How often do you change your phone?

posted by Ray S. / Dec 08, 2011, 6:10 AM

You know what? We've been wondering how often does the average PhoneArena reader change their phone. With all of these cool smartphones being released every month, sticking with a specific model for a long time seems a really hard thing to achieve. Then again, we're all tied to our contracts, so it's a safe bet to say that most are switching to a new handset every two years. However, it's also possible that a big number of users just can't wait for their contracts to expire and decide to lay some cold, hard cash to get a new phone a bit earlier. Finally, who says one can't purchase all of their phones unlocked? Shouldn't be a problem, as long as one has the... resources to do so. Anyway, let's see how PhoneArena readers behave when it comes to changing their phones!

How often do you change your phone?

Less than a year

23.4%

Every year

31.77%

Every two years

32.04%

More than two years

12.79%

Options

62 Comments

1. bubba78

Posts: 57; Member since: May 23, 2011

I change multiple times a year. If I come across a good deal on craigslist I buy it.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:16 AM 6

5. ledbetterp3

Posts: 467; Member since: Aug 31, 2011

I would do that, if I had the money...

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:31 AM 16

11. nyamo

Posts: 274; Member since: Mar 19, 2011

i've gotten 8 so far this year off of craigs/ebay. and at a minimum i'm on a yearly upgrade cycle

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 7:06 AM 2

2. HTCiscool

Posts: 449; Member since: Jul 16, 2011

Well, as often as I can afford i guess, often selling an old one to get a new one. It's so exciting unwrapping a new phone, a pleasure I probably won't relive until at least January 2013, end of 2012 if I get a good deal.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:19 AM 5

4. HTCiscool

I usually buy unlocked phones, I will probably upgrade at the beginning of 2013 to a Galaxy Nexus or Motorola RAZR which will both be dated-ish and available for a good price.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:25 AM 2

6. Joshing4fun

Posts: 1245; Member since: Aug 13, 2010

Those phones won't even be cool by them. You'll probably lose interest by then. At least i would.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:39 AM 2

8. HTCiscool

Yeh probably lol

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:42 AM 0

3. DontHateOnS60

Posts: 872; Member since: Apr 20, 2009

The last phone I used for more than a year was my Nokia N75.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:21 AM 5

45. hepresearch unregistered

Nice... I had one of those, too. The next year I bought an unlocked E75 from Nokia directly, had that for a year before having to sell my entire collection of smartphones (bankruptcy is hell).

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 9:41 AM 2

7. warlockz

Posts: 156; Member since: Oct 10, 2011

Used to change phones very frequently until new smartphones started to emerge at an increased rate every month that it wasn't worth to switch as frequently (two to three months). Now my trend looks like its going to be a year to 18 months.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:41 AM 0

9. remixfa

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

generally im every 9 months to 14 months somewhere. This SGS1 vibrant is setting a new record for me daily since ive had it for what.. 17ish months? Partially because I lacked the funds to buy an unlocked nexus prime, mostly because im waiting for something interesting to use my employee discount on. The phone is too good to trade up to some ol crapdragon. Exynos or higher please (nexus gets a special 1 time pass for being a nexus)

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 6:48 AM 2

14. iKingTrust

Posts: 716; Member since: Jul 27, 2011

Thats why you dont like Apple, you lack funds. "17ish months? Partially because I lacked the funds" It all makes sense now. Im sorry I will never make fun of you again. I have been very mean and I am now sorry. I had no Idea.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 7:15 AM 7

16. harsh_732006

Posts: 70; Member since: Aug 15, 2011

stop being a jerk..u just need someone to bash..get a life..

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 7:18 AM 8

20. HTCiscool

He might actually be being sincere

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 7:25 AM 5

41. hepresearch unregistered

I highly doubt that remix wants or needs any of the (fake) pity. I am poorer than you all, but I do not want any pity from anyone... my own past choices got me here, and my own future choices will eventually get me out of here.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 9:17 AM 2

48. remixfa

no, i definitely dont need pity. I chose to change career paths out of tech and into medicine. with that choice comes a s**t ton of school, which means less hours to work. It was a choice and a temporary set back financially but I'll be better off for it in the end (and out of retail.. hoooraaay!! lol) I've made 6 figures combined with my wife and ive lived on the streets.. i can tell ya, life is definitely more fun with 6 figures. Dont let any idiots tell you money cant buy you happiness, because they have obviously never had money.. lol :)

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 10:04 AM 2

54. ardent1

Posts: 2000; Member since: Apr 16, 2011

It's not about pity -- it's about stating the obvious. On one hand, remixfa is crying poverty due to lack of time. On the other hand, remixfa wasting his limited time on this site. iKingTrust's action thrust remixfa's hypocrisy to light since said act is illuminating.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 1:21 PM 0

58. remixfa

wow, you really are an idiot, ardent. just saying. A very negative and spiteful idiot. no one is crying poverty for one, and what i do with my time is none of your damn business. How about that. why dont you take your negativity somewhere else. What's amatter.. run out of ants to burn with your magnifying glass? geesh..

posted on Dec 10, 2011, 6:09 AM 1

59. hepresearch unregistered

So, people who are short on time and need to make more money should suspend any and all hobby activities? I thought someone once said something about "all work and no play..." I did not hear remix cry poverty... not only that, but the simple fact that you could not have known what he would post in #48 when iKing posted his so-called (by you, in #54) cry of hypocrisy in #14 means that there could be no perceived hypocrisy for iKing to be calling out at the time... iKing's alleged 'cry of hypocrisy', as you call it, has a slight issue of a causality paradox... even so, I do not see any hypocrisy in remix's comment anyway. Even in my darkest days I have sought to keep up with my hobbies as much as I can afford to... and sometimes I have changed hobbies as a result, but I am still here. Does my poverty (and if anybody here has cried poverty, it has been me) stop me from posting comments here? No! Am I a hypocrite that owes you an apology? I don't think so, at least not yet... we'll have to wait until I do or say something really dumb here before I end up in that boat.

posted on Dec 10, 2011, 12:05 PM 0

32. iKingTrust

I was being serious. I have always said mean things to Remix. How is someone with the User name Harsh getting on me. So now who needs a life?

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 8:22 AM 3

37. remixfa

iKing, if you must know, which means you havent been paying attention to any of my posts, I've had to cut down my hours at work to next to nothing because of my school needs. Being forced to take a crap ton of classes at 1 time because the program demands it leaves not enough time for work. Its all temporary. . But hey, if you wanna be super sexy and throw me a free galaxy nexus, i wouldnt say no. :) You could throw me an iphone, but it would just go towards trade value. :) lol

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 8:54 AM 1

39. iKingTrust

Sorry to hear that Remix. I was being serious earlier and that guy tried to make me look like a douce. Im done talking crap to you. Keep on bettering yourself. You never know what you might get for Christmas.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 8:59 AM 3

42. hepresearch unregistered

I suppose you were also being serious when you said that you like saying mean things to remix...

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 9:20 AM 0

50. harsh_732006

harsh is a word in indian language which means happiness...get ur facts right

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 10:19 AM 1

19. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

Sucks to be him doesnt? But hey you can do charity and buy him one. Its only a few 800-900 bux :)

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 7:24 AM 2

33. iKingTrust

True Remix whats your paypal email?

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 8:23 AM 3

35. protozeloz

Since you are being kind you can get me one too. I wont get mad if you did :D

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 8:34 AM 2

40. hepresearch unregistered

We have just witnessed the 'make something out of nothing' maneuver... coupled with the 'fake pity' maneuver. Congratulations on the nothingness/fakeness, iKing...

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 9:14 AM 0

47. Dmann

Posts: 165; Member since: Oct 17, 2011

17 months? Than you are the perfect iPhone user since that is iPhone´s cycle.

posted on Dec 08, 2011, 9:59 AM 0

15. HTCiscool

Have you ever heard the phrase USER EXPERIENCE? Go out and use a Sensation XL and tell Me how smooth it performs. do u not get high end SEs or HTCs because you don't like them or because they have sub par chips? In real life application, what does your Hummingbird do that my S3 does not?