Time and again consumers continue to accuse Apple of planned obsolescence. This is essentially when an industrial design strategy revolves around encouraging their customers to change or upgrade their products sooner than what would be deemed necessary.
Not only in India, but also in the western countries, consumers believe that the special screws used by Apple on its phones, tablets and laptops prevent owners from upgrading or repairing their machines by themselves. This in turn forces users to replace their gadgets much sooner than they would if they were otherwise easily serviceable. Apple is known to release new versions of iPods and iPhones every year. It is believed that the company intends to keep the customer on a consistent upgrade cycle.
How this Works for Customers in India?
Take the case of a customer in Bangalore who dropped his iPhone and cracked its screen. On visiting the Apple Service Center at Forum Mall, the customer was given an option to replace the iPhone at INR 21000 since they weren’t sure if they could replace the screen without assessing the internal damage that the phone may have experienced. Even after insisting that it was only the screen that required replacement, this was the only solution provided.
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Customer Service in the West
In the west, the story is no different. It has been found that the company prefers tossing their products than actually repair them. For instance, a replacement battery for an iPod Shuffle costs USD 49. This is exactly the same cost as a new device. This not only speaks a ton about Apple’s sales policies, but it also highlights how impractical it may be for an individual to be a loyal Apple customer.
Other Commonly Experienced Problem
Another common problem highlighted by many users, especially around the time the iPhone 5S and the 5C were released was that the older iPhones suddenly became more sluggish. The batteries began to run down a lot faster, for instance. Tech experts believed that the iOS7 that was being pushed to many existing users made the older models extremely slow. For starters, Apple phone batters are known to have a finite number of charges in them before they crash to start with. In addition to this, they were being drained by new software. A customer would have to pay USD 79 for a new battery or spend USD 20 more and get the latest iPhone all together. This was without doubt a not-so-subtle hint from the company asking you to upgrade.
What the Guys at Apple Had to Say
Benign explanations from the Apple front justified the problem with the new software and the recent application updates that also offer an array of fancy new features that even the existed users wished to avail. They attributed the tiny five point screws that seal the battery to aesthetic considerations.
While hard-core Apple fans will shun the theory of planned obsolescence as just a another conspiracy, there is no denying that after having saturated the smart phone market in the US and many other parts of the world, the company would adopt this business strategy.
