Your smartphone can last longer. Here’s how.

7 habits to keep your phone out of the landfill

By

Matt Berical

September 11, 2025

With each new smartphone generation—whether it’s the new iPhone Air or Google Pixel 10—the pressure to upgrade can feel overwhelming. A report by Consumer Affairs shows that about 55% of smartphone users upgrade their devices every two to three years, with 12% of Americans purchasing a new phone annually and 4.3% upgrading every six months.

This month, the cycle spins up again with the release of the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air, both of which Apple says are nimbler, crisper, and more durable than previous models. The company is also hyping the new device’s’ sustainability bona fides, claiming to use 100% recycled rare-earth elements in its magnets, 100% recycled tungsten in key components, and 30% recycled content overall.

Apple is also working to trim the emissions of making new devices, but that doesn’t change the fact that every new release comes with an environmental toll—both at the beginning and end of a new phone’s life. It takes around 250 pounds of raw materials to make a single device, and the majority of a smartphone’s lifetime emissions occur during production. E-waste is also the single fastest growing trash stream in the world, representing more than 68 million tons in 2022. That, naturally, includes discarded smartphones. 

Sure there are buyback programs, marketplaces to buy and sell refurbished tech, and recycling initiatives to make getting rid of an old phone less environmentally deleterious. But the best way to minimize your tech’s environmental impact? Hold onto the phone you have for as long as possible.

This means practicing smart habits like optimizing your charging, performing regular maintenance, and updating your software—critical steps for keeping your phone running smoothly and securely. Samsung and Google offer updates for seven years after a model’s release, while Apple provides five. The new iPhone 17 will likely follow this same pattern. Here are seven simple, but essential, pieces of upkeep. 

1. Optimize your charging habits

2. Always install software updates

3. Manage your apps (and storage)

4. Use a case

5. Watch out for extremes 

6. Maintain a cleaning schedule

7. Repair whenever you can

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