ACCUSATION: APPLE WATCH HAS BUILT-IN “PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE” by AppleDirectIndustry (2024)

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What are the accusations of planned obsolescence against Apple? ›

The Paris Prosecutor's Office is investigating Apple's planned obsolescence of products after receiving a complaint from NGO Halte a L'Obsolescence Programmee (HOP), in December 2022. HOP accuses the US company of using deceptive marketing practices and programmed obsolescence of its products.

ACCUSATION: APPLE WATCH HAS BUILT-IN “PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE”

iFixit, the tech repair and upgrade website has claimed that the Apple Watch is strictly a short to medium option and users will not be able to continually upgrade their device.

Apple continues to be accused of planned obsolescence, as a French court ordered a fresh new probe into its practices. French tech advocacy group HOP or Stop Planned Obsolescence filed a complaint alleging that Apple has stymied its repair programme.

In economics and industrial design, planned obsolescence (also called built-in obsolescence or premature obsolescence) is the concept of policies planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life or a purposely frail design, so that it becomes obsolete after a certain predetermined period of time ...

Apple accused in lawsuit of underpaying female workers in California. June 13 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) , opens new tab on Thursday was hit with a proposed class action accusing the tech giant of paying more than 12,000 female employees in California less than men with comparable jobs.

Apple saw the court rule against it after it was unmasked that the company deliberately slowed down older iPhones with each update of its iOS operating system. The court ordered Apple to pay at least $310 million and a maximum of $500 million in compensation for the harm caused to its users.

Things You Should Know. Disable features like "Always On", "Hey Siri", "Wake on Wrist Raise," and other features to save battery life. If your Apple Watch is an older model, the battery may have deteriorated due to age. Low battery life could also be due to software update issues or pairing problems.

Just like with trading in old iPhones and iPads, you can also send your Apple Watch in to Apple directly through their Trade In/GiveBack program. With Trade In/GiveBack, you'll get credit in the form of an Apple Store gift card to put toward any future Apple purchase — iPad, iPhone, whatever you want.

The first-generation Apple Watch released in 2015 is now classed as obsolete by Apple. Apple regularly updates a page that lists which of its old products are designated vintage (products that haven't been sold for between five and seven years) or obsolete.

Planned obsolescence and the environment

The build-up of this waste, which is still not recycled as it should be, damages the environment which, in turn, contributes to climate change.

What are some examples of planned obsolescence? ›

Examples of planned obsolescence include: Limiting the life of a light bulb, as per the Phoebus cartel. Coming out with a new model for a car every year with minor changes. Short-lasting nylon stockings.

In addition, there are no laws against planned obsolescence in the United States, so it is very difficult to prove any wrongdoing in this specific situation. Still, tech companies must be aware that this is an increasingly relevant issue across the world – one that may lead to legal consequences.

In some cases, consumers may have legal grounds to sue a company for using planned obsolescence. However, proving that a company intentionally designed a product to fail prematurely can be challenging, and it is advisable to consult with a lawyer to assess the viability of a lawsuit.

So Alfred P. Sloan, the CEO of General Motors, and his colleagues came up with a radical new idea that would change not only the auto industry, but the entire economy: planned obsolescence. GM would simply convince customers that one car in a lifetime wasn't enough.

Since the products break down sooner, the customers are forced to buy new products. Opponents of capitalism, often cite planned obsolescence as the sort of evil that gets propagated as a result of capitalism. According to them, not only does planned obsolescence have economic costs but also environmental costs.

The US has filed a landmark lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of monopolising the smartphone market and crushing competition. In the legal action, the justice department alleges the company abused its control of the iPhone app store to "lock in" customers and developers.

Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. Mac laptops may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale, subject to parts availability.

The US Department of Justice has filed a case against Apple for violating antitrust laws. More specifically, the case revolves around how Apple has used its locked-down iPhone ecosystem to build a monopoly.