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How long until your smartphone dies?
As much as many of us depend on our smartphone there will be a day that it dies and we have to get a new one. FOX 26 Business Reporter Tom Zizka says mobile devices are designed that way and there's a new tool to help plan for when it happens.
HOUSTON - As much as many of us depend on our smartphones, there will be a day that it "dies" and we have to get a new one. It's called "planned obsolescence", where products are purposely designed to become obsolete so that we have to buy something new and fresh. Manufacturers don't, generally, admit to the practice, but there are some clues as to when it'll happen and a new tool that can help.
Mobile devices are a huge business. The industry says almost 92% of Americans use one, generating $102 billion dollars in revenue, each year. It's a lot of money for something that will 'not' last.
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Houston tech expert Beth Guide says mobile devices are designed and planned to, ultimately, fail. "This is a way to sell a new phone," she says. But there are real-world reasons why. Smartphones and mobile devices are built of components that have limitations, like batteries, chips, and sensors, that degrade with time and physical stress.
So, how long will yours last? If you can decipher manufacturer 'codes' and fine-print, they'll tell you. But a new website offers the work, for free, to determine the 'end of life' for your device or operating system. Endoflife.com tracks 268 products, outlining how long each is expected to last and when support will end.
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Guide says there's a purpose to pull the plug and move on; modern security may not work on outdated devices. "There is a reason to, actually, get rid of those phones, because they're security hazards," she says, "If you're actually 'using' it, there's a problem."
The average lifespan for a smartphone is two-and-a-half years. IPhones last four to eight years, Samsung three to six years, and Google Pixel three to five years. It's important to note that a phone's 'lifespan' starts when it was built, and not when you bought it, so your years of use may be shorter than you expect.
And, when you get rid of a device, make sure it's erased of your personal information, before letting it go. Check your device here.