zlacker

I feel qualified to say it's not just my bubble, having worked in cell phone sales. The business hinges on the fact that people don't run out the useful life of their devices.

Incentives exist on the part of the person who, being human, definitely want the new shiny thing, regardless of the logic behind it.

They exist for the salesperson, who will get a commission for selling the new shiny thing, regardless of whether this makes the customer's life any better or worse.

They exist for the carrier because the customer is on the hook for 2-3 years of service when they buy the shiny thing.

Finally, they exist for the company that made the phone because they make a profit on the sale price of the shiny thing.

>>kimber+(OP)
Historically? Sure. But we are no longer in that phase of the mobile industry that a year old phone is close to useless at running new apps - the hardware improvements are more gradual.