India, May 16 -- Ever grumbled that tech doesn't last these days? That you have to replace your phone, laptop or kitchen gadget every year? It might be a You problem. "The idea that devices fail with time is a myth," says Jingyansu Choudhury, founder and CEO of the tech-repair platform, Techyuga. "They're more likely to fail with neglect."

In India, battery degradation, overheating, damaged ports, broken screens and dusty motherboards are the most common reasons for people wanting to abandon their devices. Here's what we're doing wrong, and how to fix it.

Phones and tablets. Nakul Kumar, co-founder of the device resale platform Cashify, says that phones should last an individual user for six years. But in Indian cities, a phone will typ...