I think several years back, especially when the expensive smart phones hit the market, the mobile phone carriers kind of conditioned people that a phone lasts 24 months, then you replace it with the new one. The old phone either gets sold, or like most people do they throw it in a draw.
The thing is... phones don't actually need to be replaced every 2 years. Lets just assume for the sake of it you can see the value in a smart phone, a high end one. I personally can while still keeping a frugal mindset as its something that gets used daily, I use my personal phone for work related stuff etc. I find modern iPhones can last 4 years without needing replacement. Quite easily. My current one is 4 models old and it did get the battery replaced under warranty (for free) but otherwise its worked perfectly and really is still more than fine for day to day tasks if you can tolerate it taking a second more than the current phones to open apps.
A good way to still have smart phones and save money I've cottoned onto lately, is asking family members if they want to sell their older phones. Basically all my family will get the new smart phone, then discard the old one when the 24 month contract is up. They all look after their stuff well, so I know I can buy an excellent good condition phone, still usually with 24 months of life left in it, for a fraction of the new price. They're all happy to do that, as they see a 24 month old phone as 'junk'. Now the iPhone 6s and Galaxy S6s are ready for a life in the closet with the other old junk phones. Phones that for most people, are basically impossible to seperate from the new stuff.
September 13, 2017 at 03:39AM
