It was the summer of 2019 when I flew to Helsinki for a business trip without a phone. The previous day, I had spent time at the pool, and unfortunately, a wet towel left on my phone caused it to die. The first thing I did was go to an electronics store and buy a new phone, a Xiaomi Mi 9. It was a panic purchase. I hadn’t planned on getting a new phone, but at that moment, I had no other choice. I’ve never enjoyed changing electronics. I dislike setting up new devices and installing everything from scratch. Usually, I keep a phone until it dies completely.
Initially, I was happy with the Xiaomi Mi 9, but because I listen to so much music, I quickly became frustrated that I needed a dongle to use headphones. I prefer old-style wired headphones because they deliver incredible voice quality for a fraction of the price of wireless models. To get the same quality wirelessly, I would need to spend around 300 euros, which I don’t want to do. Old-style headphones simply outperform wireless ones in this respect.
After a couple of months, I bought a new phone with a microphone jack and placed the Xiaomi Mi 9 in a drawer, where it remained unused for years.
Fast forward to 2025, my phone suddenly died without a warning, and I didn’t have the funds to buy a new one. I decided to dig out the old Xiaomi Mi 9 from its winter slumber. The first thing I noticed was that the battery could no longer hold power, so I took it to an electronics repair store called Manzanarota, Broken Apple.
The staff were amazed to see it and asked where I had found it. I explained the story, and they were impressed, despite being six years old, the phone looked almost brand new. Luckily, they had a replacement battery, and my phone was restored to working order. The best part was that everything was already set up, so I could use it immediately.
A couple of days ago, I noticed a new issue. I could no longer edit videos for TikTok without glitches and static noise appearing in the exported files. I was shocked. I had generally expected to get six years of reliable use from this phone, and yet here it was, aging silently while it had sat untouched.
Curious, I asked ChatGPT about it and learned something surprising. Electronic components actually age even when a device sits idle.
The processor, memory, and other internal parts slowly degrade over time. Batteries lose capacity and struggle to deliver consistent power. Flash storage gradually loses its ability to store and transfer data perfectly. Even the tiny materials inside, adhesives, solder joints, and thermal paste, change slowly with temperature fluctuations and time. All of this adds up, so when a phone that has been sitting unused suddenly has to perform heavy tasks, like video editing, it may no longer handle it cleanly.
I was genuinely surprised because I had assumed that a phone, especially one kept in brand-new condition, would remain fully functional for years. Now I realize that electronics don’t just wear out from use, they also quietly age over time. In hindsight, perhaps I should have sold the phone instead of leaving it to sit, as I feel I wasted 600 euros on a device that silently degraded while I lived my life without it.
This experience taught me an important lesson. As I prepare to buy a new phone, I plan to stay with Xiaomi, but I will pay close attention to the year it was made and how much life it has left. I won’t purchase a second-hand device, because I want a phone that will last at least six years. New phone time is inevitable, and while it is an expense, it is also an opportunity to choose a device that will reliably serve me for years to come.
Looking ahead, I also realize that electronics are becoming increasingly expensive. Microchips are in high demand as companies rush into the AI race, and it seems that AI companies are buying up much of the supply. Gaming PCs are already becoming more expensive, and eventually phones will follow the same trend. I truly hope the next phone I buy will last me the next six years so I can avoid this battleground.
I don’t want to pay over 1,000 euros for a good phone. Perhaps in six years, new innovations will make phones affordable again, but in the coming years, prices are likely to rise sharply. If you’re planning to upgrade any device, it might be wise to do it sooner rather than later, before prices explode.