The coronavirus lockdowns are continuing, you're stuck at home, and you realize you're really not happy with the smartphone you've been using. So, is now the time to get a new one? There are decent arguments for and against.

Perhaps you suddenly need to use your phone all the time for work purposes and realize that the one you have now is inadequate for what you need. If that's the case, go ahead and order a new one. If your phone suddenly breaks, this week, or there's some other type of emergency, you should, of course, replace it.

However, there are quite a few drawbacks to getting a new phone now. For one thing, in much of the country, you can't physically shop for a phone. Apple Stores are closed and are going to remain so until April at the earliest, and that's also the case for most electronics chains and specific cell phone stores. So if holding a phone in your hand is important in choosing one, that option is not available currently.

If you prefer the iPhone, it's not exactly the perfect time in the product cycle to buy a new phone. Apple's iPhone is currently at about the midpoint-the 2019 models came out last September and, barring supply chain delays stemming from coronavirus, the 2020 models will arrive this coming September. So unless it's necessary, you're probably better off

If you're a Samsung fan, however, the timing is better. The Galaxy S20 was released only weeks ago and is available now-although once again, you probably won't have a chance to test it out in person.

It does appear, perhaps unsurprisingly, that coronavirus has led to a historically massive decline in smartphone purchases.

According to a report issued on March 20 by the research firm Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments plunged 38 percent year-over-year in the month of February. This was due not to the quarantines in the U.S., which mostly didn't begin until March, but rather to supply chain disruptions, when the disease was spreading in China and elsewhere, and the corresponding drop in demand. This led to the largest year-over-year decline in the history of the product category.

"Smartphone demand collapsed in Asia last month, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and this dragged down shipments across the world," Linda Sui, director of Strategy Analytics, said as part of the release of the report. "Some Asian factories were unable to manufacture smartphones, while many consumers were unable or unwilling to visit retail stores and buy new devices.”

So if you'd like to buy a smartphone this month, go right ahead. But due to the lockdowns and an expected plunge in demand, don't expect to be joined by many other people.

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.