How Often Do People Get New Phones?

The wheels of technology never stop turning these days. In a world where smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung release new versions of their flagship phones every single year, many people feel pressured to upgrade their phones and keep up with the latest tech.

But how regularly do people upgrade to a new smartphone? While the answer varies based on a number of personal factors, understanding why smartphone owners buy new devices can help you determine whether it’s time for you to upgrade your own device.

What’s the Average Phone Upgrade Cycle?

The typical person keeps the same phone for roughly two to three years. The reason for this is based on a combination of factors, including device durability, carrier contracts and installment plans, and how often manufacturers release new models.

One of the top reasons for this average upgrade cycle is battery life. Smartphone batteries degrade with use and over time - and it may not surprise you to hear that their life cycles typically last for…you guessed it! 2-3 years! After a few years of frequent use and daily charging, most smartphone batteries lose their ability to hold a charge.

Another major reason people ditch their old phones is due to enticing new features and performance upgrades. While most people don’t buy a new iPhone every time Apple releases its annually updated flagship device, manufacturers make major improvements every couple of years. Instead of swapping their current phones every year, people often wait for these more significant technological leaps and major software updates before upgrading.

Depending on your chosen wireless carrier, there may be incentives pushing you to upgrade every few years. For instance, wireless providers often make customers eligible for discounted upgrades every 24 or 36 months, which again lines up perfectly with the typical customer’s upgrade cycle. Wireless carriers’ installment plans also tend to be either two or three years long, and carriers often incentivize users to upgrade their phones when the installment plan is finished.

How Do Demographics Affect How Smartphone Owners Upgrade Their Phones?

Certain groups of people upgrade their current devices more frequently than others. For example, age often plays a part. Gen Z and Millennial smartphone users buy new devices more frequently than their older counterparts. Young people more often have a desire to have the latest and greatest phone to “keep up with the Joneses,” while older generations usually hold onto their phones for longer periods.

In addition, income is a significant factor. You probably don’t need us to tell you that new phones can be very expensive - you’re probably already aware of this from your own experiences! Devices get even more costly if you choose a top-tier option like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Price tags that enter the four-digit realm make many consumers think twice before upgrading. With this in mind, higher-income people upgrade their phones more frequently, while more cost-conscious customers might wait five years instead of half that long.

When Do You Really Need to Upgrade Your Phone?

There isn’t any single “right answer” to this question, but there are a few telltale signs that your old phone might be reaching the end of its rope. If your phone is showing these signs, you should consider at least upgrading to a newer refurbished model, if not a new one altogether.

• Your battery drains too quickly, even on low-power mode
• Your phone’s processing power gets bogged down while multitasking
• Your device’s storage is getting low, even after backing it up to the cloud
• The latest firmware and software updates seem to slow your phone down instead of speeding it up
• The device has cosmetic or functional damage that costs too much to fix

If none of these five points apply to you, you probably don’t need to hurry to upgrade your device. It may have a few good years left in it!

How Environmental Issues Can Slow the Upgrade Cycle

While some tech enthusiasts will always need their hands on the best new devices, many people are more aware of their environmental impacts than they once were. Constantly upgrading to the latest tech isn’t exactly a form of eco-conscious consumption, and tons of needless waste are generated by swapping devices every year or two.

Manufacturing smartphones requires mining rare materials and contributes to carbon emissions, both of which have significant negative environmental impacts. Due to this, some consumers are keeping their devices longer and turning to the refurbished market to help cut back on e-waste.

Companies like ecoATM are stepping in to address this rampant consumerism. By buying and selling gently used, refurbished smartphones and tablets, we can help slow down the upgrade cycle, keep devices out of landfills, and stop the overproduction of new devices.

Sell Your Old Device to ecoATM When You Buy a New One!

Whether you upgrade your phone every year or you get every last drop of usefulness out of it, eventually, the time will come when you should move on. If your smartphone is reaching the end of the road, visit an ecoATM kiosk near you and sell it for instant cash.

ecoATM buys thousands of used smartphones and tablets every day - we either find new owners for them or responsibly recycle them. We’ve already helped consumers recycle over 50 million devices, keeping them out of landfills where they can leach harsh toxins into the environment.

To get started, visit our website and use the “Price Your Device” tool to see how much your phone is worth. You can even lock in the price before you head to the kiosk! You can then use our handy kiosk locator to find the one nearest you. With 6,000+ kiosks conveniently located in retail centers from coast to coast, you’re never too far away from an ecoATM location!