How long does it take before your smartphone breaks?
As much as many of us depend on our smartphone, there will come a day when it dies and we have to get a new one. FOX 26 Business Reporter Tom Zizka says mobile devices are designed that way and there's a new tool to help plan for when that happens.
HOUSTON-As much as many of us depend on our smartphones, there will come a day when it 'dies' and we need a new one. It's called 'planned obsolescence', where products are deliberately designed to become obsolete so that we have to buy something new and fresh. Manufacturers generally don't admit to this practice, but there are some clues about when this will happen, and a new tool that may help.
Mobile devices are a huge business. The industry says nearly 92% of Americans use one, generating $102 billion in revenue annually. That's a lot of money for something that 'doesn't' last long.
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Houston technology expert Beth Guide says mobile devices are designed and planned to eventually fail. “This is a way to sell a new phone,” she says. But there are real reasons why. Smartphones and mobile devices are made up of components that have limitations, such as batteries, chips and sensors, that degrade over time and physical strain.
So how long will yours last? If you can decipher the manufacturer's 'codes' and fine print, they will tell you. But a new website offers the opportunity to determine the 'expiration time' of your device or operating system for free.Endoflife.comtracks 268 products, showing how long each product is expected to last and when support will end.
Guide says there is a purpose to pulling the plug and moving on; modern security may not work on outdated devices. “There's a reason to actually get rid of those phones because they pose security risks,” she says. “If you actually 'use' them, there's a problem."
The average lifespan of a smartphone is two and a half years. iPhones last four to eight years, Samsung three to six years and Google Pixel three to five years. It's important to note that the "life" of a phone starts when it's built, not when you buy it. Your years of use may therefore be shorter than you expect.
And if you're throwing away a device, make sure it's cleared of your personal data before you throw it away. Check your deviceher.
