Planned obsolescence is a highly controversial strategy allegedly employed by companies so that a product becomes unusable after a certain period of time from the moment they are manufactured. The aim of planning for the obsolescence of manufactured products is to ensure a steady flow of demand, as consumers will be forced to buy a similar product again.
The commercial sector best known for the planned obsolescence of its products is the technology sector. For example, mobile phones often start to show visible signs of failure two or three years after purchase, as their components gradually deteriorate and updates to their operating systems become increasingly incompatible with the now-outdated hardware.
In this post, we’ll be looking at a few examples of planned obsolescence in products we use in our daily lives.
Who benefits from planned obsolescence?
It is clear that the main beneficiaries of planned obsolescence are companies. After all, if a product starts to malfunction or breaks down after a couple of years, the consumer will have no choice but to buy another one. And not only that, but it will also provide for to buy one that is newer than the previous one and, as a rule, more expensive. In this way, companies can easily ensure a steady flow of purchases.
For the customer, planned obsolescence is largely a negative factor, especially if it is perceived as being too short – although this will depend on the product. Consumers feel that planned obsolescence is a underhand strategy employed by companies to force them to buy the same product time and time again.
However, from an innovation perspective, planned obsolescence does have its positive side. The fact that companies set an approximate expiry date for the products they sell forces them to launch more innovative products with new and useful features that captivate consumers.
Examples of planned obsolescence
There are many examples of products with planned obsolescence that we use every day:
Electronic devices
Although many devices, such as mobile phones or computers, can be repaired or continue to work without any problems over time, technology companies make this impossible for us. And not because of the predictable wear and tear on the device’s components, but because Spare parts that are prone to breaking are either very expensive or in short supply. The same applies to cars.
For example, many mobile phone cases feature pentalobe screws bearing in mind that it is rare to find this type of screwdriver in most homes. Non-replaceable batteries are also common; as we know, their lifespan gradually decreases with use.
In addition to all this, Software companies regularly release updates for operating systems and applications available on mobiles, tablets and computers. These updates are designed so that they cannot be installed on older devices, thereby forcing users to buy a newer device.
Apple, one of the tech giants, has been the target of much criticism for its questionable practices of planned obsolescence in its products (one example of this is the so-called batterygate), something that many users have claimed, but which the company has always denied. Whilst the rumours of planned obsolescence at Apple have never actually been confirmed, this is neither the first time such suspicions have arisen, nor will it be the last.
Toys
These items are usually much simpler in design than electronic devices, but even so, companies still manage to programme them to become obsolete. To ensure they wear out more quickly, companies manufacture the toys with cheap, low-quality materials (plastic or some thin, weak metal) so that they deteriorate more quickly.
Fashion
Ready-to-wear and fast fashion constantly bombard us with new clothing ranges and sales. As a result, customers feel that their clothes are out of fashion and that they need to constantly update their wardrobe. This is what is known as perceived obsolescence, that is to say, subjective.
The almost total outsourcing of clothing production to countries with cheap labour not only benefits companies by enabling them to keep costs down, but also generates financial gain through the planned obsolescence of the garments produced. If clothes are made from poorer-quality materials and with less careful stitching, it will break and wither sooner, which means that consumers will need to replace their clothes from time to time.
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