Originally Posted by
greggarious
The main problem is security updates - if you have a super old smartphone it can be difficult/impossible to update the phone.
For some of us on the more technical side LineageOS (and previously Cyanogen) and similar community software distributions can be a lifesaver for extending the life of an abandoned phone.
For a large majority of users, it won't be worth the bother. OTOH, for an extreme example if you're buying a $40 phone you can buy one every other month and still spend less than the cost of entry-level flagship annually, or a high-end flagship semi-annually.
And the $40 phone is probably still worth $20 after two months
