On one hand, we have high-profile companies that go to absurd lengths to obstruct the repair of their products. On the other, there are always users who go along and throw perfectly functional devices in the trash. The latest video by Hugh Jeffreys is excellent proof: for just $25, he managed to buy more than four kilograms of e-waste, and most of the units in that package came back to life with just a reset, or a module change…
Programmed obsolescence hasn't gone anywhere. Users must fight for the legal right to repair their property (as incredible as that sounds), and those who try anyway discover “traps” like firmware-level blocking of certain functions, or worse, the total absence of spare parts on the market.
We must also add something else: Devices that work perfectly and end up in recycling centers for incomprehensible reasons. In some cases, they aren't even old models or with serious faults. Hugh Jeffreys, whom we know from his videos in which he repairs Apple products, recently visited Brisbane, and there he bought just over four kilograms of “e-waste” that would leave anyone speechless.
The Best $25 of ‘E-Waste’ We’ve Seen
Hugh acknowledges that the Apple devices in his package have a good chance of being locked by iCloud (something that also affects millions of iPads retired from companies and schools), but the rest of his selection definitely justifies the initial investment. The most impressive smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with two small cracks on its screen. Hugh found the same problem on a Samsung S8+, and despite the high cost of its module (about $100), the fact that he paid less than three dollars for that phone tips the scales in his favor.
Luck wasn't the same for the Samsung Galaxy S7 (with a lot of physical damage and corrosion on the PCB), but when exploring the Apple devices, Hugh discovered an iPhone SE that only needs a screen and a battery, and an iPhone 5S with a damaged screen that responded immediately to his commands. But the story doesn't end there: Hugh managed to include in the package a Google Pixel... which had nothing wrong. No errors, no damage, no locks. The same happened with a seventh-generation iPod (except for the expanded battery), an iPhone 5C, an Oppo phone locked with a PIN, and a Samsung Galaxy S9.
I understand that each user is a universe, and that not everyone has the time, the money, or the knowledge to do the necessary repairs, but getting rid of perfectly functioning devices doesn't seem like the smartest decision. What do you think? Leave a comment!
