@BlackAzizAnansi
Kinda random, first 3 Pixels I kept a year each. Pixel 4, 2 years. Pixel 6 18 months. Current Pixel 7 3.5 years

@BlackAzizAnansi used to do 2 years, now usually do 3, could go longer but like to maximize trade-in value.

@BlackAzizAnansi I'm at about 3 with this one. Previous 1½ because of severe battery degradation. One before 2+ then screen and back cracked when I dropped it.

I wouldn't go more than 4 because I'm GenX and I saw what happened when my dad kept his for 7: he was lost with the new one. Went from being tech savvy senior to "Ummmmm..."

@BlackAzizAnansi as long as I can, I hate upgrading. I managed to wait long enough to go from an iPhone 5 to an 11. Then my kid needed one so I wound up with the 14 I’m still using.

@BlackAzizAnansi I have a Google Fi pixel subscription thing.

They "let" you upgrade every two years

So around the two year mark I start to consider an upgrade.

I currently have a Pixel 7a and I can upgrade to a 9a.

I think I will upgrade soon.

It really isn't worth it to trade in the 7a and I might turn it into a bird cam or something

So basically on top of my plan I pay like $20/month for a phone with a mostly fault free replacement and protection plan

@BlackAzizAnansi I had a recent Google pixel die on me, after using an old backup I replaced it by buying a second hand pixel 5, not particularly for environmental reasons, just better form factor (smaller) than any other recent phone, and fast enough

@BlackAzizAnansi I replace when the hardware fails or the security updates stop. Whichever comes first.

@BlackAzizAnansi
I'm still using my Samsung phone from Jan 2021. 2nd screen, after 1st broke in 2022.

Forever. They had to send me a letter, BEGGING me to switch to a newer phone b/c I was the last analog signal user & they couldn’t shut down the analog transmission as long as there were customers using it, heh heh.

@BlackAzizAnansi heh, I get broken phones from my brother in laws family and fix screens/batteries. We just retired an iPhone X that has become weirdly flaky so I guess that’s 9 years? Software plays into it too though.

@BlackAzizAnansi as long as I can before I have to upgrade, generally 4-5 years before Apple creates software that makes it unusable

@BlackAzizAnansi 4 sounds about right. The phone I have is in year 5 and seems to be just fine. I figure I’ll replace it when Apple stops sending iOS updates for it.

@BlackAzizAnansi Usually three to four years. Probably closer to four on average.