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Too Many New Smartphone Models Released Each Year: Survey (livemint.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Consumers think smartphone makers are releasing too many new models each year, a survey showed on Tuesday. The survey conducted in six countries, commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace, showed that more than half of those who responded would prefer to change their phones less frequently. Handset devices are one of the most frequently replaced electronics products. The top cellphone companies, Samsung and Apple, launch new flagship phone models at least once every year, showing off the latest display and mobile processor technologies. Phone makers typically upgrade their cheaper lineups as well. "Over half of respondents across the countries surveyed agree that manufacturers are releasing too many new models, many designed to only last a few years," said Chih An Lee, global IT campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia. "In fact, most users actually want their phones to be more easily dismantled, repaired and recycled."
I don't change my phone.
peace, showed that more than half of those who responded would prefer to change their phones less frequently
Then simply don't replace your phone as often? Just because a new phone is released doesn't mean you have to rush out and buy it...
If you prefer to change your device less frequently, then don't change it. I have an iPhone 4s and it runs the latest iOS. I think the going rate for one is about $60 unlocked. I only get laughed at by hipsters with the 6+ gigantic iPhones in huge otterbox cases. But then I let the air out of their fixie bike tires and they aren't laughing any more.
"The survey conducted in six countries, commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace, showed that more than half of those who responded would prefer to change their phones less frequently. "
I'm sorry, is there some law that says just because a new phone comes out you HAVE to throw the old one away and change to it?
Fucking sheep...
They could release an updated model every day for all I care, I'll replace my phone when I need a new phone, not because they released something new.
Where I think the real problem comes in is that many manufacturers have a dozen different models of phone, all of which are almost the same thing with little to differentiate them, and names and descriptions that make it hard to tell which one is supposed to be better than which.
When it does come time for a new phone it's very difficult to figure out which of a couple dozen phones from a dozen manufacturers is supposed to be better than which other one.
Sure I know that a Galaxy S7 is supposed to be better than the S6 which is better than the S5, but where does the S5 neo fit in? it's newer than the S5 so it should be between the S5 and the S6 right? except it turns out they used a cheaper processor than the S5 so it's actually bellow the S5. And where do the J1 and J3 fit in? and how about the A5? and what about the "grand prime"? These are all listed by Samsung as current devices, about the only ones that are easy to understand are the Note and Edge devices because they're relatively clear about what they have that differentiate them from the others.
Their website gives all sorts of superlatives for each device, but you have to dig to find specs, and then trying to compare the specs is often difficult as they use different terminology or focus on different aspects.
Manufacturers need to do a better job of communicating what makes their phone different from the dozens of others, and they should probably stick to a much smaller lineup unless they can find some real differentiators to separate their offerings.