Apple, Samsung, Motorola and many other companies release new flagship phones every year, and it’s a problem that needs to stop. It’s a drain on the environment and I believe it’s a big reason why the mobile phone industry feels stagnant and boring right now. By switching to a two- or even three-year update cycle, phones could become exciting again and we’d be doing the planet a massive favor. Let me explain.
It’s become standard practice that flagship phones from almost all brands are refreshed every year. We expect Apple to release new iPhones in September, Samsung to launch new Galaxy S-series phones in January or February and Google to debut new Pixels in October. The industry runs like clockwork, and it means that there’s always a flashy new product to buy whether you’re upgrading from a five-year-old handset or simply want the latest, greatest tech available.
It is, of course, a money-making exercise, designed to make you crave the next best thing and give more of your hard-earned cash to both the phone manufacturers and the cellular network providers you’re likely buying from.
Few of us replace our TVs every year, or our cars, or our laptops, instead waiting for meaningful moments to change things up when that new technology — be it electric power in your car or 8K HDR in your TV — means we’ll really see a benefit. These are items we may keep for at least five years before upgrading and the same should be true of our phones. Dutch company Fairphone is one of the few phone-makers taking this idea to heart: Its 2021 Fairphone 4 is still the company’s most recent phone and it allows for basic repairs using a screwdriver. However its reach is fairly limited, with the phone only recently getting a US release.
Releasing new flagship phones every two or three years would not only reduce the industry’s environmental footprint, but by holding on to and refining those products, the launches would be much more exciting. And I miss the excitement.
Article source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/why-we-dont-need-new-phone-releases-every-year/#ftag=CAD4aa2096