I have been using same phone for 5 years now. Never visited to service center. Always used cover & screen protector. I usually see two strategies either buy very cheap phone and keep upgrading in 2 year or buy a mid-range use it for 5-10 year before upgrading. There is usually no significant upgrade in tech in 1 year but wait for 5 and you will feel you are actually getting something new and better
Linux needs more apps that GUI friendly and easy to use, better support for hardware and upgrades that doesn't break easily. Should come pre-installed with PC. Most people don't bother or know how to change OS.