How long did your smartphone last?

[ny biker]

My HTC Incredible is on its last legs. It will no longer charge the battery.(I've tested the battery with a wall charger; it is not the problem.)

So I need to decide which new Verizon phone to get. Before doing much research, my initial list is the Incredible 2, something 4g like the Thunderbolt, or an iPhone.


I'm happy with the Incredible except for its shirt life -- I've only had it for 18 months. The new every two program is no good if the phone dies in less than two years!!

So I'm curious, how long has your smartphone lasted before it malfunctioned and needed to be replaced??

Thanks as always for your input!!

[OakLeaf]

I also have an HTC Incredible that I got soon after they were released, so, about 16 months old. It's fine so far, but the microUSB port does seem fragile. One thing that helps me is that I put a mark on the charger to keep me from trying to plug it in backwards.

Just to be sure, have you tried a different cable? What happens if you gently push the cable around in the port, not that that's an ideal solution?

If you're pretty sure the port is the problem, considering it's a standard microUSB, you ought to be able to get a local electronics shop to repair it pretty inexpensively. It would void the warranty, but if you're having to get a new unsubsidized phone anyway (), might be worth the try.

Or a wireless charging mat ... I think those are pretty inefficient, and obviously bulkier to transport, though.


FTR, DH had his first iPhone for almost two and a half years and it was working fine when he decided to upgrade.

[jessmarimba]

My iphone 3GS is still going strong, had it about two years. The silent switch is broken but that's because I dropped it on the one corner that isn't really covered by a case (due to the location of the headphone jack).

My previous iphone worked great for a year and a half until I dropped it in a puddle and didn't notice it was gone until the next morning.

Their battery life isn't the longest to begin with but I'm rarely separated from a computer, wall plug, or car plug long enough that it's been a problem. If you need the battery to last and don't necessarily need data, turning the 3G network off will make the battery last forever.

I'll have to check with my bf to see what phone he has - not sure if it's the same as yours, but whatever it is you do NOT want it. It's been a cr@pshoot since he got it whether it charges, holds a charge, or even accepts texts or phone calls. Plus with Verizon's call system, it doesn't always go straight to vmail if the phone is off - sometimes it rings first - so you never know if the phone is off, broken, or currently working. Unfortunately I think it completely bit the dust yesterday so it may be a day or two til I find out!

[Becky]

My Blackberry Curve just passed the 3-year mark, and is just now beginning to have battery life issues. DH had a similar experience with his, which needed a new battery ~3 months ago.

That said, I'm not sure I'll buy another Blackberry. RIM simply hasn't kept up with the app market, and there are many fantastic apps for iPhone/Android that aren't available for Blackberry.

[Dannielle]

I've never had an issue with iphone dying. I used my first one (3Gs) for 3 years and it still works (kids use it for games but I don't have a service plan on it anymore). My husband and I have both had out iphone4s for nearly a year...no problems at all. Pretty much our entire extended family has iphones (several family members work for at&t) and I don't think any of us have ever had a phone die of old age.

[Aggie_Ama]

I have a Blackberry Torch for 11 months and am thoroughly unimpressed, enough that as a fairly big Blackberry fan it will be my last. I have similar issues with the charger not working, it is the phone not the charger. It seems the micro-USB has to be sitting just right or it recognizes it is plugged in but won't charge. I am planning to replace my Blackberry with an Iphone or Android because they have a lot better apps available. I hope it will make it another year so I can get a discounted upgrade though.

[laura*]

My first smartphone, a Palm Treo 600, lasted from 2004 through 2009. It still works, but the battery is seriously degraded. What's worse though is that by the time the phone tries to warn of a low battery, there isn't enough charge left to announce the problem!

I looked into getting a new battery, but discovered that the Treo 600 was considered obsolete and thus good new batteries weren't available. I also discovered that Palm was ditching their venerable PalmOS - i.e. the company was commiting seppuku.

I ended up eBaying several of the last PalmOS Treo's - the 750. I'm now on the second one because the audio jack broke on the first one.

The Treo 750 is about the newest smartphone that Verizon will allow on their network without a data plan. Me need is just for a dumb phone and a PDA, hence I haven't gotten anything newer. I also won't put up with the horrid user interface of a "numeric keypad only" phone - writing the Great American Novel via the equivalent of Morse code was a cool thing 20 years ago, but not anymore.

[zoom-zoom]

I WISH my Incredible would f'ing die. I hate it. And I REALLY liked it...for 8-9 months. Before the widespread "data space low" bug hit, even though I have nearly no added apps on my phone (and removed a bunch when I started getting that alert, even though it made no difference), no music, etc. Then HTC FUBARd the "upgrade" to 2.3.4. I am stuck on build 4.06, along with a lot of other people. 4.08 has tried to go through 3x, but crashes on restart...again, insufficient data, even though I have WAY more than enough available space. It's affecting many phones.

My once stable phone has become a buggy mess in recent months (I've had it barely over 11 months), crashes at random, and is slow. I've decided to go iPhone for my next phone, as soon as I can upgrade. With the Droid there are 3 factors that have to play nice: phone/phone mfg., OS, and cellular provider. With the iPhone the OS and hardware are essentially one entity. Fewer things to go wrong. Worth the added cost, IMO. Plus I use an iPod shuffle on my runs and bring my phone. I could bundle the 2 in one device. And my home computer is a Mac.

[nscrbug]

I just purchased my first smartphone this past Friday. I went with the Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T). While I cannot attest to it's longevity or performance yet, I can say that I am quickly getting sucked into the whole smartphone phenomenon. I hadn't even considered getting a smartphone until very recently...when my old Nokia flip-phone started dying a slow death. But I simply could not pass up the deal that Sam's Club was offering on Black Friday for the Samsung Galaxy - .96 cents for the phone with activation fee waived. The total came to $1.04 for a phone that everyone else was selling for $199. I just hope it survives for more than 18 months.

[ny biker]

Well this is all very interesting. It is certainly not an easy product category to navigate.

Part of me doesn't want to jump on the iphone bandwagon -- I'm happy with android, and I think it's important to support strong alternatives to it for the sake of consumer choice. And it would be great if I didn't have to get all new accessories in addition to a new phone. But if it seems the most reliable option, I'll get one.

Anyway, the plot thickened today. I finally had a chance to use the car charger for several hours, and it fully charged the battery in only two hours. When plugging the phone into a wall outlet, it only charges halfway and then stops charging -- in fact the battery status says "discharging" -- no matter how long I leave it plugged in. If I unplug it and plug it in again, it will start charging again, but the battery never gets past half-charged.

Unfortunately I'm not often in the car for that long, so I can't rely on the car charger or even do more testing with it to prove today was not a fluke.

It looks like I qualify for "new every 2" at the end of January, so no matter what I will try to make it that long before replacing the phone. A co-worker's Incredible died a few weeks ago, and he had had a second battery with a wall charger which he gave to me. I've been using that to charge the battery for the past few days. I will also look into buying a new cord/charger to plug the phone into an outlet, though I don't want to spend a lot of money on that.

I have not updated the phone's OS -- I tried, but it said I didn't have enough memory so I should delete some email messages. I figured if email messages are enough to fill the memory, I don't want the "upgrade."

I googled "HTC Incredible won't charge battery" a couple of days ago and found a link to an Android users' forum. I'm going to look for that again and see if I can find more info on which phones are more reliable and which to stay away from.

I just spent my holiday weekend playing "tech support expert" for various members of my family who needed computer help. Now I guess I need to become more of an expert on phones.

[zoom-zoom]

I have not updated the phone's OS -- I tried, but it said I didn't have enough memory so I should delete some email messages. I figured if email messages are enough to fill the memory, I don't want the "upgrade."

It's BS. If you look at the available memory I'd put money on you having plenty. I have 5.9GB (of 6.46) of available internal storage and 582MB of 748 available phone memory. As of last night my phone will no longer sync with gmail. The low disk space error is also popping up, again, which was supposed to be fixed with 2.3.4.

I've had this phone 11 months, so I am a LONG ways away from being eligible for replacement.

The Droid Incredible forum on VZW is overrun by people with FUBARd phones. I have seen no one successfully helped by Verizon or HTC, either. Both companies are washing their hands of the issues and blaming the other (though it's definitely looking like an HTC problem. They screwed up the roll-out of Gingerbread for Incredible that was supposed to happen back in Aug.).

Whatever phone you end up looking at, if I were you I would rule-out HTC. They've not shown themselves to be a company that stands behind their products or software.

[Norse]

My current phone is a Samsung Rogue (not a smartphone but does most everything) and I have been very happy with it. I was eligible for the upgrade in August but have not made a move yet because I currently have a cheaper unlimited data plan that Verizon no longer offers. My data plan expires in Dec though so I have been looking. I want the smartphone features but alas, I do not like the size. These things do not fit well in a bike bag! Because I am hard on my phones, and take them biking, hiking... I was thinking of a "rugged" smartphone. Anyone have any experience with these?

[nscrbug]

My current phone is a Samsung Rogue (not a smartphone but does most everything) and I have been very happy with it. I was eligible for the upgrade in August but have not made a move yet because I currently have a cheaper unlimited data plan that Verizon no longer offers. My data plan expires in Dec though so I have been looking. I want the smartphone features but alas, I do not like the size. These things do not fit well in a bike bag! Because I am hard on my phones, and take them biking, hiking... I was thinking of a "rugged" smartphone. Anyone have any experience with these?

Hmmm..."rugged" smartphone almost seems like an "oxymoron" to me. Not sure if such a thing exists. My new Samsung has a glass screen which is prone to scratches and cracks. I purchased a screen protector shield, but who knows how well it will actually work. And I wouldn't plan on dropping a smartphone...unless it lands on a soft surface or you have it insured. Good luck in finding a "rugged" smartphone...do let us know if you come across one. Oh, and I agree on the size thing too. This new phone I got is huge...not sure where or how I'm going to carry it on the bike as it won't fit in my seat bag or my top tube bag. I guess I'll have to carry it in one of my jersey pockets and hope that it doesn't fall out.

[jessmarimba]

My current phone is a Samsung Rogue (not a smartphone but does most everything) and I have been very happy with it. I was eligible for the upgrade in August but have not made a move yet because I currently have a cheaper unlimited data plan that Verizon no longer offers.

Usually when you upgrade your phone you just extend your current plan, even if it's no longer offered. I'd think your data plan should be fine. I'm on my original data plan from AT&T and it hasn't been offered in a few years, and I also kept a phone plan for 650 minutes about 5 years after they stopped offering that, too.


Apparently my bf has some sort of Samsung, also, but he's had his for maybe a year and it's terrible. Doesn't charge, doesn't stay charged, doesn't work when it should.

[ny biker]

I guess when I go to choose a new phone I will bring my bike bags with me to check for fit.

So this morning while at home I plugged my phone into the usb port in my laptop, and it seemed to be charging okay. When I got to work I plugged it into the usb port in my work pc to see if it would finish charging. What a mistake!! The pc came to a complete halt. I had to reboot it. And now the phone won't connect to the 3G network.