but then went with a cheaper Moto X4. Turns out the X4 wasn't that great, but it worked fine. So when Black Friday came around and I could effectively get almost half off a Pixel 3, I bought one. It was an expensive phone... The new Pixel 4 is coming out soon, but I'm going to resist the 'upgrade'. I figure in spring 2020 if the Pixel 4 goes on some badass sale, I may get one if I like the device. For now, my Pixel 3 is great for me.
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Some of you guys have top tier rifle set ups that do not get used nearly as often as your phone, but have phones from 5 yrs ago. Not hating, just think it is funny. I am on a 2 yr rotation. Note 9 right now
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My S8 is starting to act up. I don't want to buy thru Verizon. Can I purchase on Amazon or privately from someone and still use the phone? I mainly don't want to go thru verizon.
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2 years or 2 generations. Currently on a Note 8. So I'll probably get a Note 10, unless the new iPhone pro is all that and a bag of chips.
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I'll wait a couple of years, or until there is a great sale on them. I'm famously cheap when it comes to phones, but I'll spend bunches of money on different things like powder, Lapua brass, the best bullets I can buy, barrels and so on. Phones just aren't that big of a deal for me.
ETA: I'll wait for Trac phone to have a sale on new phones that includes minutes, texts, and data, then might upgrade if the phone is worth the trouble. |
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Bought an iPhone 4s when they first came out and just recently upgraded to an iPhone 11 pro max. I hope this one lasts as long.
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Until the battery no longer last a full day which usually takes a few years at least. I'll try to replace the battery myself but if that's a major pita then I'll probably move on to something new.
I would gladly give up a bit of water and dust resistance rating to be able to easily swap batteries. |
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2-3 years unless I drop it in the toilet while jerking off or otherwise do something bad to it...prematurely.
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Quoted:
Keep it till it starts having problems. I have had the S7 paid off for more than a year. No plans to upgrade although I did think about it right after I passed the NCLEX just to splurg, but I didn't want another $30 on the phone bill. View Quote I got my daughter an iPhone X and I got her iPhone 7 to replace my older iPhone that I’d had for probably 3-4 years. It started messing up and I’d never “needed” a new phone. She’s a chick and spoiled so..... I’m probably about to get a base model iPhone 11 next month. My 7 is messed up with the cell update problem and battery is about to go TU |
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About two years typically. I have an iPhone XS Max now. I’m gonna wait and see if next years model reduces or completely gets rid of the notch.
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Apparently I have to get a new one before December as Verizon will no longer support my 3g flip phone from 2007.
Shame as it has worked well for me. |
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used to get a new iphone every 2 years until they took away the signing bonus. now I get a decently priced android phone when I have to.
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Quoted: This. I'm still using my iPhone 5. Still works plenty good enough for me. View Quote For the people laughing at us who don't get the latest and greatest all the time: I'm not anti-tech but I'll never get into cellphones/smartphones the way some people do. I don't like being at the beck and call of anyone who wants to contact me and I don't like having a tracking/listening device on me. |
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I'd say every 2-4 years, historically. I've got a Samsung Galaxy 8+. I had a Note 4 prior to that, iPhone 4 (I think) prior to that, iPhone 3GS prior to that, and I believe a Motorola Q prior to that.
Wife is using an iPhone 8+, then had an iPhone 6, iphone 4, iPhone 3G, and original iphone. We're part of the global phone slowdown...neither of us see any reason to update from our current phones (Galaxy , iPhone 8+) in the near future. The new offering don't justify enough for the $1k per phone we'd drop. |
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