After my last dumb phone died on me in about 2011 or 2012 I got a samsung smart phone, scaled down my phone data plan once the contract was up and took the phone with me to Ting once I was free from my carrier. I hope to keep the total lifetime cost of the phone down by keeping it for as long as I possibly can before replacing it. I dont need the newest greatest largest device, just one with some basic functionality that can do email, gps navigation, and printer capabilities (bluetooth, or network). I find I keep my phones 2-3x longer than my peers do.
Also, I dont use my smart phone as a media consumption device, I never pay to download music, apps, etc. as a rule.