I don't game on my phone and I don't use social media much, so I am not the sort of person to upgrade every year. My last phone was a hand-me-down from my partner, so it was old when I got it, and I still kept it for a few years. It had a new battery and screen along the way though :)
Even though I don't need the latest, there are certain things I require in a phone that usually only come in a flagship, so I tend to get one of those, even if it's an older one.
This year I actually broke tradition and bought myself a new phone! Brand new, but it was still a year old model 😂
My reasons for buying this particular model were: better camera because I'm unable to carry my actual camera right now, bigger screen for reading comics, 45w charging, stereo speakers, good aptX support and I just really wanted an S-Pen again for writing poetry after not having one for many years.
Things I require in all phones: waterproof, decent battery life, good cameras, good handling of otg devices, full range of sensors for night sky apps and an sd card slot.