According to statistics, smartphone sales in 2019 fell by about 2%. And this trend has been going on for several years. There are several reasons for this, and we will, of course, discuss them. However, for now, it is worth considering the publication of a Reddit user who, having owned a Galaxy Note 8 smartphone, came to the conclusion that he did not want to update it to something else.
Should I update my smartphone after 2 years of use?
He managed to use the new Galaxy Note 10 for some time. What was his surprise when he did not feel any difference. All apps run and look the same on both Note 8 and Note 10. He didn't notice much of a difference in the speed of the two smartphones.
In this regard, he is worried about the question: 'Is it worth updating the smartphone after 2 years of use?'. The publication has collected many opinions. Basically, users stop at the fact that the new smartphones offer improved autonomy, camera and performance.
I would argue with two points. According to statistics, smartphone battery life is not getting better. The battery capacity increases, but the autonomy does not improve. If you look at the battery life graph, you can see that there are very few modern phones in it:
Smartphones with better battery life
There are also questions about performance. If you decide to upgrade from a cheap phone to a new cheap one, the difference will of course be noticeable. However, by owning a flagship, you won't feel much of a difference. And there are two reasons for that. Firstly, manufacturers are doing everything so that the flagships over time work just as quickly and well, because the flagship is the face of the company. Secondly, the performance of the flagship is enough for the smooth operation of the interface and applications for 3-4 years. Further, physically it ceases to be enough due to the complication of the system and, first of all, third-party applications, which functionally and externally become noticeably more diverse and heavier. But even here it is worth noting that the capacity of the hardware is enough every year for much more in terms of interface complexity. Does your old 10 year old PC work fine with your new one Windows 10? The same situation is gradually happening with mobile devices.
In my opinion, the flagships can be used for 4-5 years without any significant discomfort. Therefore, it is worth distinguishing that if we are not talking about a flagship, in this case, the smartphone needs to be updated more often.
Now a few words about the camera. This is probably the main reason to upgrade your device. Simply because every year the quality of cameras in phones improves significantly. And it is difficult to come up with any arguments against this, because the difference is obvious. Another question is whether the camera is important to the consumer. If you are satisfied that a two-year-old device will take pictures a little worse than modern phones, you can close your eyes to this and use the device further.
Why are consumers buying fewer smartphones?
There are several reasons. Firstly, smartphones began to be made of higher quality even in the mid-budget segment. They offer decent performance for their money. If earlier the performance of phones was enough to draw the interface itself, as was the case with the first iPhone, which did not even have wallpaper on the desktop, today the capacities are such that we can run modern 3D console-level games . Therefore, even after 2 years, the interface in the flagship devices continues to be smooth, fast and functional.
Second, the market itself is changing. Whereas earlier there was more fanaticism around phones, today it is just a consumer electronics market. New phone out? Okay. Another one out? Okay. People have become uninterested in the smartphone market, they are used to it and do not treat them as just another toy for learning new functions. A smartphone today is the same thing as a computer, refrigerator or washing machine. It performs its functions and does it well. You won't change your stove if you stop liking its appearance, are you? It's the same with telephones today. People get used to new technologies so quickly that today even Steve Jobs would find it difficult to surprise them with something.
What do you think, how often should you change your smartphone? Share your opinion in the comments and subscribe to our Telegram.