What Will The Planned Obsolescence Be For An Apple Tablet?

by Rich Menga on Jan 25, 2010 | 17 comments

Planned obsolescence is, in a nutshell, any product that is purposely designed to break and/or be non-functional within a specified period of time. This is done so that the manufacturer can sell you more products over time.

Apple, unfortunately, proved to the world that people would be willing to buy a smartphone without a removable battery, that being the iPhone. You know right up front that the iPhone was planned to be a disposable electronic device because of this. Sure, you could bring the phone to an Apple Store, have them crack it open and install a new battery when the old one dies, but how many times can that be done before irreparable failure? Probably not too many. A tight closed chassis of that type is not meant to be opened over and over again, even if on an infrequent basis.

The tablet is essentially going to be designed the same way. It’s true that I have absolutely no proof that Apple’s new upcoming tablet will have a sealed battery, but I’m betting that’s exactly how it’s going to be delivered. And if that’s the case, it will be the most expensive disposable electronic device ever.

When you have any electronic device that primarily runs by battery where the battery can’t be replaced by you, that’s a disposable.

A current device I use where the battery is sealed is my Garmin nüvi 255W GPS device. I am fully aware that one day the battery will die and will no longer hold a charge. When that happens I will not be able to update the unit any longer (it requires to hold a charge for a least 3 minutes to boot after a system update). Fortunately this will not make the unit unusable. I can still operate it via the car charger even though I won’t be able to update it. After that it’s only a matter of time before the touchscreen and/or backlight fails on it. It will occur. It won’t be any time soon, but it will happen.

Does it bother me that I can’t replace the battery myself to extend the life of the unit? You bet. But that’s how it was designed and I knew that very well when I bought it for $215 back when it cost that much (it costs much less now).

If I can achieve 4 years of regular use out of the GPS I paid $215 for before it breaks, I consider that a fair deal for what it is. Chances are it will last longer than that, but if I can get 4 out of it, that’s fine.

Assuming the Apple tablet has a sealed battery, costs $1,500 and has the same life span, I’m sorry but that’s a complete rip-off. You can replace parts in a Macbook/Macbook Pro. You can’t do that in an iPhone, but the price point is low enough now to where replacing one not so much of a big deal anymore.

As for the tablet, what’s the planned obsolescence for that thing? Four years? Three? Two? Nobody knows.

Do you?

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David M
People can always choose not to get ripped off if the Apple Tablet has a sealed battery. So far though, there has been a way around the sealed battery if they do choose to buy an Apple product with one.
Its not like the Apple Tablet is a unique product . There of course is the Kindle, the Sony Reader and Barnes and Noble’s Nook.
If people don’t like the Apple Tablet then they have other choices.
I think its kind of unfair to trash it before it hits the store shelves.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
If it’s priced under $1,000, then I’ll eat my words. But if introduced to market over that price point, I’m sorry but that’s way too high for a disposable electronic device.

quartet-man
Just because a product hasn’t hit the shelves doesn’t mean a person cannot comment on it. Granted, without knowing if it is or not, at the very least it should be stated it is speculation if a person does it. I don’t know if it is true or not, but will say IF it is true, it is bad. For one, I don’t know if the average person will know what they are getting (and yes they SHOULD get info first), but realize that I am not aware of any other laptop or netbook that does this and it is pathetic. That is a lot of money for limited use. I guess now that computers are being kept longer because there aren’t as many advances, companies will start finding ways to get the sales. Well, leave me out.
http://twitter.com/philmonger Phil M
I don’t get the hate, I really don’t.
90% (or higher) of people will never keep the device long enough to need a battery replacement. Those that do can replace the battery and get an equal (or greater) lifespan out of the next one.
Battery life is on a curve – 1000 charges is the quoted life of most batteries. But consider, at 1000 charges the battery is still holding 80% of it’s charge. I have a 5G iPod bought 5 years ago, used almost daily, and it still lasts about 5 hours. Long enough. If I wanted to I could crack it open myself and replace the batt, and get another few years from it.
Then there’s this ( I lolled) :
“Sure, you could bring the phone to an Apple Store, have them crack it open and install a new battery when the old one dies, but how many times can that be done before irreparable failure? Probably not too many. A tight closed chassis of that type is not meant to be opened over and over again, even if on an infrequent basis.”
Seriously? You think opening the device every few years is going to wear it out BEFORE the function it serves is obsolete? You need to sit and think that one through.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
If a product is delivered sealed from the OEM, it is not meant to be opened. If it is opened, the seal is broken and it will never go back together the same way again. Keep doing this over and over and the chassis will lose its fit, resulting in a unit that falls apart prematurely.
And seriously, cut the childish “LOL” crap. Not necessary. I would think you’re smarter than that.

http://twitter.com/philmonger Phil M
Contrary to popular belief both iPhones and iPods are designed to be opened, despite being ‘factory sealed.’ Open one and you’ll see it just a series of lockable tabs inside. The ‘seal’ is a visual thing and in reality its no more locked together than most electronics.
However, you’re forgetting the deal with iPod / iPhone. If you send it in to get the battery fixed you’re not having them crack open the case, fix up the battery and seal it. If you’d gone through the process you’ll know they take your old one and give you a new sealed unit. Take it home, sync with iTunes and viola! Brand new iPhone.
They’ve designed it this way purposefully to make the ‘sealed unit’ a non-issue with consumers who actually have the device go wrong. If the choice is “new iPhone if/when it goes wrong” or “shell out on new battery” then it’s an obvious one. AND the battery is UNDER WARRANY. I don’t get that on any other electronics, do you? A new battery for my laptop is £111 – or about $180. Replacing THAT would definitely make me eye up a whole new laptop first – spending that much to keep outdated hardware going is a real issue to many.
The only people who whine about the ‘sealed battery issue’ are so called ‘commentators’ who (frankly) seem to need to write about it to fulfil a quota.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Oh, yes. They are designed to be opened. By themselves.

http://twitter.com/philmonger Phil M
Electrical failures happen. Put a few million handsets out there and you’ll get a handful that do so in a manner which grabs attention. Law of averages.
What was your point?

TemperingPick
http://www.menga.net/2008/02/15/lol-kills-my-inner-child/
Save you some time. Good read.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Egad! My secret’s revealed!

http://twitter.com/philmonger Phil M
I forgot to add –
Ironically enough the only two portables I have ever had to dispose of ‘before their time’ was a Sony MD player and a Nokia phone.
BOTH got canned because the BATTERY COMPARTMENT had broken over the years. On a portable device they are a f**king nuisance. They:
* Fall open scattering the batteries
* Open and get snapped off
* Allow easier intrusion of liquids into the device.
* Allow easier intrusion of DUST into the device (seriously gets to some things, does pocket lint)
* Can look poor.
No, I’ll take mine sealed, thanks.
David Kennedy
I don’t think the sealed battery is necessarily the indicator of planned obsolescence. I swear, a lot of things that have user replaceable batteries are designed so that the charging system (or something about it wears out).
Take cell phones – I’ve learned by now, after about 2 years, they’re not going to hold much of a charge. You can replace the battery, and it will improve, but still won’t be great. And that replacement: not going to last 2 years. So, I just accept it…I know when I buy one, it’s 2 years and out.
http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
@Phil M:
The point is one of sending a product to the market that puts form over function that results in a crappy device that will break sooner than later.
First of all, an exploding phone is not a failure, it’s an outright safety hazard. When it happens with other companies, such as with Dell and Kyocera, they recall and fix it – voluntarily I might add.
When Apple screws up, and they do, they simply don’t care.
If the iPhone/iPod were designed properly, they never would have exploded. Bad QC on Apple’s part. They take no responsibility for obvious design flaws and never will.
It’s like I said, Apple’s tablet will be the most expensive disposable electronic device ever introduced to market ever. Given the history of their other popular products, it will break sooner. And if it has a sealed battery, that makes it even more of a paperweight.
yacaranda
If we compair i-pods and i-phones ,….why not with tablets??
However some of us like to change parts sofware,or just for fun maintnance & upgrade,…
I realy prefer to decide myself,specialy when a device is expensive.
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michael
i think that windows is better because you can get a touch screen computer cheaper and if the touch screen does not work you can get a keyboard for it. i am not saying apple is bad i just think apple is only good for iPod and windows have a big range of computers
Bill
All of the newer MacBook Pros have built in batteries. It allows them to have to have bigger batteries than they would have if they had removable batteries.
Whether or not one likes the way Apple does things is personal preference. For me personally I like the way Apple handles things.
I use Apple Notebooks, Desktops, and the iPhone. I have had very few problems. When I have had a question I can take it to the store or call. They have always spent the time necessary to help me.
They also have classes in their stores and will provide one on one instruction if you make an appointment.
Apple may not be for everyone but for me it has been a better alternative than any others I have used over the years.