Opinion – Are gadget life cycles too short?
Shiny gadget gets launched, shiny gadget starts to age, new gadget with better features arrives, once shiny gadget is retired to the knacker's yard. It's the circle of life, as a certain bespectacled pianist once sang. But is it now happening too quickly? Tellies and Walkmans used to last years; now some gadgets, most notably Android phones, are old hat before you've even got them out of the store.
Is this new throwaway culture a bad thing for gadget lovers and the environment? Or is it the realisation of the early adopter dream, and only really harmful to the tech addict's wallet? Let us know in the comments below and you could feature in the July issue of Stuff (on shelves 1st June).
Comments
Clifton Slim
2 years ago
Android phones are replaced much too often. It would be a shame if in future the only HTC gadget with the longevity to be called a classic was the i-mate JASJAM.
nicknicknickm
2 years ago
We all want the latest, fastest, most cool gadgets. Sorry but it is the way of the world!
Hugh Jarse
2 years ago
The Android phone lifecycle is ludicrous. I quite like the fairly predictable Apple refresh cycle. It is usually about a year between versions. You have a pretty good idea when the next one will be out, so can plan purchases quite well.
ZedFactor
2 years ago
Taking a broad view of the industry, yes. It's not the way of the world, it's the way of the West, and constantly producing new stuff - at huge cost in terms of natural resources - to replace stuff that works perfectly well and in any case merely satisfies a fleeting and impermanent desire in spoiled Western consumers like us is pretty outrageous - and that's without even taking into consideration issues of waste and landfill (and, by the way, recycling things uses fuel and resources, too). However, on a more personal level, I WANT MORE STUFF.
Anthony Galbraith
2 years ago
The problem with short gadget lifecycles isn't that new stuff is constantly being produced, it's that it isn't really all that new. It's just last year's thing with a slightly better screen and a new marketing campaign. I'll fork out for something that packs genuinely new technology, though, like NFC or glasses-free 3D.
Rufus Harrington
2 years ago
The technology is there now for a manufacturer to make a super-phone that lasts six years rather than six months. Will we ever really need a smartphone with more than a dual-core processor? I think people would pay a premium for that to avoid the hassle of upgrading every year.
Clay
1 year ago
Innovation of technology is already been in our system. Upgrading newest gadgets is not merely a surprise for us but recently I heard a report of a brand new survey about new technology and Americans respectively. A brand new survey asks what we are reluctant to give up saving money. It seems the majority of us will keep out technology, even in an economic downturn. Internet connections and cell phones have grown to be necessary staples in our technological age. The proof is here: Personalmoneynetwork.com/moneyblog
maggiefox
1 year ago
There are so many of these wonderful tech gadgets around you can never be sure which one you'd like to pickup. For my laptop I am looking for best broadband dongles. Not sure where to pick one from.
racking
1 year ago
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JamesCoward
1 year ago
It is great to have the opportunity to read a good quality article with useful information on topics that plenty are interested on.
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