After some 10 years of use, smartphones show clear signs of aging – and not just external ones. Their service life is clearly limited by their battery, software and net compatibility.
Usually, you will notice first deficiencies with the battery power declining. Studies show that even with moderate use, there is usually only some 35% to 50% of the usual battery capacity left after 10 years. Intensive quick charging will additionally accelerate battery deterioration. Memory chips, too, will age and become measurably less reliable after five to eight years of use. This may for instance lead to bit errors and data losses.
Even if your hardware works perfectly well, it is of little use if your software no longer functions properly. Apple and Google offer up to seven years of updates nowadays – many Android manufacturers only do so for three to five years. After this period, there is a significantly increased risk of vulnerabilities.
Banking apps often no longer work once obsolete encryption standards expire. You should therefore regularly check whether updates are available and migrate critical apps in time.
One helpful tool is offered by the endoflife.date website. You can look up updates and end-of-life dates of many operating systems here, helping you to recognise early on when your operating system will no longer be supported and to react in good time.
