There is too much money to be made in the reduction of storage volume.
This is the only part of that post I'm truly convinced by, it's not about "tech development" or "security"
it's about making money!
The tech companies have ADMITTED they do it in order to make consumers buy new products.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-42615378
This is far from the only article/report on the matter
@OneRingToRuleThemAll Yes but it's not the consumers driving the "must have latest model" it's the makers, adverts, product placement, celebrity endorsement... people are fools to fall for it but they are not the drivers of it
@Fizbosshoes I agree it's out of order they make/use such fragile parts. That said I'm on my 3rd iPhone - and 1st was 2nd hand - and it's my 5th smartphone and I've never so much as cracked a screen. I use in carefully and I use screen protectors and good protective cases. My Dd and her friends are careless and won't use screen protectors or decent protective cases as they don't like how they look - then moan their screens are always buggered!
3-4 years is a long time in terms of tech really.
No it's not.
That first iPhone lasted me 5 years and the previous owner had it for 3.
I've worked using computers and other "modern" tech for almost 30 years it's very much a recent thing - last 5-7 years - that things have got as bad as they have in terms of product life.
You'll find it'll carry on doing lots of things but will now be struggling under the weight of its last OS update. It'll work better if you can roll it back to its previous OS but this will make it less compatible with apps you might want to use
That's our point - the vast majority of updates are unnecessary, they are driven by greed and IT workers protecting their jobs
@LegoAndLolDolls I've bought second hand in the past and it's been a disaster I won't do it with tech the after service is atrocious if anything goes wrong including update issues in fact especially update issues! The 2nd hand phone was from a friend and I knew they'd taken care of it but the laptops, tablet and android smartphones I bought second hand? Never ever again!
but they will genuinely be security updates
Nah! Seriously not buying that. One of the things that CONSTANTLY updates on my phone is the solitaire game I play absolutely no need for so many updates, the vast majority of the time the only thing that's noticeably different is the pattern on the "cards" changes! Totally ridiculous and unnecessary
Some of the updates will also improve how devices work
As I think this thread is good evidence of many consumers don't believe this I certainly don't! I've seen features added that not one person has even queried on the reviews of apps that make no difference to use and simply slow things down
or making sure updated apps work to their best.
I say again - if it ain't broke don't fix it
My own experience (and from conversation in real life people I know say the same - and a few of them ARE IT people and agree and confirm some of my theories) is very much that apps etc are working FINE until the dreaded update then for around a week it's murder to use until it settles again.
I have a fire tablet and amazon are absolute NIGHTMARE for this. It'll be working absolutely fine, then an update is forced through (no way of turning it "off" not sure how they've managed that) and then I have to set it all up again to have it working and I don't even do much on the tablet cos it's shit! Was planning on getting better one before lockdown but have had some difficulties arranging that.
The valves are made of plastic so more unnecessary rubbish in landfill
Yes the use of inferior materials is also an issue, parts that used to be made of metal or even wood are now made with plastic or rubber even in expensive products.
Even in clothing items! Shoes now - even quite expensive ones the heels are often rubber or plastic at the ends, When I'm out and about and wearing shoes I now always get new shoes metal heel tips and trainers I get additional insoles cos the insoles are crap! Dd just bought some not cheap trousers and the plastic zip bust the first time she put them on! She's going to get a metal zip put on instead when she can - at the moment she's using a bloody safety pin to zip them up!
the only time you are going to be aware of security updates is if they don't work - at which point you are hacked, or your data compromised.
That's awfully convenient isn't it?
I've NEVER been hacked or compromised and I don't necessarily keep everything updated. What I DO do is I have a good method for creating and remembering passwords and I don't tell people bugger all! I don't answer those crappy security answer searching memes on sm "favourite pets name: first school I went to:" and very few people have my mobile number or email address only those who really need it, I actually barely maintain an old email address for when I need an email address to "register" (aka be put on a sodding electronic mailing ie spam list!) by certain retailers which I never look at so never even see let alone open spammy crap! I don't tell people my middle name (very unusual one) or dob unless absolutely necessary! Had a stand off years ago in dotty p when they asked my email address AND dob when I was just buying a t-shirt with cash! Sales asst was being a right dick about my refusing to give either and I gave up in the end and left without buying AND never shopped in there again - and I used to be a frequent customer for both dd and I. So for the sake of noseying they lost a regular customer who spent at that time on average at least £50 a month with them. Now I know that's likely not a drop in the ocean to them in terms of one customer but I'm sure I wasn't the only one - in fact I know on that day I wasn't as the person next to me appeared to make the same decision having similar issue with their sales asst, in her case an older customer buying a gift and the sales asst wouldn't BELIEVE she didn't HAVE an email address!
@RandomLondoner ahh to have such faith in retailers and a TORY govt - it won't be cheaper and consumers treated better as that isn't why they would be doing it! They'd be doing it to make MORE money not less, it would be a credit contract and there'd be interest included in what the consumer paid, probably a mandatory insurance coverage fee (which would prove worthless when there WAS a problem as they'd exploit any loophole available)
I suspect you're fairly young and so don't have lived experience of such setups. I'm old and I well remember radio rentals and similar making a KILLING by operating this way until consumers - and competing manufacturers and retailers - fought back. They kept going for over 70 years.
You must have heard of bright house at least? Who were little better than bloody loan sharks!
Is this REALLY what you want the poorest and most vulnerable consumers to have to deal with?
A Tory govt - especially THIS Tory govt WON'T protect consumers. They're already working to get rid of protections for consumers now we're out of EU
@georgiamag1 That's not surprising but still outrageous!