4 ms·

I think you're applying a metric of well-to-do corporate workers over the needs and wants of folks who are less fortunate and don't work for a big company like

I think you're applying a metric of well-to-do corporate workers over the needs and wants of folks who are less fortunate and don't work for a big company like you clearly did. What about poor folks just trying to keep their phone running and quite literally can't afford to buy a new phone because they live paycheck to paycheck? Or lets look at it more self-serving from your corporate perspective. Say, your company is coming under hard times. You need to find places to cut. With repairability you can opt to just replace batteries, no upgrading, save some cash across your fleet of thousands of phones. Your boss is happy and you save money to survive another day. This stuff doesn't have to only be for power users, that's just how it's marketed to you.

kube-system 3y ago
> I think you're applying a metric of well-to-do corporate workers over the needs and wants of folks who are less fortunate and don't work for a big company like you clearly did. And you think the less fortunate are going to buy a niche $730 phone just so they can buy a $105 screen for it later? No, they're going down to the Boost/Metro/Walmart/DG and picking up a whole new BLU, TCL or Moto G for less than $100.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- softfalcon 3y ago
  No. I don't think they're going to buy a niche phone. I'm advocating for repair-ability in general. All of my comments have been in response to the original comment I replied to, which was about AppleCare and iPhones. Also, as for poor folks. Many of them buy iPhones. They do this because appearing poor with a cheap phone from Walmart hampers your career trajectory. These folks are essentially "faking it til you make it". This isn't even wrong, it's just a fact of the way society perceives people. Unfortunately, folks look down on you if you don't own a Samsung or iPhone and wonder why you have a budget flip phone. These very people are those who would benefit from affordable phone repair. They can easily replace a battery or a screen without paying another $1000+ for an iPhone. This helps them keep up appearances while saving money. I know many, many folks like this. It's important we fight for these repair options to help all of us out.
  - kube-system 3y ago
    Yes, there is no denying that self-service repair would help the people who are willing and able to do so. However, I'm just saying that market is not incentivized to do so. The BOM cost would be too high and the volume too low for it to be a cheap phone to begin with, so the affordability angle is a non-starter. Cheap high-volume glued-together phones will always be cheaper. If people really can't afford a screen replacement at a repair shop, the market will sell them a <=$50 phone. If people really don't want to buy a $50 phone and want to spend more for an iPhone, they have demonstrated that they are willing to make the sacrifice to do so. If people want an iPhone, then the Fairphone is not a solution to that problem either.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      If people can't be seen with a cheap phone, a $730 Fairphone will satisfy the "people can see you paid a premium for this" bar, but then if a piece of it breaks the cost is $105 instead of another $730.
      - kube-system 3y ago
        > a $730 Fairphone will satisfy the "people can see you paid a premium for this" bar Does it? I don't think most people have even heard of it.
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        It looks like it's made of quality materials (because it is), if anyone looks it up they can see that it isn't a cheap device, if anyone asks you about it you can earn status points by telling them how much you care about the environment etc.
        kube-system 3y ago
        I'm honestly not intending this to sound snarky, but this sounds like something someone with a green bubble would say. If those things matter to a person's audience, they weren't the iPhone crowd anyway.
- nuancebydefault 3y ago
  I think it is better to buy a 500 dollar phone with replaceable parts than a sub 100 that either does not function well from start or starts to deteriorate (typically less quality and glued battery or under dimensioned charger) within a year. It does not need to be a 1000 dollar iphone to consist of quality parts. We can wait for 5G to become main stream before requiring it.

kube-system 3y ago

> I think you're applying a metric of well-to-do corporate workers over the needs and wants of folks who are less fortunate and don't work for a big company like you clearly did. And you think the less fortunate are going to buy a niche $730 phone just so they can buy a $105 screen for it later? No, they're going down to the Boost/Metro/Walmart/DG and picking up a whole new BLU, TCL or Moto G for less than $100.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
softfalcon 3y ago
No. I don't think they're going to buy a niche phone. I'm advocating for repair-ability in general. All of my comments have been in response to the original comment I replied to, which was about AppleCare and iPhones. Also, as for poor folks. Many of them buy iPhones. They do this because appearing poor with a cheap phone from Walmart hampers your career trajectory. These folks are essentially "faking it til you make it". This isn't even wrong, it's just a fact of the way society perceives people. Unfortunately, folks look down on you if you don't own a Samsung or iPhone and wonder why you have a budget flip phone. These very people are those who would benefit from affordable phone repair. They can easily replace a battery or a screen without paying another $1000+ for an iPhone. This helps them keep up appearances while saving money. I know many, many folks like this. It's important we fight for these repair options to help all of us out.
- kube-system 3y ago
  Yes, there is no denying that self-service repair would help the people who are willing and able to do so. However, I'm just saying that market is not incentivized to do so. The BOM cost would be too high and the volume too low for it to be a cheap phone to begin with, so the affordability angle is a non-starter. Cheap high-volume glued-together phones will always be cheaper. If people really can't afford a screen replacement at a repair shop, the market will sell them a <=$50 phone. If people really don't want to buy a $50 phone and want to spend more for an iPhone, they have demonstrated that they are willing to make the sacrifice to do so. If people want an iPhone, then the Fairphone is not a solution to that problem either.
  - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
    If people can't be seen with a cheap phone, a $730 Fairphone will satisfy the "people can see you paid a premium for this" bar, but then if a piece of it breaks the cost is $105 instead of another $730.
    - kube-system 3y ago
      > a $730 Fairphone will satisfy the "people can see you paid a premium for this" bar Does it? I don't think most people have even heard of it.
      - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        It looks like it's made of quality materials (because it is), if anyone looks it up they can see that it isn't a cheap device, if anyone asks you about it you can earn status points by telling them how much you care about the environment etc.
        kube-system 3y ago
        I'm honestly not intending this to sound snarky, but this sounds like something someone with a green bubble would say. If those things matter to a person's audience, they weren't the iPhone crowd anyway.
nuancebydefault 3y ago
I think it is better to buy a 500 dollar phone with replaceable parts than a sub 100 that either does not function well from start or starts to deteriorate (typically less quality and glued battery or under dimensioned charger) within a year. It does not need to be a 1000 dollar iphone to consist of quality parts. We can wait for 5G to become main stream before requiring it.