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How long do androids last?

C

cannon11

Well-Known Member
So i'm my first smartphone, off contract, So If I don't want to spend 400$ on a good off contract phone, I'm gonna have to buy on craigslist.
One or two of the phones I am looking at are the nexus s, and the galaxy s2. There are some others, but that's just to mention one or two.
So both of those phones are a year or two old.
I'm just kind of worried, If I get a android thats already a year or two old, is it still going to last me as long as I need it to? I take good care of my stuff and probably wouldn't upgrade it for a few years.
So if I buy a phone that sombody took decent care of, but had it for a year or two, Am I still going to be able to for sure get a good few years out of it?
thanks
 
Providing that its previous owner was as careful with it as you plan to be, it should last forever, theoretically. After all, it’s just steel, glass and plastic, and none of that rots.

But, in the Android OS universe, it will be stuck in the past, unable to stay current with the latest revisions. My dopey Optimus, very thrilling two years ago, is quite tedious these days.
 
i honestly see the s2 staying fairly current as long as devs are around! the zte blade is still going and that's older that the s2! i can't see it falling too far from grace for a while. that's why i put so much research into getting this phone when i did, i chose wisely :-)
 
cannon11 said:
How soon do you think the s2 or the nexus s will become outdated?
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"Outdated" is a highly subjective word. For some, the S2 became outdated the moment the S3 hit the market. For others, the day that your cellular carrier and/or phone manufacturer stop providing software updates is the day it becomes outdated.

In my case with Sprint, my S2 might become useless (or at least a lot less useful) on the Sprint radio network if and when Sprint reallocates existing voice and data frequencies in ways that require new hardware to get service. Having no cellular service, or voice but no data service on a so-called "4G" phone is what I'd call "outdated" for sure.
 
cannon11 said:
As long It gets another update or two I will be alright with that.
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Mine got an update to Gingerbread. Its first release was a disaster and I took steps to avoid it. Its second worked alright, but Froyo was still better, imo. I doubt if they
 
The SII will get Jellybean, Anyway, usual time span for support of a flagship phone is 2 years. And the phone is still very much useable after that. IMO the whole OS update is overhyped. I have two devices one on ICS and one on GB, and I am still quite satisfied with my old Galaxy S. There are a few things I'd like to have (camera flash, bigger battery), but overall still satisfied. I'll consider the phone to be updated when the specs fall to entry level device equivalents. That said a Galaxy S, while not getting updates anymore, is still a mid-range device. Several mid range devices released by Samsung and Sony this year still had gingerbread. In your case, I'd expect the Galaxy SII to have another year to expect updates and useable for two years.
 
It's all subjective, you might buy one that is designed to last longer than others, you may or may not keep it in a case or sleeve, you may or may not be clumsy with it, or you might get bored of lack of updates or choose to do them yourself.

Also depends on you getting bored with it in general. I'm trying to escape the cycle of getting a phone every year, just seems silly now (unless it's on contract!). Touchscreen phones last longer than old phones, less moving parts.
 
I would advise getting a phone with a replaceable battery, as that will be the first thing that goes bad.
 
I've had my HTC EVO 4G for almost two years now, and it still runs PERFECTLY. I did break the charging port, but this can be worked around by buying an external battery charger. Granted, it can't run newer games like Dead Trigger, GTA 3, or ShadowGun, but it's still a great phone. I should also mention that I've dropped it numerous times with out a case covering it with minimal damage.
 
I have to report that my Samsung Galaxy S lasted two years to the week, because yesterday the screen died. Phone still works for answering calls, but can't see anything,. Screen is totally dark. So today I replaced it with a Lenovo P700i, will post more about this one in the dual-SIM phones thread.
 
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