How Long Should a Mobile Phone "Last" for?

fossilfuel on 17/02/2018 - 00:09
Last edited 17/02/2018 - 00:11

Dad purchased a Sony Xperia Z3 compact around 2015ish at JB. Touchscreen has an issue where there's no response when you touch ~5mm from the top and right edges of the screen (strangely there's touchscreen response on the left and bottom edges). Although the manufacturers warranty has expired and no extended warranty has been purchased, I'm planning to take it into the store and argue that under "consumer guarantees" (Page 12, extended warranties), the phone is not of acceptable quality and ask for a remedy free of charge.

I've had my Xperia for close to 4 years and there's no issues with it. I'm wondering how long is a reasonable amount of "use" to expect from a mobile phone? The phone in question is rarely used, never misused and probably touched once a week at most. It looks almost new.

Any help would be great. Thanks!

Mobile

Comments

  • itsdougie on 17/02/2018 - 00:29
    +3

    1-2 years for a mobile phone is a good run.
    nothing these days will outlast a classic nokia 3310

    • altomic on 17/02/2018 - 00:33
      +14

      The year is 2289 - "I just turned on my great great great great Grandfathers Nokia 3310, it's an original from Earth, and it still had charge!"

    • BargainKen on 30/03/2018 - 20:19

      5110 would eat the 3310 for lunch :P

  • PissLUR on 17/02/2018 - 00:55
    -4

    2 years max.

    • ascorbic on 17/02/2018 - 01:09
      +12

      2 years minimum, given that many phones are sold on 2 year contracts.

      • aidhan on 17/02/2018 - 01:43

        2 year contracts with options to upgrade after 1 year…

      • whooah1979 on 17/02/2018 - 08:34

        sold on 2 year contracts.

        Did op purchase this is item under contract?

        • ascorbic on 17/02/2018 - 15:02

          Sony Xperia Z3 was not a budget phone. Taking into account the cost, a reasonable person would expect the phone to last at least 2 years, especially considering that it's common for a phone of similar cost to be sold on a 2 year contract. I don't think it matters that OP bought it outright from JB.

        • whooah1979 on 17/02/2018 - 15:21

          @ascorbic:

          The z3 compact was a mid level smartphone retailing at time about half the price of an iPhone 6/6 plus. It's reasonable to adjust the consumer guarantee to half of what Apple offered for the their flagship iPhone 6/6 plus.

        • fossilfuel on 17/02/2018 - 21:00

          Nope, dad purchased outright at the time.

  • champstarr on 17/02/2018 - 01:28

    It's a common thing to happen to the Sony z3 compact. Have the same issue myself.

    • fossilfuel on 17/02/2018 - 21:00

      Have you resolved the issue?

      • champstarr on 18/02/2018 - 04:05

        No I just bought a new phone but I got mine secondhand.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 01:58
    +1

    At least 2 years. Phones aren't built to last because the majority will upgrade within 2 years anyway. This helps keeps costs down a bit.

    • Nugs on 17/02/2018 - 10:53
      +1

      "This helps keeps costs down a bit."

      translates to

      this helps keep revenue up a lot

  • [Deactivated] on 17/02/2018 - 02:16

    1 year

  • Matt2024 on 17/02/2018 - 02:57
    +3

    I would expect more than 2 years out of a $500+ mobile phone before a touchscreen failure such as your dad has experienced. My last two phones were Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nexus 6, and both lasted longer than 4 years with daily use.

    Take it back to JB Hifi and talk to the store manager, as even if the phone is outside of company stated warranty period, you still have rights under Australian Consumer Law, that state that the product should be of suitable build quality to ensure it does not fail within a reasonable period of use (or something to those words).

    Most likely they will want to send off for 3rd party assessment to determine what the problem is and if it can be fixed. Either way it should be at no cost to you.

    I have found in the past that JB are quite good for dealing with faulty items after company warranties have run out.

    Good luck!

    PS Check out ACCC Industry Guide to Electronics and Whitegoods - tells you more about your rights as a consumer, and is a good read.
    (https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=we…)

    • fossilfuel on 17/02/2018 - 21:02

      Thanks for the info!

      I had a read of that and linked it in my topic description. I think the "extended warranties" section should apply in this case. I'll approach JB sometime soon and hopefully get the issue fixed.

      • DerpFactory on 28/03/2018 - 21:21

        I hope you don't have to go to the Bourke St (Melbourne) Store

  • Strahany on 17/02/2018 - 07:54
    +6

    Whilst it's certainly nice that your particular Xperia has lasted 4 years with no issues, the important thing to note is that any sample size of n=1 is entirely insignificant. If one were to make the argument that all phones should last 6 years because their own model did, then you could equally argue that a phone should only last 6 months because that's how long another model lasted. How heavily a person has used the device is unfortunately irrelevant as there is no way to conclusively prove this (e.g battery capacity can indicate usage but nothing more, whilst software based information could be doctored).

    The ACCC highlights a 'reasonable' amount of time; the common interpretation of this law(with respect to mobile phones) is two years due to phones often being sold on a two year contract. You could try to fight this point, however the Z3 compact was worth around $500, not >$1000 like flagship models from the like of Apple, Samsung, or even Sony themselves. A mid-tier model lasting approximately three years would be more than acceptable when you consider a phone worth twice as much lasting at least two years as the 'standard' so to speak.
    You might have been luckier had this been an Apple product due to their large support network and willingness to remedy solutions, or even Samsung since they've begun to try to match Apple stores in the past year or two. But since its Sony, you don't really have the option of going directly to them unless you live near one of their scarce service centres.

    Also, please don't be a pain to the retail staff if/when they deny your request; plenty of us have been in their shoes, and dealt with plenty of customers who were either ignorant or intentionally misinterpreted warranty information and were royal pains in the derrière (not that I am saying you fall in this category). If you're lucky, JB may allow a remedy as a good gesture or to put the issue to rest (which, I imagine, was the result many people aim for, hence being intentionally difficult) however I imagine you will have better luck with Sony themselves, since a good gesture (or lack thereof) when it comes to a failing device speaks greater for the manufacturer of said failing device rather than the retail whom has no great vested interest.

    • fossilfuel on 17/02/2018 - 20:58

      Thanks for the post, very detailed and excellent info!

      That's fine. It was purchased mid 2015, making it a little over 2 1/2 years old. The problem started around late 2016, just never got around to taking it back into store. Like you said, I can't conclusively prove how heavily the device was used but I don't think it's reasonable that the touchscreen has failed to work after such a short amount of time with minimal use, especially a product from Sony.

      I prefer to go through the retailer rather than the manufacturer. If I go through Sony, I can only "recover costs from them, which include an amount for reduction in the product’s value", which is not what dad wants. If JB is able to offer a repair, dad will be happy as he loves the phone dearly.

      Definitely won't be a pain to retail staff. I've worked in retail stores in the past and know how frustrating some people are to deal with when making a warranty claim. All I say is I've done homework on this topic and I think taking it back to store is the best way to resolve the issue.

      • DerpFactory on 28/03/2018 - 21:43
        +1

        JB will tell you that you have to go through the manufacturer, but this is also a lie. JB are the point of sale and responsible for repairs and returns.

        It sounds like you've done your research. If you purchased the phone from JB 2 1/2 years ago, I would DEFINITELY recommend speaking/emailing the JB store and asking for a remedy. It is likely that they will give you a repair. If they do, try not to get a refurbished replacement device as this is likely to have more problems than your original phone and they won't help rectify it.

        I've been through this. My phone was 2.5 years old and JB agreed to repair it outside of warranty. Ask me anything if you need.

        • fossilfuel on 28/03/2018 - 23:20

          Thanks mate. So far my local JB has been a complete (profanity) to deal with.

          First off they sent me off to the manufacturer so I wrote a letter of demand to JB after which they were "happy" to send it off for assessment. Assessment took 3 weeks to complete and they said that I'd be responsible for repair charges since the phone is out of warranty. They would not provide a report on what was wrong with the phone even though they said they will. They said they would call me to talk about what steps I wanted to take next but never did and the phone ended up being returned to the store. When I went to pick it up, they've (profanity) up the phone, the screen was black after turning the phone on so they've sent it back for "repairs". Worst thing is the store managers were rude and disrespectful e.g speaking with a sarcastic tone and blatantly avoiding the topic of consumer guarantees after I've pointed it out in their consumer guarantees pamphlet.

          Honestly it's probably that 1 store but right now I'm pretty pissed at what's happened so far. I'm not sure what to do next but most likely going to take it to NSW Fairtrading if they're still adamant about their policies. That's when they said "Do you wanna split the cost of repairs?" and "Oh well I think we can give you a good deal on a new phone". I'm not budging from my position and their policies are definitely not above Australian Consumer Law.

        • DerpFactory on 11/04/2018 - 12:50

          @fossilfuel:
          OMG.
          No, it's all stores. I got the sarcastic + "you have no rights, how dare you" attitude too.

    • DerpFactory on 28/03/2018 - 21:36

      Also, please don't be a pain to the retail staff

      Sorry to rant but the opposite is also true.

      Please don't be an arrogant sales person, misrepresenting the law and lying to consumers when you have no knowledge of the consumer laws. I'm not saying this is you but plenty of staff in JB are so uneducated about consumer law and blatantly lie to customers.

      I have also previously spoken with ACCC and they say you would expect a phone over $500 to last more than 2 years. I'm not sure where you're getting this "common interpretation" from. Nor are contract lengths any relation to a device's reasonable working period.

      Why mislead people? Do you perhaps work for JB? A lot of things you've mentioned seem to be incorrect.

      • Strahany on 28/03/2018 - 21:41

        Oh, I absolutely agree with you. Sales staff that are either ignorant or (unfortunately) dishonest make it much harder for the broader industry. I had previously dealt with a number of people who perhaps had been burned by such a staff member from any given company, or perhaps it was a family/friend, or even reading about it on the news. Such customers instantly distrust almost any information that does not align with a positive outcome, and made it difficult to provide actual help. There were plenty of instances where the easy thing to do would be to tell a satisfying lie and wave them off, only to propagate the cycle, yet attempting to provide proper support created conflict and huge headaches.

        All it takes is one bad person to cause a lot of widespread hassle.

  • kiwijunglist on 17/02/2018 - 08:11

    5 years if it's in perfect condition and is a premium phone.

    • try2bhelpful on 17/02/2018 - 09:08

      Don't disagree that this timeframe is likely but if you think any manufacturer will replace a five year old phone then you are dreaming.

  • jjjaar on 17/02/2018 - 08:22
    +2

    My iPhone 5 turned five the other day. It's doing well.

  • jjjaar on 17/02/2018 - 08:24

    The "2 years because that's how long a contract lasts" is bull.

    People begin a new contract with a new phone simply because they can, not because they need it. It would be interesting to know how many phones would last longer if people tried. I'm sure many would get another 2-3 years at least if they weren't so hooked on getting a new one.

    My iPhone 5 turned five the other day. It's doing well.

  • smuggler on 17/02/2018 - 08:37

    Keeping my S7 edge for another 2 years. IT's battery is at 70% health because i always use fast charging. Can't imagine my life without wireless fast charging.

    Optus said I can upgrade to an S8+ for the same price as I am paying now $60 with 20GB of data. I told them to give me 100 GB of data. They said no so I said f-off. No more 2 year contracts for me. Next phone will be a Samsung S10 or if another Android phone gets becomes a worthy competitor by then. The Pixel 2 is just a boring waste of time that has little going for it. I know how to keep my phone in tip top shape, so I have never noticed touchwiz lag.

    I have an iphone 8 from work and I never use it. It sits at home as an alarm clock.

  • asa79 on 17/02/2018 - 08:59

    6 month technology wise and 2 years usage

  • jimbobaus on 17/02/2018 - 09:08

    in mid 2015 when Samsung was taken to court re their washing machine debacle by the ACCC
    they said the following "lifespans" of their devices

    Mobile phone: 2 Years
    Television: 7 Years
    Washing Machine/Fridge: 10 Years
    Dryer: 5 Years

    As a result of this Samsung Australia consumer guarantee policies were updated (by court order) to incorporate these time frames.
    Hence why they "heavily promote" a 2 year warranty on all their mobile phones

    • try2bhelpful on 17/02/2018 - 09:12
      +1

      Do you have a link for that please? This could be leverage to argue with other manufacturers if you have a fault in a shorter timeframe, particularly if they are advertising themselves as a premium manufacturer.

      • jimbobaus on 17/02/2018 - 09:23

        I actually saw it reported on "The Checkout" which mentioned the court case (and said where to find it)
        I am at work today, when i get home i will try and trawl through their youtube to find the story and where it sends you to find the info re lifespans.

        • try2bhelpful on 17/02/2018 - 09:34

          thanks. I will look at "The Checkout" as well. We have Mielle appliances, and we haven't had one fail under 10 years, but I would like to be able to go to them with this sort of information if we do have an issue. Advertise your stuff implying they last 20 years and then only offer a 2 year warranty is just rubbish.

    • poboy on 17/02/2018 - 10:22

      Their quoted warranties don't release them from the statutory obligation of still being reasonable. They are a guide.

  • micbrc on 17/02/2018 - 11:24
    -1

    Asking them to repair a 4 year old phone is unreasonable and undoubtedly falls outside of any warranty or stat rights period.

    Sony gives 12 months and then or consumer laws increase that to two years.

    I've owned the exact same phone and I can tell you that if you're that desperate to get it fixed you can buy a replacement screen for $50 and watch a tutorial video on YouTube it's quite simple.

    Overall they are great phones and Sony never made as good as the Z3 series until the xz premium. But 4 years is a good run let it die is got to be so slow and clunky by now

  • garetz on 17/02/2018 - 12:11
    +1

    My last 3 phones have each lasted 5 years +

  • mysterytal on 17/02/2018 - 12:17
    +1

    Mobile phones should last at the very least the term of the contract. i.e 2 years. I would expect a phone to last 5 years as some have said but technology advances will most probably make the phone obsolete before then.

    I've got several old phones that still work fine but due to the 2G network shutdown they no longer work.

    Even my what is now an old 3G phone doesn't work as it isn't compatible with the frequency used by the network I would like to use. It has 900Mhz support but Telstra MVNO's uses the 850Mhz frequency so that phone no longer works as it should.

    I now have a phone which works on the 700Mhz 4G network and also works on 850Mhz/900Mhz/1800Mhz and 2100Mhz 3G frequencies if the 4G network is not available. I expect that phone to last at least another 2 years.

    • boostpak on 14/04/2018 - 09:27
      +1

      lol @ all of this… do you leave the home with your cordless home phone sometimes too

    • boostpak on 19/05/2018 - 12:03

      seriously mate

  • Sliver37 on 21/02/2018 - 00:14
    +1

    They should last years if treated right. The only issue is after 1-2 years the batteries are pathetic (in almost all cases) so they barely get you through half a day. This is why batteries are mostly non-removable now, another way to force an upgrade.

    • boostpak on 19/05/2018 - 12:03

      it's not just the battery that becomes obsolete. The technology, processor etc all does too. They also slow down over time.

  • Jimbo42 on 02/04/2018 - 12:47

    My Sony Xperia SP is now over 4 years old and still going; but only has 1 GB RAM, so you really feel how slow it is to fire up and download web pages. It has frozen once and had to have a reset; but I'm careful now to minimise the number of apps I have; and avoid having too many apps open at one time. When it gets really slow I critically go through my apps; uninstall those I don't use; and get rid of cache etc and worthless photos etc in memory. I don't use the phone to store music or listen to podcasts(that's the job of my mp3 player) ; I avoid streaming (too expensive)
    Just in case the phone gives up the ghost , I have a spreadsheet which I regularly update and check the specifications/price/feedback on what's available. On the short list for a replacement: Moto G5; and Asus Zenfone 3 (impressed with Xiaomi— but they don't have all Telstra bands). I refuse to buy any Apple products, and don't accept the value of the $1000 plus phones — not worth it. Always buy unlocked, and use prepaid — no plans. and don't use data ; the few times I have done it it's been fabulously expensive .

    • boostpak on 14/04/2018 - 09:26

      jimbo dude seriously, just upgrade your phone mate. Who has time to makeup a spreadsheet that they update regularly. You're willing to live with something pathetic that doesn't load, is slow, have to titter tatter to have it working at a poor rate still. Just get a good phone with a good phone plan in order to not have to avoid everything. Life is just too short mate. LIVE a little. You won't go to the grave with all that savings for mobiles over the years, and it definitely won't make a difference. say you have saved 5k in mobile costs in your lifetime.. wow that's life changing man. Get a good quality phone with a good plan and enjoy it. I think updating should be at least every 2-3 years depending on what type of phone you got. If you got a complete low end budget phone, then I would say an upgrade at least every 12-18 months. A good phone should last 2-3 years though.

    • boostpak on 17/05/2018 - 11:25

      I think Jimbo might be living in the 1970s still

  • boostpak on 17/05/2018 - 11:26

    This topic is just silly. Go buy a new phone mate, end of story. Just wasting time and life. Pull ya finger out mate

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