The average American now holds onto their smartphone for 29 months, according to a recent survey by Reviews.org, and that cycle is getting longer. The average was around 22 months in 2016.

While squeezing as much life out of your device as possible may save money in the short run, especially amid widespread fears about the strength of the consumer and job market, it might cost the economy in the long run, especially when device hoarding occurs at the level of corporations.

Research released by the Federal Reserve last month concludes that each additional year companies delay upgrading equipment results in a productivity decline of about one-third of a percent, with investment patterns accounting for approximately 55% of productivity gaps between advanced economies. The good news: businesses in the U.S. are generally quicker to reinvest in replacing aging equipment. The Federal Reserve report shows that if European productivity had matched U.S. investment patterns starting in 2000, the productivity gap between the U.S and European economic heavyweights would have been reduced by 29 percent for the U.K., 35 percent for France, and 101% for Germany.

    • arin@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Consumers are being Anticapitalist! This is not a recession! We didn’t fire half the country for people to spend less!! Think about our growing profits!!

  • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Fuck the economy. It can eat my ass.

    Also with moore’s law’s death, why the fuck would anybody believe this productivity bullshit? Any device from 5 years ago can do what a device today can.

    One more thing, wtf is this entitlement from electronics importers. Apple, google, samsung, etc can all fuck off until they move manufacturing back to north america.

  • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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    6 days ago

    Let’s all feed the “economy beast” with fake, valueless, money tokens and buy hardware, while we all starve. Earn points!

  • Psythik@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Only two years? Seriously?

    Why? It’s not 2010s anymore, even 5-year-old devices still get updates these days. How are people affording to drop $1K on a new phone every two years? Or maybe the problem is that they’re buying shitty cheap low-end phones that were obsolete out of the box. If you buy a good, used, last gen flagship, it’ll last you many years.

    • humorlessrepost@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      They’re getting trade-in value for their old phone, hiding part of the remainder in a carrier contract, and getting loans for the rest. It’s only $1k if you’re one of those weirdos who likes to own things.

  • DrPop@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    I had my phone for 8 years until one day it bricked. That’s the only reason i got a new one about a year ago. My wife is coming up on the two year mark and is asking for a new one and i have to keep reminding her that hers is fine.

    • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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      7 days ago

      The Galaxy S3 was the best phone they ever made. SD card, removable battery, built in IR blaster… it pains me that I can’t still use it.

  • melsaskca@lemmy.ca
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    5 days ago

    People will loosen the purse strings once Trump is gone and stability resumes. If they have any money left after Trump is gone.