Rant of the day: Planned Obsolescence

[Ginevra]

I pride myself on using things fully and well. I try to waste little. I'm not a believer in continuous upgrades. But I think I'm being targeted by Verizon's planned obsolescence. 

 

Just a smidge over two years ago, I joined the masses and bought a smartphone. It's a Samsung Stratosphere, if you care. I expected this to be an intelligent choice. I expected to use it for many years, because that's how I roll. I don't care if I can play Angry Birds and I'm not worried about having the newest, greatest, most amazing, cutting-edge gadget invented 10 seconds ago. 

 

Now that I've passed the 2-year mark and I'm bombarded with oh-so-fortunate offers to upgrade my ancient, pre-historic phone, the thing suddenly WORKS. LIKE. CRAP. It loads slower than my grandmother getting into the SUV. Do you think it's a conspiracy? Do you think Verizon (et al.) makes updates that will corrupt the phone the instant it turns two-years-old? Is there any way around this other than forgoing smartphones? 

[Ottakee]

I don't know if it is a planned or not but it seems like that. Many new phones don't have batteries you can replace either.......hence paying them big $$$ to replace the battery for you........or getting that latest smart phone for a discount......with the 2 year contract.

[MooCow]

Yup. That's why we buy unlocked phones.

[SebastianCat]

I bought the Samsung Stratosphere as well, and it died in November - just 2 months before I am "eligible" for an upgrade.  I was NOT a happy camper.   I, too, just wanted a *working* phone with occasional access to email, calendar, etc. - not a whole slew of apps, not for streaming videos.   It started getting very hot and running slow a couple months beforehand, then when it died it went into a reboot loop and never recovered.

 

I am currently borrowing an old Blackberry from a family member until that magical 2 year date comes in January.   Then I'm getting an iPhone, because they WORK.   DH got an iPhone the same time I got my Samsung, and he's had no problems at all.   I refuse to pay $600+ for a new phone when I can get one for $199 in a month....even though it means another 2 years with a contract.

 

I'd go along with your consipracy theory. 

[Guest]

Quite possibly. I might even say "probably" on a private message. ;)

 

I have no experience whatsoever but I sympathize. If you can connect to wifi, it still works as a mini-tablet even without service. You could try putting Ubuntu on it:

 

http://www.ubuntu.com/phone

 

If you don't have the technical knowledge to hack the smartphone, the only way you're likely to get it is by doing the best you can and not beating yourself up too much if you brick hardware that you're not going to be able to use anyway.

[Lara in Colo]

I have sort of the opposite issue.

My dinosaur still works and my plan is great!

 

They keep offering me upgrades and free phones to get me off my plan (which is grandfathered in).

I want to have a newer phone that is still a dinosaur so I can fend off the invading hordes just a little while longer (I feel them at the door)

[LucyStoner]

This is why I buy old, well working shizz whenever I can.  Seriously, I'd rather go to the thrift shop and get an old hand mixer or can opener that is ugly and heavier than heck (read "over engineered" as dubbed by the companies making disposable junk) than buy a pretty new one I all but know I will need to replace in a week or a month or a year.  I was nearly ecstatic over finding my handmixer...which while it is likely older than me shows no signs of stopping.  

 

At dinner recently someone told me that "no one had an iPhone 4S anymore unless they were 10 years old with mom's hand me down."  Uh, ok.  I have a 4 no-s that I will keep until it dies.  My kids don't need themselves any kinda smirtphone!  And neither do I for that matter but it sure is a nice thing to have (thankfully we get a huge discount).  

[OrganicAnn]

I use a cell phone that is 10 years old.   I think as they make things more complicated, then they breakdown quicker.  

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I know with Dh's phone they stopped making updates and such and it just worked horribly after a while. Lame.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

What if you reset it to the factory settings? Do you have a lot of apps on it? I think that as apps update for the newer phones, they start to make the older phones go wonky. That was happening on my ancient Mac too. 

 

I hear you on the planned obsolescence thing. DH keeps trying to get me to upgrade my three-year-old Android phone to an iPhone. I refuse to pay $200 so that I can then also pay an extra monthly fee for a phone with a screen that I'm terrified of breaking! Every single person I know with an iPhone has shattered their screen at least once. I honestly believe that's not a coincidence either. 

 

ETA: Oh! Also, have you checked to see if there has been an operating system update since you bought it? I was having problems with my Android phone until DH asked if I needed to update it. I didn't even know you could do that  :confused1:  But it did solve a whole bunch of issues I was having. 

 

Also, check to see if your memory is getting near maxed out. I have to keep deleting things from my phone when I get close to the max so I won't have trouble.

[Brilliant]

Do you have a Verizon store nearby that you can go into?  As ILiveinFlipFlops said, it might be something as simple as an update needed.  They might be able to help you at the store.

[Χά�ων]

The constant upgrade mindset drives me batty. I bought my first smart phone with 3G was the norm. I paid cash and it came with a warranty. When it breaks they send me a replacement. Every year or so they no longer make that model and I end up with a newer, but no longer being sold, phone. I would flip if I had to buy a new one every other year. The things are too expensive for it. 

[antsam]

At dinner recently someone told me that "no one had an iPhone 4S anymore unless they were 10 years old with mom's hand me down." Uh, ok. I have a 4 no-s that I will keep until it dies. My kids don't need themselves any kinda smirtphone! And neither do I for that matter but it sure is a nice thing to have (thankfully we get a huge discount).

Hey... I have an iPhone "4 no S" and I am definitely not 10! :)

 

Jodie

[Guest]

My dad bought his iPad six months ago. It's already been discontinued. My System76 desktop that I bought used in '11 could do with a bigger hard drive and it would be fun to upgrade the RAM if I didn't have anything better to do with the money....

 

DXH and I are sticking to "dumb phones" but greatly appreciate the "heads up" for our kids' benefit, OP. 

[Alte Veste Academy]

Might just be the phone. Maybe not. I had an iPhone 3 that worked beautifully for 4.5 years. Still does work! I kept it as a purse toy for the kids when I recently upgraded to the 5 (and I only bothered because of the improved maps).

[Word Nerd]

My iPod touch (3rd gen) still works fine, but since I can't update it past iOS5, I'm losing the ability to play certain apps depending on what iOS they're compatible with. One that I used daily before suddenly started prompting me to update the app to continue using it—but I couldn't, as the newer version wasn't compatible with my iOS. Annoying!

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

My iPod touch (3rd gen) still works fine, but since I can't update it past iOS5, I'm losing the ability to play certain apps depending on what iOS they're compatible with. One that I used daily before suddenly started prompting me to update the app to continue using it—but I couldn't, as the newer version wasn't compatible with my iOS. Annoying!

 

This is my biggest problem with my current phone. The Google Calendar app is no longer compatible, and I live by that calendar. I can get by for now, but at some point it's going to stop working completely, and then I'm in trouble. Well, actually, I guess then it's Oldest DD's problem instead!

[nmoira]

Have you done a factory data reset?

[Guest]

Yup. That's why we buy unlocked phones.

What is an unlocked phone? 

 

Quite possibly. I might even say "probably" on a private message. ;)

 

I have no experience whatsoever but I sympathize. If you can connect to wifi, it still works as a mini-tablet even without service. You could try putting Ubuntu on it:

 

http://www.ubuntu.com/phone

 

If you don't have the technical knowledge to hack the smartphone, the only way you're likely to get it is by doing the best you can and not beating yourself up too much if you brick hardware that you're not going to be able to use anyway.

Yeah, that would be me, most likely. I've never tried it, though. But I'm guessing no. 

 

What if you reset it to the factory settings? Do you have a lot of apps on it? I think that as apps update for the newer phones, they start to make the older phones go wonky. That was happening on my ancient Mac too. 

 

I hear you on the planned obsolescence thing. DH keeps trying to get me to upgrade my three-year-old Android phone to an iPhone. I refuse to pay $200 so that I can then also pay an extra monthly fee for a phone with a screen that I'm terrified of breaking! Every single person I know with an iPhone has shattered their screen at least once. I honestly believe that's not a coincidence either. 

 

ETA: Oh! Also, have you checked to see if there has been an operating system update since you bought it? I was having problems with my Android phone until DH asked if I needed to update it. I didn't even know you could do that  :confused1:  But it did solve a whole bunch of issues I was having. 

 

Also, check to see if your memory is getting near maxed out. I have to keep deleting things from my phone when I get close to the max so I won't have trouble.

 

The factory settings were reset once. I took it into the Verizon store because it wasn't doing something (I don't remember. Maybe it wouldn't find Yahoo mail? Something like that.) I don't have a lot of apps that matter; the only things I cared about were the contacts and all the calendar info. They saved my calendar and then did the reset. That was a while ago, though. 

 

How do I check to see if there is an operating system update? Sometimes it will just update wirelessly. Also, how do I tell how much memory remains? 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

The factory settings were reset once. I took it into the Verizon store because it wasn't doing something (I don't remember. Maybe it wouldn't find Yahoo mail? Something like that.) I don't have a lot of apps that matter; the only things I cared about were the contacts and all the calendar info. They saved my calendar and then did the reset. That was a while ago, though. 

 

How do I check to see if there is an operating system update? Sometimes it will just update wirelessly. Also, how do I tell how much memory remains? 

 

Hmmm. My apps update automatically, but I have to get system updates manually. On my phone, I go into the Settings menu, where I see lots of options, like Display, Wireless, etc. One says Storage, and that's where I find the available memory. Another says AT&T System Update. When I go in there, I can select something like Check for System Update. Now, my phone is an HTC, and my carriet is AT&T, but I can't imagine it's all that different on yours. If you can't find it, maybe Google "check for system update on Samsung Stratosphere" and see if you can find a site to help you track it down.

 

And yeah, it could also be the phone. Before he bought his iPhone, my DH owned Blackberries. The first one started getting wonky right around the two-year mark, and the second one started getting wonky around the nine-month mark :glare: He had to live with that hot mess for another year. They let him upgrade a month or so early because it was so bad.

[Χά�ων]

Did you try a new sim card?

[Murphy101]

Yeah. I'll join that rant. We were just talking today that it's creepy convienent how often my dh's insulin pump goes to crap within 2 weeks of getting a call that we are eligible for upgrading it. :/

[Murphy101]

Now I have to admit tho that our iPhones rock. My sons have the iPhone 3G that we started with many years ago and have no problems at all many years later.

[vonfirmath]

This is why I buy old, well working shizz whenever I can.  Seriously, I'd rather go to the thrift shop and get an old hand mixer or can opener that is ugly and heavier than heck (read "over engineered" as dubbed by the companies making disposable junk) than buy a pretty new one I all but know I will need to replace in a week or a month or a year.  I was nearly ecstatic over finding my handmixer...which while it is likely older than me shows no signs of stopping.  

 

At dinner recently someone told me that "no one had an iPhone 4S anymore unless they were 10 years old with mom's hand me down."  Uh, ok.  I have a 4 no-s that I will keep until it dies.  My kids don't need themselves any kinda smirtphone!  And neither do I for that matter but it sure is a nice thing to have (thankfully we get a huge discount).  

 

They live in a special word.

 

I've got an iphone 4s I chose over the 5 because it uses the same cords my old ipod did. (So all my accessories work) and it's MOM's first smartphone ever.

[mom2scouts]

This made me laugh.  DH and I are still using our very old flip phones.  Any kind of smart phone is new compared to our phones!

[KungFuPanda]

I had the original iPhone and used it until the 4s (I think it's 4s. The first one with Siri) came out. So I had one for 5-6 years and the current one for about two years. The first one acted haunted towards the end. I haven't ad any trouble with te one I'm using now OR with my ipad that''s about three years old.

 

A wall phone would last forever, but I'm not going back to THAT.

[Serenade]

My iphone is 3 1/2 years old, and I have had no problems with it, although we have purposefully not upgraded with the latest, greatest software that supposedly can lead to problems.

 

I will be getting a new one soon, however, but not because I really want one.   My husband says that probably within a year or so, there will no longer be support for my phone, or some such thing, so he's really encouraging me to upgrade now.  I think he wants all our devices to be running on the same software.  (I really am technologically challenged and would prefer not to upgrade.  I love my phone, and I love it because it's idiot proof. I don't want anything complicated that I have to work to learn how to use.) 

[leeannpal]

The same thing happens with tablets. My dauhgter has a two year old first generation Kindle Fire from which she now cannot download most apps. The apps are being made now for the Kindle Fine HD. It works fine as a tablet, but dd loved to play games on it. It really is frustrating that I have to "upgrade" to get the same services that I got freely just a few months ago.

[Murmer]

That is why I am an iPhone owner...all the android phones that I had always broke and had to be replaced right before or at the replacement time...drove me nuts!  I wanted something that would not be obsolete in 3 months when the new fancy version came out....now its only gets older every year and I drool over the new iPhone but since my phone is still working I don't go out and spend the money on a new one so its all good.

[nmoira]

I still use my DROID X from summer 2010, not as a phone, but as an MP3 player, calculator, Chromecast remote, etc. That thing is solid.  (I had to get another last summer if I wanted to take advantage of a subsidized phone one last time, as I'm grandfathered into the old unlimited data program at verizon). 

 

You get what you pay for, and all but the high end smartphones are going to give out sooner than later. My Samsung GS3 is going strong after a year and a half, still zippy as ever, and I know people using GS2's... heck, I think they're still sold. Motorola has a new budget phone, the Moto G, that's supposed to be pretty solid compared to the competition, so maybe things will get shaken up in the budget market. (Though I do like the Moto X... and some future variant of this will probably be  my next phone.)

 

As a general rule, don't fill your main storage past 80%, uninstall apps you no longer use, clear the cache frequently. On phones with relatively little RAM, don't run too many background processes (automatic updates and syncs, etc.). If things start to slow down and nothing else works consider a FDR (something I'm loath to do and haven't had to with my GS3). Be careful what you install, and consider getting rid of any anti-virus software. Lookout and its ilk are notorious for slowing everything down. If you've had a phone with a replaceable battery for two years, get a new one... they're usually dirt cheap by then.

[shinyhappypeople]

Still hanging onto my "dumb phone."  Maybe it's not so dumb after all.  

[StephanieZ]

They do that with $50k digital x-ray systems for vet hospitals, too. And $40k ultrasounds. After less than 10 years, they literally will stop supporting them in any way, shape or form -- no repairs, no parts, no software updates, nothing. Repurchase a new one is your only option, as those things require routine professional maintenance. Compare that with a traditional x-ray machine that can work good as the day it was born (quite excellent, TYVM) 50 years later . . . It is a big fat scam! I hate that!