IPhone would last better than other smartphones, according to Apple

December 23, 2020 Joe Kenehan

The iPhone enjoys a better first life than the competition, according to statements made by three representatives of Apple France to the Senate. The Apple company’s smartphone would even have a longer overall lifespan than those running Android.

According to a report on the ecological digital transition submitted to the Senate in June 2020, uA first-hand smartphone has an average lifespan of 23 months. An insufficient period for rapporteurs Guillaume Chevrollier and Jean-Michel Houllegatte, who believe that “reducing the carbon footprint of digital technology in France will indeed have to go through limiting the renewal of terminals.”

But that’s without counting on Apple, which explains that the first life of an iPhone is longer. Three representatives of Apple France were recently invited by the Commission for Regional Planning and Sustainable Development, to explain to the Senate that an owner of a new iPhone generally keeps it longer than those of competitors.

The average lifespan of an iPhone would be at least 46 months

While a little less than two years may indeed represent a fairly short lifespan, Apple is much more optimistic about its own phones. “That 23 month figure may apply to our competitors, but not to Apple. Anyway, we are talking about the first life and certainly not the second or the third life that comes after reconditioning, ”say Apple spokespersons.

“Regarding the average lifespan of a smartphone, we know, thanks to internal studies and various organizations, that it is well over 23 months for the first life of an iPhone and even for its second life. It lasts a little more than double“, Announces Clément Lelong, head of environmental initiatives at Apple. On the other hand, the representatives of Apple France do not provide the slightest detailed figure.

This lifespan can be partly explained by the purchase price of an iPhone, and by the fact that an Android phone devalues less than an Android model. We keep an iPhone longer because few models are as affordable as an Android smartphone. And also and above all because we know that it can be resold more easily in the 2 to 3 years following its purchase.

But this lengthening, Apple explains in part by the ability to repair an iPhone with quality parts and services. A not totally disinterested argument, since Clement Lelong admits Apple would not oppose VAT cut on this kind of service, without “stating an official position”.