Smartphones have expiration dates. How to check it?

Adults spend on average 3 to almost 5 hours a day on smartphones. In the case of youth and the so-called For Generation Z (Gen Z), these results are much higher and often exceed even 8 hours a day.

In Poland, approximately 46 percent people use the phone from 1 to 3 hours a day, and over 30 percent spends from 3 to even more than 6 hours a day with him. The average duration of one session with the phone in hand is short, but we unlock the phone on average about 58 times a day. How long do our devices last?

The smartphone is highly addictive. And it has an expiration date

Everyone can check how often they use their phone. Both Android and iPhone have built-in screen time monitoring tools. On Android phones, the “Digital Balance” application is available for this purpose in the phone’s settings. On iPhone, it’s “Screen Time.” Both systems also allow you to set time limits for various applications to use your phone more consciously.

We are so attached to our smartphones that many people experience the so-called FOMO syndrome, i.e. fear of disconnection. Research shows that it affects 14 percent. up to 17 percent Polish Internet users, which on the scale of the entire society means over 4 million people! The syndromes are not pleasant: chronic stress, irritability, difficulty falling asleep, morning fatigue and problems with concentration.

So what will happen when the smartphone suddenly refuses to cooperate? Or maybe, because just like other devices, modern phones also have expiration dates, or rather expiration dates.

End of system updates. An open gate for criminals

The “expiration date” of a smartphone depends mainly on two factors: the physical wear of the battery (it usually loses performance after 2-3 years) and the period of update support (from 3 to 7 years). Standard lithium-ion cells remain fully operational for approximately 500-800 charging cycles, or approximately 2-3 years of daily charging. After this time, the battery loses capacity and requires replacement.

Unlike batteries, flash memory and processors can operate without failure for up to 5-7 years, although they may seem slower over time due to new application demands.

The moment when the manufacturer decides to stop issuing system updates can be considered the symbolic expiration date of the smartphone. This is the most important safety factor. Specifies how long the manufacturer provides operating system updates and security patches to protect against hackers.

Google Pixel and Samsung offer up to 7 years of updates for their flagship models. OnePlus, Xiaomi usually provide 3-4 years of system support and up to 5 years of security patches. Budget smartphones usually receive updates for an average of 2-4 years. It is true that the device will not stop working overnight, but using it will become more and more risky every day – for example in the context of banking, because without the support of manufacturers it becomes an open gate for cybercriminals.

To check this information for a specific smartphone model, it is worth entering the exact name of the device with the note: “end of support” or “end of support” in the search engine.