I used to buy $200 Android phones. I never had one last more than 18 months. I'm talking dead, not just annoyingly slow. I now have a 3.5 year old iPhone that I expect to get at least another 1.5 years out of. $200/yr compared to $133/yr but I'm generating less waste and getting a better overall experience the entire time I own the phone. For me it was absolutely worth it.
I bet you weren't buying midrange Motorolas. I bought a Moto G for $179 (forgot the model: may have been G1/G2, and that may have been promo pricing for an unlocked phone) and used it for close to 5 years. I only stopped using it because the camera quality was showing it's age relative to the flagships of the day.
You must be doing something wrong. I bought a few cheap mototola and xiaomi android phones over the years and they've lasted years and continue to work to this day.
