It’s that time of year again – the one we all look forward to. No, not the wave of relief that comes with the beginning of the new school term or the unofficial start of red wine drinking season, but the launch of the latest iPhone. This week saw the launch of the iPhone 16 in the UK, but you’d be forgiven if this news had passed you by. One of the key headlines of the latest launch was that the new line-up of handsets comes with a Product Environmental Report. According to this assessment, Apple have reduced the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of its key models by 30% by switching to low carbon electricity in the supply chain. They seem pretty pleased with this achievement, but it fails to acknowledge or address a much bigger issue – the environmental impact of the annual innovation cycle they seem addicted to.
Spot the difference
First launched in 2007, Apple have released a new version of their handsets pretty much every year since. Why? Not because consumer needs and expectations of their mobile phones move so quickly, but because if you can create the desire for the latest must-have then a lot of people will happily pay to replace their perfectly satisfactory phone. It’s a model that’s driven by business growth objectives with very little regard for sustainability. Who knows how many fully-functioning handsets are out there, tossed aside in favour of the latest model? The environmental impact of their manufacture and the unnecessary post-use waste this annual innovation cycle creates must be enormous – but it certainly doesn’t appear anywhere in Apple’s Product Environmental Report.
A built-to-last model for mobile phones is eminently feasible and arguably preferable. Dutch company Fairphone have been producing the most sustainable mobile phones for a decade. Rather than the glued-shut design of iPhones that actively deters repairs, Fairphone handsets are designed to be modular with replaceable parts that can be installed by the owners. They come with a 5 year warranty and 8 years of software support. What’s more, the whole supply chain has been created with sustainability built in. This is a model much more aligned to the pace of change of consumer needs rather than targeting their irrational wants. If only we all knew about them and could get our hands on them. Surely the kudos of owning something like this is far greater than revealing your new iPhone 16? – an overt admission that you’ve been seduced into the desire-driven model of Apple.
