Maybe in the past, when smartphones changed so much every year that upgrading was worth it… but nowadays I regularly see people using their phones for more than 5 years.

My girlfriend had a previous Android phone that was no longer supported after 4 years (a Nokia 6.1 from 2018: 2 OS updates, 2 years of security updates, if I remember correctly). So the support continued from 2018 to 2022. I gave her this phone in 2021 to try out the iPhone. I used the phone until November 2023, then switched to my iPhone 13 (it was 2 years old at the time). I’ve switched to number 15. However, I don’t see myself replacing that number 15 until the support is completely gone. This shipped with iOS 17 in November 2024, and I expect to get iOS 18 to 22 and then one year of security updates for version 22. That means support until 2030. At least.

I also have a 2018 iPad Pro. Rumor has it it will get iPadOS 18 this year. This is in six months. That will last for another year, then another year of security updates if it no longer gets iPadOS 19. This tablet could last for another 2.5 years if the iPadOS 18 rumor is true. And perhaps longer if you get two years of security updates (which Apple often does with more high-end or best-selling devices).

However, I’m thinking of selling my 2018 iPad Pro now (because I can still get money for it now), as well as the 2021 Mini which I don’t use enough, and switching to the 2024 iPad Pro which will likely have this to be announced About it next month. It will come next with iPadOS 17. I expect it to receive at least iPadOS 18-23 and one year of security updates. Version 23 will then continue for another year as the most popular operating system, and then will continue with another year of security updates. That’s 8 years of support, and that’s the minimum I expect.

I think the iPad Pro 2015 was removed from the list of new iPadOS releases just last year. It originally came with iOS 9, and can be upgraded to iPadOS 16; That’s 7 OS updates, and they’re still supported until at least the end of 2024. This means 9 years of support.

To make a long story very short: Nowadays, at least with Apple, it is no longer necessary to change phones or tablets every two or even four years. You can easily keep the device for 7-9 years, with a new battery mid-life if necessary. (And if security updates don’t matter much to you, say because your tablet is a YouTube couch potato at the end of its life, you can stick with it for another year or two.)