My Galaxy S10 from 2019 refuses to die, so I turned it into the perfect music player

I love keeping old smartphones when I can. It's like a piece of my history stays preserved inside my hardware.

Watching my favorite Samsung devices transform across several generations is like watching a line of Pokémon evolve over time.

But the tricky part is preserving it, since these smartphones suffer from wear and tear and software obsolescence.

Thankfully, my Samsung Galaxy S10 from 2019 is still doing well, and I have zero regrets about keeping it instead of trading it in.

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By  Stephen Radochia

Why I chose to keep some old phones around longer

I am a firm believer that no one needs to upgrade annually

In my 15 years of collecting smartphones, I have never upgraded my device annually.

Part of that is financial constraints, but the other part is that I have learned to preserve them past their expiration date.

Recently, despite improvements to these phones, I have found that the lack of certain features and the power of smartphone chips make it hard to stay with the same phone for more than three years.

That's because AI has pushed its limits more than I want to admit. Even my old Samsung Galaxy S23, which I bought in 2023, didn't measure up after the One UI 7 update.

That phone was my daily driver for a while, and it was rock solid. But I needed to upgrade sooner than expected because the software couldn't keep up with my needs.

This didn't seem like a major issue when I owned my early Samsung phones. I started with the Samsung Galaxy Note II, then moved to the Samsung Galaxy S7.

I only needed to move on when my hardware gave me trouble; notably, my Galaxy S7 lasted until I bought the Galaxy S10 in 2019.

Sadly, that was also one of my earlier expenses due to an unfortunate accident — rainwater got into my charging port and fried my Galaxy S7 (I didn't wait long enough to dry it).

But years later, I kept my Galaxy S10, and it still works well now — I just wouldn't trust the outdated software on it.

What I am doing with my Samsung Galaxy S10 in 2026

I still put my 7-year-old device through the wringer

I don't keep my Samsung Galaxy S10 in a drawer where it gathers dust. I have kept it powered on every day since I got it.

My Samsung Galaxy S10 is now my dedicated music player. I miss the days of owning an iPod Touch, so I semi-repurposed this device to be one.

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This is where I stream most of my music from YouTube and Spotify, and where I used to store songs from SoundCloud.

Plus, the Galaxy S10 has a dedicated 3.5mm port, which I love keeping wired headphones plugged into it 24/7.

I've also treated it like a dedicated storage gallery device — though managing the storage is a bit tricky with 128GB.

Though, thankfully, I can technically store things on my Galaxy S25+ if needed, and on my PC.

But I like having it for my photos since backing up is easy when I stay on the same Samsung and Google account across my devices.

It's also where I keep some old, less-demanding apps.

For example, I used to play Pokémon Go on it until I retired from it (it drained the battery too much).

Now, while listening to music, I use it to track my steps with Samsung Health.

It's handy because it's small enough (with a 6.1-inch screen) and weighs around 157g, so it is light enough to carry around without feeling cumbersome.

For comparison, my Galaxy S25+, which isn't that big of a phone, is 190g, but the difference is enough to make me select my Galaxy S10 for a quick walk around the garden.

Since my device is seven years old, I have to charge it daily. But it lasts most of my workday comfortably under medium to heavy use.

Most days, I charge it a bit in the morning and top it off a little at night. In general, though, I don't charge any of my Samsung devices overnight.

During an exercise routine, I like to start it so that the device stays around 50% charge and doesn't dip below 30%.

Battery-saving mode kicks in at around 15%, which is when I know I absolutely have to charge it.

Ideally, I should charge it around 25% for healthier battery practices — it just doesn't always happen since it depletes faster than any modern device I own.

Limiting push notifications was the difference maker in preserving my battery throughout my workday.

Overall, battery life alone is fair. I don't use any strict Samsung modes and routines (Bixby routines on the Galaxy S10) to enhance it, since I keep that for my daily driver.

My Galaxy S10 serves a vital purpose, and I don't treat it delicately because it can handle a lot of pressure from all my music streaming, video watching, and general app usage, which is how I would've treated it with an iPod Touch if it still existed today.

When it becomes time to let go of your old smartphone

I still think holding onto older devices is situational and borderline luxurious.

Your hardware will eventually give out. Plus, if you notice your device is swelling, dispose of it safely because keeping it is a fire hazard.

Also, if you buy your device unlocked and get a lucrative trading opportunity, I wouldn't pass it up.

But for those who aren't in a hurry to get the newest phone on the market — yes, as you can see, keeping your old phone isn't that scary — especially if you luck into one of Google or Samsung's seven-year deals for software support.