Are Apple products intentionally made to break down over a few years? Users of the iPhone 4 and previous models are beginning to question the durability of their devices. Batteries are dying, phones are responding painfully slowly… It would seem that Apple has intended it to be this way, so these consumers will be pressured to upgrade.
Planned obsolescence is a way to describe how companies are making their products unwanted after a few years. This theory fits well with Friedman’s outlook regarding the sole will of companies; to maximize profits. Profits are sales x price; so maximizing sales is a fundamental part of the profit equation. If people’s products break down sooner rather than later, they will be under pressure to buy a new product. By creating a phone that has a finite lifespan, combined with the vigorous marketing campaign implemented by Apple, they are maximizing profits through increased sales.
“Planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence in industrial design is a policy of planning or designing a product with a limited useful life.”
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