Yeah, that's me. After 3 1/2 yrs Mini 13 ownership there's a battery upcoming in a couple of months. The SE OG ownership before that (with its 6 years), just felt a tad too long. Was more of hardware vs software issue though. I think 5 years is optimal.
I don’t replace batteries but I agree.
The Software longevity of a device for my needs (iPhone or iPad) typically is about 5 years (or better said, five major versions).
I don’t update iOS, and my iPhone Xʀ runs iOS 12, I still have it. I distinctly recall that up until a few months passed following the release of iOS 17, my iPhone Xʀ could do absolutely everything I needed. The last 6 months were rough, and my Xʀ could now do the bare minimum to remain usable as a main iPhone for me. That’s where I would’ve upgraded.
I bought it Aug 2019, but going by date of release, Sep 2018-maybe May 2024 or so was utterly flawless. The final 10 months (upgraded Mar 2025 to my current 16 Plus on iOS 18) were rough, and I frequently needed to use other devices for a few things.
Sadly, today’s state of affairs would indicate that with my approach to iOS devices, I have about five years after release of comfortable iPhone use.
This may vary depending on the
overall longevity of the specific iOS version I run (iOS 14 would’ve been the worst in terms of longevity of recent iOS versions), but in general five years is the norm. Due to my approach, I absolutely cannot do six years, sadly. Which is sad because hardware longevity is ridiculous. Typing this from my flawless, 10-year-old 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
