more_beans_mrtaggart t1_j9xynls wrote on February 25, 2023 at 11:01 AM

People don’t want (for example) phones that can be upgraded. They don’t want modular replaceable parts. People want a brand new phone every few years.

How do we know this? Because there are breakthrough companies all the time popping up with products that offer this, and more. Swappable cameras, storage, etc etc, and literally nobody is interested. Nobody buys them, and the companies fail.

Samsung have always offered the XCover which has memory slot and replaceable battery, and easily removeable shell, and modular components…. and not one fucker buys them outside enterprise.

The current XCover 6 Pro has fast processor, 8gb of ram, decent screen, removable battery, etc etc for around $650 and nobody is buying it.

Literally nobody really cares about this “planned obsolescence shit apart from a few noisy whiners. If buyers cared, the corporates would too.

femmestem t1_j9z2q05 wrote on February 25, 2023 at 4:57 PM

This seems like a marketing issue. For example, I had no idea this existed.

more_beans_mrtaggart t1_j9z42ij wrote on February 25, 2023 at 5:05 PM

My kids first phones were proper agricultural. They make Nokias look flimsy.

The modern version is the Zebra TC57. They are used by supermarkets, ambulance people, police etc and are okay with being bounced around and kicked up the road etc.

Plus you can swap the batteries out like the old days. They turn up cheap on eBay or local classifieds.

PublicFurryAccount t1_ja00v8n wrote on February 25, 2023 at 8:43 PM

Marketing is wildly expensive. Companies rely heavily on their flagship products bringing people in to learn more and word of mouth from those who have learned more.

shanoshamanizum OP t1_j9xz0pp wrote on February 25, 2023 at 11:06 AM

Yes because modular lasting products are more expensive to make. If they are the same price as non-lasting products it will be a different story. That's why small companies may benefit from this model to make a breakthrough.

more_beans_mrtaggart t1_j9xzqz3 wrote on February 25, 2023 at 11:16 AM

The XCover 6 Pro is cheaper than it’s competitors, yet nobody buys it.

Nobody buys it, because nobody wants it, apart from business and healthcare. Everybody wants a Galaxy/iPhone.

Without customer demand, there’s no sales. And no sales is why these companies fold.

Again, if enough people wanted repairability/upgradeability, Samsung and Apple would make these products. They both consistently tap the markets to see what people want.

And what people actually want is longer battery life, better camera, faster processor, more camera features etc etc. Repairability isn’t even in the top 20 of customer wants.

Reddit-username_here t1_j9y3nlm wrote on February 25, 2023 at 12:08 PM

I would love a phone like that, but I'm not paying $650 for a fucking phone lol. That's absurd. If a phone is over $200, I'm not interested.

PublicFurryAccount t1_ja01fb7 wrote on February 25, 2023 at 8:47 PM

Pretty much.

The market for upgrades in every product area is limited to enthusiasts and business. It's just not worth doing, honestly, unless the device is hideously expensive and the market is fast-moving but inconsistent like PCs in the 1980s and 1990s. Otherwise either upgrades don't give enough value to be worth buying an upgrade or you basically need to upgrade everything anyway.

Battery life is a solved issue with a lot of things, now, though. Because phones and laptops aren't increasing in capability as fast, manufacturers have started to offer free or nominal cost replacement services for those components.