Why Smartphones Seem To Have Such a Short Lifespan

Smartphones are no longer luxuries, they’re necessary tools for functioning in today’s society. But they’re also frustrating and expensive. As soon as I pay one off, it feels like its performance starts to drop. And because of that, I have often wondered if smartphones are built to fail.

“In a word, yes,” says tech developer and engineer Michael Frohlich. “Planned obsolescence is an actual tactic that some cellphone manufacturers employ to drive sales. This is true of many products today; everything from small electronics to cars, all the way through today’s homes, just isn’t built to last.”

On the other end of the spectrum, reduced performance isn’t relegated to nefarious corporate plots. Often, it’s just a worn-out battery that’s causing poor performance. In that case, a $50 or $100 fix can get a phone feeling like new again.

To find out more about whether smartphones are designed to fail, and how to make them last longer, we talked to a range of tech experts. Here is what they said.

Are Smartphones Actually Designed to Fail?

Sometimes. A while back, Apple was accused of intentionally slowing down older models right before releasing their new ones. While they explained it away as a side-effect of aging batteries, the company still settled a $500 million class-action lawsuit over the claims.

More commonly, cell phones become obsolete when companies stop supporting older versions of the software. For example, Apple will support iPhones for about six years, while most Android manufacturers only maintain support for three to four years, says software engineer Adam Yong.

There are other factors woven into the smartphone market that encourage frequent replacements, too, like sealed designs, which make repairs more difficult, and upgraded technologies, which consumers feel compelled to keep up with.

Which Smartphone Parts Wear Out First?

Batteries are usually the first to go. That’s because lithium-ion battery chemistry starts to decline after 500 full charge cycles.

“After a few years you’ll notice shorter runtime, unexpected shutdowns or reduced performance,” says phone refurbisher Steven Athwal. “Don’t mistake a declining battery for the entire phone reaching the end of its life. It can potentially last much longer with a battery replacement.”

Other common smartphone failures include broken screens and clogged or worn charging ports. Both of those are also relatively cheap to have repaired.

Why Are Modern Smartphones So Hard to Repair?

Water resistance and slimmer profiles are the two main reasons it’s hard to self-repair smartphones. While these features “have genuinely made phones better, they’ve also brought more adhesives, tightly packed components and fewer easily replaceable parts,” says Athwal.

Battery Myths and Urban Legends

There’s a lot of bad advice out there when it comes to smartphone battery maintenance. Here’s what actually gives batteries a longer lifespan.

• Batteries will last 10% to 15% longer when they’re not regularly drained below 20% or charged above 80%.
• Leaving batteries to charge overnight isn’t dangerous, but charging them to 100% will decrease their lifespan.
• Frequent fast charging also decreases battery life.
• It’s best to replace batteries with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts.

How Long Should a Smartphone Actually Last?

At least four years, but potentially 10, if you take care of it, plus get a battery replacement. “I know lots of people who have phones that are five-plus years old,” says Frohlich. “They still work fine, and their owners aren’t a slave to trends like other consumers tend to be.”

Environmental Impact of Smartphone Churn

Manufacturing smartphones is greenhouse gas intensive, plus the lithium and rare earth elements used in smartphones create significant environmental impacts, both from mining, and then again if they aren’t recycled.

“A replacement means more mining, manufacturing, shipping and packaging,” says Athwal. “It’s a lot of waste and it’s not just environmentally unsustainable. The manpower it takes to mine and manufacture phones is often very socially unsustainable, too.”

Can You Make Your Smartphone Last Longer?

Yes, there’s a lot you can do to lengthen the lifespan of your smartphone.

• Check to see if your smartphone has a function to keep the battery charged between 20% to 80%, which will increase the battery’s lifespan.
• Replace the battery when it starts to wain.
• Make other repairs promptly.
• Use a case for protection.
• Update software regularly.
• Avoid excess heat.

FAQ

Do phone companies intentionally slow down old phones?

Sometimes. Apple settled a class-action lawsuit after being accused of throttling older phones, just before new models were released. “While this could be a purely technical issue, it is another way of nudging customers towards changing their phones just to be on the safe side,” says Yong.

However, there are other reasons why older phones might start to slow down, such as software updates that bog them down, or degraded batteries, which cause phones to reduce their performance in order to protect their components.

How many years should a smartphone last?

The standard answer is three to four years, though they often last much longer, especially when they are properly maintained and the battery is replaced.

Is it worth replacing a smartphone battery?

Yes, as long as the rest of the phone is still working properly. “We refurbish electronics, so we see this constantly: a tired battery can make a perfectly good phone feel finished,” says Athwal. “Replacing the battery can potentially buy you years, rather than months.”

About the Experts

• Steven Athwal is Managing Director and Founder of The Big Phone Store, a UK refurbished tech retailer.
• Adam Yong is a software engineer with a passion for smartphone longevity, and Founder and Chief Architect at LocusPilot.
• Chongwei Chen is a data recovery expert, software developer and President and CEO of DataNumen Inc.
• Michael Frohlich is Developer/Full Stack Engineer at KnowRoaming.
• Zaheer Dodhia is CEO of Hummingbird International, an e-waste recycling company, and has more than 20 years of experience in computer hardware.

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