Trying to squeeze every last drop of life out of your smartphone? It’s one thing to deal with a battery that doesn’t last a day and crashing apps to avoid spending a big chunk of change. 

But using your phone past its end of life is risky business. So is clicking any link that comes your way. Bummer hackers are weaving them into AI chatbot results.

Let’s look at one of the easiest ways to keep your digital life safer: Only using devices that get current security updates.

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Today, the average lifespan of smartphones is around 2.5 years. It could be even less for some devices — between 15 and 18 months. That’s not much when phones cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Bigger brands like Apple and Samsung tend to have longer lifespans than smaller companies. Here are the average lifespans for some of today’s most popular phones:

These are averages, meaning your mileage may vary.

Your phone’s lifespan clock starts from when it was made, not when you purchased it. That makes keeping track of all this a little tricky. If you’re unsure when your phone was made, you can find out with some sleuthing.

Are your eyes glazing over? I thought so.

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Instead of doing all the steps above, a great place to check your phone’s end of life, or EOL for short, is dropping by the site end of life date.

This straightforward site lists EOL dates and lifecycles for devices, software programs and more. It currently tracks 261 products and has an iCal integration, so you can get a reminder that you need to upgrade something.

At the very top, there’s a search box. Type your make and model in there, and presto, the info you need is right on the screen. Or choose from the four major manufacturers listed in the Devices row. If you can’t find your phone there, scroll through the complete list of products and manufacturers in the left-hand menu. 

When you click on a manufacturer, its phones are listed chronologically. You can view each phone’s release date, when it was discontinued and if the manufacturer still supports it. 

Using a phone past its EOL data spells trouble. That’s you if you’re still using an iPhone 5C, Google Pixel 5 or Samsung S10S — among many others.

You won’t get the latest and greatest features and advancements, but that’s not the biggest issue.

Once a smartphone reaches its expiration, the manufacturer no longer pushes security updates to that device. This means any bugs and security problems in your phone will go unfixed. 

An outdated phone is a gold mine for hackers, who could quickly access everything from your bank accounts and company information to your health data. They could even steal your voice through audio data from phone calls and voicemails. 

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Do yourself a favor and make sure your phone is safe and secure. If not, it’s time to start shopping!

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