Planned obsolescence, the practice of designing products with an artificially short lifespan, forces consumers to buy new products more often. France was the first EU country to pass legislation against the practice, way back in 2015. Since then, other EU countries have followed suit, and France has pushed even further, adding “right to repair” rules to the legislation. In 2024, the EU adopted common rules relating to the repair of goods, and member states have until July 31, 2026 to implement the legislation in their own legal systems. Some are wondering if these new regulations are responsible for Apple’s introduction of the MacBook Neo, which is easier to take apart and repair than any previous MacBook. One thing is for certain: Apple has been a primary target of past anti-planned obsolescence and right-to-repair lawsuits both in the US and the EU. It’s widely agreed that the EU’s law mandating that a variety of tech devices must support USB-C charging was responsible for Apple switching from Lightning chargers to USB-C, starting with the iPhone 15. Has it happened again? What do you think? Should tech giants like Apple be able to force an artificially shortened lifespan onto their products, or should consumers have the right to repair and keep using their tech devices for as long as they can? Let us know at editors@iphonelife.com.
Planned obsolescence, the practice of designing products with an artificially short lifespan, forces consumers to buy new products more often. France was the first EU country to pass legislation against the practice, way back in 2015. Since then, other EU countries have followed suit, and France has pushed even further, adding “right to repair” rules to the legislation. In 2024, the EU adopted common rules relating to the repair of goods, and member states have until July 31, 2026 to implement the legislation in their own legal systems. Some are wondering if these new regulations are responsible for Apple’s introduction of the MacBook Neo, which is easier to take apart and repair than any previous MacBook. One thing is for certain: Apple has been a primary target of past anti-planned obsolescence and right-to-repair lawsuits both in the US and the EU. It’s widely agreed that the EU’s law mandating that a variety of tech devices must support USB-C charging was responsible for Apple switching from Lightning chargers to USB-C, starting with the iPhone 15. Has it happened again? What do you think? Should tech giants like Apple be able to force an artificially shortened lifespan onto their products, or should consumers have the right to repair and keep using their tech devices for as long as they can? Let us know at editors@iphonelife.com.
