Each ring will be contributing to the growing e-waste problem after a couple of years or so.

Each ring will be contributing to the growing e-waste problem after a couple of years or so.

  • ignirtoq@fedia.io
    602·
    4 months ago

    The problem is the battery, and how they have a finite lifespan. Usually that’s about 400 recharge cycles, and after that the batteries are finished.

    And if you can’t replace it, then it’s the end of the line for the gadget, and it’s tossed onto the e-waste pile.

    It is so incredibly aggravating that it’s 2024 and unreplaceable batteries are still a thing. I guess Apple didn’t get enough shade when they did this in phones so it just became industry-standard. It’s both horrible for the environment and for the consumer.

    I guarantee the engineers could easily make it replaceable for little to no added cost, they’re just specifically instructed by business leaders not to.

    • tetrachromacy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      4 months ago

      Well, sure! How are they going to sell you the $450 replacement ring in two years if you’re able to replace the dead battery by paying $30 to a stoned college kid working at a fix-it kiosk in your local mall? Consumers, they never know what’s good for them. /s

    • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      112·
      4 months ago

      Making something this thin and small with a replaceable battery would be very difficult. What is needed for something like this is more reliable batteries that can last for 10-20 years and 10’s of thousands of cycles.

      Something larger like a smart watch definitely should have replaceable batteries though.

      • GenosseFlosse@feddit.orgEnglish
        20·
        4 months ago

        Making something this thin and small with a replaceable battery would be very difficult.

        Well, then don’t? Manufacturers should be responsible for repairs, spare parts and recycling after the product is sold, so they don’t intentionally produce products that thrown into waste after a few years.

    • cogitase@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      What modern lithium ion battery is limited to 400 cycles under normal conditions? My 2017 tablet had 1,600 cycles on it and 82% SoH when I sold it this year.

    • saddlebag@lemmy.worldEnglish
      62·
      4 months ago

      My Apple Watch 7 (two years old) and AirPod pro gen 1 (three years old) are both having hardware issues. I took them to Apple who said “we don’t, we replace and the cost of a watch SE and AirPod pros 2 cost the same as a replacement of your devices”. I now have $600 of e-waste sitting in my drawer.

      The experience really turned me off Apple but no one else is better. The whole ecosystem is garbage. I think I’ll learn to live without the watch but there’s no other totally wireless headphones that suit my needs and I’ll end up replacing them.

      The gold standard of personal devices has set the scene and consumers are left with no option but to buy devices that have limited lifespans. No such as buy it for life in 2024.