The smartphone companies have been bothered by a decline in smartphone sales in recent years, and some have sought explanations for the trend. These are …
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Why We Don't Upgrade Smartphones
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I used a fairly "uncomplicated" LG (Leon 4G LTE in Europe) for approx. 3.5 years. Stable, reliable, has replaceable battery and headphone jack, no issues at all. Unfortunately I had to "upgrade" it due to the very limited amount of RAM (1GB). This is a problem impossible to solve by SD cards. It is very unfortunate that I had to install extra apps for work related purposes. "Obviously" I was unable to remove some of the never needed, factory installed crap… Thanks (not really…) Google!
I'm still saddened that Lineage ended official support for the Nexus 5 early this year. Mine still works fine and I'd just put a fresh battery in it. Back on a flip phone for the time being but I wish a dev would pick up official support for the N5 again.
I am with sprint, and after my contract i'm done with them, they lie about their prices and what not, I was looking to go to boost mobile. I can get two lines for $80 a month for unlimited everything, and right now sprint charges me $93 for unlimited for one line, that's BS.
I actually liked the flip phones, sure I cant play games or watch tv on one but who cares it works, actually I can remember it works better then the phones we have today. sure it may take you quite some time to send a text but as I said it works. And there cheap most of the time.
its not easy to upgrade phones or even tablets
You do its called custom roms which provide updates to older devices. I will only buy phones with unlockable bootloaders and a good development community. I'm currently running AICP 14.0 based on android pie on my redmi note 5 pro with the latest security patches. I had a Moto G3 from 2015 which was perfectly usable with Aosp Extended based on Android Oreo. As long as custom roms provide updates to my device I have little reason to upgrade
My upgrades are FREE! I am waiting on an i8 because my kids want the 10X. Woohoo! I still just phone, text, take pictures and videos of grand-kids and read Zerohedge at the coffee house. Finally, all the money I spent on university indoctrination…., err, education is beginning to pay back! Only problem is what do I do with my i6 which I kinda like? (Not that the i8 is any different!) Anybody want a 4S?
A thousand dollar for a phone?…
I can get a flight ticket with that money for travelling or moving to another country…
Simply to expensive not enough change.
That is what annoys me most, that you can not wipe out all the junk apps.
I know this won't go over well, but I refuse to be one of the idiots with my face buried in a little box, running into things and ignoring life around me. I have an old flip phone that costs me 20 bucks every 3 months, and it stays off unless I need a tow truck or an emergency call. also cancelled my land line, nothing but 10+ telemarketers calling every day. Yeah, I'm not paying money for that.
It amazes me how people can afford to pick up new phones like every year. My current phone is a Samsung S7 Edge, new from 2017, I got it as a treat, and it runs Lineage, with F-droid store. I love it
and I'm not considering replacing it, it's hardly got a scratch on it anywhere and it's spent the vast majority of it's life bouncing about in my forklift.
2014 – 2016 – Samsung S4 – A fantastic phone to be fair, I gave it to my Dad and still going now. Runs like a dream with Lineage, vastly superior battery life from stock OS.
2012 – 2014 Samsung Note 2 – Died from MMC bug, when it was good it was good though, the S4 was of comparable performance and specs.
2010 – 2012 Motorola Milestone 2 – My first smartphone, and in many ways my favourite, I loved that little slide out keyboard. Performance was OK for the first year, but after 2012 got progressively worse until it was just annoying, but I was really sad to find they didn't offer any phones in the UK with a full qwerty keyboard like this, I really liked that feature.
It's worth noting I've never used my smart phone as a phone, I use it only for data related tasks, I still have a pay and go sim in a Nokia 3310 and that's what I use to call and text people. 4 phones in 9 years ain't too bad, and one of those was sort of an emergency purchase but possibly the best one.
A common complaint from my mum is the current phones today are mostly massive, compared to the dainty s3 mini she's had the last 6 years, so she keeps hers as long as she can whatsapp my sisters she's not bothered, I've got a spare one to try her on Lineage once the performance on stock becomes to slow to bear.
I have an s9 plus and dont get me wrong. It's fantastic. But I dont think I can find much reason to upgrade. I can do everything I ever need to do on it. Its sufficient. Would rather use the extra money on something else.
I'm not upgrading because my phone still works. When it stops working, I'l "upgrade"
Your channel has gotten much better. Great work.
my iPhone 6s is running fine. And my iPhone X takes longer to unlock than my iPhone 6s.
This is how you know that FaceID is incredibly slow (that a, 3 year older, phone can unlock faster)
Also Samsung keeps hyping up the folding phones and it has defects thats the other reason why I am not upgrading my phone to begin with.
Unlocked Moto g5 Plus from Amazon with 128 GB storage (20% used with 150+ apps…yeah, I don't need 'em all.) It allows you to format the SD card as internal memory. Very fast. Use the Nova launcher for whatever look you like (almost). Had it almost 2 years and don't plan to update unless the battery dies (or when.) But will probably just buy another similar. I'll look into Linage.
BTW: Running Mint on Virtual Box for a bit before "Switching to Mint". Regards!
I still own a Note 4. It's been my daily driver for years and for years I seen no compelling reasons to upgrade while seeing very compelling reasons to not upgrade. Think back to Note 7 or 8. Even the 10 isn't that compelling. That battery goes bad you've got an expensive door stop. My note 4 all I do is order a new battery and less then 5 minutes later that problem is fixed and my Note 4 still does everything I want fast. I can even download ISOs from the web, let alone podcasts and such. I see no reason to spend over a grand every year only for it to bea technical downgrade. It's very insulting really. Oh, but it's sleek and it has more cameras. So what. That comes at a huge cost. My phone has two cameras, and is nearly 1/3rd of inch thick. Hasn't changed my life any, but that $40 to $60 dollars more a month on my unlimited plan would as would the change in my workflow. Headphone jack? Who needs that right? Who would have thought people still needed that functionality? But I would notice that money, especially sence I would have to buy a pair of undesired wireless headphones I will likely lose. I wouldn't notice the few cool new tricks I'll never use either. It reminds me of the Samsung bloat. After my first year of ownership I completely rooted my Note 4. I kept the stock rom, I love Touchwiz, some call that bloat but hey, it looks good. But, I got rid of all the genuine bloat and I think that was a good call. 3gb of ram is still plenty for a phone. I am a power user, I don't even need to manage my expectations to get along with it probably because I did. Less bloat means less updates. I keep a recent browser and I walk on. My wallet loves me for it!
I haven't upgraded since 2017 and won't till my battery can't last a full work day
Phones are getting bigger and bigger… and I DON'T want a big phone. Not to mention the bigger price, which I don't want either.
Does Lineage have AntenaePod? That's the only app I use.
I'm not upgrading my smart phone because the health and safety information in the user manual (which nobody ever reads) says this device must be kept at 'minimum' 1.5 cm from the body at all times when the device is turned on otherwise rf exposure can exceed fcc guidelines. I'm going back to a flip phone as I don't want to end up like Beau Biden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzOjK6PHUas If you think he might be lieing while giving his testimony, do take into account that he is now deceased RIP 2014 from the cancer caused by his cell phone usage / exposure.
I would only consider replacing my phone if
1. System upgrades are no longer supported
2. If newer phones offer features I need and don't have
Need is not a fashion statement, but rather something I would find so useful, not having it is a deficiency. For example my previous phone did not support contactless payments.
I am using a NOTE3 and still a champion!
Used phones for the win! I got a mint-condition iPhone 8 (yeah yeah..) used for $450. Runs as well as the new XR or XS, has the latest os, does everything I need, and instead of face-recognition it has the fingerprint sensor which I prefer. I had an LG G6 before that, and I would go back to that or a used G7 no problem. No way I'm paying $700 and up for a phone. I'd look into ROM-ing a cheaper or used phone first. I'm not as FOSS-oriented as some here, so that's not as big a concern to me. But i do take some precautions to limit what info I transmit.
Good thing the Librem 5 will be shipped soon.
https://www.replicant.us/freedom-privacy-security-issues.php Non-ideal but it is what it is.
(note: not in the US, so my experience may be different)
For me, I literally just don't have a need for anything better.
I'm not even too concerned about privacy. Sure, it could be better, but convenience always wins. I can't realistically escape google.
Currently I have a Nokia 6 phone that does everything I need. It has almost stock android with very little extra stuff, got upgraded from android 7 to 8 and then to 9. Has 32GB internal storage, which is finally more than enough for my needs (my previous phone has only 8GB, and I quickly ran out of it). It's fast and didn't significantly slow down. Has a headphone jack. Why would I upgrade?
The only reason for me to ever upgrade is going to be when the non-replaceable battery dies (I may attempt to replace it but with a phone that was 250$ new, it will probably be cheaper to get a new one), or for some reason the phone itself dies.
No matter how hard they try to make such phones disappear, my next phone is going to have user-replaceable battery a headphone jack, and still more or less unmodified android. I also wish there was one with a physical keyboard, but apparently noone wants that.
I'm also probably never going to get a phone for more than 500$. Because why would I need one? 5 years ago, the cheap phones had so little internal storage you would very quickly run out of it. At this point, storage is cheap enough that I don't need to worry about it. They also have enough RAM, and honestly the CPU and GPU doesn't need to be much faster. The "good enough" is just getting cheaper, and there for me, isn't as much of an incentive to get faster everything as with PCs (games). If it wasn't for games, there really wouldn't be any big reason one couldn't just keep using an old core 2 duo CPU, with a graphics card from 10 years ago, and just max out the ram to 8GB.
And this is going to get more and more obvious. Computers in general are no longer getting faster quickly enough to just keep upgrading.
Just waiting until LineageOS becomes available for the Galaxy S10e.
it is about lost warranty…
Hello Sir, can you tell what are some of the best cheap phones to install a cu6rom on. Thanks 🙂
You are funny & should run for POTUS?
I wan't to be able to build my own phone from scratch like my gaming PC.
207: You know I was JUST thinking about that point JUST LAST NIGHT! I was up all night thinking just how much I have hurt Apples Shareholders 🙁 I am not doing enough of MY part to keep them in their second vacation homes on the ocean! Literately reaching into their fridge's and taking their food right out from them! I feel terrible about myself and should be punished. How could I?
I also care about a removable battery. If the Librem 5 phone ever comes to market, it will have a removable battery. Call me paranoid, but if you can remove the battery you can help prevent tracking and in today's surveillance state they have to know where we are and what we're doing at all times.
I just upgraded to a 79 dollar "Tracfone" Lg Rebel 4, with an included years worth of service. The only reason I did that was my old phone was no longer supported on their network. I'm not a big phone person I guess.
This one from Purism seems to be decent. https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ – no notches or sheepole
Have you heard about the Librem 5? It's a new option.
i still got my galaxy s7 from 2016
Im still using a Galaxy S4, mainly due to it having a replaceable battery.
I converted a Nexus 5 over to Ubuntu Touch and it worked pretty well except that there were no apps for things like ride-share services or banking.
I have a samsung galaxy 7, it does everything I need to do but at some point I will stop getting security updates. When that day comes I am switching to something like a Moto or some other mid-range phone. I will never buy another flagship phone, they are just unnecessary at this point.
I bought my phone when it was new as the second version of its model. It does all I need it to and has a replaceable battery, so I am still on it even though the 4th version of the model is out.
Price nothing more nothing less….
It's the only reason why majority of people hold onto the old phones..