iPhones and Our Disposable Culture
Did you know it takes 295 lbs. of non-renewable raw mineral ore and water to make a single iPhone? That’s ridiculous when the phone only weighs 4.5 OUNCES!
I remember when I first learned that Apple designs their iPhones so we can’t replace the batteries when they go dead, which is about a year. If you try to open up an iPhone to replace the battery, you would be voiding the warranty. Even when just about all other cell phone companies allow you to replace the batteries yourself, Apple has held hard to this policy. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Apple designs phones to last about a year (yes this takes incredible engineering to do), which requires customers to throw them away and buy new phones (hmm — $$$) instead of simply updating the software or parts, or simply replacing the old batteries.
Besides not allowing consumers to repair their phones, Apple has intentionally slowed down older iPhone just before releasing new models. They have been doing this through updates for the iPhones. Now Apple has agreed to pay $500 million to settle a lawsuit. They’ll pay $25 for iPhone 6s and iPhone 7s bought before December 2017.
Like so many others, I was mesmerized by Apple’s marketing splash and bought into “needing” the new iPhones every year. After my 5th iPhone I got tired of the hype for a phone that isn’t better than the others, and I bought Android Samsung Galaxy cell phones for my family. This was in 2014 and I have had the same phone for 4 years! All I’ve had to do is replace my batteries and update the software. Most importantly, I didn’t have to buy 3 new phones during this time and I’ve saved thousands of dollars.
This throw-away mentality has to stop. Manufacturers need to design cell phones and products to last. This isn’t just a cell phone problem, it’s happening in heavy equipment manufacturing too. John Deere makes tractors that are difficult and sometimes impossible to repair. Farmers are now buying tractors that were built 40 years ago because they were built better and the farmers could repair these expensive rigs themselves.
When I turned 16 years old, I learned how to rebuild my 4-cylinder engine, give it a tune-up, change the oil, and rotate the tires. For under $20, I could replace spark plugs and change the oil (I’m dating myself…). But today, nobody can maintain, tune-up, or work on their internal combustion engines because they need expensive computers to do the diagnostics.
We don’t have the resources to make throw-away products and we don’t have the space in landfills to deal with the waste. It is unethical to design and engineer products that can’t be repaired. Manufacturers across all industries are making huge profits by making us buy “throw-away” products or taking away our ability to make simple repairs. We need to spend less, and waste less.
We are not asking for trade secrets; we just want to extend the lives of our devises, cars, and equipment. State legislatures across the nation are discussing bills that will make personal and third-party repairs more accessible to consumers. Write your governors to tell them that they should support our right to repair our stuff and that they should pass legislation to force manufacturers to stop this unethical and wasteful business practice.
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