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Fairbuds are Fairphone’s proof that we really could make better tiny gadgets (arstechnica.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

206 comments fedilink hide all child comments

But of course we all know that the big manufacturers don't do this not because they can't but because they don't want to. Planned obsolescence is still very much the name of the game, despite all the bullshit they spout about sustainability.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Manufacturers of what? Selling and replacing car parts is a much different proposition than trying to replace semiconductors inside an earbud.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

If the thing you're selling costs $100,000, a separate parts stream makes sense, because the skilled labor that goes into replacing parts in a used device is worth the cost, compared to throwing it all away and starting with the new thing.

If the thing costs $100 and skilled worker time is at $50/hour, there's just not much room for repairs to be cost effective, and repairs then become more of a reflection of one's internal values around reducing waste or tinkering for fun than an economically feasible activity.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Anything that's repairable is by component (main board, sound card, battery, camera, case, etc.). It was nice when we could swap batteries in cellphones. I have a Samsung S24 Ultra that came with a promise of 7 years of updates but the battery will degrade well before that and will cost $200-300 to pay a repair shop to replace because of the need of specialized tools. With my old Samsung Note 1, I could get a new battery for $20.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Why do you think they all opposed right to repair?

And specifically, right to open repair? They’ll happily send you a $600 TPM-locked biometric sensor, because they would control the market and ROI, but won’t let you buy a $90 alternative from someone else.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

What? Why would the battery replacement cost $200-300? That seems a bit out there; authorised Apple resellers here replaces iPhone batteries for $80, that's work and battery. That's digestible at least, but still unreasonable in my opinion. I'd prefer to return to the days of feature phones where you could slip off the back and just slot in a new battery you picked up at the local electric parts store for $15-30.