Thread: How often you upgrade your electronics?

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I was used to update my gear whenever a new version of it was released. I now think it's a waste of money. What are your equipment update cycles?

For me it's :

Phone - 2 years
Tablet - 4 years
Computer - 6 years
Television - 5 years
Consoles - every new release
 
Phones used to be every 2 or 3 years but now I just plan to keep my phone until it breaks.
TV's about 5 years or so. Still, on my LG C9 I got from around 2019. Next year is supposed to be the next big leap for OLED so that will be when I upgrade. Computers around the same time too or when I start bottlenecking multiple releases
 
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Every time my black friend invites me to Portland. /s

When I really need an upgrad. My smartphone has been dying for 2 years now, but I cannot find a new one I like. Will probably buy one when it dies. Same with my TV, 1080p is fine, I have no urge to buy a 4KTV. Bought a used laptop recently just for typing, like right now on dpad.

Generally, I hardly upgrade, I buy what I need. Next hardware will be Switch 2 and a VR-headset.
 
Phone - Between 2 and 3 years
Computer - 8 years
Television - 8 years
Consoles - Not counting mid-gen refreshes, every release. But I typically buy 1 to 2 years after release
Home network gear - Between 5 and 7 years
Home servers - Haven't had to replace yet but I'd imagine it'll be around 6 to 8 years
 
Phone - as little as possible - I've been getting the last supported iPhone for a few years now (iPhone 8) and it's been great.
Computer - I got a new PC for Elden Ring, probably won't upgrade anything until there's a gun to my head.
Television - haven't had one for decades I use a monitor, and that if/when it breaks.
Consoles - every gen until this one... I'm out! Will grab the next Switch and maybe a VR headset in the near future. The console scene is looking grim.

I sound like a real Luddite lol, but recently I've been finding better solutions for most problems with tech from the 90's-00's and I think we've hit a point past diminishing returns where new shit only serves to fix new shit problems. I'm putting together a Windows XP/7 era Sony Vaio for retro gaming purposes, but I'd like to see how much actual stuff I can do with it day to day.
 
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As infrequently as possible. When I buy an electronic device, I plan to use it for 5+ years. So basically wait for things to start failing before replacing. The caveat being when a major tech upgrade occurs (and gets mass acceptance).
 
Phone - as little as possible - I've been getting the last supported iPhone for a few years now (iPhone 8) and it's been great.
Computer - I got a new PC for Elden Ring, probably won't upgrade anything until there's a gun to my head.
Television - haven't had one for decades I use a monitor, and that if/when it breaks.
Consoles - every gen until this one... I'm out! Will grab the next Switch and maybe a VR headset in the near future. The console scene is looking grim.

I sound like a real Luddite lol, but recently I've been finding better solutions for most problems with tech from the 90's-00's and I think we've hit a point past diminishing returns where new shit only serves to fix new shit problems. I'm putting together a Windows XP/7 era Sony Vaio for retro gaming purposes, but I'd like to see how much actual stuff I can do with it day to day.

I had this VAIO, I loved Sony computers. I'm a Sony whore in general.

Still looks amazing IMO.
iu



Then this one, earliest Blu-ray player in a computer:
iu
 
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Every time my black friend invites me to Portland. /s

When I really need an upgrad. My smartphone has been dying for 2 years now, but I cannot find a new one I like. Will probably buy one when it dies. Same with my TV, 1080p is fine, I have no urge to buy a 4KTV. Bought a used laptop recently just for typing, like right now on dpad.

Generally, I hardly upgrade, I buy what I need. Next hardware will be Switch 2 and a VR-headset.
I've had a 8K TV for the last 3 years lol.
 
I had this VAIO, I loved Sony computers. I'm a Sony whore in general.

Still looks amazing IMO.
iu

The break line down the middle is sick! Reminds me of the Sharp X68000. Yeah, looking for old AV I/O options had me looking at a lot of VAIO stuff. Really gorgeous design in that whole line of products.
 
Pretty much the only things I upgrade are Nintendo consoles. My phone is five revisions behind now (was eight evisions, but I upgraded a year and a half ago lol). My laptop I got in 2015. My HDTV I had in college in 2012.
 
Computer. Quite often. Changing something every 2-3 years. Current prospects for further upgrades are vague though.
Phone. Rarely. Usually somebody sells be used one for cheap. I don't care that much.
Tablet. Never. I have iPad 2 somewhere but at some point it got too slow to even browse.
Consoles. I usually buy a new one when the hack is on a horizon. My retro collection is complete, I have everything I needed.
TV. I need a new one. 1080p/60 don't do it anymore. Good for movies though.
 
The break line down the middle is sick! Reminds me of the Sharp X68000. Yeah, looking for old AV I/O options had me looking at a lot of VAIO stuff. Really gorgeous design in that whole line of products.

This one was really cool too with the empty space.


This media center PC with BD player was slick as hell.

iu
 
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Every now and then I get the itch to upgrade my phone. It's a S10+. It's like 4 or 5 years old now. And you know what? The screen still looks fantastic and it still runs pretty damn smooth for what I'm doing on it.

So I go to the site and start putting together an order and then I ask myself why the fuck I'm dropping a grand on such a marginal upgrade. If anything, I'd rather wait for the folding phones to become more common and more reasonably-priced.
 
When things break or start to fail I replace them.

My TV is 12 years old, my Mac Mini is 11, laptop 8, I'm still rocking all my old consoles, my previous phone lasted just over 5 years before giving up the ghost.

This is also why I spend months researching anything before I buy it. I plan on holding on to it for as long as possible, so I don't want to end up with any regrets.
 
I favor premium products/brands, specifically those known to be reliable, and marketing nonsense doesn't stand a chance against my level of skepticism so I tend to hang on to my electronics for a minimum of five years and generally much closer to 10. Love technology, like getting my money's worth even more.

Phone's almost 8 years old.

2.1 desktop PC speaker system, which punches way above its weight, is nearing 30 years old.

Sony 5.1 audio receiver and speaker system is nearing 15 years old, waiting for HDMI 2.1 receivers to mature before I replace that.

Used to buy all the popular consoles on launch day, barring a couple of exceptions. All are in my closet. They rarely, if ever, get hooked back up so I guess it depends on how you want to look at it: 5-7 years vs 20, 30, even 40+ in Intellivision's case. Consoles aren't appealing at all anymore, haven't been since 2013 and will likely remain that way until they break away from the stifling UN agenda.

My two previous TVs were fried after 9 and 10 years respectively, power surge after a blackout got my Sony Bravia and suspect that might have played a part in the Sharp Aquos death, too (which made me realize most surge protectors are indeed a scam, don't offer the required protection). The 3 year old LED Samsung in the living room might make it up there, 1.5 year old QD-OLED in the bedroom almost certainly won't.

PCs get replaced about every five years. DDR5 delays and covid stupidity pushed the last one to 6.5.

Last PC monitor survived 15 years of abuse. Current one's an entry level 4K holdover I'm itching to replace ASAP.
 
Phone - 5 years
Tablet - I don't have one
Computer - 10 years
Television - 15 years
Consoles - used to be every new release, but unless something change in the gaming industry, the XBSX and the PS5 are the last ones i am buying (Nintendo is an exception).
 
I don't buy new electronics unless they break.

Phone: 2018 Samsung and doing fine
Tablet: Never owned one
Computer: I think I built mine in 2017? I've upgraded a few things here and there but it's doing fine
TV: 2009 and works fine. I don't care about 4k or whatever they are trying to sell me.
Consoles: Only if they have games I want. This Gen has nothing so far, so no consoles.
 
The only thing I upgrade on an often basis is prob my phone. Everything else is pretty much when its broken or giving trouble and it cant be fixed.
 
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Phone - 6ish years
TV - when it breaks
Consoles - always get new ones
PC - 5ish years
Tablet - don't use these too often. I've bought two total and rarely end up using them.
 
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I basically pick stuff up when my old stuff begins to fail or is damaged. OR, if I get something that is a huge upgrade. Xperia ZX1 to my current Xperia 1ii phone, for example. My 2006 model 32 inch Bravia to my 2022 model 65 inch Bravia. I have a dilemma for my laptop as it's a 2012 Vaio laptop and I want something similar to upgrade it but Sony no longer makes them so... Need to do some research. Maybe buy a gaming laptop and become part of the Master Race.

Consoles? Just give me the latest PlayStation. I don't bother with the Pro stuff but I just get new Gen hardware as it's available. Next console will be a PS6 for sure. And maybe whatever Nintendo tosses out, since they always have exclusive stuff that justifies their hardware's existence.

Never owned a tablet before in my life, however.
 
Only piece of electronics that I upgrade consistently is my GPU, but even that I have held out on this past gen.

I used to upgrade phones every two years but now I feel I can go at least 3-4 years.

Everything else is usually on a when it breaks basis or there's some revolutionary change (like SDTV to HDTV)
 
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I usually upgrade TV's with console generations.

I use my phone until it dies or breaks. I just buy unlocked 3 year old flagship phones for cheap off Amazon.
 
Phones - about 2 years but really depends on whether I get noticeably better camera quality which is my only concern when choosing a phone. Generally so far every 2-3 years is where you get a noticeable improvement.

TV - plan to stay with my current 85 inch for a long time.
Was going to upgrade my projector setup in the basement but why bother - I can't stand modern movies and TV so I barely watch anything and I can watch cooking shows on my living room TV.

Don't plan to upgrade video card for a while because i cut down on gaming majorly, as in 90%.

I did just just buy Apple Studio Display, yes the one with IPS 60Hz screen and the crappy webcam, mostly because of the speakers - now I can ditch my bluetooth speakers. For in-display speakers the sound is really nice. 5K resolution is really nice. Oh and bought a mac mini as well, also for the hell of it.
 
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Phone every two years.
Tablet whenever it falls apart on me.
Computer every 8 years or so with a graphics card bump in between.
Done with non Nintendo consoles. No point in them when all the good stuff eventually comes out on PC.
Nintendo consoles on release.
TV I don't really think much of and don't have a timeline. Whenever there is a major step in the tech.