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EU's 'right to repair' mission: Mobile phones 'should last up to 12 years'
17/03/2020
HAVING to go back to Media Markt, Millar or Tien21 yet again whenever something small goes wrong with your mobile phone or tablet could soon become a thing of the past: The European Union is working on what it calls 'the right to repair' in a bid to halt what is known as 'programmed obsolescence'.
One of the biggest complaints about home technology that few of us can manage without is that when something goes wrong with it, it is often impossible to repair or costs more than the device itself.
USB ports are a common cause of having to buy a new phone, laptop or tablet, because they are very sensitive, never covered by guarantee, and are often too difficult or even impossible to fix.
Other cases of 'programmed obsolescence' – for which giants such as Apple and Samsung have already faced multi-million fines – are because of an upgrade in the operating system which means previous versions no longer work, or that certain programmes can no longer be used on them.
WhatsApp is one of these, having once worked on all smartphones and yet, in the last three years, has been announcing every few months which types of mobile will 'no longer be compatible' with it.
Failure in the photo camera, or the battery wearing out completely, are other reasons why phones often have to be discarded and replaced.
On average, according to MarketWatch, people in Spain replace their mobile phones every 15 months, and their 'useful' life generally only lasts between 18 and 24 months.
But according to experts such as Benito Muros of the Sustainable Energy and Innovation Without Programmed Obsolescence Foundation (FENISS), without these barriers to repairing parts that fail, or if Apps ceased to be compatible with older types, a mobile phone 'should easily be able to last 10 or 12 years'.
This is in terms of its mechanical and electronic functions, and even its software should have a useful life of six to eight years, Muros explains.
“If software was designed to incorporate certain technological advances, it would not go out of date for many, many years,” he told BBC Mundo, the Spanish-language BBC World service.
In fact, in order to offset its 'carbon footprint' once discarded and replaced, a mobile phone, in order to be truly 'sustainable', should be good for at least 25 years.
And 'lack of consumer information' is also an issue, Muros says.
“Very few media sources talk about this,” he reveals.
“So the general public thinks it's perfectly normal for electronics to have such a short life and need to be replaced.”
Data exposed in the European Union's first-ever research on 'emotional and financial aspects' of mobile phone use show a worrying rise in 'digital waste' in the last decade or so – landfill sites are filling up with unacceptably-high quantities of home electronics which can no longer be used because parts cannot be acquired for them, Apps and programmes have stopped working on them, or they cannot be repaired.
These include not only VHS video recorders, but massive piles of video tapes themselves, plus cassette tapes, as it is nearly impossible to buy a new VHS player, let alone have one repaired.
And CDs and DVDs could go the same way in the age of music and film downloads and streaming.
Some electronics stores offer trade-ins – for example, many retailers in Spain will offer a discount when you buy a new 'smart' TV or even a basic flat-screen if you bring them your old tube television.
But even then, not every single last part or piece of plastic or metal can be recycled or reused, meaning some landfill waste is inevitable.
The European Union wants to oblige manufacturers, legally, to make devices that last much longer, and to always agree to repair them when the customer requests this.
Additionally, the definition of 'repair' will be extended to include upgrading components and software, so that older smartphones can at least continue to do what they once did, if not in fact everything else that has been invented since.
Recyclable material will be required, by law, to be used wherever possible, and customers must be given full information at the point of sale as to how long the device they acquire is likely to last.
This continues along the lines the EU is already working on, about creating universal chargers that work with every single mobile phone, and replaceable batteries for every make and model.
The 'universal charger' aspect has not, reportedly, pleased Apple.
Telecommunications is one of the key industries the European Union is focusing on in its 54 steps aimed at 'closing the life cycle of products' and creating a circular economy, reducing plastic, food, construction and demolition, biomass, and critical primary material waste, whilst increasing competitiveness in business, sustainable economic growth, and creating new, meaningful jobs.
Some of the EU's aims are, of course, about saving consumers money as well as cutting down plastic waste and landfill, since a mobile phone is now considered as much a basic necessity as a washing machine and Europeans on the lowest incomes cannot afford to replace theirs every time the battery fails or a software upgrade renders it obsolete.
In fact, WHO figures have consistently shown that up to 70% of the planet lives in relative or actual poverty, and yet internet and mobile phones are widely in use even in the third world.
The EU has long been working on the basis that staying connected and being able to communicate is a basic right that should not be denied to all bar those who can afford to.
Given that most electronics retailers now offer everything from repairs to tutorials and software reprogramming, it would seem very unlikely that the industry would suffer significant financial loss from devices lasting several years rather than mere months.
Related Topics
HAVING to go back to Media Markt, Millar or Tien21 yet again whenever something small goes wrong with your mobile phone or tablet could soon become a thing of the past: The European Union is working on what it calls 'the right to repair' in a bid to halt what is known as 'programmed obsolescence'.
One of the biggest complaints about home technology that few of us can manage without is that when something goes wrong with it, it is often impossible to repair or costs more than the device itself.
USB ports are a common cause of having to buy a new phone, laptop or tablet, because they are very sensitive, never covered by guarantee, and are often too difficult or even impossible to fix.
Other cases of 'programmed obsolescence' – for which giants such as Apple and Samsung have already faced multi-million fines – are because of an upgrade in the operating system which means previous versions no longer work, or that certain programmes can no longer be used on them.
WhatsApp is one of these, having once worked on all smartphones and yet, in the last three years, has been announcing every few months which types of mobile will 'no longer be compatible' with it.
Failure in the photo camera, or the battery wearing out completely, are other reasons why phones often have to be discarded and replaced.
On average, according to MarketWatch, people in Spain replace their mobile phones every 15 months, and their 'useful' life generally only lasts between 18 and 24 months.
But according to experts such as Benito Muros of the Sustainable Energy and Innovation Without Programmed Obsolescence Foundation (FENISS), without these barriers to repairing parts that fail, or if Apps ceased to be compatible with older types, a mobile phone 'should easily be able to last 10 or 12 years'.
This is in terms of its mechanical and electronic functions, and even its software should have a useful life of six to eight years, Muros explains.
“If software was designed to incorporate certain technological advances, it would not go out of date for many, many years,” he told BBC Mundo, the Spanish-language BBC World service.
In fact, in order to offset its 'carbon footprint' once discarded and replaced, a mobile phone, in order to be truly 'sustainable', should be good for at least 25 years.
And 'lack of consumer information' is also an issue, Muros says.
“Very few media sources talk about this,” he reveals.
“So the general public thinks it's perfectly normal for electronics to have such a short life and need to be replaced.”
Data exposed in the European Union's first-ever research on 'emotional and financial aspects' of mobile phone use show a worrying rise in 'digital waste' in the last decade or so – landfill sites are filling up with unacceptably-high quantities of home electronics which can no longer be used because parts cannot be acquired for them, Apps and programmes have stopped working on them, or they cannot be repaired.
These include not only VHS video recorders, but massive piles of video tapes themselves, plus cassette tapes, as it is nearly impossible to buy a new VHS player, let alone have one repaired.
And CDs and DVDs could go the same way in the age of music and film downloads and streaming.
Some electronics stores offer trade-ins – for example, many retailers in Spain will offer a discount when you buy a new 'smart' TV or even a basic flat-screen if you bring them your old tube television.
But even then, not every single last part or piece of plastic or metal can be recycled or reused, meaning some landfill waste is inevitable.
The European Union wants to oblige manufacturers, legally, to make devices that last much longer, and to always agree to repair them when the customer requests this.
Additionally, the definition of 'repair' will be extended to include upgrading components and software, so that older smartphones can at least continue to do what they once did, if not in fact everything else that has been invented since.
Recyclable material will be required, by law, to be used wherever possible, and customers must be given full information at the point of sale as to how long the device they acquire is likely to last.
This continues along the lines the EU is already working on, about creating universal chargers that work with every single mobile phone, and replaceable batteries for every make and model.
The 'universal charger' aspect has not, reportedly, pleased Apple.
Telecommunications is one of the key industries the European Union is focusing on in its 54 steps aimed at 'closing the life cycle of products' and creating a circular economy, reducing plastic, food, construction and demolition, biomass, and critical primary material waste, whilst increasing competitiveness in business, sustainable economic growth, and creating new, meaningful jobs.
Some of the EU's aims are, of course, about saving consumers money as well as cutting down plastic waste and landfill, since a mobile phone is now considered as much a basic necessity as a washing machine and Europeans on the lowest incomes cannot afford to replace theirs every time the battery fails or a software upgrade renders it obsolete.
In fact, WHO figures have consistently shown that up to 70% of the planet lives in relative or actual poverty, and yet internet and mobile phones are widely in use even in the third world.
The EU has long been working on the basis that staying connected and being able to communicate is a basic right that should not be denied to all bar those who can afford to.
Given that most electronics retailers now offer everything from repairs to tutorials and software reprogramming, it would seem very unlikely that the industry would suffer significant financial loss from devices lasting several years rather than mere months.
Related Topics
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