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Forced to upgrade

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Re: Forced to upgrade

#31

Post by lentil »

grishka wrote: post #19

Android phones are kinda better in this regard because if you really insist, you can take matters into your own hands and install a custom ROM. Especially now that GSIs (generic system images) are a thing. Really though, why do we keep updating OSes? I understand security updates, but why do these major yearly releases have to keep happening? What do they solve? Why can't we for once just settle for something in this…

True for the OS, but you won’t get firmware updates/security patches once the upstream vendor stops support.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#32

Post by Shank »

ciconia wrote: post #22

The real question, IMO, is why the need to release a new model every year? I think a lot of the churn of both hardware and software had nothing to do with technological progress, and everything to do with generating sales.

Well, it does obviously have to do with generating sales. But to play devil's advocate, I never have enough battery life, even with a fresh battery. There are incremental improvements, year-over-year, in terms of processor efficiency. I take a lot of photos, and I definitely notice having a 5x optical zoom now. There are details that some people would say are worth upgrading. But it is not the case that all people fit this template.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#33

Post by keiferski »

ciconia wrote: post #22

The real question, IMO, is why the need to release a new model every year? I think a lot of the churn of both hardware and software had nothing to do with technological progress, and everything to do with generating sales.

You kind of answered your own question there. These are businesses, not research labs. Sales comes first, as is to be expected.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#34

Post by thefz »

Wasn't EU's right to repair law also mandating at least 5 years of updates? Just make 10.

With all the money these companies make, they can dedicate some people to taking care of legacy hardware.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#35

Post by mnky9800n »

adastra22 wrote: post #27
nextlevelwizard wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yearly phone upgrades are akin to new sneakers. People want the latest thing, they do not need it. Phones have not improved for years in significant ways. There has been no new features. Only improvement has been cameras, but really how good of a camera does your average person need in their daily lives?

Do your sneakers last 7 years? Mine barely last 1.

I feel like they used to last longer but now I get literal holes in them

Re: Forced to upgrade

#36

Post by chrismorgan »

> As far as I can tell Apple has the longest support lifetime of 6 years, followed closely by Samsung with 4 years of major Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates.

Anecdote of Samsung support from a few years ago on a decidedly-not-flagship phone (just straight-up copying from a comment I wrote a couple of years ago—):

In April 2019, I needed to rapidly obtain a device, and purchased a Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) from a major retailer in Australia. I later discovered that this model had already been EOL for over a year when I purchased it. (It was released with 5.1.1, got its last security patch in November 2017, and was actively unsupported no later than March 2018. The handset should very obviously have been updated to Android 6, if not released with it—Android 6 was announced and in beta 7½ months before, and was the stable release 3½ months before, the handset’s January 2016 release.)

Re: Forced to upgrade

#37

Post by thefz »

dataflow wrote: post #8

When you make the decision to not support older hardware (whether directly or indirectly), you're making a decision that the maintenance burden you're trying to avoid is more important than the environmental impact of users disposing of & buying hardware. Which... maybe it is; who am I to suggest different priorities for other people. But it would be nice for engineers and businesses to at least think about this and…

We are talking about Apple, who is willing to chop off a feature from a product just to sell you the 39$ dongle later.

The couldn't give less shits about the environment.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#38

Post by keiferski »

To play devil’s advocate here, I actually think iPhones have some of the best longevity and resale value, compared to virtually any other product or brand - except perhaps if we go back decades to appliances made near the middle of the century. The fact that a device can be perfectly usable for 5+ years is pretty good compared to most other things I find myself buying and replacing in less time.

Otherwise I think the only real “solution” to this is to rethink your notion of a phone. Personally I tend to use WhatsApp, email, and other non-phone-specific applications, and don’t use the actual phone feature very often. So theoretically I could use any small computing device and upgrade its components as needed, and not need to have a phone at all.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#39

Post by Hawxy »

chrismorgan wrote: post #36

> As far as I can tell Apple has the longest support lifetime of 6 years, followed closely by Samsung with 4 years of major Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates. Anecdote of Samsung support from a few years ago on a decidedly-not-flagship phone (just straight-up copying from a comment I wrote a couple of years ago—): In April 2019, I needed to rapidly obtain a device, and purchased a Samsung Galaxy J1…

That device very much predates Samsung's long-term support policy. I'm surprised it was even being sold at that point.

Re: Forced to upgrade

#40

Post by esskay »

thefz wrote: post #34

Wasn't EU's right to repair law also mandating at least 5 years of updates? Just make 10. With all the money these companies make, they can dedicate some people to taking care of legacy hardware.

It's sad that we consider 5-10 years to be "legacy" in any way shape or form. It does seem to very much just be at the consumer level. We've still got servers chugging away in datacenters that are pushing 15 years old and still have several years of life left in them.
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