Replace Battery/Get New Phone/ Wait

gbones on 01/12/2024 - 23:08

I currently have a Pixel 5 that is 4+ years old. It had been the great phone but now the battery is not even lasting half a day. That is with location, bluetooth and wifi turned off as well as adaptive charging on. i am thinking of what i should do and welcome suggestions by everyone who are my knowledgeable than me.
Do i
a) Replace battery cost me approximately $150 cos i like my current phone so i can keep it alittle longer
b) Get a new phone. Didnt see many great phone deals during black friday. Was hoping Pixel 9 pro under $1k. Hopefully Cyber monday have a good deal but i might be wishful thinking. Any good phone suggestions? I like the Samsung Galaxy but not the exynos chip set.
c)Wait and use the battery pack till i see a good deal. i.e. wait and see what Samsung S25 comes out and hope for a good pre order deal.
Let me know what you think i should do.

Many thanks in advanced

Poll Options

  • 6
    Replace Battery
  • 15
    Get New Phone
  • 2
    Wait
Mobile Google Mobile Phone Android

Comments

  • Hybroid on 01/12/2024 - 23:22
    +3

    d) Buy a replacement battery for ~$30 and DIY following iFixit guide. It's easier than it looks and half the steps are unnecessary to sell you their tools.

    • altomic on 01/12/2024 - 23:53

      e) do what Hybroid suggests

    • AustriaBargain on 02/12/2024 - 08:48

      Sell the phone and let someone else worry about that.

    • muwu on 02/12/2024 - 09:08
      +1

      My friend did this with his S8 (7-year-old phone) and it's a practical solution.

      Even paying for labour / service at $150, it's by far a more cost efficient solution than buying a new phone.

      I think phones hold up well over the years. I have a Note10+ (5-year-old phone) and it's running like new, I haven't noted any appreciable slow-down. My last supported update was 12 months ago, so I might see some software differences soon, but there are ways to get around that too. My friend's S8 certainly has some software / optimisation issues, but he admits he just hasn't made the time to do something about it. Despite the complaints around suspected programmed obsolescence (re: Apple), I'm not too concerned that's very prevalent now.

      The key issue to getting longevity out of a phone is battery care, as you've learnt. You can solve that by limiting your charge window - keep as close to 50% for as long as possible, for example charging when or before it gets down to 20% and removing when it gets to 80%. The math of battery degradation is that you will shift the typical loss that most users experience in the first 3 years to up to 17 years! Most of the degration occurs at the extremes of charge (i.e. 0% and 100%).

      It's like most other consumables, you CAN get a lot more use out of your products if you do some maintenance, or you can buy the new shiny thing. I advocate for the former, but just because I like the money in my pocket (and then in a compounding investment), and also because I have some pride and comfort in using the same thing over the years. If it matters to you, it's also far most environmentally sustainable.

  • life is suffering on 01/12/2024 - 23:24

    I don’t see how latest software will hold up OP , tech companies have made it such that olders phones with new battery still have older chips which use more power for newer OSes. At least that’s my experience .

  • LanceVance on 02/12/2024 - 00:24

    Does it have to be a top of the line phone? Plenty of android devices around the $500 mark with giant batteries.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join