5 years mandatory updates & repairs for smartphones to become the norm in the EU
Click here to post a comment for 5 years mandatory updates & repairs for smartphones to become the norm in the EU on our message forum
Caesar
It may also push some cheaper phones out of the market. It also might encourage phone makers to produce less models and not rely on Chinese original design manufacturing to produce their lineups. Pros and cons on both sides
I think there should be a more incentive based method; maybe something like making them put the update policy on the label, unlocking the bootloader and publishing documentation when it is out of updates and so on
Exodite
It's high time to push mandatory warranties towards the decade-mark.
As a society we produce extraordinary amounts of ewaste, and regular waste, and companies are actively incentivized to produce goods that last the shortest amount of time they're not on hook for warranty repair and replacement.
Anecdote; The apartment building my family moved into when I were 5 had a laundry room with washing machines and other equipment from the 60s. They were old then but during the 15 years I lived there I never saw any of them break down once. Meanwhile I've lived in my current apartment ~4.5 years and we've had 4 machines fully replaced - not repaired - in our laundry room. (Edit: Due to malfunction, not as part of modernizing the equipment.)
We can build things to last and we should, we just don't.
Maddness
Absolutely, Things in general just aren't made to last these days. As you say the waste because of it is astonishing.
Horus-Anhur
This is great news. Both for consumers and for the environment.
Ero Ruz
This is great news. As @Caesar points out it may filter out a lot of cheap manufacturers out of the market and may have pros and cons, but it is a much better move for the environment then what most manufacturers are doing.
Honestly, no one needs a new phone every year and independent on how "carbon neutral" your production line is, no phone means no carbon emissions at all. It's even a better idea than not including the charger at all if your focus is respecting the environment 😉
Personally I am using a OnePlus 7 Pro from 2019 and it is working flawlessly. I still get some support (monthly security updates) and will get Android 12 soon. The design is still spectacular and the phone still feels fast and fresh.
Sadly, even when things were built to last, our mentality as a whole is such that we want the "latest and greatest", that is why these manufacturers produce so much.
LocoDiceGR
This is great news for android.
Apple is already there years ago.
asturur
I just disposed my washing machine from 1983 for a new one, and i already know i started a 2 year replacement cycle.
I did in the name of faster washing but i m deeply sorry about the waste i m contributing to.
asturur
That is a transition phase, at some point you don't bother anymore for the phone or the tv or the pc. It is something that last between the 20 and the 30s imho, then it fades out.
But if we could reduce it further that would be great.
droopy_ro
All i want is to have again phones with swapable batteries, like my old Samsung S5 had, the best phone i have ever owned. Got it second hand, and i would still use it if there were Android updates, but it is stuck on 6.0.
schmidtbag
This concerns me. While I agree with reducing e-waste and reducing planned obsolescence, this is going to eliminate budget phones entirely. The fact batteries fall under replaceable parts is the biggest problem here. Even after 2.5 years, most customers are going to want to replace the battery, and so long as the phone is in good condition, the companies would have no choice but to grant that warranty. So basically, companies are going to have to hike up the price to compensate for at least one battery replacement per phone.
I think a 2 year hardware warranty would have been enough but a 5 year software update mandate is a good idea. Phones aren't evolving so much these days and aren't that trendy anymore, so there just isn't an incentive to upgrade, but sometimes people are forced to because of software.
PPC
Old charger doesnt fit new phone, this is your god? - Bill Burr
Which phone started the "no removable battery" trend? Who issued update that gimped old phones? No, Apple is certainly not "there", they are the pioneers and gurus in ewaste production.
H83
On theory this is a good idea, but in practise, i don`t think it`s going to work and it could even backfire.
Forcing phone makes to make more extra parts, for potential repairs over the 5 year period, is going to make phones (even) more expensive and could even create more waste because many people won`t buy/use those spare parts because they are too expensive or because they want a new phone anyway...
Software updates for a bigger period of time makes more sense but there`s the chance that phone makers can simply provide minimal updates past the two year mark, just to comply with the new proposal...
If they are really worried about the waste created by phones and other devices, then "force" people to hold on longer to their current machines instead of buying new ones so often.
They could even start by forbidding those plans that "offer" a new phone every 2/3 years.
Of course no one is going to propose something like this because our economies are based on people buying stuff they don`t need...
I`m also guilty of this but i try to control myself, specially because i don`t have money to go full retarded anyway!...:p
MonstroMart
I bought an Asus Android tablet a few years ago. It had Android 7 out of the box while Android 8 was current and Android 9 was about to be released. It was not a discontinued tablet. It kept selling in stores for a year after a bought it and it was still advertised on Asus web site. It was my first Android device so i thought since it was not discontinued it would eventually get updated to 8 and maybe 9. I was not expecting 5 or 10 years of support but at least dunno like 1 year. Nope it never was updated to 8. It received a few security updates and that's it. About 2 years after i bought it some apps would start to not be supported on Android 7. I had to install another OS on it or buy a new one. I decided to buy a new one and avoid the hassle. So me being forced to keep and break a crappy Asus tablet nope not an option. BTW Asus is on my do not ever buy again list when it comes to tablet and phone. 5 years might be stretching it but i think forced 3 years updates would be a good thing. And if it means companies like Asus exit the market then it's a good thing as nobody should buy a tablet or phone from Asus anyway.
MonstroMart
To be fair to apple while i never had an iPhone i had an iPod 4 and it received updates for a loooonnngggg time. Not sure about the charger thing but i charged my iPod via USB which is standard but maybe it was different for iPhone.
schmidtbag
I think his point was about Apple's approach to long-term support, which they are in fact good for. With Android, good luck getting more than one OS upgrade with most of the options out there.
Also, Apple pretty much just used 2 connectors for the past 20 years. When you consider non-Apple devices could have mini USB, micro USB, USB-C, or some other proprietary connector, you're not really that screwed over if you decide to stick with Apple's ecosystem.
Don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of Apple, I've never bought an Apple product, and I have no intention to. While the Lightning connector was a worthwhile effort back in 2012, it is obsolete and unnecessary today. Apple is also notorious for making outdated phones slower, and for pushing people to upgrade needlessly. They make it deliberately difficult for anyone to work on the hardware of their devices; they would rather maximize profits in Genius repair or by you buying a new device. So, there's plenty that they're doing wrong but to say they're pioneers of e-waste isn't true.
Silva
Absolutely f*ing finally! Too late for my useless Galaxy Tab4 stuck on kitkat Android, but will keep allot of devices off the trash because apps stop working completely.
Now bring back mandatory replaceable batteries!
TheDeeGee
I still use a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1" from 2013. Using it to fall asleep to YT videos 😀
It's running LineageOS 14.1 with Android 7.1.2.
geogan
"the laws may induce price hikes and a decrease in the availability of low-cost cellphones, as they become less appealing to manufacture."
So the new laws may result in less electronic throwaway cheap junk being produced - THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT
tsunami231
They do that so you buy the next years model it all about all mighty dollar, screw everything else. One day the Earth is gona reserves that and throw all back us 100 fold.
Phones are made to be jump in year, purpsely and considering the cost of them, they should. it why i still using iphone 6s.
PPC
If long term support means that they will issue update that gimps my phone for no reason whatsoever, i dont need that kind of "support".
