Africans have joined the bandwagon of technology, changing their smartphones more frequently. This is not uncommon in African countries such as Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Ghana.
The love of new Tech and the feeling of belonging to the elite class of people owning the latest devices can be compelling factors.
Smartphone technology is evolving rapidly. Every year phones are getting better cameras, performance, refresh rates, screens, and batteries. Tempted by a host of new features, people just can't help but upgrade to the latest model, but what is happening to all the smartphones we are getting through?
What is the Lifespan of a Phone
The average lifespan of a smartphone in Africa is about 3 to 4 years, maybe even 5, but by that time, the battery's capacity will have dropped significantly.
What Happens After that
After that, most people will throw away their smartphones and upgrade to a more recent one. Alas, because on average, only 12,5% of electronic waste is recycled, 20 to 50 million tons of electronic waste are disposed of worldwide every year. This is a massive problem for the environment because many of the chemicals in these devices leach from landfills into the groundwater system, polluting the land, water, and air.
Tech Companies are Encouraging People to Upgrade
To make matters worse, companies continually encourage people to upgrade by stopping updates for older models that render obsolete.
Not only is this a problem for the environment, but by throwing away devices, we are wasting precious metals like copper, silver, gold, palladium, and other raw materials that would require significant resources to mine and manufacture.
This is why recycling old cell phones and preserving these increasingly scarce materials is essential.
How to Avoid Changing Your Smartphones Frequently
Here are some ways to alleviate these problems:
Instead of buying a new phone, just change the battery because often the smartphone is in excellent condition.
Once you have had your smartphone for several years and have changed the battery once, you can recycle it and buy a new one (several companies are also offering trade-ins to get credit on your next phone).
You can also buy a refurbished product; it is often just as good as brand new, but it helps the environment and saves money.
Instead of throwing the phone away, you can sell it or give it to a friend/family member.
Companies should encourage consumers to recycle and change batterie instead of always tempting us to buy the latest and greatest.
And of course, NEVER THROW AWAY YOUR PHONE.
How Often Should Africans Change Their Smartphones
The bottom line is that, for the moment, many people are changing smartphones way too often. There is not a specific amount of time that you should be keeping the same phone (hopefully, we can get up to 5-6 years). 
This will save people lots of money.
However, when changing, you should think about where your phone might end up if you don't recycle it or pass it on to someone else.