It’s getting ridiculous that you need to replace a smart phone every 3-4 years when the technological improvements are minimal.
Yep. It’s a racket
Prediction:
Some smartphone maker is going to develop a cell phone that stays powered up for weeks, if not months at a time.
It will be similar to when light bulb manufacterers came up with LED bulbs aka ‘Lifetime’ bulbs that are supposed to last
10K hours. This has not fully destroyed the market for old fashioned filement bulbs, but it did take a large bite out of those sales.
I’ve seen so many damaged phones, I doubt many last 3 to 4 years.
For Android, nobody selling Android phones profits from repairs or software upgrades.
The phone is sealed and I bet most people think they need a new $1,000 phone when the battery does not charge well anymore instead of just being able to replace the $10 battery.
Learn to heat up the glue so you can replace the battery.
https://www.ifixit.com
Who said anything about “need to”? There’s a large number of people who trade in their cars every 2 to 3 years.
“It’s getting ridiculous that you need to replace a smart phone every 3-4 years when the technological improvements are minimal.”
I upgrade every 2-3 years because I get “wowwed” by the new technology!
Faster processors, better screens.
I think your observation seems the most likely reason.
I don’t I keep current on 2- to 3-year-old Samsung phones.