We've probably all been through it. We bought a new smart device and when we first connected it, it needs an update to work. So we end up spending hours downloading and updating before we can play with our new toy. But what happens when we can no longer update our gadgets?
vintage technology
Every year, vendors like Apple and Google add to their list of older devices that no longer receive operating system or security updates. For example, in late 2020, owners of the Pixel 2 smartphone (released by Google in 2017) were told that they would no longer receive regular system updates and security updates. Upgrading to the latest Google smartphones won't insulate you from this problem for long. Owners of the latest Pixel 5 are told to expect this device (launched in October 2020) to go classic by 2023. While Apple has a reputation for supporting Android devices longer than Google and Samsung, even owners of Apple is sometimes surprised, like users who bought the Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch 3 late last year to find that it only works with an iPhone 6s or later. Even if an OS provider still supports a device, it assumes that apps and network connections will still work for older devices, which isn't always the case.
The relentless march of technology
Technology is not what it used to be. Twenty years ago we could buy a laptop and everything worked pretty much the same for over a decade. For example, fire up an old Windows XP machine (no longer supported by Microsoft) and all of your installed Word and Excel software will be there as we left it, still available for your document and spreadsheet needs. . (We have to be careful while updating any software as it might not work on XP machine). If we want to play old computer games, there is an argument that an old machine or an old operating system will be a better choice to play because a newer machine will run the game too fast or be incompatible and unable to play. 'will not work at all. But the world of technology has changed over the past decade. More and more applications need a network connection to work or take advantage of new software or hardware features that were previously unavailable, such as augmented reality (AR), therefore they need a new device to operate.
Cables, chips and wireless networks
Even on a material level, there are concerns. Try connecting our old fitness bracelet to our new smartphone and we may find that the Bluetooth protocol it uses to communicate is no longer supported, or the servers they were using have been attacked and destroyed by hackers. . Supporters of the original smartwatch, The Pebble, found themselves on the wrong end of this situation when the company was taken over by Fitbit, which decided to shut down Pebble's servers. This effectively turned all Pebble watches into a paperweight, although an unofficial workaround was developed. Assuming the hardware is working, we might find that the network connection is dropping us. Last year, the WiFi Alliance announced a new WiFi standard, increasing speeds for countries that support it. But it's already true that older WiFi devices running on older standards can have a hard time connecting to newer networks, and even if they can, they'll likely slow down the entire network. In the world of cellular networks, parts of the old 3G network (which supposedly powers the iPhone 3G launched a little over ten years ago) have been shut down in some countries (including Australia), l 'entire service is destined for the trash . in several years. Even if we could power that old iPhone, it wouldn't get any phone service.
A call for sustainable technology
So what is the solution to this outdated, disposable technology problem? One suggestion is that manufacturers move to making devices more modular, made up of various detachable components. Components could then be replaced when they expire, just like we can with desktop computers by replacing the video card, sound card, or other components. Some manufacturers, such as Essential, Motorola, and Google, have tried this approach with a modular phone, but with limited success. The modularization process results in a bigger, bulkier device in a world where everything is thin and lean. Perhaps the best we can hope for is manufacturers working harder to recycle and upgrade devices for consumers. Companies like Apple are already doing this, with machines capable of disassembling iPhones and removing precious metals and components for recycling, but there's still work to be done. In particular, the commercial aspect of these initiatives has yet to be defined. Some service providers have trade-in agreements for old phones, but you still have to pay for a new phone. Many people try to use older devices to avoid paying for a new device after all. Until manufacturers are prepared to replace this old device with a new one out of cash, we'll likely still be living in our expiring device culture for some time. Source: The Conversation