4 ms·

Saying that the Apple enforces obsolescence when their phones have support for much longer than most Android flagships is insane.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
WalterGR 6y ago
As an iPhone and Macbook Pro user since 2015 (formerly Motorola Android phone and Windows desktop) I feel like I'm constantly walking on Apple's upgrade treadmill. That iOS is available for install on older devices is only one data point across the entirety of the Apple ecosystem. And the Apple ecosystem is only one of many, so if one entertains the premise of this post, Apple being 'better' than Android in this specific way doesn't disprove the premise. Also note that simply being able to install new(er) iOSes on older devices is only part of the battle. I upgraded my iPhone 6 to its point of obsolescence: what was once an absolute joy to use became so slow that using it for even basic web browsing was a painful chore. One could argue that the availability of OS upgrades for old devices combined with Apple's reluctance to ever back-port security and core functionality fixes makes the treadmill worse and not better.
- znpy 6y ago
  > what was once an absolute joy to use became so slow that using it for even basic web browsing was a painful chore That's because apple slows down the CPU in order to make the battery last longer. That's a known trick to make users believe that their iPhone is somehow magical and not subject to battery wear like every other non-apple phone. Iirc there has been a class action about this. Try looking up this topic and replace the battery if you can. It might bring you a substantial performance boost.
  - WalterGR 6y ago
    Iirc there has been a class action about this. And in just amazingly classic Apple form, they added the ability to see if the device was being throttled... in a point release of the then-current major version of iOS - and did not back-port it to the previous major version. My device wasn’t being throttled. But in order to have the privilege of even CHECKING that fact, I had to upgrade the OS and move my iPhone further towards its obsolescence. (That’s kind of hyperbole... but only in that I personally didn’t upgrade the OS specifically to check whether it was throttling.)
    - znpy 6y ago
      I feel your pain but in all honesty the only thing I can say is... Meh, that's what you get when you buy Apple stuff.
- nicbou 6y ago
  That's interesting. I have a different experience. I bought my last macbook in 2012. I got a new one for the price of a battery swap in 2017, so I'm set until at least 2022, as long as their stupid keyboard lasts. My 2012 would still do the job just fine in 2020. I don't think I've ever kept a Windows laptop this long, except for my ThinkPad-turned-homeserver, which runs Linux. My iPhones were supported longer than my android devices, though they all tend to die from abuse or aging batteries, not from obsolescence.
  - znpy 6y ago
    > I don't think I've ever kept a Windows laptop this long, except for my ThinkPad-turned-homeserver, which runs Linux. You just replied to yourself. It's unfair to compare macbook longevity with low-grade cheap hardware. Compare Macbooks' longevity to ThinkPads or Dell Latitudes and now we're talking. Seriously, I've been given a Dell Latitude 7390 at work and this thing is MARVELOUS. Had it had the trackpoint I'd be dumping my personal ThinkPad T440 and I'd be getting one of these. And on both the Latitude and the ThinkPad I get to upgrade ram, disk and battery if I want.
    - nicbou 6y ago
      This ignores the software aspect. My Macbook feels incredibly fast, but Windows tends to feel sluggish after a year or two. The hardware might last longer, but only if you have a need for it.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

WalterGR 6y ago

As an iPhone and Macbook Pro user since 2015 (formerly Motorola Android phone and Windows desktop) I feel like I'm constantly walking on Apple's upgrade treadmill. That iOS is available for install on older devices is only one data point across the entirety of the Apple ecosystem. And the Apple ecosystem is only one of many, so if one entertains the premise of this post, Apple being 'better' than Android in this specific way doesn't disprove the premise. Also note that simply being able to install new(er) iOSes on older devices is only part of the battle. I upgraded my iPhone 6 to its point of obsolescence: what was once an absolute joy to use became so slow that using it for even basic web browsing was a painful chore. One could argue that the availability of OS upgrades for old devices combined with Apple's reluctance to ever back-port security and core functionality fixes makes the treadmill worse and not better.

znpy 6y ago
> what was once an absolute joy to use became so slow that using it for even basic web browsing was a painful chore That's because apple slows down the CPU in order to make the battery last longer. That's a known trick to make users believe that their iPhone is somehow magical and not subject to battery wear like every other non-apple phone. Iirc there has been a class action about this. Try looking up this topic and replace the battery if you can. It might bring you a substantial performance boost.
- WalterGR 6y ago
  Iirc there has been a class action about this. And in just amazingly classic Apple form, they added the ability to see if the device was being throttled... in a point release of the then-current major version of iOS - and did not back-port it to the previous major version. My device wasn’t being throttled. But in order to have the privilege of even CHECKING that fact, I had to upgrade the OS and move my iPhone further towards its obsolescence. (That’s kind of hyperbole... but only in that I personally didn’t upgrade the OS specifically to check whether it was throttling.)
  - znpy 6y ago
    I feel your pain but in all honesty the only thing I can say is... Meh, that's what you get when you buy Apple stuff.
nicbou 6y ago
That's interesting. I have a different experience. I bought my last macbook in 2012. I got a new one for the price of a battery swap in 2017, so I'm set until at least 2022, as long as their stupid keyboard lasts. My 2012 would still do the job just fine in 2020. I don't think I've ever kept a Windows laptop this long, except for my ThinkPad-turned-homeserver, which runs Linux. My iPhones were supported longer than my android devices, though they all tend to die from abuse or aging batteries, not from obsolescence.
- znpy 6y ago
  > I don't think I've ever kept a Windows laptop this long, except for my ThinkPad-turned-homeserver, which runs Linux. You just replied to yourself. It's unfair to compare macbook longevity with low-grade cheap hardware. Compare Macbooks' longevity to ThinkPads or Dell Latitudes and now we're talking. Seriously, I've been given a Dell Latitude 7390 at work and this thing is MARVELOUS. Had it had the trackpoint I'd be dumping my personal ThinkPad T440 and I'd be getting one of these. And on both the Latitude and the ThinkPad I get to upgrade ram, disk and battery if I want.
  - nicbou 6y ago
    This ignores the software aspect. My Macbook feels incredibly fast, but Windows tends to feel sluggish after a year or two. The hardware might last longer, but only if you have a need for it.