High durability lets iPhones & Androids maintain their value

Posted:
in iPhone
A new report delves into how iPhone and Android smartphones both stay in good shape for years, enabling them to be reused -- but Android smartphones fare slightly better at maintaining good battery life.

iPhone battery
iPhone battery


The majority of old iPhones are reused in some way, whether it's being given to a friend or member of the family, or exchanged for a new one. Some people also keep their old iPhones as a spare or backup.

The reason is due to the iPhone's longevity, according to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). Apple's smartphones hold their value, not only because the company keeps them alive with software updates for years but also because of their durability.

The condition of old smartphone displays
The condition of old smartphone displays


The battery and display are two critical factors in a smartphone's continued use. Four-fifths of customers who purchased an iPhone upgrade from a prior model have a display that is either "perfect" or "scratched but useable." Only 6% of older iPhones had an unusable display.

For battery life, approximately 60% of iPhone users reported that their previous model's battery lasted all day or most of the day. Meanwhile, 15% said the battery on the old model lasted only a couple of hours.

The situation is similar on the Android side too. For example, about 15% of iPhone buyers who previously had an Android phone said their displays were in the same condition as previous iPhone owners.

The battery life is slightly better, as 67% of iPhone users who had an Android phone said it lasted all or most of the day. Only 7% said the battery lasted a couple of hours.

Apple has gradually improved the battery life of its devices over the years, such as by making its chips more efficient. However, the company increased the cost of replacing an iPhone battery in March.

While it's keeping the cost of replacing an iPhone 14 battery at $99, it raised the battery service fee by $20 for all iPhone models before the iPhone 14 lineup.

For all supported iPhones with a home button, the cost rose from $49 to $69. From the iPhone X to the iPhone 13, the price increases from $69 to $89.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,631member
    Some android phones. Some. 

    But yes, all iPhones. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    I didn't see anything about "some Android phones". I also didn't see "all iPhones" stated. 

    I did see "majority of iPhones" stipulated, and would simply assume "majority of Android phones" as well. 
  • Reply 3 of 11
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,714member
    One comparison missed is what percentage of those Android phones still get operating system updates compared to iPhones
    danoxlolliverjbtuckrmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    Dooofus said:
    gatorguy said:
    I didn't see anything about "some Android phones". I also didn't see "all iPhones" stated. 

    I did see "majority of iPhones" stipulated, and would simply assume "majority of Android phones" as well. 
    Google Play Console lists over 11,000 different Android devices. Only a tiny percentage of those, made by a few top brands, maintain as much value as an iPhone.
    The headline and the article are a bit out of step. 

    The claim: " A new report delves into how iPhone and Android smartphones both stay in good shape for years, enabling them to be reused -- but Android smartphones fare slightly better at maintaining good battery life."

    Maintaining as much value as iPhones isn't likely, and for the reason stated in the article, but Android phones still in good condition, working, and with as good or better batteries than the iPhone, is absolutely possible IMO. Where's your study that disputes that.?
    edited March 2023
  • Reply 5 of 11
    AppleishAppleish Posts: 683member
    "Android smartphones fare slightly better at maintaining good battery life"

    I believe it. Android users use their phones mainly for communications and social media
    . iPhone users use many more apps for many other purposes, so their batteries take much more of a beating. This is reflected in what apps are sold/downloaded in both platforms' app stores.
    edited March 2023 lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 11
    Am I the only one who calculated the sum of the percentages? Look at iPhone: 101 % in total, compared to Android’s 100 % in total. I guess iPhones are better than Android smartphones, then?

    (Tongue in cheek of course. Also, while I’m an ”everything Apple” kind of person, my phone is a OnePlus 9).
  • Reply 7 of 11
    Am I the only one who calculated the sum of the percentages? Look at iPhone: 101 % in total, compared to Android’s 100 % in total. I guess iPhones are better than Android smartphones, then?

    (Tongue in cheek of course. Also, while I’m an ”everything Apple” kind of person, my phone is a OnePlus 9).
    Since you mentioned OnePlus 9, I thought of sharing the link for an interesting article about OnePlus 9 Pro which I assume would be applicable to OnePlus 9 as well. Examining OnePlus' Performance Behaviour: Optimization or Misrepresentation? (anandtech.com)
  • Reply 8 of 11
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    What kind of new dimensions of bullshit is this??? I have yet to see a SINGLE Android device maintain even CLOSE to the battery levels of an iPhone at similar ages, what a crock of shit!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    What kind of new dimensions of bullshit is this??? I have yet to see a SINGLE Android device maintain even CLOSE to the battery levels of an iPhone at similar ages, what a crock of shit!
    Of course you haven't.

    First you would have to own an Android phone. :) 
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 10 of 11
    gatorguy said:
    What kind of new dimensions of bullshit is this??? I have yet to see a SINGLE Android device maintain even CLOSE to the battery levels of an iPhone at similar ages, what a crock of shit!
    Of course you haven't.

    First you would have to own an Android phone. :) 
    Lol. Yeah, it actually makes sense that Android phones maintain battery levels longer than iPhones because almost all of the Android phones are launched with much higher battery capacity than iPhones (even entry level Android phones usually have higher battery capacity than the Pro Max/Plus models of iPhones). Of course, capacity is not the only thing which leads to longer battery life, but it is the most important thing.
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