Cast away

It’s been said that everything has a shelf life. From food to vehicles, we tend to use various items until they are no longer useful, or in some cases, until the wheels literally fall off. The same can be said about certain forms of technology; mobile phones in particular.

Experts state that we are becoming increasingly glued to our smartphones. Over time, they have made the impossible possible by combining the functions of several devices into one tidy little package. We use – and sometimes abuse – them constantly, and it eventually gets to the point where they must be replaced because of heavy use or damage. 

The concept of new devices replacing older ones is nothing new; we as a society have been doing it forever. But what becomes of the older devices, especially if they are still perfectly functional?

Recently, we saw the debut of Samsung’s latest offering, the Galaxy S7 Edge. An aggressive promotional campaign touting the launch of the device, plus its new and improved features has been making the rounds through television and Internet advertisements. Owners of the S6 Edge, which is now only about a year old, are probably gazing in wonder at these ads and thinking, “Boy, I could sure use one of those.” 

But whither the S6? Some of the people viewing these ads are likely in need of a new phone because their old has seen better days, or perhaps they are eligible for an upgrade, but several more see a fancy new phone and immediately have to get it. And this comes at the expense of a device that once again, has nothing wrong with it. 

These rapid releases of new smartphones are contributing to the notion of a throw-away society. A company releases a new product one year, and a year – sometimes less – later, they have something new. Samsung isn’t the only company guilty of this; Apple is as well, and some may argue that their near-annual release of a new iPhone set the precedent.

My primary issue with this is that people are willing to throw a functional device away in order to replace it with a new one just because it’s new. And not only that, but they’re willing to shell out close to $1,000 just to get the satisfaction of being among the first to own this new device. Worse still, these same people are also willing to queue up outside a store for hours – sometimes even camping out overnight – just to procure this new phone. It boggles the mind.

I am presently the owner of an iPhone 4S, a device that was originally released on October 14, 2011. As I write this, it is nearing its fifth birthday. In tech industry years, a newcomer to age categories that include dog and cat years, that is an eternity. Friends see me with this relic in hand and ask, “So, when are you getting a new phone already?” My response is always the same – “There is nothing wrong with this one, and I will get a new phone when I can find a good enough deal. I am not willing to spend an obscene amount of money on a new device simply because it’s new.”

This response has generated the odd scoff over the years, but I’m unfazed by it. I don’t have money to waste, and I would rather wait for some sort of rebate before I finally bite the bullet and put my workhorse 4S out to pasture. And this comes from the same person whose iPod dates back to 2009, and whose computer has used the same speakers for 12 years.

Change is inevitable in the rapidly evolving tech space. What’s good today could be yesterday’s news in as little as a few days. As much as I doth protest it, people will continue to replace functional devices with new ones just to show off to their friends or for the sheer “coolness” factor. 

We are truly living in a throw-away world today, and as long as the tech giants continue to churn out new products, the buzz will follow. Sure, wallets might be lighter, paychecks spent and bank accounts drained, but that brand new phone will be ours. And in a year or less, it will be discarded, in accordance with the cycle.