Sustainability of modular smartphones questioned
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - 16:10:47
2013 has been a year of big changes in the mobile market, although the most interesting elements have largely been conceptual rather than tangible.
There has been a lot of discussion about modular smartphones, with projects like Phonebloks hinting at a future in which an entire handset does not need to be thrown away every time you need to upgrade.
However, an article in The Guardian from Tim Smedley has questioned the sustainability of this approach and looked at whether more electronic waste will be generated rather than aiding its reduction.
The update cycle in the modern mobile market means most people are buying a new handset at least once every two years, leading to the creation of a nationwide mountain of unwanted devices, many of which are still simply chucked in the bin or left to sit in drawers.
Mobile phone recycling can help to address this issue, but with modular smartphones the idea is that you simply replace the bits of a device that need upgrading rather than getting rid of the whole thing.
The sustainability issue might come about as a result of the new trends that this ability creates. Could people eventually start upgrading several times a year, swapping out processors, storage and memory as new technologies become available, thus collectively getting through more bits and pieces than in the past, even if a modular design is adopted?
These fears are voiced by Smedley, who quotes industry insiders as arguing that the upgrade cycle might be accelerated in the future if modular smartphones become the norm.
Because this is all conceptual for the moment and might not even catch on in a big way because of changes to other hardware features, such as the rise of flexible displays, getting too concerned now is unnecessary. Remembering to recycle your old mobile phones is the best way to be greener.
Latest News
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 10:32:41
Every industry around the world has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and recycling has been especially affected as a result of force [...]
Read More
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 21:33:36
Apple has pulled back the curtains on the all-new iPhone SE, bringing with it a raft of eco-friendly design features which aim to improve the green cr [...]
Read More
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 21:32:00
Researchers from New Zealand have demonstrated a new recycling solution which could help companies to reclaim rare materials from smartphones, PCs and [...]
Read More