Is my cell phone on its deathbed? It is almost 2 years since I bought the phone.

[raccoon]

I thought the battery was dying, because it wouldn't hold a charge very long. So I bought
a new battery (about $40!!) and the same thing seems to be happening.

If it were a car, I'd say it was the alternator.

[leveymg]

1. My two year-old phone also died just before I had to renew the service plan . . . uh, oh.

So, I did as expected and used my "upgrade" to get another, newer, faster, fancier black slab -- along with another 2-year service and data plan -- from the same telco.

Maybe it's the flu going around . . .

[raccoon]

2. I only hope the battery store will take the battery back. nt

[slackmaster]

3. I have a Blackberry 9000 that is about 3 years old, and a similar problem

Replacement batteries range widely in price and quality.

[tech3149]

4. I haven't had a cell phone since 2002, just let it die quietly

Get a land line for basic service and VOIP for cheap/free LD. I found I'm much happier when I can choose when I want to be in touch with the rest of the world. When I had the cell phone it was like an anchor around my neck. It was 24/7 dealing with other peoples problems or answering questions that shouldn't have to be asked.
The two big problems are do you need to be in touch wherever you are and are you so important that you can't afford to be out of touch?
I just did a family get together and had the chance to play with my baby sisters smartphone. Nice toy, lot's of useable features but I'd never drop the $ for what it could offer.
To your original point, planned obsolescence is and has been a corporate model for decades. I can't and will not support a throwaway economy. I fix anything and everything I can to make it last as long as possible.

[raccoon]

8. Planned obsolescence--exactly, as Vance Packard said in THE WASTE MAKERS. nt

[madmom]

10. I have a cell phone but I don't let it become that anchor. If it rings I always

check the incoming number. If I don't know the number, I don't answer it. If I do and don't feel like dealing with that person, I don't answer it. The phone is for MY not everyone elses.

[bananas]

5. What kind of phone? Are there apps or system processes making heavy use of the battery?

GPS and wifi can eat the battery, so can apps running in background.
If you're using a droid, you could try things like Juice Defender and Juice Plotter.
You can see what's using the battery from the system menu,
somewhere down in one of the menu subtrees.

[raccoon]

7. Just a little flip phone. I only use it for phone calls, not GPS and other stuff. nt

[KurtNYC]

6. Could be designed to do that

could even be in the chips. But check the charger or try another one, like if you have a car charger, and see if that makes any difference.

Also, eBay is a great place to buy cell batteries. They are $3 instead of $40+

[dionysus]

9. they design them to crap out after a couple years these days...

[eShirl]

11. can you turn its time/date setting back by 2 years?

see if that fools it

[bullwinkle428]

12. At the risk of coming across like a complete Apple fanboy (which I'm most decidedly NOT),

my 4-year-old iPhone is still chugging along pretty nicely, as far as holding its charge. And I use that puppy all the time, for e-mails and web surfing beyond just the phone calls.

[sarcasmo]

13. Buy your phone batteries online, you were ripped off paying 40 for a battery.

[Javaman]

14. I should have never given up my old Nokia.

The thing was a brick and was as tough as one. It was completely no frills, but it always worked. This "smart phone" have now, completely sucks as have all the ones that have replaced my old nokia.

[HopeHoops]

15. You can get a phone for less than a battery, but you have to re-up the contract.

I've got the same deal now that I had 12 years ago - five phones, unlimited calling between them and 700 shared minutes per month for $115. They keep calling to offer me "better deals" and I just rifle off that information. Every single time they say they can't top it. I'm grandfathered in as long as I keep the contract going. New phones range from free to $30 (for the flip style we all like) and pretty much all you have to do is say you'll keep the contract for another 2 years. Threatening to change providers can get you a discount even under the "my phone is dead" circumstance, but I've never felt the need to do so.

Honestly I can't comprehend why the batteries are so damn expensive. I can get a battery for a UPS unit for less than the cost of a cell phone battery! Go figure.