My old phone was a Google Pixel 2 which I bought in 2020, secondhand but in excellent condition. Five years is a decent lifespan for any phone, let alone a secondhand one, but last year a purple patch appeared in a corner of the LED and slowly started bleeding across the whole screen (similar to the issue described here). Apparently a screen replacement is the only solution, so in the summer of 2025, I opted to get a new phone.
The latest model at the time was the Google Pixel 9, and the Pixel 10 would launch a couple of months later. But I found a great deal on a Pixel 6a – a demo unit which had never been opened. My phone needs are modest, so I'm happy buying models which are a few generations older. But I like the Pixel 6a's 0.6x wide-angle camera (see example photo here), which my old phone didn't have.
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This next one is not a wholesale replacement but a partial one. The ear-pads on my Anker headphones were in a raggedy state (see below right) but I was pleased to find that you can just buy the pads separately. Unfortunately the headband padding is not replaceable, but c'est la vie.
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My first ebook reader was a Kindle 4 (2011). It's really basic – no touchscreen, backlight or wireless connectivity – but I like it, and I used it a lot. Unfortunately, ebooks from National Library Singapore are currently not Kindle-compatible, so I got a Kobo Clara BW instead.
The Kobo is also pretty basic by 2025 standards (e.g. black-and-white screen), but it has some nifty features. You can drag a finger down the left of the screen to adjust the backlight brightness, and pinch to adjust the font size. I also like that it allows for a degree of customisation, like selecting fonts, adjusting the backlight colour temperature, and choosing what certain gestures do.
The Kindle still works though! So I gave it to a friend, and I hope she gets a few more years out of it.
And that concludes this short and rather random list. I wish you, a bit belatedly, a very happy new year. Did you replace anything in 2025?
