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How do we address the built-in obsolescence of software?

I have an iPhone 5s. It's old, but I have fixed it by replacing the battery. It is incredibly reliable and has all the functionality I need. But it is becoming increasingly useless because it's stuck at iOS 12, and more and more apps produce updates that won't run on it. Often this seems gratuitous: the update introduces no obvious functionality that my phone can't support, but still I can't use the app any more. I understand that there would be costs for developers (and/or Apple) in maintaining backward-compatible versions of apps, and there could be concerns around things like security. But this is a major cause of devices being unnecessarily discarded. I will almost certainly have to replace my phone soon, and well before it ceases to work or be fixable. There needs to be a campaign to maximise the value of devices being fixable by insisting on more thought, care and resource being put into extending the life also of their software.

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@johnlee83123 while i do agree 100% with you, I do realize that this is really not feasible. I do get the point of having updated software to support all the latest and great features and technology. What need to happen is that we need to stop upgrading and stop using the APPs that require frequent updates. It should always be left up to the end users discretion to update or not to update. I can tell you that most of my computers still run Win 7 and my phone hasn't been updated for a couple of years. I also do not ry to install any new Apps nor do I expect my phones to have the same snazzy feel as my colleagues iPhone 13 or even the 15. you know what, that is okay with me. I use my phone as a phone, yes it lets me text and take pictures but that is all I need. I do not need all the latest and greatest features :-) you see I voted with my pocketbook. If I don't own it, I won't buy it. I refuse to be Apple's, HP's, Lenovo, Canon, Nikon and others piggy bank.

There are a few things you should check out. Look at this and see if that would help you a bit. After all, old hardware requires old Apps etc. There have been a bunch of really great people that have managed to archive some of the old Apps etc. Check places like this and many more.

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As happy as I am with my 15 Pro I legitimately waited 4 generations because of how expensive phones have gotten. I’m not buying a $1,500 marginal upgrade. I also bought the phone outright and didn't go to a carrier for bill credits either.

My approach with phones is for cheap phones, 3 years. If it exceeds ~$6-700 then I wait at least 4 years. And I NEVER EVER FINANCE THEM. It's going to be expensive either way.

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@nick and that is why I keep using my 8 :-) By now, it is paying me back.

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@oldturkey03 If a phone is going to cost as much as a car payment I'm going to completely understand if you wait; that said, the iOS 16 devices may see a day the choice is gone (either due to a critical issue with an app you use, or a network sunset targeting old models like the 6/7/8/X series to accommodate new spectrum). At that point, the phone has probably paid for an upgrade like my 12 did when I kept it for 4 generations.

The way to do it is to suck up the fact it will cost you a car payment and buy it from the manufacturer directly with Apple to avoid flex policy SKUs; with Android, BB or the manufacturer (KNOW THE UNLOCKED SKU, like U1 or the Google unlocked P/N or the signs like an unlockable bootloader). I did buy an unlocked Samsung at Target, but Target primarily pedals carrier-locked phones; that was kind of lucky. And for Android phones, I intentionally buy last years model outside of OEMs like Motorola with horrid OS update policies, or Google due to the price differential for the current vs previous gen phone.

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@oldturkey03 - thanks for your thoughts and pointers. I agree that the idea of archiving is a great one. My concern really is that a device should not have its useful life artificially limited by the software. If the apps I've always used continued to be available in the same version, I could continue to use them. I'd be happy with that. The problem is when the app stops working on my phone, especially when (as I often suspect) there is no real reason for this other than it being a nuisance for the developer to keep it available along with the newer version. Things like the Tesco app, the Costa Coffee app: these are not of critical importance, but it's annoying that I can't use them any more, and there are many others. The Bank of Scotland app may perhaps have security features iOS 12 can't support -- but does it, actually? Curiously, the Tesco Bank app still works on my phone, for now. One senses that a lot of this is just arbitrary.

The principle of the Right To Repair is excellent, but it loses its point if the device becomes effectively useless even though it has been repaired. An archive of old software that will continue to run on it would certainly help to address this.

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@johnlee83123 I once more agree 100% with you. If it is not the hardware then it is the software required to run the hardware. I dread companies like that. This goes for Windows as well. I wish we would make faster progress with all our open source software attempts. I believe that the issues here is that creating driver software is one of those essential task that receives no credit and no support from the industry and/or us, the end-consumer. We do need to support those efforts to keep our legacy devices going. If you have a plan or a decent idea what we can do and how we can approach this issue, let's discuss this. You do have my support for that.

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@oldturkey03 I even have had issues with AHT for my 2012 Mini :-(. Apple pulled AHT from their servers and I never got a copy of it being my Mini had a 3rd party SSD installed when I bought it. I had to get a leaked copy of ASD to TS it.

I even did an internet recovery restore when I got it and it never came back. To try and fix it without moving to M series hardware, I had to download ASD, burn it to a USB drive and test that way, then order new RAM with both modules having a consistent single failure and one having 9. I had to pull the worst module out to get it stable enough to stop worrying if it will crash again.

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@oldturkey03 I'm afraid I don't have a plan at this stage! It seems to be a very difficult problem. I know some people who are doing a research project in the Right to Repair area and will try to discuss it with them. Somehow the issue needs to be worked into the levels where RTR policies are being developed.

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@johnlee83123 I thought I’ve read in the EU proposal something about software obsolescence but thought it was to vague. You are right. It will need to get addressed. I know that this exact issue now comes up for smart speakers as well. They no longer function because of outdated firmware. Again, more eWaste in the near future.

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John Lee will be eternally grateful.