Deep in the dark, dusty corners of your junk drawer lies a lifeless smartphone. As well as being a paperweight ever since he upgraded to that popular phone released last month, he slowly consumes himself until his battery runs out and he loses all consciousness, falling into the “death” of the smartphone.
Just like people, your smartphone has a life cycle. It is “born”. He lives.” He dies.” According to a 2011 study by Recon Analytics, the average lifespan of a phone in the United States is approximately 21.7 months. Knowing that, how many old phones do you have stashed away? Knowing that, how many old phones do you have stashed away?
If you’ve bought a smartphone in the last year, you’ve probably already noticed that your must-have super gadget feels a bit dated. And he is not alone. About seven years ago, Motorola introduced its legendary RAZR phone, which remained the best-selling mobile device on the market for five years in a row until the introduction of the first Apple iPhone. Now how archaic does the RAZR look? And how difficult is it today to imagine that a particular phone model remains the best seller for five years in a row? That would be like a smartphone released now that is still on top in 2017. Nonsense!
So how do we find ourselves in the midst of such a frenetic pace? Introducing “Android Law”. The Android Law describes rapidly changing smartphone technology. An article on CNNMoney.com described the phenomenon thus:
“He picked the Motorola (MMI) Droid when it came out in November 2009, it had the best Android device on the market. But then the twice as fast Nexus One came out in January 2010. Then the HTC Droid Incredible hit the market in April. Then in June the Evo 4G put the Droid Incredible to shame. The Samsung Galaxy S came out later that month. Then the Nexus S… You get the point.”
For the past half decade, developers have been working faster than ever to deliver products that meet an ever-increasing list of consumer demands, and technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that consumers are having trouble keeping up. Now think about this mind-boggling thought: The Ministry of the Environment found that, on average, 60-70 new smartphones are introduced every year. Sixty to seventy! Unsurprisingly, each promises to be faster, sleeker, and packed with more features, while claiming that smartphones released before them are now obsolete.
Not long ago, smart device maker HTC estimated the average lifespan of a smartphone to be three years. Now, they calculate that it is only six to nine months. I’ve had a jar of jam in my fridge longer than that. If you don’t know, a “shelf life” is the amount of time items are delivered before they are deemed unfit for sale, use, or consumption. For a smartphone, this happens when the device has passed its breakeven point.
Most experts seem to agree that this absurd cycle will calm down in the near future, which means that the lifespan of a smartphone will stop shortening because customers can’t absorb all the new products as fast as they used to and /or the market will reach its saturation. level, telling manufacturers that running them at today’s breakneck pace is no longer profitable for them.
However, it is safe to assume that we have quite a bit of time before we hit the “Great Slowdown.” According to a March 2012 study by Nielsen, a global measurement and information company, the majority (50.4%) of US wireless subscribers owned smartphones, up from 47.8% in December 2011 So until we reach saturation, more and more devices will continue to be stored in drawers across the country.
The good news is that an ever-growing list of options are available to give your device a new lease of life, like recycling! The Environmental Protection Agency created Plug-In To eCycling, a partnership program between EPA and leading consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and wireless service providers that gives people the opportunity to donate or recycle their electronics. The program’s mission is to help conserve natural resources, protect the environment from common electronic byproducts such as lead and mercury, and assist consumers in need of affordable secondhand devices.
Many big-name brands, including AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, participate in the EPA program. This allows consumers to recycle their old cell phones, batteries, chargers, and other accessories. Some of the mobile carriers, like Sprint, often give store credit to their customers who use their buy-back program.
There are also third-party options like e-Cycle, which buys back old phones and recycles the materials to keep hazardous waste out of landfills, and myPhoneMD, which refurbishes devices to provide affordable options for all consumers.
Not sure if it’s worth recycling? According to the EPA, recycling one million cell phones saves enough energy to power more than 185 American homes for one year. So dust off your old paperweight and bring it back from the dead. It still has some life left in it!