Android VS iPhones: Which smartphones last longer?

As is well known, smartphones do not have a long lifespan. However, according to a report by BankMyCell, which is a smartphone sales site, iPhones last longer than Android smartphones, proving that they are “value for money”. More specifically, during the first year an iPhone is estimated to lose approximately 24% of its original value, while in the second year the percentage reaches approximately 46%. This is a large drop and depreciation of the device, but it is in no way comparable to Android smartphones, which can cost from 700 dollars and above. These lose approximately 46% of their original value during the first year, while in the second year the percentage reaches approximately 72%.

According to BankMyCell, Android devices costing $350 or less tend to lose more than half their original value within a year. This proves that it's not just Android smartphones that are depreciating.

Additionally, smartphones released by well-known brands such as Samsung, Motorola, LG, HTC , and Google were noted to have lost 49% of their original value between 2019 and 2020. Comparing iPhones with Galaxy S10, the following emerges:

• The iPhone XR lost roughly 22% of its original value in 2019 compared to the Galaxy S10e which lost 38% of its value in just 9 months.
• The iPhone XS lost about 24% of its value in 2019, while the Galaxy S10 lost about 44% in 9 months.
• The iPhone XS Max lost about 26% in 2019 and the Galaxy S10 lost 46% in 9 months.

However, Samsung is not the worst case regarding device depreciation. Android devices from companies such as Motorola, LG, and Google are worse examples in this regard. More specifically, the following were observed:

• Motorola in the period between January and December 2019 lost about 60% of its original value. The Motorola One released in 2018 showed the fastest depreciation as well as the greatest loss of its original value, with the percentage reaching 76% (i.e., -135 dollars).
• In the same months, the Nexus 5X released in 2015 saw the fastest depreciation of 71%, while the 2017 V30 lost an amount of $145.
• Also during the same period, Google lost 52% of its initial value, while the Xpl 3 , released in 2018, experienced a rapid devaluation that reached 57% (i.e. -$267).

Here is a list of smartphones ranked from best to worst based on their lifespan. It's surprising, however, that Nokia is in second place on the list, following Apple.

1. Apple devices lost about 26% of their original value in the period between January and December 2019.
2. Nokia devices lost about 28% of their value during the same period.
3. Sony devices lost 31.30% of their value,
4. HTC devices lost 32.01% respectively.
5. Samsung devices lost 34.42% of their value during those months of 2019.
6. Blackberry devices experienced a loss that reached 34.92% of their value.
7. Google devices recorded a loss of 52% of their original value.
8. LG devices had a loss of 57%.
9. Motorola devices lost about 60% of their value from January to December 2019.

In conclusion, if someone wants to buy a smartphone, with lifespan as the criterion, iPhones are the best choice they could possibly make, as Androids lose their initial value and depreciate at a faster rate.