The only devices I have had that became garbage due to lack of OS updates were Apple. He can pick up a decent new android for $200. What's the cheapest iPhone? $1000?
Sure, you can get cheap android phones through Walmart for under $100 for that mattery. But comparing a $100 or $200 android phone against anything Apple has made in the last few years is hardly a fair comparison, you get what you pay for with dirt cheap android phones. Processor, camera, build quality, etc. You're also going to get little to no software updates on a dirt cheap android phone (maybe a year or two at most in many cases, some none at all), not even critical security updates a lot of the time.
And you don't need to buy new as was mentioned - you can pickup 1 year old refurbs for much less. And yes, a 1 year old iPhone is going to have a drastically longer longevity than a $200 android.
I'm just trying to provide facts, the hate Apple gets seems rooted in tribalism vs facts for many, I don't get it. The same happens in the Apple world against Android, and again, I don't get it.
Use whatever floats your boat in the end, just compare 1:1 to avoid the sensationalistic price comparisons - trying to make a $1000 iphone a big deal somehow completely ignores the fact that a lot of good high end Android handsets sell for north of $2000 now.
Best buy screenshot of prices right now on their website for example:
Which is actually
more expensive vs the highest end iPhones right now with similar specs, build qualities, cameras, and capabilities.
So lets be real.
What device did you own that suffered from lack of updates? Genuinely curious.