> You can though. Many old phones are hackable. Many != All. For example, up-to-date custom ROMs of LineageOS do not exist for all phones. > Also doesn't seem

> You can though. Many old phones are hackable. Many != All. For example, up-to-date custom ROMs of LineageOS do not exist for all phones. > Also doesn't seem to be true. You can still buy second hand parts and whole phones for old models for almost nothing. Chances are more likely that you'll find damaged used phones with drained batteries, or low quality Chinese replacement parts. Sorry, but it does seem to be true unless you're willing gamble money on questionable eBay listings. Personally, I've attempted to keep old phones from 2012 usable for my parents and older relatives, but it seems less and less viable as time goes by for the reasons I've already listed. Unfortunately, it's simply not as easy as you make it out to be. I use a newer phone (Pixel 5) that lacks a 3.5mm audio jack and removable battery. I accept that I may be on the fringe for wanting that audio jack (although I'm not sure what survey to look at to prove this), but I disagree that we as consumers are better off without it, or that it makes the phone more reliable/performant/worse.