France vs Apple in 'The Great Capitalism Debate'

First, let me start off by commending (or is it condemning?) Apple for absolutely nailing this 'capitalism' stuff. I can't even begin to get into their profit margin which is supplied by outsourcing cheap labor from Asia paired with a high market demand, egged on by the ruthless advertising and outrageous qualities these phones posses. Apple's market success is only furthered by their use of planned obsolescence, which has recently gotten the company into some pretty deep waters in mainland Europe just a year ago. 

'Planned obsolescence' is a policy implemented by Apple that involves the use of non-durable materials (fragile glass screens) and changes in hardware (the removal of the auxiliary jack in the iPhone 7 and newer generations) or software (regular iOS updates) that result in consumer goods becoming obsolete and needing to be replaced frequently. The use of this ingenious but still malicious strategy is illegal in France, and the lawsuit filed in December of 2017 has finally come to fruition as the country has officially fined Apple $27.3 million (Cooper, 2020). The company is also obliged to display this (see below) banner on the iPhone page of its French website for the next month. Read more about this tech scandal here: https://www.engadget.com/2020/02/07/france-apple-ios-slowdown-fine/.

A specific fine print detail that I apparently missed when I didn't read the Terms and Conditions, is that when (not 'if') one's iPhone screen breaks or otherwise cracks and needs replacing, a third-party screen will cause glitches in the future. That is to say, if an Apple screen is not replaced in an Apple store by an Apple employee with Apple training and a new Apple-approved Apple screen, the Apple product will later throw a sort of technological hissy fit and then become possessed and, eventually, useless. What a magnificent trick by Apple: planned obsolescence strikes again!

Near the start of December 2019, tragedy struck as I smashed my phone screen at work - first smashed screen, ever, I might point out - leaving not only the screen protector (you had one job) but the actual screen beneath it equally destroyed. I had the screen replaced at a mall kiosk when I went home to the states for Christmas, and four weeks later, the object that I reply upon for daily activities and obligations decides to turn against me. Currently, the screen is completely frozen. It will, on occasion and without being prompted, tap on random keys, attempt to make an emergency call, or type in the entirely wrong password, then inform me that the code I typed in is incorrect. The audacity it has to do something of its own volition, knowing full well it's wrong, then pretend it's not its fault when this thing goes wrong (yes, that was a casual reference to the admitted intentional slowing down of iPhones in 2017 that led to the France vs Apple lawsuit. Well caught, reader.).

According to their website, Apple are kind enough to repair/replace my screen for the modest sum of £166.44 - shock, horror (Apple Inc., 2020). Imagine my surprise when I found the exact same model, generation and storage space on Amazon for £128.95.

Needless to say, I don't mind going another few days without a phone if it means saving nearly 40 quid and having a new device. That being said, I will be exceedingly happy to return from the dark ages, and finally not have to do mental maths and actually use my alarm clock. 

Furthermore, this particular generation of iPhone (6s Plus) is no longer being manufactured and produced by Apple, so all models available to buy are from third-party sellers, making these products slightly less trustworthy and potentially more at risk of breaking down, either hardware or software, in the near future. Older generations will eventually not be able to support the latest iOS updates, which, most iPhone users know by now, results in the phones slowing down and losing functionality. But, if you're like me, you really enjoy certain aspects of your phone that you know aren't available on newer generations - like the headphone jack that was removed from iPhones 7 onward - making you reluctant to 'upgrade'. 

Why would I want to upgrade to an apparatus that requires me to purchase extra little things that would enable me to use this new model in the same way I was using the last one. While this is a clever capitalist tool, it would be foolish of me as a consumer to give in to this. I would compare it to buying a new pair of running shoes and finding out that the exterior of these is not waterproof like your last ones. Naturally, you go to the store and buy an aerosol can of waterproofing material for shoes and spray this on your new kicks. Ahhh, just like the last pair, except new. Yeah - and you've gone through the hassle of investing more time, energy, and money into this consumable than was really necessary.

All of these factors leave me in my own 'Great Capitalism Debate'. On the one hand, I use these products to manage and organize my life, but on the other, they consume my life and come at a great cost, especially when they lose their functionality. I haven't heard or read many complaints about androids... 

It's a nasty scheme that Apple has going to keep their corporate ball rolling, and while I admire (and even more so, fear) their near-monopoly on the technological world, I can't seem to shake them (unintended pun apple shaking an apple tree). I admit to my shameful love-hate relationship with Apple products, though at the moment there is considerable emphasis on the hate side of this tango. I can't even complain properly, because when these products function, they work marvelously. But there's always a catch.

Cooper, Daniel. “France Fines Apple $27 Million for Slowing down IPhones.” Engadget, Verizon Media, 7 Feb. 2020, www.engadget.com/2020/02/07/france-apple-ios-slowdown-fine/.

“iPhone Screen Repair.” IPhone Screen Repair – Official Apple Support, Apple Inc., 2020, support.apple.com/en-gb/iphone/repair/service/screen-replacement.