The average smartphone lifespan jumped 10% year-over-year, reaching 32 months (2 years, 8 months) in 2026. According to Reviews.org‘s second annual Smartphone Lifespan Report, U.S. consumers are delaying device upgrades by 12 months beyond their original plans.
Here are some highlights from the report:
- People are keeping their phones longer, with the average ownership time increasing from 29 months in 2025 to 32 months in 2026.
- Americans plan to upgrade after 20 months, but wait 32 months in practice.
- The average American paid $634 for their current phone (median $600).
- Most people upgrade for faster performance (21.3%) or better battery life (19.2%), while only 4.9% upgrade for a better camera.
- An iPhone 11 or older remains the most common iPhone model in active use (9.4%), followed by the iPhone 13 (8.0%).
- iPhone leads overall U.S. ownership at 58%, compared to 42% for Android.
Methodology
Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults on August 15, 2026, via Pollfish. Results were weighted by device type.
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