As technology enthusiasts we sometimes forget that not everyone is caught up in our never ending state of gadget lust, and the law of averages has mainstream consumers driving up the age of most hardware found in the wild. According to industry analysts’ quoted by the New York Times, most people are now upgrading old cellphones every 18 months, a sharp rise from just a year ago when it was only 16.

Hit the jump to see the PC numbers.

The Nexus One may not be selling as well as Google had hoped, but its hard to deny, its creating a lot of buzz in an industry that seemed to ignore anything that doesn't come from Apple. One might make the argument that the biggest barrier to the Nexus One’s success is its partnership with T-Mobile, and more specifically, the steep selling price of the device itself, even for those willing to enter into a contract.

At $379 for the vast majority of T-Mobile customers, and $529 for those wanting the phone without a service plan, you are pretty much limiting yourself to the money is no object crowd, along with the geek community. In a move no doubt intended to help boost sales in other market segments, Google has announced it is dropping the price of the Nexus One for T-Mobile subscribers by $100 making the cost a mere $279 per phone. This was the price being offered to new customers, but is now being extended to its existing subscribers as well.

T-Mobile customers who purchased the phone at full price will be issued a $100 credit, and the new price is already in effect. Is $279 enough to make you want a Nexus One? Or is T-Mobile still the deal breaker?