After all, do manufacturers prepare their devices to last less than they should and force you to buy another one? This was the conclusion of a project that ended with fine to Apple in Chile. In this case, the idea was not that the Apple had prepared their devices to break, but “broke” with an operating system update that made their old devices slower. After all, was that really the intention? Is there planned obsolescence in cell phones?
Fernando Moulin, business partner at Sponsorb, a business performance consultancy, professor and specialist in digital transformation and customer experience, points out that it is a fact that each and every electronic device has an estimated useful life, the parameters of which depend on various factors: quality of components, consumer usage habits, exposure to deterioration factors, among others.
“The warranty process itself and the value chain associated with repairs (technical assistance and the like) depend partially on these parameters for their planning and offering of products and services,” says Moulin, who believes that planned obsolescence is just speculation. “Quality manufacturers are more concerned with providing an excellent experience to their customers, which encourages the repurchase of the same brand of device when a new, more technologically advanced model is launched.”
The Consumer Journey
When planning to buy a cell phone, not all consumers consider the possibility of obsolescence (planned or otherwise). However, Moulin points out that there are people, called early adopters, who are concerned about this factor. “I know people who immediately change their smartphone when a new product is released so that they always have the most up-to-date version. Similarly, there are people who do the same with their cars,” says the expert.
Price, features (camera and memory), average battery life, size and weight of the device are among the topics that consumers take most into account when changing their cell phone, according to Moulin's experience.
The arrival of the 5G network should impact the choice of devices and the issue of obsolescence, since smartphones have become increasingly fundamental to people's programming and, according to Fernando Moulin, in times of accelerated digitalization, having a better or worse device will make a difference.
How to ensure?
Consumer protection institutions, such as Procon, are always keeping an eye on what manufacturers do to prevent abuses that could harm the consumer. That is why LG has been notified as to the question of Updates planned for consumers who, without knowing that the factory would end its production, purchased a device from the brand.
Another option the consumer has is take out insurance and, according to Daniel Hatkoff, CEO of Pitzi and a specialist in cell phone insurance, there is no age limit on the purchase of the service, as long as the device is in perfect working order.
Insurance would even help in the case of planned obsolescence and discontinuation. “This is perhaps one of the most important points because a device that is going to cease to exist usually starts to have difficulty finding parts and assistance in the event of an unforeseen event. Extending the life of the device through a protection plan is super valuable,” says Hatkoff.
The manufacturer is obliged to provide the consumer with a one-year manufacturing warranty, even in the case of devices that are no longer manufactured. As time goes by, the support network becomes smaller, parts become scarcer and repair times become longer.
It is also worth remembering that operating system, application and software updates can become cumbersome for certain cell phones and the volume of data ends up hindering the use of the device, “forcing” the purchase of a newer model. This, according to Hatkoff, cannot be considered planned obsolescence, since it is part of technological advances that are beyond the manufacturer’s control and intention to sell more.
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