Is owning an iPhone ethical?

[Scholar]

On 29.1.2024 at 11:59 AM, Osaid said:

Isn't it the other way around? Apple literally purposefully slowed down their software through their updates and got in massive shit for being exposed for it.

Wasn't that a misunderstanding?

I think they "slow down" older phones because the updates can cause a lot more battery consumption for those phones, and I think they also might slow down phones once the batteries have lost a certain percentage of capacity.

 

The court case they lost I am pretty sure is because they have not made this clear to consumers, which really is a technicality. It's not like they slow down the phones so they can sell new phones.

 

On 29.1.2024 at 0:17 PM, Osaid said:

I am aware of the statement they made, I believe you are repeating it here. So their solution to the design flaw was to slow it down through the update, which no other phone has to do.

I am pretty sure other phones have to do this or suffer the consequences of degradation.

 

 

The apple hate is a little exaggerated to me. Apple definitely has it's advantages and disadvantages.

[DocWatts]

Unfortunately, for anything as complicated as a phone or a computer appalling and exploitative labor conditions are the norm. The materials for these products are sourced from some of the poorest regions of the world, and usually assembled in sweat shops. That's not just true of electronics, but likely all of the clothes you own as well, not to mention for most of the objects in your home. This isn't because people living in developed countries are 'evil', that's the buy in for being able to live in an industrial society.

Instead of agonizing over if X or Y consumer product is more or less ethical, you'd be better off putting your time and energy into supporting NGOs, activists, and progressive political candidates that are working to reform the worst aspects of this system.

In the developed world, it wasn't 'consumer choice' that curbed the worst excesses of capitalist exploitation, it was labor and citizen activism that lobbied governments to put rules in place to protect workers, consumers, and the environment.

Edited January 31 by DocWatts

[bebotalk]

Unfortunately, many products are made by those in poor conditions. This includes clothing, electronics, and even buildings. I won't say it's exclusive to iPhones.