{"id":18162,"date":"2023-11-22T13:55:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/?p=18162"},"modified":"2026-04-23T08:23:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T08:23:12","slug":"how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"How Often Do People Upgrade Their Phone? (2026 Statistics)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Read our article to discover how often people upgrade their phone, what the standard time period is for owning a handset, and which smartphones people hold on to the longest.<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><h3>This article will offer statistics about the frequency with which smartphone owners upgrade their device.<\/h3><\/li><li><h3>It will show you which countries hold on to their existing smartphone the longest prior to upgrading.<\/h3><\/li><li><h3>The article will also look at the reasons why people upgrade their smartphones.<\/h3><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, you will discover exactly how often people upgrade their phone. Until recently, it has been the case that people&#8217;s upgrade habits aligned with the cessation of the contract with their carrier. This, in most cases, would have been two years, but that timeframe seems to have given way to a longer period. Let&#8217;s look at how long people keep hold of their phone before they decide on an upgrade&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #f8cc9f;border: 1px solid #f15a29;padding: 5px 15px\">\n<h3>SellCell Key Findings:<\/h3>\n<ul><li>As of 2025, the global average replacement cycle length for a smartphone is 3.5 years.<\/li><li>40.4% of people upgrade their smartphone every two to three years.<\/li><li>The majority of people (75.0%) upgrade their handset due to issues with their battery life shortening over time.<\/li><li>83.8% of iPhone users say they have stayed with Apple for more than five years, suggesting stronger brand loyalty may be contributing to longer upgrade cycles.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Phone Upgrade?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A phone upgrade refers to the process of replacing your current mobile device with a newer model, typically offering improved features, performance, and technology. This could involve getting the latest version of your existing phone model or switching to an entirely different device from the same or a different manufacturer. Phone upgrades are often driven by advancements in hardware, such as better cameras, faster processors, enhanced battery life, and updated software capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Phone owners can also decide to upgrade based on a desire to access new functionalities, stay current with technology trends, or address the evolving needs of the user. Carriers and manufacturers often provide options for customers to upgrade their phones through trade-in programs or installment plans, making the process accessible and convenient for users looking to stay on the cutting edge of mobile technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Often Do People Upgrade Their Phone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people upgrade their phone, and at different times within their respective phone&#8217;s lifecycle. Here, we will look at the global statistics for upgrade cycles, as well as by territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones Globally?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years.png\" alt=\"Worldwide Smartphone Upgrade Cycle in Years\" class=\"wp-image-17884\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Worldwide Smartphone Upgrade Cycle in Years\" class=\"wp-image-17884 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 908w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/worldwide-smartphone-upgrade-cycle-in-years.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Worldwide Smartphone Upgrade Cycle in Years<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Replacement cycle length in years\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2009<\/td><td>2.9\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2010<\/td><td>2.7\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2011<\/td><td>2.5\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2012<\/td><td>2.5\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2013<\/td><td>2.4\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2014<\/td><td>2.4\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2015<\/td><td>2.4\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2016<\/td><td>2.6\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2017<\/td><td>2.7\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2018<\/td><td>3.0\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2019<\/td><td>3.3\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>3.6\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>3.6\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>3.7\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>3.6\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>3.5\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>*2025<\/td><td>3.5\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>*2026<\/td><td>3.4<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>On a global level, in 2013, consumer smartphones had an average replacement cycle length of 2.4 years. This was the lowest figure for smartphone retention that we see from the above data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The data also shows that, by 2022, the global figure for smartphone upgrades had reached its highest since 2013. The upgrade cycle reached 3.7 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The average lifecycle of a smartphone in 2025 is 3.5 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experts predict this figure will decrease further in 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in the USA?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"914\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png\" alt=\"Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade in the United States\" class=\"wp-image-17885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png 914w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-768x471.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"914\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20914%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade in the United States\" class=\"wp-image-17885 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20914%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 914w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png 914w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-768x471.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade in the United States<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Years<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>3.16\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>3.26\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>3.39\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>3.46\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>3.64\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>*2025<\/td><td>3.84<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Assurant&#8217;s Mobile Trade-in and Upgrade Industry Trends report tells us that in 2020 the average age of devices traded-in or upgraded (the replacement lifecycle) was 3.16 years. <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/assurant-infographic-annual-2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This number has gradually increased with the average length hitting 3.64 years in 2024.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/2024-annual-tiu-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">18<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2025 is on target to continue that trend.  Data for the first three quarters of 2025 show that the average lifecycle is 3.84 years so far in 2025. <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/blta62bc60bba47a930\/6879625b8405f60413bb0c3c\/aac9ac40-d295-4c86-8bf7-defe5fb2e26c-q1-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">19<\/a><\/sup> <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/bltf84dd4603f9f33f6\/68c301fc1ea8652f5e64c050\/q2-trade-in-upgrade-infographic-US.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">20<\/a><\/sup> <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/bltc6490eba78b5a703\/69138a6505fd9226bd70cc5b\/Q325_TIU_Infographic-US.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">21<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That&#8217;s an increase of 0.68 years or just over 8 months in 5 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"914\" height=\"565\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png\" alt=\"iPhone vs Android - Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade\" class=\"wp-image-17886\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png 914w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"914\" height=\"565\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20914%20565%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"iPhone vs Android - Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade\" class=\"wp-image-17886 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20914%20565%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 914w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png 914w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/iphone-vs-android-average-age-in-years-of-device-at-trade-in-or-upgrade.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"3\"><strong>iPhone vs Android &#8211; Average Age In Years of Device at Trade-in or Upgrade<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"33.3%\"><\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">iPhone<\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">Android<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>3.27<\/td><td>2.79\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>3.35<\/td><td>3.97\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>3.41<\/td><td>3.35\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>3.49<\/td><td>3.36\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>3.67<\/td><td>3.52<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Assurant&#8217;s data is equally insightful when we compare iPhone and Android.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In both cases we can see an upward trend.  iPhone has gone from 3.27 years in 2020, to 3.67 years in 2024.  That&#8217;s an increase of 0.4 years or just under 5 months.  Android has gone from 2.79 years in 2020 to 3.52 years in 2024 which is a much sharper increase of 0.73 years or just under 9 months. <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/assurant-infographic-annual-2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17<\/a><\/sup> <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/2024-annual-tiu-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">18<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It&#8217;s also noticeable that the gap between iPhone and Android is narrowing.  In 2024 the difference is just 0.15 years or just under 2 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/smartphone-loyalty-survey-2026\/\">SellCell\u2019s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/smartphone-loyalty-survey-2026\/\">2026 Smartphone Loyalty Survey (US)<\/a> also points to stronger long-term retention among iPhone users. It found that 83.8% of iPhone users have stayed with Apple for more than five years, compared with 33.8% of Android users. This helps explain why iPhone users tend to keep their devices for slightly longer at trade-in or upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in the United Kingdom?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025.png\" alt=\"On an average, how long do you expect to use a smartphone, from the date of purchase before switching to a new one? (2025)\" class=\"wp-image-17907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"On an average, how long do you expect to use a smartphone, from the date of purchase before switching to a new one? (2025)\" class=\"wp-image-17907 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 909w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2025.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023.png\" alt=\"On an average, how long do you expect to use a smartphone, from the date of purchase before switching to a new one? (2023)\" class=\"wp-image-17908\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"On an average, how long do you expect to use a smartphone, from the date of purchase before switching to a new one? (2023)\" class=\"wp-image-17908 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 909w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-long-do-you-expect-to-use-a-smartphone-2023.png\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A 2025 survey suggests that consumers in the United Kingdom are gradually moving towards longer smartphone lifespans. <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/yougov.com\/en-gb\/articles\/53645-brits-are-stretching-smartphone-lifespans-and-stepping-up-their-spending\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">32<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The share of those replacing their smartphones every 1-2 years is down from 20% in 2023 to 17% (-3%) in 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Likewise those replacing their smartphones every 2-3 years is down from 33% in 2023 to  30% (-3%) in 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In contrast 26% of participants replace their smartphone within 3-4 years in 2025. This is up from 22% (+4%) in 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>14% of participants replace their smartphone within 4-5 years in 2025.  This is up from 10% (+4%) in 2023. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in Western Europe?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025.png\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in Western Europe from 2015 to 2025\" class=\"wp-image-16269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in Western Europe from 2015 to 2025\" class=\"wp-image-16269 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 908w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-Western-Europe-from-2015-to-2025.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.silicon.co.uk\/press-release\/strategy-analytics-smartphone-replacement-cycle-will-shorten-to-33-months-in-western-europe-by-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in Western Europe from 2015 to 2025<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Replacement cycle length in months\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2015<\/td><td>25\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>40\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2025<\/td><td>33<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In 2015, the average lifespan of a Western European smartphone was 25.0 months, before replacement. This is the equivalent of two years and one month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 2020, this figure had risen to its highest peak, with smartphone replacement cycle length reaching 40 months, or three years and four months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to the graph above, experts predict that replacement cycle length will drop back down to 33 months in 2025. This is equal to two years and nine months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Max Taylor, Vodafone CCO, states that, in the UK, a significant number of its customers keep their handset for up to four years <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vodafone.co.uk\/newscentre\/press-release\/uks-only-lifetime-service-promise\/#:~:text=We%20know%20that%20customers%20are%20now%20keeping%20phones%20for%20up%20to%20four%20years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in India?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1.png\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in India from 2022\" class=\"wp-image-16270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in India from 2022\" class=\"wp-image-16270 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 908w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-Smartphones-in-India-from-2022-1.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1179244\/india-frequency-of-smartphone-upgrade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in India from 2022<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Share of respondents\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Within 6 months<\/td><td>10.8%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6 months to 1 year<\/td><td>11.4%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1 year to 2 years<\/td><td>21.3%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>After 2 years<\/td><td>56.6%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>From 2022 onwards, most (56.6%) Indian smartphone owners upgrade their phone after two years of ownership.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A surprising 10.8% of Indian people upgrade their smartphone after just six months. 11.4% of Indian smartphone owners make it to a year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>21.3% of Indian smartphones have a replacement cycle length between one and two years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Typical Update Frequency by Device Type in India<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\">Device Type<\/th><th width=\"50%\">Typical Upgrade Frequency\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Entry-level phones<\/td><td>3.5 &#8211; 5 years <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/priceindia.in\/smartphone-upgrade-cycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">22<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mid-range phones<\/td><td>2.5 &#8211; 3 years <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/priceindia.in\/smartphone-upgrade-cycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">22<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Premium phone users<\/td><td> 2 - 2.3 years <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/indians-upgrade-smartphones-quickly\/articleshow\/70613716.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">23<\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Another interesting insight can be had by looking at the update frequency broken down by device type.  This shows that users with premium phones hold onto their devices for less time than those with entry-level or mid-range phones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With premium phone users in India you are looking at a typical update frequency of less than 2 &#8211; 2.3 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By comparison, people with entry-level phones in India (that would have cost significantly less) change their phones every 3.5 &#8211; 5 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Those with mid-range phones have a typical update frequency of 2.5 &#8211; 3 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in China?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of Smartphones in China from 2016 to 2025<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Replacement cycle length in months\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2016-2018<\/td><td>20-21 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/05\/17\/smartphone-users-are-waiting-longer-before-upgrading-heres-why.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">24<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2019<\/td><td>24-26 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gizmochina.com\/2021\/05\/12\/china-phone-upgrade-cycle-rise-25-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">25<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2020<\/td><td>25.3 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbeta.com.tw\/articles\/1124435.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">26<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2021<\/td><td>25-28 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gizmochina.com\/2021\/05\/12\/china-phone-upgrade-cycle-rise-25-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">27<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2022<\/td><td>32-36+ months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinanews.com.cn\/cj\/2022\/12-31\/9925212.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">28<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2023<\/td><td>28-34 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/caijing.chinadaily.com.cn\/a\/202312\/29\/WS658e84f7a310af3247ffa2b5.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">29<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024<\/td><td>36+ months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tinckay.com\/zhichang-zixun\/3464.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">30<\/a><\/sup>\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2025<\/td><td>33 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.36kr.com\/en\/p\/3608970231186691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">31<\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>From 2016 to 2020 China&#8217;s smartphone replacement cycle steadily lengthened from 20 months to 25.3 month (just over 2 years) in 2020.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After 2020 the length of the replacement cycle in China increased further still.  By 2024 it is 36 months which is 3 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recent reports suggest that the upgrade cycle in China has shortened slightly to around 33 months ( just under 3 years in 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Replacement Cycle Length of Smartphones in Other Parts of the World?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>According to research, 33% of Mexicans upgrade their phone every 18 months <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpointresearch.com\/insights\/smartphone-users-replace-their-device-every-twenty-one-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7<\/a><\/sup>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Japan, people hold on to their smartphone for a total of 26 months before they decide to upgrade <sup>7<\/sup>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Survey Data: How Often Do People Upgrade Their Smartphone?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SellCell collated data from four separate surveys to ascertain how long respondents, on average, keep their smartphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_.png\" alt=\"How Often Do You Upgrade Your Smartphone?\" class=\"wp-image-16271\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"909\" height=\"562\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"How Often Do You Upgrade Your Smartphone?\" class=\"wp-image-16271 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20909%20562%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 909w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_.png 909w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Do-You-Upgrade-Your-Smartphone_.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data combined from Sources <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phonearena.com\/news\/How-often-do-you-upgrade-to-a-new-phone_id119501#:~:text=They%20often%20hold%20onto%20a,over%20several%20generations%2C%20is%20exhilarating.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slashgear.com\/970484\/a-surprising-number-of-people-we-polled-said-they-upgrade-their-phone-every-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">9<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ting.blog\/phone-upgrade-cycle-survey-results\/#:~:text=phone%20and%20more.-,How%20often%20should%20you%20upgrade%20your%20phone%3F,more%20than%20two%20years%20ago.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsmarena.com\/weekly_poll_results_half_of_users_have_phones_that_are_1_or_2_years_old-news-60449.php#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20replacement%20age,will%20shrink%20to%20a%20quarter.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">11<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>How Often Do You Upgrade Your Smartphone?<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Share of respondents\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Every 6 months<\/td><td>6.6%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Every year<\/td><td>14.0%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Every 2-3 years<\/td><td>40.4%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Every 4-5 years<\/td><td>28.8%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>More than 5 years<\/td><td>10.3%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Of a combined response group of 19,217, survey data shows 6.6% of people upgrade their smartphones every six months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>14.0% of people look to ditch their existing handset and get a new one once every year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The majority (40.4%) of people opt to hold onto their smartphone for two to three years before deciding they need to upgrade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>28.8% of people retain their smartphone for 4-5 years, giving it an extended replacement cycle length.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People who keep their smartphone for over five years make up 10.3% of respondents. It should be noted that keeping a smartphone for this length of time poses a security threat. If your handset is no longer receiving security updates due to its age, you should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trade-in your phone<\/a> and get a new device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Are Smartphone Upgrade Cycles Getting Longer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As we can see from the data above, smartphone owners are, for the time being, holding on to their smartphone for longer than they have previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There could be a number of reasons why this has happened. First, we have just been through a global pandemic. This had a massive impact on supply chains and logistics. The upshot being that brands couldn&#8217;t produce enough smartphones to meet demand. As a result, less people have upgraded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, the war between Russia and the Ukraine has impacted supply and logistics chains negatively. This has added to the impact already caused by the COVID pandemic. Again, this means that components are limited and production is slower, meaning fewer smartphones in supply for people to upgrade to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also have the Right to Repair movement, which has seen consumers handed the ability to repair their device themselves. Anyone doing this is doing so to avoid having to replace or upgrade their handset. By repairing their device, they are immediately extending its lifespan and, by default, extending the time they take to upgrade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Do People Upgrade Their Smartphone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We have looked at how long it takes before someone decides they need to upgrade their smartphone. But what about the reasons <em>why<\/em> they cut their phone&#8217;s replacement cycle length?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2.png\" alt=\"Why Do People Change Their Smartphones?\" class=\"wp-image-18168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Why Do People Change Their Smartphones?\" class=\"wp-image-18168 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20908%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 908w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2.png 908w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-do-people-change-their-smartphones-v2.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source <a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpointresearch.com\/insights\/smartphone-users-replace-their-device-every-twenty-one-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">12<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Why Do People Change Their Smartphones?<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"50%\"><\/th><th width=\"50%\">Share of respondents\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Battery performance<\/td><td>75%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Screen damage<\/td><td>55%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Keeping up to date<\/td><td>38%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>No longer works<\/td><td>38%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Price \/ Value (switching-related, US)<\/td><td>30%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Image quality<\/td><td>24%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prettier smartphone<\/td><td>17%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Too slow<\/td><td>13%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>App compatibility<\/td><td>5%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Perhaps the most obvious reason for people upgrading their phone is down to battery performance. Between 2-3 years is when a smartphone battery will start to become problematic <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.makeuseof.com\/how-often-should-you-upgrade-your-phone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">13<\/a><\/sup>. 75.0% of people say this is why they upgrade their smartphone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Screen damage is the second most popular reason for people upgrading their smartphone. 55.0% of people cite this as why they switch their phone to a newer model.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The least popular reason people upgrade is down to app compatibility, with only 5.0% of people saying this why.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/smartphone-loyalty-survey-2026\/\">SellCell\u2019s 2026 Smartphone Loyalty Survey (US)<\/a> suggests that price and value are becoming more important when users consider switching brands. Among iPhone users who said they may switch, 25.8% said another brand offers better value and 24.7% said their current phone is too expensive. Among Android users considering a switch, 31.8% said another brand offers better value. This suggests that while price matters more than before, many users may be delaying replacing their current phone rather than switching brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smartphone Upgrade Frequency by Age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>People of different ages keep their smartphones for different periods of time before they upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"907\" height=\"561\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age.png\" alt=\"How Often Apple Users Upgrade Their Phone By Age \" class=\"wp-image-16276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age.png 907w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"907\" height=\"561\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20907%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"How Often Apple Users Upgrade Their Phone By Age \" class=\"wp-image-16276 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20907%20561%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 907w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age.png 907w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/How-Often-Apple-Users-Upgrade-Their-Phone-By-Age.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source <a href=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2023\/04\/19\/how-soon-users-upgrade-iphone-by-age\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">14<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"5\"><strong>How Often Apple Users Upgrade Their Phone By Age<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"20%\"><\/th><th width=\"20%\">Less than 1 year<\/th><th width=\"20%\">1-2 years<\/th><th width=\"20%\">2-3 years<\/th><th width=\"20%\">3 years or more\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>18-24 years old<\/td><td>13.00%<\/td><td>32.00%<\/td><td>29.00%<\/td><td>26.00%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25-34 years old<\/td><td>10.00%<\/td><td>33.00%<\/td><td>35.00%<\/td><td>21.00%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>35-44 years old<\/td><td>13.00%<\/td><td>28.00%<\/td><td>34.00%<\/td><td>25.00%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>45-54 years old<\/td><td>10.00%<\/td><td>30.00%<\/td><td>33.00%<\/td><td>27.00%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>55-64 years old<\/td><td>1.00%<\/td><td>23.00%<\/td><td>32.00%<\/td><td>43.00%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>65 year old or more<\/td><td>5.00%<\/td><td>9.00%<\/td><td>21.00%<\/td><td>65.00%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The graph above shows the upgrade habits of different age groups. It illustrates the percentage of people who upgrade during a certain time period in a phone&#8217;s life cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The majority (32.0%) of 18-24-year-olds upgrade their smartphone after one to two years. 13.0% of them upgrade in less than a year, 29.0% keep hold for between two and three years. 26.0% of this age group keeps their phone for over three years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most (35.0%) 25-34-year-olds keep their handset for between two and three years. 33.0% of them for one to two years. 21.0% of them upgrade after three years, and 10.0% upgrade before one year is even up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the 35-44 age group, 13.0% don&#8217;t make it to a year before upgrading. 28.0% hold out for one to two years. 34.0% hit the average two to three years. 25.0% last over three years before getting a new handset.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Of those aged 45-54, 10.0% upgrade within 12 months, 30.0% one-to-two years, 33.0% between two to three years, and 27.0% go past the three-year mark.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the 55-64 age bracket, only 1.0% upgrades before 12 months are up, 23.0% in one to two years, 32.0% in two to three years, and 43.0% go over three years with the same phone before upgrading.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over 65s keep their phone mainly over three years (65.0%). 21.0% last two to three years, 9.0% upgrade between one and two years, and 5.0% only keep their phone a maximum of twelve months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smartphone Upgrade Frequency by Device (iPhone vs. Android)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"910\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1.png\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of iPhone vs. Android Smartphones\" class=\"wp-image-16279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1.png 910w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1-768x571.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"910\" height=\"677\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20910%20677%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of iPhone vs. Android Smartphones\" class=\"wp-image-16279 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20910%20677%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 910w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1.png 910w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1-768x571.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Average-Lifespan-Replacement-Cycle-Length-of-iPhone-vs.-Android-Smartphones-1.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source <a href=\"https:\/\/cirpapple.substack.com\/p\/iphone-owners-keep-phones-longer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"3\"><strong>Average Lifespan (Replacement Cycle Length) of iPhone vs. Android Smartphones<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"33.3%\"><\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">iPhone<\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">Android\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>2-3 years<\/td><td>61%<\/td><td>43%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3 years +<\/td><td>29%<\/td><td>21%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>As the above data illustrates, Apple iPhone owners keep their smartphone for longer than Android owners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>61.0% of Apple owners keep their phone for between two to three years, compared to 43.0% of Android owners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29.0% of iPhone owners make it over three years with their handset. Only 21.0% of people with Android owners manage this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens to an Existing Device When a User Upgrades?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>People have different habits when it comes to disposing of their old smartphone post-upgrade, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/earth-day-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SellCell&#8217;s 2022 Earth Day survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"888\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1.png\" alt=\"Do You Trade-In \/ Sell Your Old (iPhone \/ Android Phone) When You Upgrade?\" class=\"wp-image-16281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1.png 888w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"888\" height=\"549\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20888%20549%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Do You Trade-In \/ Sell Your Old (iPhone \/ Android Phone) When You Upgrade?\" class=\"wp-image-16281 lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20888%20549%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 888w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 888px) 100vw, 888px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1.png 888w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/c9ac71a8282e1fecd95e-f07dbcddcacf0d4c572ea7178ee6902d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1-768x475.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DO-YOU-TRADE-IN-_-SELL-YOUR-OLD-iPHONE-_-ANDROID-PHONE-WHEN-YOU-UPGRADE_-1.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/earth-day-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SellCell Earth Day 2022 Survey <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"table\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\"><thead><tr><th style=\"text-align: center\" colspan=\"3\"><strong>Do you trade-in \/ sell your old (iPhone \/ Android Phone) when you upgrade?<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><tr><th width=\"33.3%\"><\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">iPhone<\/th><th width=\"33.3%\">Android\n<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>YES &#8211; I trade-in \/ sell my old phone when I upgrade<\/td><td>57.4%<\/td><td>43.2%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NO &#8211; I keep it in a drawer<\/td><td>19.7%<\/td><td>30.5%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NO &#8211; I throw it in the trash<\/td><td>3.9%<\/td><td>3.0%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NO &#8211; I gift it to someone else<\/td><td>10.9%<\/td><td>8.1%\n<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>NO &#8211; I use it as a secondary device<\/td><td>8.0%<\/td><td>15.2%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>57.4% of iPhone owners trade-in or sell their handset on upgrade, vs. 43.2% of Android owners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>19.7% of iPhone users will put the old phone in a draw, while a concerning 30.5% of Android owners leave their phone languishing in this way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3.9% (iPhone) v.s 3.0% (Android) will throw it in the trash. This can cause environmental damage, and is the worst thing you can do with an old smartphone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some people gift their phone to another person. 10.9% of Apple owners do this, with 8.1% of Android owners following suit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>8.0% of iPhone users will make the old phone a secondary device, keeping it. 15.2% of Android owners practice this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Loyalty Gap &amp; The Upgrade Trigger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/smartphone-loyalty-survey-2026\/\">SellCell\u2019s 2026 Smartphone Loyalty Survey (US)<\/a> also suggests that people become less likely to switch brands the longer they keep their phone. Among Android users planning to upgrade within the next six months, 23.1% said they would switch brands. For those waiting more than two years, that figure falls to 9.4%. This suggests that upgrade timing and brand loyalty may be closely linked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are We Holding Onto Our Smartphones for Longer? Perhaps Not&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the data in this research shows, on a global level, we are keeping our smartphones for a longer period. However, research suggests that economic recovery (whenever that happens) and the rollout of 5G will shorten the lifespan of some phones slightly <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategyanalytics.com\/strategy-analytics\/blogs\/devices\/smartphones\/smart-phones\/2021\/12\/17\/smartphone-replacement-cycle-will-start-recovering-from-2022-onwards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">16<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, recent data also suggests that brand loyalty may be playing a role in longer upgrade cycles. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/smartphone-loyalty-survey-2026\/\">SellCell\u2019s 2026 Smartphone Loyalty Survey (US)<\/a> found that users are less likely to switch brands the longer they keep their device, indicating that many consumers are choosing to delay upgrades rather than move to a new ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, when we upgrade our smartphone, we should do so responsibly. This means that we should dispose of our old smartphone in a conscientious manner (i.e. not throwing it in the trash). Trading your smartphone in with a brand like SellCell\u2014via one of its 40 plus trusted buyback vendors\u2014means you can dispose of your smartphone responsibly <em>and<\/em> make some cash, too. This is by far the best way to dispose of an old handset when a person upgrades their phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>SellCell &#8211; Combined Sources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/619788\/average-smartphone-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statista<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silicon.co.uk\/press-release\/strategy-analytics-smartphone-replacement-cycle-will-shorten-to-33-months-in-western-europe-by-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Silicon<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vodafone.co.uk\/newscentre\/press-release\/uks-only-lifetime-service-promise\/#:~:text=We%20know%20that%20customers%20are%20now%20keeping%20phones%20for%20up%20to%20four%20years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vodafone<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1179244\/india-frequency-of-smartphone-upgrade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statista<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1307618\/china-breakdown-of-smartphone-lifespan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Statista<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpointresearch.com\/insights\/smartphone-users-replace-their-device-every-twenty-one-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Counterpoint Research<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.phonearena.com\/news\/How-often-do-you-upgrade-to-a-new-phone_id119501#:~:text=They%20often%20hold%20onto%20a,over%20several%20generations%2C%20is%20exhilarating.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Phonearena<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slashgear.com\/970484\/a-surprising-number-of-people-we-polled-said-they-upgrade-their-phone-every-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Slashgear<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ting.blog\/phone-upgrade-cycle-survey-results\/#:~:text=phone%20and%20more.-,How%20often%20should%20you%20upgrade%20your%20phone%3F,more%20than%20two%20years%20ago.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsmarena.com\/weekly_poll_results_half_of_users_have_phones_that_are_1_or_2_years_old-news-60449.php#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20replacement%20age,will%20shrink%20to%20a%20quarter.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GSM Arena<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpointresearch.com\/insights\/smartphone-users-replace-their-device-every-twenty-one-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Counterpoint Research<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.makeuseof.com\/how-often-should-you-upgrade-your-phone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MakeUseOf<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2023\/04\/19\/how-soon-users-upgrade-iphone-by-age\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">9to5 Mac<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cirpapple.substack.com\/p\/iphone-owners-keep-phones-longer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CIRP<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategyanalytics.com\/strategy-analytics\/blogs\/devices\/smartphones\/smart-phones\/2021\/12\/17\/smartphone-replacement-cycle-will-start-recovering-from-2022-onwards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Strategy Analytics<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/assurant-infographic-annual-2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assurant<\/a> (2020 &#8211; 2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.assurant.mx\/documents\/assurant\/dls-documents\/infographics\/2024-annual-tiu-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assurant<\/a> (2022 &#8211; 2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/blta62bc60bba47a930\/6879625b8405f60413bb0c3c\/aac9ac40-d295-4c86-8bf7-defe5fb2e26c-q1-infographic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assurant<\/a> (Q1 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/bltf84dd4603f9f33f6\/68c301fc1ea8652f5e64c050\/q2-trade-in-upgrade-infographic-US.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assurant<\/a> (Q2 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/azure-na-assets.contentstack.com\/v3\/assets\/blt87461b8270f4f92b\/bltc6490eba78b5a703\/69138a6505fd9226bd70cc5b\/Q325_TIU_Infographic-US.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assurant<\/a> (Q3 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/priceindia.in\/smartphone-upgrade-cycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">priceIndia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/indians-upgrade-smartphones-quickly\/articleshow\/70613716.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Time of India<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/05\/17\/smartphone-users-are-waiting-longer-before-upgrading-heres-why.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNBC<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gizmochina.com\/2021\/05\/12\/china-phone-upgrade-cycle-rise-25-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gizmochina<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbeta.com.tw\/articles\/1124435.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cnBeta<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gizmochina.com\/2021\/05\/12\/china-phone-upgrade-cycle-rise-25-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gizmochina<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinanews.com.cn\/cj\/2022\/12-31\/9925212.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">China News<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/caijing.chinadaily.com.cn\/a\/202312\/29\/WS658e84f7a310af3247ffa2b5.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">China Daily Finance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tinckay.com\/zhichang-zixun\/3464.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tinckay<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.36kr.com\/en\/p\/3608970231186691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">36Kr<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/yougov.com\/en-gb\/articles\/53645-brits-are-stretching-smartphone-lifespans-and-stepping-up-their-spending\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouGov<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\"><i>Our content is created in good faith and reviewed regularly - if you spot an error, please contact <a href=\"mailto:corrections@sellcell.com\">corrections@sellcell.com<\/a>. Read our <a href=\"\/blog\/editorial-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Editorial Policy<\/a><\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read our article to discover how often people upgrade their phone, what the standard time period is for owning a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":17906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1821,1826],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Often Do People Upgrade Their Phone? (2026 Statistics)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out how often people upgrade their phone? Do people hold onto their phones for longer now or upgrade every 2 years?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Often Do People Upgrade Their Phone? (2026 Statistics)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Find out how often people upgrade their phone? Do people hold onto their phones for longer now or upgrade every 2 years?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SellCell.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-22T13:55:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-23T08:23:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"850\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"551\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steven Knight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@stemachine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Steven Knight\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/how-often-do-people-upgrade-their-phone\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Steven Knight\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sellcell.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5982c9fa92dfae7f692fb0580b8edffa\"},\"headline\":\"How Often Do People Upgrade Their Phone? 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