How long do most people keep a mobile phone before they decide they’ve had enough of it and want a new one? If you’re in a country where you sign two year contracts, then your operator pretty much dictates your replacement cycle. But if you’re the kind of person that buys phones full unlocked and unsubsidized, then what’s a good cadence? Is it 18 months? 24 months? More? HTC thinks two years is when most people will dump their phones, which is why they’ve just announced that the One X and One X+ will no longer receive software updates.

Now don’t get me wrong, being “stuck” on Android 4.2 isn’t a bad thing. Most people couldn’t even tell you what version of Android is running on their phone if you asked. But for nerds and geeks, the people who chronically check their email/Twitter/RSS, HTC just committed the ultimate travesty. Say what you will about Samsung’s use of plastic, but their 2012 flagship phones, the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, have already been updated to Android 4.3 and will probably get updated to Android 4.4 at some point later this year.

Does this mean you should never buy another HTC phone? No. You should buy a phone for what it can do for you today, not what you think it might be able to do in two years. People who bought a One X instead of a Galaxy S III have been enjoying better screen and camera technology, despite being stuck on “old” versions of Android.