Apple Shares iPhone X Environmental Report

[MacRumors]

Apple today shared an iPhone X environmental report, detailing the smartphone's environmental performance as it relates to climate change, energy efficiency, material efficiency, and restricted substances.

The report reveals that the base model iPhone X generates an equivalent of 79 kilograms of carbon dioxide over its life cycle, which is the highest estimated greenhouse gas emissions of any Apple smartphone since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. 80 percent of the emissions come from production of the device.

A comparison of Apple's estimated greenhouse gas emissions for each iPhone model:iPhone X: 79kg CO2e
iPhone 8: 57kg CO2e
iPhone 8 Plus: 68kg CO2e
iPhone 7: 56kg CO2e
iPhone 7 Plus: 67kg CO2e
iPhone 6s: 54kg CO2e
iPhone 6s Plus: 63kg CO2e
iPhone 6: 95kg CO2e
iPhone 6 Plus: 110kg CO2e
iPhone 5s: 65kg CO2eApple said the iPhone X's U.S. retail packaging contains 55 percent recycled content. 100 percent of the fiber in the device's box is sourced either from recycled content, bamboo, waste sugarcane, or responsibly managed forests.

Like other models, the iPhone X has a mercury-free display made with arsenic-free glass, and it's also free of BFR, PVC, and beryllium.

iPhone X received a highest-possible gold rating from EPEAT, a program that ranks mobile phones based on environmental attributes in accordance with UL 110. All models since the iPhone SE have also achieved gold ratings.

Article Link: Apple Shares iPhone X Environmental Report

 

[ghost187]

Incase you were the thinking about recycling it

 

[kingpushup]

How does this compare to Samsung Note 8 ... or to a car per mile? Context lends importance.

Edited to add this wealth of contextual factoids:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jun/09/carbon-footprint-mobile-phone

 

[joueboy]

I do believe that iPhone X is way better for the environment compared to any phone sold in the history of mankind. Because fewer people will buy this, thefore the impact is minimal. Thank you, Apple!

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

Yet another thing that makes me glad I went with the 8 plus over the X!

 

[kingpushup]

I do believe that iPhone X is way better for the environment compared to any phone sold in the history of mankind. Because fewer people will buy this, thefore the impact is minimal. Thank you, Apple!

Sarcasm. Funny. iPhone is and has been the sellingest model of mobile phone for many years. So, X could sell ‘fewer’ and still sell more than any Samsung model, for example.

Ok, these are facts rather than your ‘history’ book written exclusively from your ‘belief.’ Again, I would be glad to get more facts of CO2e comparables from inside the mobile phone industry and from outside this industry for context. ty

 

[Maclver]

Yet another thing that makes me glad I went with the 8 plus over the X!

What did you upgrade from?

 

[nutriousmitten]

What about MSG? Any gluten? Nut free factory?

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

What did you upgrade from?

Embarrassingly, the 6.

 

[adamski23]

Embarrassingly, the 6.

I'll never understand this mode of thinking. How is owning an older generation of a smartphone embarrassing? Is the device no longer functional?

 

[69Mustang]

How does this compare to Samsung Note 8 ... or to a car per mile? Context lends importance.

Unfortunately, you'll never be able to get the context you desire. It's an Apple generated report using criteria devised by Apple. Unless the Note 8 or a car is judged using the same criteria, the comparison you want is not feasible. The closest direct comparison based on the same criteria comes from the EPEAT certification process. You can select to compare devices. Both Apple and Samsung's devices rated out as Gold. The numerical value of that Gold ranking (119 point scale)

• iPhone 8 Plus 99/119
• iPhone 8 98/119
• Galaxy Note 8 95/119
• iPhone X 93/119
• Galaxy S8 92/119
• Galaxy S8+ 92/119

Hope that helps you.

 

[osxrumours]

Restricting repairs and planned obsolesce are pretty bad contributors to environmental degradation and could be considered elephants in the room. Apple's not the worst at the latter, but it's not great. Recycling can use massive amounts of energy, which often isn't included in recycling reports. It doesn't come close to the benefits of ensuring a product is built to last - both in hardware and software.

In terms of the former, anything that forces shipping or requires entire logic boards to be replaced rather than a single component of it is not being environmentally sensitive. I can absolutely see why a business would not want to address these factors but, to me, it discredits the weight of environmental reports from the same company.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

I'll never understand this mode of thinking. How is owning an older generation of a smartphone embarrassing? Is the device no longer functional?

It's embarrassing that it was so poor in relation to the pollution it created in production.

As that is what this article is about, I thought it would be self-explanatory, but obviously not!

 

[Jsameds]

How does this compare to Samsung Note 8 ... or to a car per mile? Context lends importance.

A quick search led me to this figure, based on an average - 411g per mile, so an iPhone X over it's lifetime produces as much CO2 as your average car driving 192.2 miles.

https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle-0

 

[Jynto]

I wonder how the poor yield rates affect this statistic. They're producing many more components, which they then have to throw away, just so they can stuff the few good ones they have into the iPhone X's notch. That has to have an impact.

 

[adamski23]

It's embarrassing that it was so poor in relation to the pollution it created in production.

As that is what this article is about, I thought it would be self-explanatory, but obviously not!

Fair enough and I apologize for misunderstanding your context as I had not read your earlier response.

 

[Ronald Reagan]

Yet another thing that makes me glad I went with the 8 plus over the X!

But the trees are sad.

iPhone X = happy trees. Somewhere Bob Ross is smiling.

 

[Jeremy1026]

How does this compare to Samsung Note 8 ... or to a car per mile? Context lends importance.

Edited to add this wealth of contextual factoids:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jun/09/carbon-footprint-mobile-phone

Burning 1 gallon of gasoline is about 8.87kg of CO2e, so an iPhone X is similar to driving about 200 miles (depending on your cars fuel economy.)

 

[Iconoclysm]

Incase you were the thinking about recycling it

Would be nice to see something related to those of us in the iPhone upgrade program. Not sure where the phones end up when we trade them in every year.
[doublepost=1506697488][/doublepost]

I do believe that iPhone X is way better for the environment compared to any phone sold in the history of mankind. Because fewer people will buy this, thefore the impact is minimal. Thank you, Apple!

Don't be surprised if this is the most popular of the three new phones.

 

[brendu]

I do believe that iPhone X is way better for the environment compared to any phone sold in the history of mankind. Because fewer people will buy this, thefore the impact is minimal. Thank you, Apple!

You think the iPhone X will sell fewer units than windows 10 mobile devices??

 

[Hater]

Restricting repairs and planned obsolesce are pretty bad contributors to environmental degradation and could be considered elephants in the room. Apple's not the worst at the latter, but it's not great. Recycling can use massive amounts of energy, which often isn't included in recycling reports. It doesn't come close to the benefits of ensuring a product is built to last - both in hardware and software.

In terms of the former, anything that forces shipping or requires entire logic boards to be replaced rather than a single component of it is not being environmentally sensitive. I can absolutely see why a business would not want to address these factors but, to me, it discredits the weight of environmental reports from the same company.

Interesting thought: We have the 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 7, 8 etc. Same case.

Like back in the day when you got your Classic upgraded to a Classic SE with a mainboard change, perhaps in the future an S upgrade could be done on the board level rather than replacing entire devices?

 

[now i see it]

My iPhone in my pocket is killing polar bears. But then every polar bear killed is less polar bear farts. So maybe I'm carbon neutral?

 

[Dissonance]

I'm more bothered about how much the phone's notch pollutes the screen.

 

[NachoGrande]

If you look at the stats for infrastructure required to run the phone, this number is way off...

 

[Gatnus]

I do believe that iPhone X is way better for the environment compared to any phone sold in the history of mankind. Because fewer people will buy this, thefore the impact is minimal. Thank you, Apple!

So sell some AAPL stock short - I love watching shorts getting burned