Hacker News Reader

Comment by kevinSuttle | Hacker News Reader

Eh, who has a phone longer than 2 years now?

I don't (unless I break or lose phone). I try to keep using the same computer/phone/gadget for 3-4 years to get my money worth these days.

I just feel like it's a rip off to ask me to shell out £500 every two years for new iPhone, £600 for new iPad and £2000 for new MacBook Pro (prices are my best guess, I think new iPhones actually go for as much as £700 with better specs). So I try to go using my current tech longer.

It's also environment friendly. Bad for companies if more customers start thinking like this because they depend on selling the same device over and over again with minor tweaks.

I'm still clinging to my iPhone 5. Im waiting patiently for the soon to be announced iPhone 8 and I am only buying the 8 because my poor 5 is starting to not hold a charge, and is totally out of space and OS updates have ended.

Off topic a bit, but I think this is wonderful. If you are so inclined, consider trying to replace the battery on the phone. The total cost would be around $25 (including tools), and you'll have the pleasure of giving the device a new lease of life (whether you choose to donate/sell later, is up to you). I recently did this repair myself, and it was easier than I had expected it to be.

I thought about that, but combined with EOL software updates its a little harder to justify just replacing the battery. Ive already had one app I can't download because the OS is too old.

The OS runs a little slow on the 5's hardware now too. :/

I do... and i know a lot of others in tech that aren't as hyper to line up for a new phone. Also, so far, in my opinion- after the iphone 6- there hasn't been any major differences.

Yes, that would fall under '2 years'

I do. Why would I replace a phone for an increasingly more expensive one if it's not broken?

I would really like to have a phone longer than 2 years. Given the maturity of the hardware market, a 3-5 year lifespan seems reasonable.

That probably means:

- waterproof and dustproof

- shock resistant for drops from waist height to a hard surface

- replaceable battery

- stronger (heavier) frame

- a bezel around the screen that comes out a millimeter or two to protect it

- a back not made of glass

That sounds like a phone worth paying $700 for.

That's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many people would keep phones for several years if they weren't designed to be replaced after 2.

Thanks to non-replaceable batteries, most phones will barely last half a day after 2 years. That was the only reason I upgraded.

My past iPhones have gone quite a bit longer than 2 years with 24hr+ battery life. But that's probably because they start out with ~72hr battery life (under my use patterns, which are ~20min web browsing, average of a couple pictures or videos a day, nearly zero talk, ~30-40/day whatsapp or text messages, no Facebook or other social media, no gaming. Using navigation or other battery-hungry things cuts into that, of course.)

The refrain 'not everyone lives in SF' has become so overused I suspect you forgot to append /s

I live nowhere near SF.

Again, it's a referential catch-all for people inside tech echo chambers.

The vast vast majority of people with access to mobile phones do not have the way or means to replace them at the rate you suggest.

The vast majority of people aren't going to be dropping $700+ on an iPhone alternative either.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com