Why I’m still using a tablet from 2019 with no plans to upgrade

Summary

No compelling reason for immediate tech upgrades saves money and is cost-effective.
Full upgrades for tech like tablets yield minimal improvements for the price.
Longer tech lifespans due to minor technological leaps and adequate performance.

When I was younger, I loved having the latest and greatest technology. That applied to phones, tablets, game consoles, and PCs. I also had no problem trying out new ideas, as evidenced by my picking up the short-lived Windows Phone. However, that was then, and this is now. Nowadays, I have no problem hanging onto technology for longer, and there are a few reasons for that.

The big thing I notice is that technological leaps aren’t as large as they used to be. Around the time the iPhone came out, phones were making giant jumps forward, and the same goes for game consoles. I picked up a Switch 2, and while I love it so far, it mostly feels like an upgraded version of the Switch 1. I’ve even been playing the same games, so I feel like it won’t feel like a true generational leap until I pick up Donkey Kong Bananza.

About five years ago, my Samsung Galaxy Tab A’s screen broke, and I ordered a Galaxy Tab S6 to replace it. It felt like a gigantic upgrade from my previous tablet, but now I have a new problem. This tablet, even years later, does everything I want it to. There are still improvements from later tablets, but I don’t see any reason to open my wallet and buy one. As much as I’d like an S9, I don’t have plans to grab one unless the price drops significantly.

Storage: 128GB / 256GB + microSD
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Memory: 8GB / 12GB RAM
Operating System: Android 13, Samsung One UI 5 Tab
Battery: 8400mAh

I’m sticking with my older consoles over buying the Nintendo Switch 2

Give me nostalgia over innovation.

I’m sticking with my old tablet for now

No reason to upgrade

Considering the latest Galaxy Tab is the S9, my S6 is ancient history as far as technology is concerned. My tablet dates back to 2019, and I picked it up from eBay in 2021, so I was coming in a bit late as it is. The S7 was already released by the time I made the purchase, but I was looking for something cheaper, as I had cracked the screen on my old tablet.

Although I’m using a tablet that’s more than a half decade old, I don’t envision that I’ll stop using it any time soon. It still works perfectly fine, and although I have a few scratches on the screen now, it’s not hurting my enjoyment. I originally grabbed a tablet to read comics from the Marvel Unlimited app, and while I don’t do much of that these days, I still spend a few hours on it a day. The battery life is still solid as it only requires a charge every other day, and when it does charge, it luckily has fast charging capabilities. The 10.5-inch screen is no slouch either, and I’ve pretty much replaced my phone with a tablet while sitting at home.

It still handles any streaming service with ease, and it got to live through the era of HBO Max to Max and back to HBO Max. I don’t do a lot of gaming on my tablet because it runs warmer than I’d like, but it runs things like Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and Balatro just fine, and that’s about the extent of my mobile gaming anyway.

Ultimately, a different issue has been created, but it’s one that benefits me. It feels like Samsung made a tablet that’s too good, because outside of it exploding overnight, I don’t see why I’d give this one up.

I love my Apple TV but this setting is deeply frustrating

Things like this make the Apple TV 4K harder to use for everybody.

No signs of slowing down yet

Maybe things have gotten too good

Apple / Pocket-lint

Back when big hardware leaps were made, I felt more inclined to move onto the next best thing. With those leaps slowing down, I’m more content hanging onto my older technology for longer. I’m still using a OnePlus 8 Pro, something that I really should upgrade soon, and I’m still using an RTX 3070 Ti GPU in my gaming PC, a graphics card that’s now four years old. A big part of this is also understanding the types of things I do with my technology. I don’t necessarily have the desire to play games that require cutting-edge graphics, and the game I spend 99% of my time playing on PC is World of Warcraft — something that doesn’t need the beefiest hardware.

I haven’t felt the need to upgrade much of anything in the past few years. I’m even using a first-gen Apple TV 4K that was released all the way back in 2017. It still works, and while it’s not as fast as it used to be, it gets the job done. I haven’t felt the wonder of a new piece of technology in a long time. Getting an Xbox Series X just felt like a continuation of the Xbox One, and the Switch 2 feels the same so far.

There are upgrades to be made, but not enough for me

Just added bonuses

A new tablet would bring a wide range of upgrades, such as faster processing, a better GPU, and most likely a better screen. After using an OLED screen on my Switch and moving on to the Switch 2, I certainly know the value of having one. It’d be cool to have one on a tablet, but I don’t think it’s worth making a full upgrade from my otherwise fine tablet. It also helps that I haven’t damaged my current tablet. I don’t have a screen protector or case, but it still looks good, with only slight cosmetic issues, years after I bought it.

Having something speedier and snappier is nice, and it’s certainly what both my tablet and Apple TV 4K can benefit from, but it just doesn’t feel like something worth dropping hundreds of dollars on. I’ve become more willing to let my tech run its natural course before making an upgrade these days, and it’s saved me a lot of money over the years.

In my tablet’s case, I can see this thing lasting for several more years without having a real need to move on to something else. For casual use, budget tablets and ones from a few generations ago will more than suffice. I know not everybody is in the same boat as me, but it’s a boat I’m glad I found. Always grabbing the newest thing is costly, and it many cases, there’s no real need to do it. Fear of missing out is a big deal, but I think most people can afford to skip a generation or two of iPhones and still get by fine. As it turns out, this same line of thinking applies to a lot of things, at least in my case.