In the county of Templeton, the average

In the county of Templeton, the average age of cell phones that are still in use has historically been eighteen months years, but now it is nearly two years. Cell phone manufacturers claim that the current poor economy has forced people to put off buying new cell phones, and thus when the economy improves, the average age of cell phones will return to former levels.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously calls into question the cell phone manufacturers' prediction?

(A) Fewer cell phone per year are now being marketed in Templeton than last year.

(B) When the threat of job loss is particularly strong, people are reluctant to commit themselves to expensive purchases.

(C) The older a cell phone is, the greater the monthly insurance payments are.

(D) The cell phones now marketed in Templeton cost less than those that were marketed last year.

(E) Most people in Templeton now believe that replacing an old cell phone with a new one sooner than is necessary is pretentious.

 
The best answer is E.  The prediction that the average age of cell phones will return to former levels is based on an assumption that economic considerations have changed the average length of time a Templeton consumer keeps a cell phone.  Choice E calls this prediction into question by stating that another factor is causing consumers to hold onto cell phones for longer.