That’s something they should do regardless of memory prices IMO. So many valuable parts get just thrown away
Going to open an Etsy shop and sale handmade RAM sticks.
We’ve reached the point where the smartphone industry is doing board level archaeology to keep $200 phones affordable. Reusing working chips is actually sensible. The absurd part is that we needed a memory shortage to rediscover that perfectly functional electronics don’t automatically become garbage when the phone does.
While I agree with the sentiment that reusability is good, I would only knowingly buy a phone with reused components if they offered a three year warranty on those reused parts. My phones typically last me three or four years. The wear and tear on those memory units would make me extremely skeptical of them.
The absurd part is that we needed a memory shortage to rediscover that perfectly functional electronics don’t automatically become garbage when the phone does.
It doesn’t seem absurd to me at all. A budget phone’s primary goal is low cost. Labor is generally more expensive than new parts. So buying new memory and consuming less labor has made economic sense up until now. The only change now is that the cost of the memory has increase beyond the cost of the additional labor to extract memory. So the budget approach is reuse.
Most of the time consumers don’t buy pre-owned/used items over new for ethical reasons. They buy them because they’re cheaper than new items.
If I was going to buy a phone with this, I’d want it to be made very clear this was the case, but as long as they do that and a consumer can make an informed decision, I think it’s a great idea.
At a certain point, can we agree that we don’t need these overpriced cell phones? How did we get to a point that a grocery store employee needs a smart phone?
You do realize for many people (in the world), their phone is their only computer/access to the internet?
Yeah, how dare poor people want to e.g. access Youtube or message their friends!
The point is it’s a chain around your neck. Working shouldn’t require to have a google or apple phone…
There’s an example. Fun points? I played a gameboy emulator on it. It would fit in your pocket unlike the tablets of today.
“I can use x, everyone should do that”
The entire world runs on smartphones these days, did you miss that memo? And yes, you’re right! You can live without them. But that is like running hurdles and saying I won’t jump because the track normally doesn’t require it.
