Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, other things cause e-waste. Sometimes worse. That's not a good justification for more e-waste.
It's a ring. It's a tiny amount of waste.
Not when millions of people buy it
Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
461–470 of 615 posts
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#462Earlier quoted context omitted.
We regularly get contacted by people in Europe who want to buy our product, but we haven't been providing support due to the cost of certs, and other regulatory needs (medical/wellness device). We want to help people in the EU, but with laws like replaceable batteries, it's going to push us further and further away from being able to do that. Our product is designed to be refurbished, but not user-replaceable. At the…
Speaking personally, I've never broken/damaged a phone. Since the Pixel 1 started requiring removal of the screen in order to swap the battery, 100% of my phone replacements have been because the battery isn't good anymore. (Granted, I would've gotten a new phone eventually regardless, when the old one stopped receiving security updates.) Currently trying to stretch a Pixel 7 until 2027.
> (Granted, I would've gotten a new phone eventually regardless, when the old one stopped receiving security updates.)
And that's why the EU also mandate a 5-years software support period (and I wish it was even more).
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#463Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And buying the newest thing every year is kinda frowned upon here in the EU now. Is there any evidence that Europeans aren’t buying new phones at the same rate that they used to?
Some sources say so, e.g. "Declining Replacement Cycles Among Consumers" on https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-sma... And https://www.unibocconi.it/en/news/disposable-smartphones-tri... has replacement cycles in Italy going up. Anecdotally, 2023/24 all media in Germany was full of ads for shops trading refurb phones. Most of those talked lower prices, but some mentioned sustainability.
The first article does not look to be informative; it values the EU smartphone market at around 465 million USD, which is impossibly low. If you assume a smartphone is valued at $1,000, a market of that size would only amount to 465,000 devices sold; this is around 0.01% of the EU’s population.
The second article links to a paper which appears to be more informative (though it has not been peer reviewed):
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5117319
Notably:
> For example, in the United States, the average expected life span (replacement cycle length) of consumer and enterprise smartphones was 2.67 and 2.54 years, respectively, in 2023, while in the UK almost 30% of surveyed consumers use their smartphone up to two years and 41% up to 4 years.
and
> Furthermore, evidence shows that European, American and Chinese consumers have reduced the replacement rate of their smartphones, increasing their average life cycle (see Figure 1). These data suggest that consumer preferences are changing, and new opportunities arise for companies who want to find new profitable ways to meet the needs of their customers.
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#464Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#465Earlier quoted context omitted.
Its going to be interesting to see what will happen with Airpods and the like…
I don't think it will be possible to make wireless earbuds or a ring with replaceable batteries without seriously compromising the ergonomics of fitting onto or into the human body. I have a pair of earbuds designed to be as diminutive for sleeping comfortably and I have no idea how you would do that with a replaceable battery even if Airpod sized devices can be done.
The Fairbuds proved that it's possible.
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#466Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries Article 11 Removability and replaceability of portable batteries and LMT batteries 1. Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those batteries are readily removable and replaceable by the end-user at any time during th…
We regularly get contacted by people in Europe who want to buy our product, but we haven't been providing support due to the cost of certs, and other regulatory needs (medical/wellness device). We want to help people in the EU, but with laws like replaceable batteries, it's going to push us further and further away from being able to do that. Our product is designed to be refurbished, but not user-replaceable. At the…
My personal experience: Electric toothbrush and razor. I especially hate the razors, you can replace the head, they could last a lifetime, but the battery is practically dead after two years. Toothbrushes are improving, the last one has 3 years of service and still work ok.
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#467Earlier quoted context omitted.
> We want to help people in the EU, but with laws like replaceable batteries, it's going to push us further and further away from being able to do that. We want to help people, but only if and when it’s profitable for us to do so on terms we decide for you.
> We want to help people, but only if and when it’s profitable for us If s/he is running a company and not a charity, this is responsible, understandable, and predictable.
Yes, and that's exactly why we need regulations, and can't leave it to the market!
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#468"No charging: The battery lasts for up to years of average use. After the end of its life, send your ring back to us for recycling."
This is terrible. This is literally e-waste. They are literally asking people to buy a product that is discardable.
Besides, why not just put a dedicated button on the pebble to do exactly this? I don't even get the purpose of this device when the device they ideally want it to live with, could do exactly the same thing but much better in every way without carrying a ring around: At least in some cultures, men don't usually wear rings without a clear significance.
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#469Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's hyperbole and I think you know it. I'm pretty sure they explicitly exclude medical devices.
It's not hyperbole at all. Fortunately, your link basically says it doesn't apply to something you wear on your hands or arms: > By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the following products incorporating portable batteries may be designed in such a way as to make the battery removable and replaceable only by independent professionals: > (a) appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that…
Hearing aids have had replaceable batteries since they were invented basically. I still remember my grandma 20 years ago fiddling with the small batteries, so that really is not a problem.
Re: Pebble Index 01 – External memory for your brain
#470Earlier quoted context omitted.
As long as their batteries are replaceable, that’s fine, and if not, they will not be legally allowed to be sold in Europe. What point is it that you’re trying to make?
What difference does it make if you can replace the batteries in a toy the animal loses interest in within 20 minutes?
Then don't buy it? I'm not buying these toys, and why would I?