Technology improves at a rapid pace, and every year people flock to buy the latest hot item. Whether it's a new smartphone, laptop or TV, people are not shy about spending money to get the latest and best technology. Even I sometimes get caught up in it, and I probably would buy all of the latest stuff if I wasn't a college student that needs to manage money carefully. The real question here is, do we all need the latest and greatest products? The answer is no, but if there is a great deal or if it is a gift, then that's understandable, right?
One day as I was cleaning my room, I stumbled across my old smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy S3. It's hard to believe that this phone came out almost 4 years ago. The screen is cracked and the charge port works only half of the time, but I decided to turn it on and mess around with it for a bit before turning it off and putting it back in the box I found it in. The latest phones are obviously faster and have a better camera and screen, but the S3 still would allow me to do everything I want to on a phone that I do now without many problems, whether it's browsing social media apps, playing games, or taking pictures. I probably wouldn't even need a new one if my old phone wasn't beat up. Now that I think about it, my old iPhone 4 probably would still work fine, as well.
This spring, all of the new Android phones will be released, and the new iPhone will be released in the fall. Just like every year, there will be a huge wave of ads and press releases that makes your current phone look like a piece of garbage. It definitely isn't, but that's how companies make money, by making you feel left out if you don't have the latest and greatest thing. My phone that is almost 2 years old is great, and I could use it another couple years easily if I don't break it. Ah, but around the corner there's the Apple iPhone 7, the Samsung Galaxy S7, the LG G5, and the HTC M10 to tempt me into spending my money.
As a college student, I don't have all of the money in the world to spend on the latest stuff. If I were to give a word of advice: save your money, and only buy a new item if you need it. For example, if you break your phone or if it gets to the point where it feels slow and clunky. Laptops last a long time, depending on how well built they are. I most likely will have the same laptop during my entire time at college. As for phones, every other year is a good upgrade schedule, depending on your plan, but if you like it then it could last longer. The longer I've waited to buy something, the greater satisfaction I get when I first use it. Not to mention that I've saved money that I didn't need to spend.
