One thing I’ve always appreciated about my Apple devices is how they seem to last a long time. As someone who writes about technology, I’m regularly one of the first people in the Apple Store on launch day to get the latestiPhone. I’ve never felt bad about getting a new device every year, because I never just throw my old phone out. I either give it to a family member, use it as a test device, or sell it. When I replace a family member’s device or no longer need the test device, I sell, trade-in, or properlyrecycleit if the life span has been reached.
Globally, electronic waste (e-waste) is a pressing issue – generating62 million metric tonsin 2022 – and every electronics manufacturer contributes to it. In the Apple community,WindowsPCs and Chromebooks are constantly dragged on as significant contributors to this issue, as any money you save from buying a more affordable but shorter-lived device is lost pretty quickly when you have to replace it every 12 to 24 months. Obviously, plenty of well-specced PCs and Chromebooks are on the market, so blaming it all on those two is a somewhat biased point of view.
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While Apple also contributes to e-waste, unlike most other companies, it feels like Apple is making an honest effort to address its impact on the planet.100% of its operations run on renewable energy, many products use100% recycled aluminumamong other recycled rare earth metals, and as of this year, the company claims itsApple Watches are carbon-neutral– though thatmight not be entirely accurate. Apple recently published a white paper,Longevity, by Design, outlining how it’s intentionally building devices to operate for a long time.
Here’s how Apple is doing just that.
Designing the best, longest-lasting products in the world requires striking a balance between durability and repairability, while providing ongoing software updates – and we’re constantly looking for new and innovative ways to accomplish that mission.
– John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering
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Value and lifespan
Device economics
Long-sited by users, the reason they purchase Apple products is for their longevity and resale value. According to Apple, iPhones retain 40% more value than competing smartphones in major markets like the United States and Europe. Many users feel comfortable reselling their iPhones after a year or two of use and recovering a good portion of their spending on a new phone.
Apple reports that hundreds of millions of iPhones used are secondhand and five or more years old.
Meanwhile, the purchaser of a secondhand device is thrilled to be getting an iPhone at incredible value. Apple reports that hundreds of millions of iPhones used are secondhand and five or more years old. In fact, Apple devices are used longer than competing devices overall. It’s safe to assume that this trend will only continue with the impressive performance of the tech giant’s silicon.
Apple puts its devices through an exhausting array of durability tests across tens of thousands of prototypes covering everything from drops to liquid damage.
To support this lifespan, Apple puts its devices through an exhausting array of durability tests across tens of thousands of prototypes covering everything from drops to liquid damage. Because of this, liquid damage rates dropped by 75% with the introduction of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Eight generations later, it’s safe to say that there’s been an increase in the liquid durability of iPhones. Similarly, Apple has made great strides to increase the durability of the iPhone’s front glass from cracks, although the rear glass could use the same attention.
As Apple’s processors have become more powerful, the company has expanded the time operating systems are supported across older devices. Apple has undoubtedly led the industry here, pushingGoogle and Samsungto do the same. iOS 17 currently supports 24 devices dating back to models released in 2018, and macOS Sonoma supports devices released in 2017. As recently as March, Apple was still releasing patch updates for older operating systems like iOS 15, which supports devices introduced in 2015.
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The environment
Green, green iPhone
Apple has committed to turning its entire operationcarbon-neutral by 2030. It’s one thing for a company to commit to making its direct operations carbon-neutral, but it’s a much greater challenge to do the same across all its partners, suppliers, and manufacturers. Caring for the environment is essential for Apple to have a sustainable, healthy business.
100% of Apple’s operations are powered by renewable electricity.
Here are some highlights of Apple’s environmental efforts:
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Repairability
It’s improving
It’s no secret Apple has had a mixed relationship with repairability. The company had been opposed to it for a long time, wanting repairs to only occur at Apple Stores and certified repair partners. If you had asked Apple, they would’ve said it’s to maintain user experience and product quality. If you ask others, they would probably say it was to charge high prices and pressure consumers into new phones.
While not perfect, after mounting pressure, Apple has made some incredible strives in terms of device repairability, including:
Apple will allow True Tone to work with third-party displays and show health metrics for third-party batteries.
Later in 2024, Apple will allow True Tone to work with third-party displays and show health metrics for third-party batteries. By increasing repairability on their devices and access to manuals, parts, and services while also reducing the punishments users face when doing repairs themselves or through third parties, it increases a device’s lifespan and overall user satisfaction across the board.
Of course, Apple isn’t perfect either. Recently, it was reported thatApple ordered the destruction of hundreds of thousands of old iPhones. There’s still a long way to go, but compared to its competitors, Apple offers an impressive array of solutions for customers to maintain its device’s integrity while leveraging more environmentally friendly solutions.
Where is Apple’s Self Service Repair program available?
Apple’s Self Service Repair program now spans 33 countries, offering manuals and parts for 42 products.
