How often do you upgrade your flagship phone

Phones
1

Hi all,
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra for nearly two years, and with the S25 Ultra anticipated to launch in January, I’m considering whether I should upgrade. It seems like flagship phones these days don’t offer many significant improvements over previous models, so I’m questioning if upgrading this quickly is really worth it.

How often do you upgrade your flagship phones? Do you think the newer models are worth the investment? I’d love to hear your opinions!

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2

I typically keep my phones for about three years. When a new model with appealing features comes out, I usually upgrade. By the three-year mark, my current phone often starts acting up, and by then, there are usually enough new features or improvements to justify the switch. Plus, with trade-in offers consistently around $600 or more, it’s hard to get a better resale value elsewhere. If I wait too long, the phone might deteriorate further and lose value. I’m upgrading from the S21 Ultra to the S24 Ultra because of the added features, and I don’t want to wait for the S25. My current phone is starting to act up, so I was happy to take the trade-in deal.

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3

3-5 years. I wait as long as I can before an issue pops up (that inhibits functionality of the phone) and I need to upgrade.

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4

I believe that if you’re planning to stick with the same series, like upgrading from the S22 to the S23 or S24, or from the Z Flip 5 to 6, you won’t notice much difference, as the devices tend to look and feel very similar. It’s usually better to wait for 2-3 generations before upgrading. However, if you’re considering switching series, such as moving from the S22 to the Flip 6, you’ll definitely experience a sense of newness. The same goes for switching between companies, like moving from Apple to Samsung or Google. Each company has its own set of features that they consistently improve with only a few major changes. That’s just my opinion.

1 Like
5

I had my Note9 since its release, but I just upgraded to the S24 last month. Verizon offered $800 for a trade-in, so I felt it was the right time to switch.

The Note9 served me well, but the battery life was starting to decline, and support for the device was fading. The camera quality also wasn’t keeping up with newer models.

I’ll probably stick with this phone for a few years. I really like the camera and the flat screen. Though I do miss that little notification light, haha.