Over the years, I've consistently purchased new technology, yet my most-used device—my phone—has remained unchanged for five years. Despite it being well past time for an upgrade, I haven't felt compelled to replace it. The reality is, I haven't seen the need to.

I No Longer Feel the Need to Upgrade My Phone Frequently

In the 2010s, when smartphones were still a burgeoning category, we witnessed significant performance improvements and exciting new features. The enthusiasm was palpable, with many upgrading their phones annually or even more frequently.

This was justified—new smartphones continually introduced innovative features such as fingerprint scanners, 50MP cameras, edge-to-edge displays with curved edges, and IR blasters.

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Posts 10 I was eager to try out all these new features, which is why I upgraded every couple of years. Even though I was still in school and had limited funds, upgrading my phone every two years was a priority, so I saved up for it.

However, as time passed, smartphone advancements slowed considerably, and so did my upgrades. Revolutionary technology and bold design gradually shifted to incremental improvements, such as minor camera adjustments and slight performance enhancements, diminishing my reasons for frequent upgrades.

As a result, my upgrade cycle extended from two to three years, and then from three to four with my current phone, the Realme X2 Pro.

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PostsTo give you a perspective, my phone is comparable to the OnePlus 7T and the Samsung Galaxy S10. Determining their exact value is challenging, but based on eBay listings, they typically sell for around $100 to $150. Although my phone is in good condition, I wouldn't expect to get more than $100 for it.

Despite being nearly valueless, my phone still manages to handle everyday tasks effectively. Apps function as expected, the battery lasts about half a day, the screen shows no significant burn-in, and crucially, the phone remains fast enough that I don't feel the need to upgrade.

No phone released since mine in 2019 has enticed me enough to upgrade. I had hopes for features like generative AI tools such as Galaxy AI and OnePlus AI, but phone-based generative AI is still nascent and not as useful as the ChatGPT app.

The only thing that excites me is the OnePlus 13 or another Snapdragon 8 Elite phone, which I'm waiting to purchase at a lower price.

##### OnePlus 13

9/10 The OnePlus 13 is a high-performance smartphone with a Hasselblad camera system featuring a 50MP sensor, a lightweight and intuitive OxygenOS 15 operating system, and a sleek, durable design. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

$900 at OnePlus$900 at Best Buy Phones Depreciate Rather Quickly

From a purely financial standpoint, phones are among the worst investments you can make.

Most Android flagships lose 40–60% of their value within the first twelve months. The Samsung Galaxy S22 was particularly notorious—according to SellCell's data, it lost an astonishing 66.7% of its value in its first year on the used phone market. That's a steeper depreciation than most sports cars!

I'm not suggesting that top-tier smartphones aren't worth the money or that you shouldn't buy them; if you have the funds, especially if you use your phone extensively, you should. A newer phone will always offer a better camera, display, battery, and more processing power for your games.

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Posts 6 However, for me, the rapid depreciation is too significant to ignore, which is why I prefer buying used phones. A flagship that's just a year old has already lost considerable value, but it remains a capable modern device that continues to receive updates, making it a much better purchase in terms of value.

Skipping Phone Upgrades Freed Up My Budget for Other Tech

By not upgrading my phone frequently, I've freed up a substantial amount of money to spend on other technology—there's a whole array of tech items more expensive than my phone.

The obvious ones include my gaming PC, OLED TV, and a high-end 240Hz monitor, but there are also less obvious items like my used laptop, keyboard collection, multiple pairs of headphones, and two computer mice.

All these pieces of tech can last as long or even longer than a smartphone. More importantly, because their technology doesn't advance as rapidly, they tend to retain their value better on the used market if I decide to sell them.

Still, My Phone Remains My Most Used Device

Even though my phone now costs about the same as my Sennheiser HD 599 headphones, it's rarely out of my hands. It's my most crucial device that's always by my side.

Whether I'm idly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, chatting with family, responding to emails, capturing important moments, or playing games, my phone manages it all. The camera may be subpar, and apps might take a bit longer to open compared to newer models, but these are minor inconveniences I hardly notice. It's surprising to say, but the era of phones becoming intolerably slow after just a few years appears to be behind us.

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Posts 8 In fact, my phone is so essential that I'd rather give up my computer or laptop, much like my colleague Bertel, who abandoned the PC entirely and now depends solely on a phone.

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