Upgrade? No Thanks. Americans Are Sticking With Their Old Phones

Contract changes, pricier smartphones lead consumers to keep their devices longer

Americans are holding on to their smartphones for longer than ever.

Pricier devices, fewer subsidies from carriers and the demise of the two-year cellphone contract have led consumers to wait an average of 2.83 years to upgrade their smartphones, according to data for the third quarter from HYLA Mobile Inc., a mobile-device trade-in company that works with carriers and big-box stores. That is up from 2.39 years two years earlier.

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