How long can smartphones really last?

Mostly they will be overtaken by technology. Phones from 30 years ago are literal bricks because they are analogue and wont connect to modern cell phone towers. I've got a phone from ten years ago (LG flip phone) I keep on and on charge for emergencies since I don't have a land line.

Eventually, the battery will cease to function. If the battery keeps going, what will inevitably kill it is the tin whiskers that form on solder connections on the circuit boards and then cause electrical shorts. Used to be they put lead in the solder to keep that from happening.. but health regulations combined with planned obsolescence work hand-in-hand.... as the whiskers will form well after any extended warranty period is over.

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I doesn't matter if it will still power up In 30 years, communication infrastructure will have changed to the point that today's smartphones won't be compatible with 2045 networks. A TV is no good without programming. If you took a battery operated radio back to 1850, it might turn on, but you wouldn't hear any music because there were no radio stations.

Apple recently let slip that they expect their phones to last 3 years.

It's called "planned obsolescence". Why build something that lasts 20 years when you can make something that breaks when it's just out of warranty, so you can sell another unit?

This concept has been around for years. If you look at something like vacuum cleaners made in the 1930s a lot were still being used 40 years later.

A vacuum cleaner today? You're lucky if it lasts 5 years.

10 years.

I have some old Nokias from the 1990's that still start and work. Only problem is the phone technology has changed and they are incompatible with the new phone systems. (same old AT&T, but different connection protocols) They were the first of the "smart phones", although internet et al are very recent additions. A smart phone back then had a slide out keyboard and was able to text.

Depends

A long time, I used my last iphone almost 4 years and it was still working great and had good battery life when I sold it and then upgraded to 6S. Eventually though its worth it to upgrade because just like computers it makes sense to get the newest hardware because it becomes so much faster and better all around.

I've had lithium-battery items and they seem to go for no more than 3 years and yeah, that is a marketing strategy.

Paying $75 for a new battery as opposed to just buying the new model, with new features, tends to get the consumer.

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