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This brings be to the area of new cell phones. Not good for the environment global warming. Consumer electronics are designed to be replaced which is bad for th

by acd 11y ago

This brings be to the area of new cell phones. Not good for the environment global warming. Consumer electronics are designed to be replaced which is bad for the environment. See planned Obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence I do not buy that you cannot make a good looking cell phone that is sturdy and allows for component replacement. The Apple Macbook unibody 2009-2012 has metal screws, you can replace the battery, the memory the storage. Same aluminium metal design with Philips screws must be also be usable on cell phone designs. Here is a list of smart phone repairability scores. https://www.ifixit.com/smartphone-repairability https://www.ifixit.com/smartphone-repairability Its also conscious to think about the electronic waste and that products we design today are not designed to be recycled. It should be easy for a robot to disassemble all the components of electronic devices and reuse most of the raw materials so that we have a closed loop where do pollute more as new and faster designs are out.

sokoloff 11y ago
> I do not buy that you cannot make a good looking cell phone that is sturdy and allows for component replacement. You absolutely can. And your competitor can build one that's a little bit smaller, a little bit lighter, a little bit more beautiful, and you'll be competing on sustainability while your competitor is competing on "new and cooler". Unfortunately, I'd bet on your competitor in that scenario.
- AnthonyMouse 11y ago
  > And your competitor can build one that's a little bit smaller, a little bit lighter, a little bit more beautiful People keep saying this because it's the excuse given by companies who do it (and who may have ulterior motives). But is there any technical reason why it should be true? How much "thickness" does a modular battery connector really add? More to the point, it assumes that all customers want exactly the same thing, which is pure bunkum. If all your competitors are solely selling tiny shiny delicate objects that lose 100% of their value upon battery ageing or collision with the ground then there will be some large minority of the market that will stand in line to get something which is 12% heavier because it's more modular and durable than that, and you would be able to claim that entire market segment by providing it.
  - sokoloff 11y ago
    You're absolutely right that the market isn't homogenous in terms of what they want. I would suggest that Otterbox and Lifeproof have taken most of the "12% heavier and more durable" market today.
    - AnthonyMouse 11y ago
      A rugged case solves the durability problem; what do I do when the battery needs replaced?
- pmoriarty 11y ago
  You're forgetting the recent "phablet" fad. Many consumers seem to have developed a taste for bigger screens and bigger phones. There's long been a wide range of phone sizes to cater to different tastes and different needs. So making a bigger phone with more desirable features may well be a winning strategy.
- brbsix 11y ago
  It may not be terribly straightforward, but it is possible to replace the components of many phones. I've replaced a number of screens, "non-removable" batteries, and boards on phones for myself and friends. Oftentimes they'll give me their broken devices and I'll surprise them with a fix. I just ordered a $5 headphone jack for one of my phones and will be replacing it later this week. Only tools required are fingernails and Phillips-head screwdriver. Sites like ifixit.com make DIY repairs quite doable. Even just a few pictures of the teardown is enough to make me feel confident in the attempt. However with that said, I'm eagerly awaiting the v2 release of Phonebloks [1] slash Project Ara [2]. [1]: https://phonebloks.com/ https://phonebloks.com/ [2]: http://www.projectara.com/ http://www.projectara.com/

by acd 11y ago

sokoloff 11y ago

> I do not buy that you cannot make a good looking cell phone that is sturdy and allows for component replacement. You absolutely can. And your competitor can build one that's a little bit smaller, a little bit lighter, a little bit more beautiful, and you'll be competing on sustainability while your competitor is competing on "new and cooler". Unfortunately, I'd bet on your competitor in that scenario.

AnthonyMouse 11y ago
> And your competitor can build one that's a little bit smaller, a little bit lighter, a little bit more beautiful People keep saying this because it's the excuse given by companies who do it (and who may have ulterior motives). But is there any technical reason why it should be true? How much "thickness" does a modular battery connector really add? More to the point, it assumes that all customers want exactly the same thing, which is pure bunkum. If all your competitors are solely selling tiny shiny delicate objects that lose 100% of their value upon battery ageing or collision with the ground then there will be some large minority of the market that will stand in line to get something which is 12% heavier because it's more modular and durable than that, and you would be able to claim that entire market segment by providing it.
- sokoloff 11y ago
  You're absolutely right that the market isn't homogenous in terms of what they want. I would suggest that Otterbox and Lifeproof have taken most of the "12% heavier and more durable" market today.
  - AnthonyMouse 11y ago
    A rugged case solves the durability problem; what do I do when the battery needs replaced?
pmoriarty 11y ago
You're forgetting the recent "phablet" fad. Many consumers seem to have developed a taste for bigger screens and bigger phones. There's long been a wide range of phone sizes to cater to different tastes and different needs. So making a bigger phone with more desirable features may well be a winning strategy.
brbsix 11y ago
It may not be terribly straightforward, but it is possible to replace the components of many phones. I've replaced a number of screens, "non-removable" batteries, and boards on phones for myself and friends. Oftentimes they'll give me their broken devices and I'll surprise them with a fix. I just ordered a $5 headphone jack for one of my phones and will be replacing it later this week. Only tools required are fingernails and Phillips-head screwdriver. Sites like ifixit.com make DIY repairs quite doable. Even just a few pictures of the teardown is enough to make me feel confident in the attempt. However with that said, I'm eagerly awaiting the v2 release of Phonebloks [1] slash Project Ara [2]. [1]: https://phonebloks.com/ https://phonebloks.com/ [2]: http://www.projectara.com/ http://www.projectara.com/