Old devices stick around for different reasons: some offer an experience people miss, some remain woven into organizational routines, and others depend on infrastructure that takes time to replace. Vinyl record players, fax machines, landlines, pagers, and floppy disks are useful examples—but they are not equally common, and “still around” does not always mean “in regular use.”
What it means for an old device to survive
A device can persist as a renewed consumer interest, an active part of an organization’s workflow, equipment connected to legacy infrastructure, or an unused item kept at home. Those are different kinds of survival. The evidence for these five devices also comes from different places and dates, so it does not support a global ranking of which is most widely used today.
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Five old devices that have not fully disappeared
Vinyl record players: an experience some former users miss
Vinyl players are the clearest example here of consumer nostalgia. In a 2026 YouGov survey, 42% of U.S. respondents who had used a vinyl record player but no longer did said they missed it and wanted to use it again. That is a sentiment measure among former users—not a measure of current ownership, sales, or use among all Americans. YouGov’s survey also found that former users were less eager to return to some other old technologies.
Fax machines: old tools embedded in organizational workflows
Fax machines persist in some established organizational processes, rather than because the evidence shows they are ubiquitous. A Georgetown Law Technology Review analysis uses fax as a case study in reliance on older technologies. UK government guidance also identifies fax machines as devices that may need attention when a phone line moves to digital service. The relevance varies by country, sector, and organization; the available sources do not establish a current global use rate. The Georgetown Law Technology Review analysis discusses the broader inertia that can make replacing familiar systems difficult.
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Landlines: a service tied to a network transition
Traditional landlines remain part of a major UK infrastructure migration. The UK government reported on May 28, 2025, that more than two thirds of UK landlines had already been upgraded to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The industry timetable cited in that guidance called for all UK landlines and other devices reliant on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to be upgraded by January 2027. That is a UK-specific timetable, not a global deadline or a guarantee that every individual line will be changed on schedule. The UK guidance explains why this migration affects more than the phone handset.
Pagers: a specialized legacy device, not a quantified trend
Pagers remain an example of technology that can survive in specialized or organizational contexts. The Georgetown Law Technology Review analysis includes pagers among older technologies still in use, but the available sources do not provide a current prevalence estimate or establish which sectors use them today. A 2026 YouGov survey found that 9% of U.S. former pager or beeper users said they missed the device and wanted to use it again; that measures former users’ feelings, not present-day pager use. The survey results should not be read as a count of active devices.
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Floppy disks: a striking example of legacy-system dependence
Floppy disks make the point that old technology can persist inside a larger system even after it has disappeared from everyday consumer life. The Georgetown Law Technology Review analysis discusses the U.S. nuclear system’s partial reliance on 8-inch floppy disks until 2019. That is a dated historical example, not evidence of current use. It illustrates how replacing a device may require changing the systems and processes built around it, not merely buying newer hardware. The academic analysis discusses the inertia around legacy technology.
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Why old devices can be hard to replace
People may value the experience
Vinyl record players can offer an experience that some former users want back. The 2026 YouGov survey found that 42% of former vinyl-player users said they missed it and wanted to use it again. By contrast, the same survey found that 10% of former fax-machine users, 9% of former pager or beeper users, and 19% of former landline users said the same. Each percentage describes U.S. respondents who had used that technology but no longer did; none estimates current use or ownership. YouGov’s figures show that nostalgia differs by device.
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Organizations inherit routines and risks
Replacing a long-established tool can involve more than acquiring a newer one. The Georgetown Law Technology Review analysis describes institutional inertia and social practices that can sustain older technologies, as well as legal and privacy concerns involved in de-implementing systems and migrating sensitive information. These are possible obstacles, not a single explanation for every organization’s choices.
Infrastructure changes can affect connected equipment
When a network changes, devices that rely on it may need compatibility checks or replacement too. The UK’s PSTN transition can affect alarms, telecare equipment, door-entry systems, payment terminals, lifts, and other connected devices—not just landline handsets. The government advises users to check equipment with their phone provider or supplier; compatibility and what needs changing depend on the particular setup. The UK transition guidance outlines the affected equipment and migration context.
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Keeping an old device is not the same as using it
Household storage is another form of persistence, but it should not be confused with active reliance. Eurostat’s 2024 figures for EU residents aged 16–74 found that 51% kept an old mobile phone or smartphone at home; 18% gave or sold one, 11% recycled one, and 2% threw one away without recycling. For old laptops or tablets, 34% kept one at home, while 12% gave or sold one, 11% recycled one, and 1% discarded one without recycling. These figures describe what people did with old devices, not how often they still used them. Eurostat’s 2024 results provide an EU-wide view of household retention and disposal choices.
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What these examples show
There is no single reason old devices survive. A record player can remain attractive because some people value its experience; a fax machine or pager can persist in a particular workflow; and a landline may be part of infrastructure that is still being migrated. Floppy disks show how long a legacy component can remain inside a complex system, while Eurostat’s figures show that old electronics can also remain in homes without being actively used. These examples illustrate different kinds of persistence, not a claim that all five are common today.
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