UK Environmental Committee Says Apple Contributing to 'Throwaway Culture' of 'Short-Lived Products'

[w5jck]

What Apple is doing is what all manufacturers of smartphones, tablets, computers, etc. do. Do the Europeans go after the non-American companies like they do Apple? It seems the don't... I'm not an Apple fanboy by any means, but I’m definitely against the Europeans bashing American companies simply because they are American. Apple devices tend to last a long time, and since they are in high demand even a few years old, they often get sold to new owners rather than recycled. Maybe they should kick Samsung in the gonads instead. They produce way more new models each year than Apple does, and their products don't seem to have the longeveity of Apple products.

 

[InuNacho]

I work in a small corporate e-waste facility doing sales and IT, most of our customers are data centers and offices where IT equipment is used and abused. That being said nothing brings more joy to me than swapping a bad ram module or SSD on a HP, Dell, Lenovo etc and bringing a system back to life. Once its refurbished I sell it and it can most likely last years to come thanks to Windows 10 officially supporting most hardware circa 2008ish.

One of the pieces of equipment we get frequently are the HP ProDesk/EliteDesk Mini Series. I consider these to be the HP equivalent to a Mac Mini but unlike the Mac Mini is 100% repairable by the end user with 1x NVMe, 1x 2.5 inch, socketed CPU, etc.

Oh and unlike Apple, HP has created numerous guides on how to properly repair your hardware.

 

[needsomecoffee]

So tired of Apple's PR-focused Environment hypocrisy. This is a true finding. Apple lead, and continues to foster huge environmental losses due to not providing an true enviro-friendly option. Of course most MR readers will ignore all this and flame away at posts like this as they continue to praise Apple no matter what, never really research things, and admire their SOTA phones. Apple long ago could have developed a second line of products similar to what the Fairphone folks have accomplished. This would give consumers who care THE OPTION of not contributing to people living shortened lives in China's rare earth producing areas. This would, though, mean a little less top-line revenue over the years, and would have much more greatly focused people's attention on the impacts of disposable devices. The latter is the most important point. Tim and Apple will never do this because this would remove some of the Apple-Enviro-Halo messaging shine. I'd love to see a photo of Tim and Lisa visiting this location:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth

We know that will never happen.

 

[leman]

The committee doesn't understand that a modern integrated compute device is not a washing machine. As long as these devices are properly recycled instead of tossed out onto dumps in developing countries, I see no problem with the low repairability of Apple products.

 

[bransoj]

Prior to getting my first iPhone i would count down the days to be able to swap each year and have Nokia phones piling up in drawers not getting used....since getting my first iPhone which was a 3GS i've only swapped three times.

I've had the 3GS late 2009 which i swapped to an iPhone 5 at launch day then swapped to a 6S the January after they launched and last week swapped to a 12 from that phone. Reckon thats 4 phones since late 2009 to go with the iPad 3rd Gen i've had since late 2011\early 2012 time.

These things just last longer especially with the support they get in terms of iOS updates plus they are sellable if you do want to upgrade or pass them onto other folk. For a while after getting my 6S i carried on using the iPhone 5 just as a music device hooked up to my car which got another 6 months use out of it!

 

[latts]

Soldering and glueing forces people to use apple approved repair centres and/or have applecare+ for their products it does not contribute to people's throw away nature. Just because something is soldered does not mean you throw it away and as some commented, they have a very good recycling policy. I mean I still have a 2006 17" MBP which I used as a media server up until 1 year ago when my old 2011 13" MBA took over.

They really are looking at one statement and taking a huge leap to another! Ridiculous comment

 

[jeffg819]

Well, technically Apple was born in UK as Apple wouldn't probably be Apple without Jonny Ive. ;-)

So why did Johnny move across the pond?

 

[CWallace]

The only two components really "repairable" on an iPhone or iPad are the display and the battery. Yes, there are some repair shops that can repair and replace surface-mount components on the system boards, but realistically, those types of repairs need to go back to Apple (especially for proprietary components like the A-series SoC, the FaceID/TouchID module and such).

Slathering the battery in adhesive does make it a pain in the arse to remove and repair, but it does help it serve as structural reinforcement of the device frame to improve rigidity and it also prevents the battery pack from moving and possibly (even if the chance is extremely rare) of being damaged by other components.

As for the glass, I believe that Apple bonds it the way they do to help with structural reinforcement, as well, which is why it needs special tools to properly remove and replace it (for calibration).

So while their production process hinders end-user / third-party repairability of the screen and battery, it's not just to be arseholes. There are benefits to the device in doing it that way. And remember, making it harder to repair affects Apple, as well. They need to develop these tools to do the repairs (and they do sell them to authorized third-party repair shops) and it adds time and cost to their own repair and reclamation process.

 

[PlayUltimate]

The technology in most products continues to change rapidly and the manufacturing processes have gotten more efficient. Trying to repair a product requires the manual disassembly and part replacement. The labor costs of most repairs is what drives the expense.
Just take a look at the cost breakdown of a simple auto repair.

 

[MauiPa]

It’s not just a problem with Apple, or electronics. So many things are simply not meant to last. Cheap products from China and all sorts of products under the sun are just made to last as short a time as possible before being useless. My grandmother had things that lasted a lifetime

True, but is it even possible to use a phone that is 20 years old. OK maybe that is a stretch, say 10, technology does change. At some point the world moves on

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

Yes, many of the things Apple does is just "how it has become" with every electronics manufacturer. But Apple takes many specific steps to prevent repairs for absolutely no good reason. For example, using glue to secure the battery to the top case instead of screws or pull-tab adhesive is just wrong. The battery is going to go bad at some point before the rest of the device fails, and you can't replace it unless you bring it to Apple so they can more or less give you a new computer and make you pay for it too.

Your post sounds like it's been written by someone whose never owned an Apple device.

iFixIt score the iPhone 12 6/10 for repairability (double that of the Note 20 Ultra, I might add).

If Apple are, as you say, "preventing" repairs, then why are their devices relatively easy to take apart with an inexpensive set of tools? The batteries are indeed glued in, but can be removed by using the pull strips - if they fail (which they do some of the time) then a drop or two of isopropyl alcohol will dissolve the glue and let release the battery. And, the devices are pretty modular - if something dies, it can be replaced without needing to "just recycle it".

I wouldn't ever recommend anyone takes apart their iPhone without careful consideration - but it is definitely something that people can do with a steady hand and a bit of patience.

I get new Apple kit, then propagate down the older stuff to my family - virtually all of the Apple gear that I've bought over the past 12 years still works fine. Warranty and out of warranty repairs were painless, and not overly expensive at all (in my opinion).

 

[MRrainer]

Apple is singled out in this report (and so many others) because nobody cares if they single out Samsung washing-machines or Microsoft Surface laptops/tablets (the former have a habit of braking just after the warranty has run out while the later have worse iFixit scores than iPhones, IIRC). Or Dell laptops.

But mention Apple in a press-release and the global news-cycles takes notice and pushes it to the front-page because of click-worthyness.

 

[BruceEBonus]

It’s The Guardian. It’s what they do. Our Government have bigger problems to discuss before this. Namely the mess of its “handling” of the panicdemic since January for one ....

 

[himanshumodi]

While it's a good thing to push Apple to make repairing of their products more cost effective, and really possible in the first place - the throwaway bit is down to the individual consumer. I have only every sold my Apple products in great working condition after getting a lot of use out of them. My iPad2 lasted me for 8 years or so. My iPad 4 gave out last month after a drop. My iPad Air 2 is going strong. All iphones sold or handed down after about 3 years use. That's pretty stellar.

The only product that has real short life is Airpods - they are quite unusable after 2.5 years. And no easy way to change the battery.

 

[5232152]

They offer trade in, recycle and refurb devices...?

But no way to fix your phone yourself with superglue and soldering and, expensive parts for third party repair stores...?

 

[StevieD100]

Yes, many of the things Apple does is just "how it has become" with every electronics manufacturer. But Apple takes many specific steps to prevent repairs for absolutely no good reason. For example, using glue to secure the battery to the top case instead of screws or pull-tab adhesive is just wrong. The battery is going to go bad at some point before the rest of the device fails, and you can't replace it unless you bring it to Apple so they can more or less give you a new computer and make you pay for it too.

Very true. I had to replace a whole washing machine because of a bearing that was wearing out. I could get a replacement bearing but no one nor any company would do the repair for less than the cost of a brand new machine. This was a mechanical failure. Nothing to do with electronics. This was a machine made by a European maker.

The committee really needs to take a wider view of the whole issue of repairability of consumer goods not just electronics. With the EU voting to allow 'Right to repair', companies are going to have to change their designs and manufacture in order to comply.

 

[Polaroid]

But no way to fix your phone yourself with superglue and soldering and, expensive parts for third party repair stores...?

Yeah but tbh... how many people know how to self repair..? What if they break it more or can’t fix it?

I guess this also affects retailers that offer repairs, but personally I don’t particularly trust them - i’d rather send my repair to an authorized apple retail store as i’ll be guaranteed genuine hardware and warranty.

Maybe i’m just a bit thick with this issue but meh i’d rather Apple repaired my devices lol

 

[djcerla]

NONSENSE.

My mother uses a 2008 iMac, and my iPhone 4 is still in use.

They're the most durable consumer tech, period.

 

[hugodrax]

Still have a functional 2015 ipad pro and 2012 mac mini seems like they are not throw away devices.

 

[asiga]

They forgot the most important thing: obsolescence by OS updates. I would still be using my 1st gen iPhone SE if they didn't make it impossible to stay in old iOS versions. If newer iOS releases where only security-related, it would be fine, but they keep adding more and more features that are very CPU-demanding, and old iPhones tend to get hot and drain battery because of high CPU usage in newer iOS versions.

At least they should provide a way for testing a new iOS version and go back to an older one if it's too demanding for your older device. But they don't allow. Why? You know it: by not being able to go back to older versions, people have no remedy but throwing away their device and buy a new one. And the current Apple business depends on this: frequent purchases. Then they pretend to be "environmental friendly", and they try to make it credible by showing off a leftist-like catalog of phrases and messages.

Any Mac veteran will remember that Apple was not like this in the beginning: You didn't update when your machine worked fine. For that reason, old Macs were very environmental friendly: it was rare that a Mac lasted less than 10 years. Now everything is buy, buy, buy, update, update, update, throw away, throw away, throw away, buy, buy, buy... and that's the trend.... and then they say they use "recycled aluminum"... an old Mac made of more contaminant materials but that lasted for a decade is far more environmental friendly than buying a new device every year no matter if it's recycled aluminum.

 

[ruka.snow]

I work in a small corporate e-waste facility doing sales and IT, most of our customers are data centers and offices where IT equipment is used and abused. That being said nothing brings more joy to me than swapping a bad ram module or SSD on a HP, Dell, Lenovo etc and bringing a system back to life. Once its refurbished I sell it and it can most likely last years to come thanks to Windows 10 officially supporting most hardware circa 2008ish.

One of the pieces of equipment we get frequently are the HP ProDesk/EliteDesk Mini Series. I consider these to be the HP equivalent to a Mac Mini but unlike the Mac Mini is 100% repairable by the end user with 1x NVMe, 1x 2.5 inch, socketed CPU, etc.

Oh and unlike Apple, HP has created numerous guides on how to properly repair your hardware.

Its great and all but we can't stifle innovation and increase power consumption just on the off chance the 1% of buyers will want to swap the RAM or SSD out. The new Mac mini consumes very little power and performs very well, replacing tens of millions of PCs with these Mac minis or similar low power devises would result in a significant reductions in power draw.

Keeping an old PC running isn't always great in the long run.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Apple is Right every other is wrong.
😆
Tesla Batterie lasts 15 years easily - Apple needs repair program after 3 years

yeah Apple is a Great Company using its engineering power for our all 😌

 

[Mitochris]

This is true, but Apple balances that by offering replacement rather than repair for a significant portion of their warranted products. The benefit to the customer is immediate resolution rather than waiting for a repair.

But Apple does not then just toss the defective product in the dust-bin, but sends it back for formal repair (where the longer repair time is not an issue) or reclamation of usable components and recycling of non-reclaimable components.

Yes and no. I have an old iPad mini (version 1 or 2) but it wouldn't charge anymore unless you do some ninja charging cable balance. I guess it just needs replacement of the dock. Repair is apparently not possible and they would replace it for quite a lot of money, which was not worth it.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

Yes, many of the things Apple does is just "how it has become" with every electronics manufacturer. But Apple takes many specific steps to prevent repairs for absolutely no good reason. For example, using glue to secure the battery to the top case instead of screws or pull-tab adhesive is just wrong. The battery is going to go bad at some point before the rest of the device fails, and you can't replace it unless you bring it to Apple so they can more or less give you a new computer and make you pay for it too.

Oh, and "trade in and recycle" is great but you know what's better? Being able to replace the broken ribbon cable without having to buy a whole new screen and then being able to continue to use the computer for another 3 years. Or being able to swap out the battery yourself. It's REDUCE reuse recycle. Reduce the need to have to buy a new on first, by making it repairable for when it inevitably fails. Remember those horrible butterfly keyboards you paid so much for? Yeah you couldn't even replace a SINGLE KEY on them. And the entire keyboard was riveted in. With hundreds of rivets. I don't think that's okay. I wonder what Apple would have to say about that. Just recycle it! Oh yeah, I bought a computer instead of a new car – but hey, they F key broke! I'll just recycle the whole computer! Environment yay! Money yay!

PS: Oh and one year warranty, Apple. When every other company gives you two years minimum, but usually 3 years if you register on their website. That means all other companies will guarantee that their products will last 3 times longer than Apple's, and if they don't, they'll take responsibility and fix it for free. What will Apple do? Suggest you recycle it.

It's not just "how it has become". As an industry leader, Apple is largely responsible for its trends.
Don't forget that Apple released the first phones without removable batteries whereas the European market back then was full of phones where you just needed to lift the back case to remove the battery.
I don't see much of a reason, specially in MacBooks, for batteries to be so difficult to remove.

Sadly, that's a trend I've seen in every industry. My WH-1000XM2 headphones are repairable, however genuine parts are so prohibitively expensive that it just leads people to purchase the newer models.

 

[jayducharme]

Maybe we should have an H.G. Wells steampunk-style aesthetic to all our devices. Make them big and beefy with gears and springs so that we can repair them. Screens can be made of multicolor wood blocks that flip to show images.