Washington Post [free to read]: “…Apple, Samsung and other phone manufacturers keep remotely fixing the security flaws in their phones’ software for years. That keeps your old phone safer from hackers. It isn’t easy to tell exactly how old is too old to be secure. Digital security experts told me that generally, an Android phone is secure to use for four years or more after it was new. An iPhone is secure for seven or eight years or potentially longer. Not everyone wants to hold onto a smartphone for that long. And the older your phone, the more you may run into problems including apps that stop working as you expect. But if you choose for financial or other reasons to keep your phone for years, most people don’t need to worry. (You should keep your phone software up to date. Read the One Tiny Win section below for details.) And it’s worth considering a used phone if you can’t stomach a $1,000 new one…”