Do you have a structured method of when to buy phones?

[kyrax12]

Do you guys buy your phone annually, every two years or just on a whim?

 

[Commodus]

Do you guys buy your phone annually, every two years or just on a whim?

My main device is an iPhone, so basically every two years around mid-to-late September. Maybe one if there's a dramatic 'S' update, but there hasn't been one in a while. Either way... makes things easy.

 

[zerogear]

Depends on the maker -- though I usually buy every year, about two months or so after release.

 

[core2slow]

I'm a simple man. I see phones I like, I buy them unlocked.

 

[kyrax12]

I'm a simple man. I see phones I like, I buy them unlocked.

Dang.. If you don't mind me asking.. How much did you approximately spent this past two years on phones?

 

[GTRagnarok]

I guess so far I've upgraded when there's some major hardware differences. My iPhone 4 lasted 2.5 years, my Galaxy S4 1.5 years, and my Note 4 is going on 1 year now. It'll last me at least another year because I doubt anything will interest me until next fall when the Note 6 and iPhone 7 are revealed. Even then, those devices would have to be especially awesome to entice me. I really like my Note 4

 

[openwheel]

Yes, I buy one every time I damn feel like buying a new phone.

 

[vi edit]

I've been struggling to find a combination of phone & carrier I've liked. So I bounced around Verizon quite a bit, then to T-Mobile with a couple different things. Using swappa over the last few years I've changed out of about 6 different phones.

I think I've finally settled into my 5X and Project Fi though. It's a combination of decent enough hardware, pricing, and features that I'm happy at under $50 a month for hardware and service payment.

 

[boomhower]

Usually when the new number model of the iphone comes out. I've bought on "s" model, usually just wait for the design change.

 

[KeithP]

I buy a new phone whenever the benefits of the device outweigh the cost.

-KeithP

 

[Oyeve]

I usually buy every 6 months. Mostly out of boredom and the fact I get free from work. In 2015 I switched devices 3 times.

 

[Radeon962]

I'm a simple man. I see phones I like, I buy them unlocked.

Same here. I don't buy them new. I just buy from Swappa primarily. Pretty easy to resell them as well if they don't work out.

It's kind of like cars now. A lot of people lease cars to have a new car or the latest and greatest. Some people buy new cars outright. I buy lightly used cars with less than 25,000 miles that are a year or two old.

The phone market is very similar now as a lot of people are getting phones on an installment/lease program. If I can't afford something up front then I don't buy it so leasing/renting never made sense to me in anything.

Whatever works for you is the best option.

 

[pauldun170]

I buy a new phone whenever the benefits of the device outweigh the cost.

-KeithP

This

 

[poofyhairguy]

I buy them whenever a device comes out I really want, or when I have broken my previous device. Either way I average about 18 months with a device.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm hoping my Nexus 5 will last yonks. Aside from that I have very little interest about what's going on in the phone market. If a major new model comes out, I expect the screen to be larger, the resolution to be higher, and the camera to pack a few more megapixels.

My interest might be piqued if a high-end phone comes along that hasn't been designed with the willy-waving screen size contest in mind. IMO a phone with a 5" screen is borderline too big.

 

[Artdeco]

I seem to be on an annual upgrade cycle with iPhones.

Typically, I buy 3, and sell 2 of them quickly, nearly pays for the one I keep.

 

[core2slow]

Dang.. If you don't mind me asking.. How much did you approximately spent this past two years on phones?

It's not as crazy as you might think. For my line of work I need a phone with big screen (+6in) and i briefly had a nexus 6 before getting the ascend mate7, which I'm using now. Sold the nexus6 for $300 and bought the AM7 for $450, so it's really not that big of a shift.

 

[cronos]

For the past three phones it's been an average of ~2.5 years for me. Most of the time I only look around to get a new phone when my current phone really needs an upgrade.

 

[DefDC]

I'm about every 2 years. Started with a WinMo6 Samsung Omnia - Droid 1 - Galaxy Nexus - Note 3 I love my Note 3, but it's definitely starting to show its age. I HATE the design of the Note 5, so I'm looking for something new, although there hasn't been a "Killer App" to really make me jump from my Note 3. I've still got unlimited on Verizon, otherwise I'd just get a Nexus 6p and Proj Fi and call it done.

Still looking for that "Killer App" or revolution. Nothing on the horizon as far as I can see. IMO, with the removal of SD slots and removable batteries, we're moving backwards... (My WinMo Dell Axim had TWO card slots! SD and CF!)

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

About 2 years because that's when I was eligible for an upgrade. Now with the way things are I'm just going to buy unlocked phones whenever I see good reason to. Probably still around 2 years.

 

[GregMal]

I lease my phone......heh....

 

[bradly1101]

When the old one dies, I'm don't play silly, financially wasteful games just 'cause the mfrs. want me to.

 

[Commodus]

When the old one dies, I'm don't play silly, financially wasteful games just 'cause the mfrs. want me to.

Hey, some of us buy phones because we like to keep up with tech or do things with our phones where we could see meaningful improvements. I like mobile photography, for example, so I usually have a good reason to step up every couple of years.

It's much like sports or other hobbies... is it directly contributing to the welfare of society? No, but it's the kind of fun that makes life worth living.

 

[openwheel]

Is it really fun when you upgrade from iPhone 5, to iPhone 5S, to iPhone 6, and 6S?

Sounds kind of boring to me

 

[sm625]

Do you have a structured method of when to buy phones?

Yes, when the structure of the current phone fails.