Cellphone ads want us to believe that everyone in the country is rushing out to buy a brand-new smartphone every year, even if their old one was working just fine. But new research reveals that’s just not true.
Americans are actually keeping their phones longer, according to a new survey from Reviews.org of 1,000 U.S. adults. It finds the average person holds on to their phone for around two years and five months.
- In fact, the most commonly owned Apple phone right now is the iPhone 13, which is four years old.
- People are paying $634.35, on average, for a smartphone, and that’s a lot less than the list price for most new premium phones.
- That doesn’t mean that consumers aren’t tempted to buy the latest and greatest phone, they’re just content to keep using the one they have, especially if it’s paid for.
- When you consider that the new iPhone 17 came with a price tag of $799 to $1,199 on launch day, it makes sense that people are reluctant to splurge.
- Of course, there are things that would make someone buy a new smartphone, including faster performance (22%), battery issues (18%), new features (13%), breaking or losing their phone (13%) and just wanting to have the newest model (8%).
According to Consumer Reports tech writer Courtney Lindwall, it’s also time to replace a phone when it’s so old, it stops being updated. “If your phone can no longer get the security patches and operating system upgrades that get rolled out pretty frequently, it’s probably time for an upgrade at that point,” she explains. “Beyond that, I think there are ways to extend your phone’s life that don’t require buying an entirely new device.” She points out that replacing the battery isn’t that expensive, but if you do have to upgrade, she suggests buying a certified refurbished phone to save hundreds of dollars.
Source: USA Today