There was some theory going around that major phone manufacturers had to introduce brand new phone models every so often because survey says the average lifetime of a phone in the hands of consumers is about 8 months.
I’m not sure if there is truth in this but based on my observations with friends and relatives, that number is not very far off. People tend to switch phones very often so manufacturers have to hurry up introducing new ones before each cycle ends.
I’d like to take that theory into a test a do a little poll here — how often do you switch/buy/replace your primary phone?
- Less than 6 months
- Around 9 months
- About a 12 months
- 18 months or a year and a half
- I have a dinosaur of a phone — more than 2 years
My personal experience is a little off since I have 4 phones — E51, E71, 5800, iPhone 3G — which does not include the ones given to me. Normally, I would have just 2 or 3 to service both public, business and private numbers. All 4 phones were bought in a span of less than 6 months but the motivation there was more for review on this blog so they don’t count.
Please share your thoughts on the comments below and send me your vote/feedback on the poll.
I switch regularly. Usually, every 2 years (Hand-me-down phones from either Mom or Dad & their plans). I was scheduled for a phone switch last January but my Moto E770 (Brand New, Mom didn’t like the phone so she gave it to me) cranked out on me last June 08. Bought myself a Nokia 3110 classic using my hard earned stipends, but Dad got a phone from his plan early this month. I sold my 3110 and I’m now using his awesome 2-year-old 6680. I might replace by Jan or Feb, 2011 though. I’m not planning to buy a new phone because I’m saving for an iTouch AND a Nikon D40 (A classmate bought one in R. Hidalgo for only 19K.)
Me?, 10-15 months. Pero yung cellphone ko ngayun (which is 5610 Xpressmusic). Paabutin ko siguro up to 2 years
pagsira na saka ako bumibili…mahal kaya ng cellphone..financial crisis pa ngayon…
@calvin i agree…
used to change phones every few months. ngayon every 2 years na. i’m kinda more practical nowadays. although i did splurge on a netbook a few weeks ago. hehehe!
Gusto ko pigilan sarili ko not to purchase a new phone, pero as always there will be reasons to justify such purchase… on the average mga 9-12 months before i change phone..
2 years and i make it a point that the next phone i’ll purchase is still a smart phone (symbian). sobrang important ng phone na nagrurun ng 3rd party apps like fring for voip, google maps. masyado kasing mahina ang java files at the moment.
abe, have you reviewed voip phone apps lately, like fring, truphone, gizmo5, etc.? kasi sobrang useful ng mga apps na yan kaya siguro compare mo din. pero i only use fring lalo na kapag nasa 3.5G network ako o kahit sa 3G lang, tinatawagan ko ang wife ko sa skype for only 10 pesos for 30 mins (smart user kasi ako)! guys try FRING! available yun sa OS na symbian, wm, uiq (rest in peace), osx, basta try nyo pwede din sa java 2.0 capable phones, kaya lang chat lang pwede ang pwede!
2-3 years, i change it when it conks out
whenever possible (pag may budget)…
I usually change my phone every 1 and a half to two years. Cellphones are very low on my priority list always for some reason.
Twitter: bobreyes
says:
My main phone is still the Palm Treo 600 (purchased more than half a decade ago). Thinking of switching to a Windows Mobile MotoQ, or a Palm Centro, or will just wait for the Palm Pre to be released locally.
Got a Sony Ericsson W760i acquired recently as a secondary phone, and a Blackberry 7290 for my wireless landline.
I’m an old guy and I mainly use phone to talk and text. So normally 1.5 ~ 2 years I will buy / change a new cell.
i guess it would take me at least 1 year and 6 months before i change my cellphone. but man, last year (October 2008) i bought a Sony Ericsson K850i and after two months, the phone was stolen. Now I’m using a Nokia 1200, and i’ll be saving money to buy a new cellphone, but i’ll buy next year. Rock on!
better if you take the poll so we can see the tally … i keep mine over 2 years, i don’t like re-learning how to use a phone often
I used to switch phones every 2 years. Practicality is my basis.
I have a dinosaur of a phone, I don’t change until it is busted, as long as I can call and SMS with good voice quality, I’ll stick with it
i used to change very often before but after using my first nokia communicator(9210i), i cannot text using ordinary keyboards, i can only text using qwerty and since communicators change models only after a year and a half or so, then it took me time to change my phone. to suppress my craving for a new phone i just kept on buying my wife new phones so i could try it,just recently bought her a cookie. i currently have a nokia e70 bought last nov 23,2006…phones usually change looks and add some features,nothing really dramatic. ive tried touchscreen phones(iphone,xda ,etc)but still old school qwerty is the best for me..i think the younger set change phones every 6-8 months
Twitter: frenchychu
says:
there were times when i switched phones almost every month because i was really looking for something that i’d be comfortable using and that would fit my lifestyle. but whenever i found the phone i was looking for, i could use it for as long as i can. some of the phones that stayed with me for many years are nokia 3100, SE K750, N73.
i tried the iPhone 3G last year and i find it great, but it’s just to big for my hands so i am not so comfortable with it. now i’m using the cool SE W902 for 4 months now and i intend to use it for a long time.
I have a trusty SE k800i. Never fails to deliver the Sony quality in terms of pictures and sound. I have a Nokia 2630 as a secondary phone. I like the touchscreen sony and I’m more than willing to pay the same amount I would if I were to buy an iPhone.
SE k800i – one and a half year
nokia 2630 – less than a year, bundled with a phone plan.
Sony is so far my most durable phone. I’ve had the Sony T610, W550i, K800i and I’m a Sony fan ever since!
Palm 600, 650, 680 roughly 3 years. So that would be one per year i guess. The new Palm Pre looks impressive.
im not a phone addict, in fact cellphone ko binigay pa. di ako bumibili. hehehe… ang importante ay text and call lang, yun na.
I want my phone to last at least 3 years
My N70 is now 3.5 years in my possession. I’m planning to get an E71 since I want something with faster responses, but my N71 is undamaged until now even though I abuse it.
Gotta hand it to Nokia for making sturdy phones.
I change phones randomly. There’s no fixed time.
My 3210 lasted one year, my 3330 last two, smartphone (from smart addict) only for 10 months, P800 for almost three years (2years, 9 months to be exact), 6680 for a year (lost it). My last phone was a samsung whose unit i do not remember which lasted 3 months. It broke two weeks ago. I’m currently surveying the market for a sulit phone.
So there. Randomly. But looks quite often to me.
Hmm… since I first bought a phone back in year 2000, naka 17-18 phone na ko.. so average will be
108 months / 17
every 6 months..