Saturday, 13 March 2010

  • Are Cellphones Designed to Break Just Before Your Upgrade?

    Are Cellphones Designed to Break Just Before Your Upgrade?

    Consider this a survey.  That starts with a story.  About a girl and her cellphone(s) and how they couldn't quite make it work ... long enough.   

    It may sound a bit dramatic, but my point is this:  I have never once, in my entire cellphone-using life, made it to my upgrade.  That's right, I've paid full price for every cellphone I've ever owned.  So I've gotta ask: is it me or the cellphone(s)?

    I don't think I'm the one with the fear of commitment.  Everytime I get, say, two to three months within upgrade eligibility, it's my phone that calls its quits.  It will start by acting up a little.  First, the ringer will go, then text messages will freeze and calls will be dropped more often.  One time, two to three weeks before I could get a cheap replacement, my cell only had outgoing capabilites.  I could make calls, but I couldn't receive them.  I tried to ride this out - how long is two weeks anyway? - but a cellphone is your lifeline to the world.  You can't exactly go two weeks without breathing.  Needless to say, I had to forfeit my discount. 

    Now, I'll be eligible for a cell upgrade in May.  I was hoping to get a Droid, which goes from $500 to $200, roughly, but that's only if I make it through two more months, and this phone is already acting up.  Tell me: why is it shutting itself off for no reason??? 

    I can't help but wonder if this is some sort of conspiracy.  Are cellphones designed to break right before we get to pay less for their replacement?

    Is this all in my head or has anyone else experienced this problem?  Has your cellphone ever died right before your upgrade? 

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Comments (39)

  • PerpetuaLMondaY@xanga

    I think it might be you, sorry! I have had 4 AT&T phones and they've all made it to the upgrade. Most of them looked like brand new when I got a new phone! My brother on the other hand, has never made it to an upgrade. It depends on the person. People just have to take better care of their phones I guess!

  • Daria_Diaree@xanga

    The less fancy my phone is, the longer it lasts.  i.e The very first phone I ever owned was some sort of motorola flip phone.  When everyone was into the camera phones and fancy texting phone, I got the most basic one.  That lasted pretty long, save for the fact that I ended up losing it once.   Before my current phone, I got the fanciest phone I've ever owned, and it was touchscreen (OMG)!  Less than a year later, broken.  Shortest lifespan for a phone I've ever used.


    But, that on top of how well you take care of your phone all factors in.  
  • notjustanothergirl@datingish

    @PerpetuaLMondaY@xanga - I've had AT&T too and only 1 phone barely made it to it's upgrade and I took really good care of it....


    I know how this feels. Taking good care of your phone before it goes out just shy of your next upgrade....
  • Pcgecko85@xanga

    sucks for you people without SIM cards. I need my blackberry to last a while because i signed up for tmobiles contract-less plan
  • averyswife@xanga

    @Daria_Diaree@xanga - Ditto.  Fancy phones haven't yet mastered balancing the hardware with the software, so they go out constantly.  Cheaper phones ALWAYS last.


    What provider do you have?  Unless your phone is broken because of something YOU did, the provider should fix it for you...no charge.  We have Sprint and they've fixed my Lotus (piece of crap, again with the fancy phones) several times already and I just got it less than a year ago.
  • aJoLLyDork@xanga

    I think it might be the phones. I have a basic (cheap-o) phone and the lifespan of these is usually about 2 years, just right before the contract ends. I think most appliances these days are made to only last within a few years so you'll spend more money buying a new one.
  • PixelDOT@xanga

    I'd say it's just you.

    The only times I've had a phone stop working before an upgrade is if I accidentally drop it in water or wash it.
  • Utoppia@datingish

    It's certain phones and certain makers. I've had a nokia phone that lasted for years, survived being dropped multiple times, never had charging problems and it's still in one piece and functional today. And then I've had an LG and Ericsson phone that stopped charging. I've had an Motorola phone that literally fell apart after being dropped once. I'm on an iphone now and other than shoddy service, I love my phone. =)
  • insert_label_here_003@xanga

    Yep I think it's just you. I've never had a phone quit on me. Then again I don't like wasting more than 100 dollars on a phone so maybe it's just me. And I'm harsh with my phones too. I've dropped them in puddles, concrete, pretty sure I washed one, etc. I've never had a touchscreen because I already know that'll be a waste of money. My current phone is the samsung alias 2 and so far so good!
  • hippiechristian73102@xanga

    I've had three cell phones in the past four years.  My first cell phone broke, literally, when Mom sent it to me in the mail.  I only had that one for about 4 months or so.  Then my second one was a hand-me-down from a friend and I had it for close to a year and a half.  I got my most recent phone in March 2008 and haven't had too many problems with it.

    Mom's phone is several years old and it still works.  So I would say it's at least partially the fault of the phone's owner and not the phone itself or phone company.
  • Mischief_Skittles@xanga

    Yes and yes.
  • SeniorOhhNine@xanga

    I think it has to do with the phone you're using. My first phone was a hand me down from my dad and i had tried forever to break it so i can get an upgrade. It was about five years old when i finally got an upgrade (still have it now, use it as an alarm lol). then i got that  Motorola razor and it lasted from 9th grade to my senior year, i then got a voyager which lasted two months then got the blackberry storm and its been a year with that phone and its hasn't crashed on me yet but i'm hoping that it'll last another year on me before getting an upgrade! lol
  • cutesycharm@xanga

    I think people abuse their phones. I've never had this problem.
  • dork_equals_geniuss@xanga

    all of my phones have made it to the upgrade. and my dad ended up staying with his old phone and not upgrading and still has it. its probably 5-6 years old now and still works.
  • xlostinthecityx@xanga

    i dont upgrade.
  • TakingxOverxMe@xanga

    My boyfriend is about four months away from his upgrade and his phone is acting up like crazy.  
  • sstone111777@xanga
    Your turn!

    I suggest asking your retailer what you could do to prolong the life of your phones. My mother did after her phone kept dying within five minutes of powering up after being fully charged.

    So it turns out that charging your phone overnight reduces battery life dramatically. Ouch.
    I think it'd be more productive to find ways of eliminating your problem than complaining about it.

  • x___nancy___x@xanga

    it happened to me once!~ i got a free sony ericsson w580i from at&t and my contract is due in april, but it decided to break around last august?~ the screen would turn off & on & if i wanted to screen this creepy guy's phone call, i wouldnt be able to see the caller ID!~ ): i accidentally picked up his phone call believing it was my mom..cause i was expecting her call ): so my boyfriend decided to get me a non branded phone for $280 =/ but i love my phone now! (: 
  • ManicTrash@xanga

    Yes.
  • bonEtuh@xanga

    hm.. i guess it just depends on how much you use your phone. i text a lot, so the buttons on my phone are kind of worn out. but good thing my contract just ended, so i'll be getting a new phone soon.
  • UnrevealedTruth_xo@xanga

    The current phone I have is 3yrs old, the one I had before that I had for over two years - but it still works perfect. I've never understood how people can have so many problems with their phones, to be honest.
  • articulate_silence@xanga

    My cell phones have never made it anywhere near upgrade. Then again, my parents would always get me the "next best model", and the original was pretty crap to start with 
    Right now I've got the EnV touch, I've had it for about.. 3 months, and its acted up a bit already. Sheesh.
  • naguyin@xanga

    No. Generally it's how you handle them and how "new and trendy" they are. The older models (2+ years) work well if you can handle keeping them safe. >_>


    I found my dad's old cell phone from when about a decade ago... it turned on and worked fine after I charged the battery up. And my old RAZR is still good. It just needs a new battery since the current one dies too quickly. 
  • AzNgUrl3510@xanga

    its weird, because i upgrade every two years into a new contract and right before i upgrade, my phone breaks! i always wonder this too.
  • Puni866@xanga

    I think it's just you... are you dropping it, recharging the battery when it's not completely dead, I mean, if I were you, I just won't use it for the 2 months before I upgrade and borrow a friend's.
    Use facebook to tell everyone you're going to be cutting yourself from the world due to a retarded celly.

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