How Long Have You Been On The Same Phone Contract?

The latest iPhone or Samsung design. Others are a lot less fussed about it and would happily keep their existing mobile for longer. Is there a right and wrong approach as to when you should change your phone and switch mobile contract? 

The quickest and simplest answer to the question is to consider how long you’ve had the same phone. Indeed, here’s why changing your mobile contract can boost your mobile and digital interactions. 

Why It’s Not A Good Idea To Keep Your Mobile

Picking a phone is a tech investment you make to your lifestyle. The days where your phone only served one purpose, taking and making calls, are long gone. Nowadays, your phone needs to fulfill a variety of functions. It acts as a camera, for pictures and video recording. If you are building your presence on visual social media, being able to take high quality photos or to record professional-looking videos can be a game-changer for your reputation. If you’re not sure what to look for in your phone, you can have a look at our article on how to choose mobile phones. 

The bottom line is that mobile phone technology is constantly evolving. As such, the camera you have on your old phone may not be suitable anymore for your activities. Additionally, as technology evolves, smartphone app development follows. If you own an old phone, you can struggle to download apps that support your operating system. Whatsapp, for instance, a favourite for online chats, doesn’t support iPhones running with iOS <9. 

When Should You Get A New Mobile?

As a rule of thumb, tech experts recommend changing your phone every 2 to 3 years to ensure that you can maintain access and use of every essential app and function. Old phones are more prone to technical faults and failing batteries, which can render the device user-unfriendly at best, and unusable in the worst-case scenario. 

With the typical phone contract duration of 24 months, you can wait until the end of your contract to upgrade to a new phone or switch mobile provider. When you get a phone contract, you’re getting it on credit as you enter a use now and pay later relationship with the provider. As such, network providers run a credit check, which you can bypass if you pick a no credit check contract. Alternatively, you can also buy a new phone from scratch without a mobile contract, but you may not have a financing plan for it. 

Considerations When Switching Your Mobile Contract

When you switch mobile contract and network provider, you need to focus on three key elements: 

• The cost of the contract vs. what’s included in the tariff.
• The network coverage in your specific location, which you can check online. 
• The type of mobile you will get, as choosing models that are more than three-year-old could expose you to incompatibility and interconnectivity issues. 

Ideally, the sweet spot is when you can find a budget- and location-friendly smartphone contract for a device that is recent enough to have the latest technology.