Cell Phone Annoyance

I was the last person on Earth to get a cell phone. Okay, maybe not, but I delayed a great deal of time before I decided that I would get a cell phone and wireless instead of bothering with that archaic land-line/DSL business. GASP! So my two year cell plan is soon to be up and, of course, I get the "You get a phone upgrade of up to $100." Ooo. There is just so much to choose from - v-cast, videos, camera phones.

But, I like my phone. Its durable, so when I drop it it doesn't break. Its practical, about three features to speak of. And its kind of like my car, its my first one. (Yeah, I was late on those firsts...you don't need a car in the Bay Area or Mexico.) But darn it if it didn't start having battery problems this past week. Okay, convenient, my two year contract up and my battery is suddenly not holding up as before. ANNOYING. Surely it seems that they are forcing me into a new flashy phone, but I don't want one. Considering that I leave it on and before the charge was still full by the end of the day, and NOW its less than half. Cheeky. And of course, there is no new battery for my phone. Its all a conspiracy if you ask me. I am somewhat tempted to switch companies. Why not? I'm the kind of person who likes to buy things and keep them for years. Why shouldn't my phone last four or five years? Is this common? Do problems typically occur right when they want you to upgrade? Why do I need to upgrade? My phone works fine.