Apple’s most recent instalment of the iPhone boasts a plethora of upgrades, ranging from double cameras, new colours and even water resistance; leaving a cult of die hard fans already lining up in stores and preordering online. However, the removal of the headphone jack has sparked controversy, raising ethical issues like planned obsolescence.
via apple.com Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, announcing the iPhone 7
Planned obsolescence, what is it? It’s when a product is pre-planned to be out of date, or obsolete, from the moment it was launched. All industries are guilty of this practice. Clothing in fashion gets cycled through every season, iPhones get an annual upgrade and automobiles are released just as frequently. In fact, software updates are meant to slow older models down and new products are meant to persuade consumers into wanting to purchase the newest model available. Is this practice ethically appropriate?
Honestly, all of these “upgrades” aren’t particularly innovative or groundbreaking; Apple’s biggest competitor, Samsung, had already released similar gimmicks two quarters ago. By implementing certain “upgrades” and withholding others for the next season, Apple is able to continuously fuel consumers into buying more and more. The next round of upgrades would seem very “innovative”, but in reality, it would have just been gathering dust in Apple’s arsenal, waiting for release. The removal of the headphone jack proves how such a simple stunt can feel like a big upgrade and as a result, make you feel like your old iPhone is left in the dust. Sooner or later everyone will want to assimilate to the tech conglomerate’s newest product.
There is no way to justify such unnecessary waste and damage to the environment with everything being outdated so rapidly. As you purchase an iPhone, Apple already has plans drawn out for another iPhone with even more upgrades. Although I believe that this marketing practice is ethically inappropriate and environmentally destructive, it is sadly within legal bounds. This is what drives one of the biggest industries on the planet, an endless cycle of technology upgrades or waste, depending on your perspective.
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MLA Citaion:
@globeandmail. “Your New IPhone Will Soon Be Trash, and That’s the Point.”The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
Bogart, Nicole. “Is Apple Guilty of Using ‘planned Obsolescence’ to Force IPhone Users into Upgrading?” Global News Is Apple Guilty of Using Planned Obsolescence to Force IPhone Users into Upgrading. N.p., 2016. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.