How long does a smartphone last?

When you buy a smartphone, you look at specifications. What do I need, what can the device do and what is the price tag? What many consumers overlook is the lifespan of a phone and it is not always in the hardware. This is approximately how long a smartphone will last.

Lifetime of a smartphone

There is a lot you can do yourself to make sure your phone lasts a long time. Some people even put their phone in a washcloth to make sure it doesn’t get scratched. Most people have put a cover or case on their smartphone to reduce the chance that the screen will be shattered in the event of a fall.

In addition, you can use your battery economically by not constantly putting the device in the charger and by ensuring that you do not always go from 0 percent to 100, but occasionally top up. So there is something you can do about the duration of your smartphone, but it is certain that after two years the battery of your phone will last less than in the beginning.

When does the hardware give up?

The lithium-ion battery of smartphones only has a maximum number of life cycles and the longer you use a phone, the battery can wear out to such an extent that your phone becomes unusable. When that moment comes, will often depend on your usage and your charging habits.

A battery can be hopelessly worn out after three years in the worst case, but there are also cases where a five-year-old phone still gets through the day. In this article we give tips for smart use of your battery.

Another element that determines the life of your phone is how you handle the storage. Once your memory is full, your phone may slow down, leaving no room for software and app updates. You will soon notice that your phone is in a kind of deterioration process. In this article, we’ll explain how you can help your phone get on top of it.

Phone updates

A phone needs regular software updates to ensure that it can keep up with innovations in apps. In addition, security updates are essential to ensure that you continue to use your smartphone safely and alone. It is up to manufacturers to come up with these types of updates and there is quite a difference.

One manufacturer promises to continue to support a smartphone for years, while another makes considerably less effort. Samsung chose to provide phones with security updates for four years, and OnePlus is doing the same for its flagships. In addition, there are brands such as Xiaomi and OPPO that provide their smartphones with new patches for three years.

5 years of support?

Yet it is still the industry standard that Android manufacturers should update their smartphones for at least two years, with quarterly patches. Although policymakers in the EU are working on a law that will force manufacturers to support smartphones for five years. For the German government, it may even be seven years.

If those security updates also stop, then you probably won’t have a virus on your smartphone overnight. However, hackers will work hard to find a weakness, so after a few months, your phone will become less secure by the day. If you would rather not run the risk that your smartphone will become unsafe after two years, it is best to choose a smartphone manufacturer that gives longer guarantees.

A second life

Has the battery of your phone worn out after a few years and you no longer receive security updates? Maybe it’s time for a new phone? Before purchasing a new smartphone, it is best to get advice from the extensive reviews of Androidworld. That does not mean that your old phone is therefore worthless by definition. You can safely use it for something else. Take a look at these eight tips. In addition, your old phone often has an exchange value with your provider, or directly with the manufacturer if you buy a new one.

According to an AW Poll that we regularly repeat, the smartphones of Androidworld readers are lasting longer and longer. How long have you been using your phone, and how long do you hope to use it? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.