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So 4 years is the average lifespan, not the maximum. That's pretty crazy, and even more than I thought it would be (4-5 years max). And to think that virtually

by mtgx 9y ago

So 4 years is the average lifespan, not the maximum. That's pretty crazy, and even more than I thought it would be (4-5 years max). And to think that virtually all the other OEMs barely even support their phones beyond a year and a half. Even Google is only supporting its own phones for 3 years, which is still less than the average lifespan of these phones (iPhones may be higher quality, but I doubt the avg lifespan for other flagship devices is much smaller). I've argued before that there should probably be a law that says an electronic device has to be supported until at least 80% of the units stop being in use. So,for instance, if 10 million people purchased a Pixel 2, Google should deliver software updates until fewer than 2 million Pixel 2 units are under active use. According to this report, that may very well be 5 or 6 years. Remember phones tend to continue to be used even after the original buyer stops using it, whether it's because they sold it or handed it to someone else.

lebrad 9y ago
A law forcing support for electronic devices until a certain amount of them fall out of use would discourage companies from making durable products. Companies would use even more brittle, low-endurance parts.
yincrash 9y ago
The number in the article includes Macs.
zeveb 9y ago
> And to think that virtually all the other OEMs barely even support their phones beyond a year and a half. Even Google is only supporting its own phones for 3 years, which is still less than the average lifespan of these phones (iPhones may be higher quality, but I doubt the avg lifespan for other flagship devices is much smaller). I think the numbers include all Apple devices: iPhones, iPads, Airports, Macintoshes &c. Certainly, I don't know anyone with a more-than-three-year-old iPhone.
- aeorgnoieang 9y ago
  I've got an iPhone that's more than three years old.
  - dwc 9y ago
    Mine is also more than 3 years old. I hesitate to upgrade because I don't want to lose my headphone jack, but also I don't need to upgrade yet because it still runs fine.
    - memco 9y ago
      Have you considered the SE? It's been a pretty reliable phone, it's durable, has a lot of the nicer features of the newer models, but still has a headphone jack, a decent battery life (though my battery is in need of a replacement after 2 years) and is fairly inexpensive.
- stetrain 9y ago
  The graph starts when the first iPhone was released. In other words, the tiny number at the left side of the graph was Apple's active base of non-iOS devices up until 2007. Given the volumes they ship of each, I would expect that the vast majority of the devices in that graph are iOS devices. Macs might bring that number up a bit but the iPhone is going to dominate the average.
- wnissen 9y ago
  You must only know people with a lot of disposable income.
aeorgnoieang 9y ago
There shouldn't be a law requiring support but it sure would be nice if at least the manufacturer's would provide a way for people to support the devices themselves. It'd also be great if they offered paid support for old devices, e.g. $1 per month to cover developer time.
GhostVII 9y ago
> there should probably be a law that says an electronic device has to be supported until at least 80% of the units stop being in use Maybe not a law, since it seems like a bit of an overreach to force a company to continue working on a product they don't want to, but some sort of incentive program would be interesting.
- FireBeyond 9y ago
  Consumer protection laws. "Hey, I bought this $2000 laptop last year", an investment of their money. Company, "Too bad. We don't care. Buy another one." An investment in ensuring a device is able to live out a normal life. Laws come into place because companies show, repeatedly, that given the option they'll have absolutely no reluctance to be apathetic to that.
ken 9y ago
4-5 years isn't that long, any more. The latest macOS only requires a 2009/2010 Mac, which is 8-9 years old now.

by mtgx 9y ago

lebrad 9y ago

A law forcing support for electronic devices until a certain amount of them fall out of use would discourage companies from making durable products. Companies would use even more brittle, low-endurance parts.

yincrash 9y ago

The number in the article includes Macs.

zeveb 9y ago

> And to think that virtually all the other OEMs barely even support their phones beyond a year and a half. Even Google is only supporting its own phones for 3 years, which is still less than the average lifespan of these phones (iPhones may be higher quality, but I doubt the avg lifespan for other flagship devices is much smaller). I think the numbers include all Apple devices: iPhones, iPads, Airports, Macintoshes &c. Certainly, I don't know anyone with a more-than-three-year-old iPhone.

aeorgnoieang 9y ago
I've got an iPhone that's more than three years old.
- dwc 9y ago
  Mine is also more than 3 years old. I hesitate to upgrade because I don't want to lose my headphone jack, but also I don't need to upgrade yet because it still runs fine.
  - memco 9y ago
    Have you considered the SE? It's been a pretty reliable phone, it's durable, has a lot of the nicer features of the newer models, but still has a headphone jack, a decent battery life (though my battery is in need of a replacement after 2 years) and is fairly inexpensive.
stetrain 9y ago
The graph starts when the first iPhone was released. In other words, the tiny number at the left side of the graph was Apple's active base of non-iOS devices up until 2007. Given the volumes they ship of each, I would expect that the vast majority of the devices in that graph are iOS devices. Macs might bring that number up a bit but the iPhone is going to dominate the average.
wnissen 9y ago
You must only know people with a lot of disposable income.

aeorgnoieang 9y ago

There shouldn't be a law requiring support but it sure would be nice if at least the manufacturer's would provide a way for people to support the devices themselves. It'd also be great if they offered paid support for old devices, e.g. $1 per month to cover developer time.

GhostVII 9y ago

> there should probably be a law that says an electronic device has to be supported until at least 80% of the units stop being in use Maybe not a law, since it seems like a bit of an overreach to force a company to continue working on a product they don't want to, but some sort of incentive program would be interesting.

FireBeyond 9y ago
Consumer protection laws. "Hey, I bought this $2000 laptop last year", an investment of their money. Company, "Too bad. We don't care. Buy another one." An investment in ensuring a device is able to live out a normal life. Laws come into place because companies show, repeatedly, that given the option they'll have absolutely no reluctance to be apathetic to that.

ken 9y ago

4-5 years isn't that long, any more. The latest macOS only requires a 2009/2010 Mac, which is 8-9 years old now.