How Often Do We Replace Our Smartphones — and What Does It Really Cost the Planet?

For many people, replacing a smartphone feels like a routine upgrade — a better camera, a faster chip, or a sleeker design. But what seems like a personal choice is, in reality, a small act with large environmental consequences. This article explores how much energy and raw material go into making one smartphone, how much CO₂ is emitted in the process, and how long a typical device actually lasts before it’s replaced — often unnecessarily.

A smartphone’s lifecycle doesn’t begin in the store. It starts in a mine, where rare materials like cobalt, lithium, and tantalum are extracted. Each phone requires over 60 different elements, which are then refined, transported, assembled, and packaged before reaching the end user. This supply chain consumes massive energy and contributes significantly to carbon emissions.

On average, the production of one smartphone generates between 55 and 95 kg of CO₂ equivalent, depending on the model and complexity — higher-end flagship phones like iPhone Pro or top-tier Androids fall on the higher end (Apple Environmental Reports, 2023). To put that into perspective: one round-trip flight from London to New York generates about 1 ton of CO₂ per passenger, which is roughly equal to the footprint of producing 10 new smartphones. That’s the cost of an office-wide phone upgrade — or a single long-haul trip.

When it comes to how long we actually use our phones, the numbers tell a revealing story. In most developed countries, users replace their devices every 24 to 30 months, even though the technical lifespan of a smartphone can exceed 5 years. One key driver is software: once manufacturers stop providing updates, the device becomes gradually obsolete — even if it functions perfectly.

For example, many Samsung devices receive 2–3 years of software support, while Apple tends to provide updates for up to 5 years. On top of that, marketing cycles encourage users to see older models as outdated, even when their performance remains adequate. As a result, early replacement has shifted from exception to expectation.

Beyond carbon emissions, the issue of electronic waste is just as urgent. According to the UN, more than 5 billion mobile devices go unused every year — most of which are not properly recycled (UN e-waste report, 2023). Many end up in landfills or are exported to countries lacking safe e-waste handling infrastructure.

So the question, “When should I upgrade my phone?”, now has a measurable cost — not just in cash, but in carbon. Every unnecessary replacement contributes dozens of kilograms of CO₂ and consumes finite materials that may soon be harder and more damaging to extract.

The solution isn’t just better tech, but smarter behavior: extending phone lifespans, supporting repairable or modular designs, and embracing second-hand or refurbished models. In a world where manufacturers are slow to act, it’s the user who decides whether one small device becomes a big environmental problem.