Why do people change their mobile phones so often when they’re still usable? What do our consumption patterns tell us about planned obsolescence and marketing strategies?

This article explains why people change their mobile phones so often compared to other electronics, pointing to planned obsolescence and manufacturers’ marketing strategies as reasons. The limited lifespan of mobile phones, the impact of new product release cycles on consumers, and environmental concerns are also covered, emphasising the need for smart consumers.

 

Do you change your fridge at home every few years? What about your washing machine or television, and how often do you change your mobile phone? Nowadays, people replace their other electronics only when they break or have problems, but they may change their mobile phones two or three times a year. So why do people change their mobile phones so often? On the surface, the answer is that consumers are curious about new things and don’t want to be left behind, but that’s not a good enough explanation. To find the underlying reason, we need to look at one of the characteristics of the mobile phone industry: Planned Obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is the practice of companies deliberately making previously released products obsolete in order to sell new ones.
Planned obsolescence is done by designing mobile phones to have a limited lifespan. Despite the fact that smartphones are now an integral part of modern life, they are often built too poorly. For example, while the technology exists to make waterproof phones like the Galaxy S5, very few phones have this capability. As a result, many people accidentally drop their phones in water, rendering them unusable, or drop them and crack the screen. Rather than fixing these problems, phone manufacturers focus more on design and features, releasing thinner and more powerful phones every year. As a result, the durability of phones is slow to improve, and users are forced to replace their phones frequently.
The battery problem is particularly acute: most smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, which rapidly decline in life after about 300 to 500 charges. A battery that initially lasts a full day may not last a day without a power bank a year later. This phenomenon is especially noticeable when new phones are released or near the end of the one-year warranty. In fact, the iPhone battery is said to lose about 20 per cent of its capacity after every 400 charges. Assuming you charge it once a day, after a year, the battery capacity will be reduced to 80 per cent, and in three years, it will be halved. Eventually, users will have to choose between replacing the battery or buying a new phone.
This problem goes beyond personal inconvenience to environmental concerns. Phones that become unusable due to short battery life end up as waste. Electronic waste (e-waste) is a serious problem around the world, with mobile phones and other electronic devices being discarded at short intervals, putting a huge strain on the environment. Components like lithium-ion batteries in particular are not easy to recycle, and the environmental costs of producing them are not negligible. This forces consumers to replace their phones frequently, which also has a negative impact on the environment.
Not only that, but battery replacement itself has become very cumbersome. Manufacturers deliberately make battery replacement complicated to encourage users to buy a new phone. For example, the iPhone uses special screws to make it impossible to replace the battery without special tools, and Android phones are increasingly being designed with one-piece batteries. Even Samsung’s Galaxy S series, starting with the latest model, the S6, is made with a non-removable back. What’s more, the cost of replacing a battery is set to be similar to the cost of buying a new phone on contract, making it more attractive to many consumers to buy a new phone.
In addition to this, mobile phone manufacturers announce a new flagship product every year. Every year, a new phone is announced with a new feature or design, which naturally attracts the attention of consumers. As a result, many people feel that their phone is outdated. In the early days of the smartphone market, new models were justified because there were major technological advancements every year, but in recent years, this has become less and less the case. However, manufacturers continue to release new products, and consumers are more likely to get caught up in the hype and buy new ones.
This can work against mobile phone manufacturers as well. An increased reliance on a planned obsolescence strategy can lead to a loss of consumer trust in the long run. In addition, if a phone becomes too stale, consumers will no longer feel the need to spend big bucks to replace it. As a result, there will be no incentive to develop innovative technologies, and the mobile phone industry will slow down.
In the end, consumers have a choice in how often they replace their phones, but they need to be smarter consumers now that they recognise the existence of planned obsolescence. It’s important to make the judgement call to replace your phone based on your needs and not be blindly swayed by manufacturer marketing, otherwise, we will continue to be trapped in a consumption pattern of planned obsolescence.