“How Old Is My Phone?” – How to Determine Your Phone’s Age (and Whether It’s Time to Upgrade)
Our smartphones accompany us through every step of our day-to-day lives, but most of us don’t have our phone’s manufacturing date imprinted in our memories. If you’re wondering why your battery life isn’t what it used to be or you’re trying to determine your device’s resale value, it can be helpful to know how old your phone is.
Why Does It Matter How Old Your Phone Is?
There are a few situations in which knowing your phone’s age can come in handy. Before we discuss how to find out your device’s manufacturing date, let’s quickly walk through why you’d want to know.
Battery Performance
The older a phone gets, the shorter its battery life gets. This is because smartphones’ lithium-ion batteries can slowly degrade over time, failing to reach peak charging performance and requiring more frequent charges. If your phone is more than two or three years old, its age might be to blame for its fading battery life.
Firmware and Software Updates
Most smartphones only receive support from their manufacturers for a limited time. The actual time period can vary. For instance, Apple promises at least five years of support for its current iPhones, and it usually provides support for seven to eight years. Meanwhile, Samsung has slowly ratcheted up its support windows for newer Galaxy S Series models:
- Samsung Galaxy S22: 4 years
- Samsung Galaxy S23: 5 years
- Samsung Galaxy S24: 7 years
- Mid-range Samsung smartphones (Galaxy M and Galaxy A Series): Up to 5 years
At any rate, once your phone stops receiving updates, it becomes vulnerable to security breaches and loses compatibility with new features.
Resale Value
Your phone’s release date has a direct and significant effect on its resale value. If you’re thinking about selling your device (for example, at an ecoATM kiosk), knowing its age, hardware version, etc., can help you determine its true worth.
Repair vs. Replace
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether repairing an old phone or replacing it with a new one is the better option. Knowing your phone’s manufacturing date can help make this decision much easier.
How to Determine Your Phone’s Manufacturing Date: Details for Apple and Android Phones
Depending on whether your phone runs on Apple’s iOS or Android OS, there are different methods for determining your device’s exact date of manufacture.
iPhones
Each iPhone Apple manufactures includes a unique serial number that can tell you when it was made, right down to the exact week! First, you’ll want to visit your iPhone’s Settings app, where you’ll tap “General,” then “About.” From this screen, find the serial number.
Once you have this number, you can visit the “Check Coverage” page on Apple’s website and type in your iPhone’s serial number. This will tell you if your device is still covered by Apple’s warranty, which also indicates how long it has been since you bought it.
iPhones have rather complex serial numbers, but you can still decode them yourself if you know what you’re looking for. The first three characters of an iPhone’s serial number represent its make and model, but the fourth and fifth digits indicate the week in which your phone was manufactured. For more in-depth information, check out the SNDeep.info website, which will decode your serial number and tell you the exact date on which Apple produced the manufacturing code.
Are you wondering when you bought the device, not when Apple manufactured it? You can always find your purchase date in your Apple account, as Apple keeps rigorous records of every iPhone purchase.
Androids
Android smartphone users might have a slightly harder time discovering their devices’ manufacturing dates. That’s because several different companies (like Samsung, Google, Motorola, etc.) make Android phones, so there may be slight tweaks to the following steps based on your exact device.
Most Android phones display manufacturing details within the phone’s settings. Navigate to “Settings,” then tap “About Phone.” Then, click on “Status” and look for the phone’s IMEI number or a setting labeled “Hardware Version Information.”
Methods for Any Phone Brand
The following processes work whether you have an Apple or Android device. Another way to find the IMEI number (which stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity) is to dial *#06#. Once you press the call button, your phone will display its 15-digit IMEI number. From there, you can use SNDeep.info to enter your serial code or IMEI number to get your manufacturing date and other info. (If you have your phone’s box and original packaging materials, you can often find a sticker or label indicating your IMEI number as well.)
If you’re looking for your purchase date rather than the manufacturing date, look for the original receipt or email confirmation, as these resources should include a timestamp of your phone’s sale date.
How Old Is “Too Old”: When to Swap Your Old Phone for a Newer Phone Model
Knowing when to say “when” is important in many aspects of our lives. If you see the following signs in your device, it might be time to consider upgrading to a newer model.
Your Device No Longer Receives Official Support
We discussed above how various phone manufacturers provide software and firmware support for a period of several years after the device’s launch. If your phone doesn’t receive these crucial security updates anymore, you should consider getting a newer smartphone.
Sluggish Performance and Responsiveness
Older phones have some outdated components that could lead to poor performance. If your device has problems keeping up with the processing demands of apps, games, and other tasks, it might be nearing its expiration date.
Battery Issues
Simply put, a modern smartphone battery should last a full day of normal use without being recharged. If you’re constantly plugging your phone in or carrying around a mobile charger, your phone might be on its last legs.
Full Storage
New phones usually have more internal storage than those from a few years ago. Even with the advances in cloud storage over the last several years, older phones might be running out of internal storage by now. If you’re frequently offloading apps or backing up photos and videos to save space, you should think about upgrading devices.
Cosmetic and Functional Damages
Cracked screens, flickering displays, and surface scratches are all signs that your phone has been through some battles over the years. These imperfections can make a smartphone more difficult and less pleasant to use. Why not get a new one instead of putting up with these issues?
What to Do if the Age of Your Phone Hinders Its Performance
If you’ve decided that it’s time to upgrade to a new phone (or a high-quality refurbished model), you have a few common options for doing so.
Trade-In Programs
Some manufacturers, retailers, and wireless carriers offer trade-in programs that allow you to swap your old device for a newer one. Typically, these programs have a minimum time period between trades (such as 24 or 36 months), and you must be current on all monthly payments (or have the phone completely paid off). If you meet the requirements, you can trade your old phone for a discount or payment plan on a new one.
Selling It Yourself
You can still get a decent payout for some older smartphones on resale sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. Just make sure to keep an eye out for scams on these platforms, as the seller protections aren’t always robust. You’ll also need to create and maintain a listing for your device, negotiate with buyers, navigate delivery processes, and more. It can be more of a hassle than it’s worth!
Using ecoATM to Sell or Recycle the Device
Here at ecoATM, we’ll gladly accept your old smartphone at one of our 6,000+ kiosks located in convenient retail centers across the country. If it still has a resale value, we’ll offer you instant cash for it (or you can choose payment via PayPal or Venmo). If your phone is too old or beat up for resale, we’ll still recycle it for you, free of charge.
ecoATM kiosks accept a broad selection of devices, from old iPhones to newer Samsung models and everything in between. We even buy old tablets and MP3 players! To find out how much your used devices are worth, use the pricing tool on our website or bring them to your nearest ecoATM kiosk.
Not only does ecoATM offer quick cash for many different types of devices, but we’re also contributing to a greener tomorrow by keeping used electronics out of landfills. Old smartphones can leach harsh toxins into the environment — when you sell your devices to ecoATM, you can rest assured that we’ll either find a new owner or recycle the device, keeping it out of the e-waste stream.
Find the closest ecoATM kiosk to you and join us in supporting the circular economy today!
