Should You Upgrade Your Phone Every Year? Doing the Math
Annual phone upgrades are heavily marketed. Here's a practical look at whether the cost is actually worth it.
Year-over-year improvements in flagship phones have become smaller and more incremental, meaning the practical benefit of upgrading annually has diminished even as the marketing push to do so has stayed constant.
What actually justifies an annual upgrade
Trading in an old phone at a still-decent resale value can offset much of the cost of upgrading yearly, making it more financially reasonable for people who keep their phones in excellent condition than for those who don't.
Why every two to three years is the more common sweet spot
For most people, skipping one or two annual cycles and upgrading every two to three years captures a much more noticeable jump in capability per dollar spent, since the cumulative improvement over several years is far more significant than any single year's changes.