Overview

I wrote this paper as a fall 2021 term paper for Engineering Management 52, Technical and Managerial Communication, taught by Professor Amy Hirschfeld at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. The topic of this paper is An Introduction to the Dilemma of Planned Obsolescence in Mobile Phone Design. The purpose of this paper is to inform the audience about the widely debated planned obsolescence in mobile phone design and urge the audience to make more conscious choices when buying new mobile phones. The scope of this paper is limited to the discussion of planned obsolescence in the mobile phone industry. Planned obsolescence is defined as the business strategy of which a product is planned and built to be no longer usable or unfashionable after a designed period of time. There are four types of planned obsolescence: functional obsolescence, technical obsolescence, stylistic obsolescence, and postponement obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is practiced to maintain the revenue of the manufacturing companies since consumers must purchase new products after their old ones become obsolete as designed. Planned obsolescence has become a controversial phenomenon for several reasons, and this paper discusses the following: The role of consumer psychology Environmental concerns of overconsumption Profit-making business models of technology companies First, consumer psychology can make products obsolete. In addition to the social pressure of buying more advanced phone models, the change in consumers’ tastes could make the older ones obsolete. Companies like Apple also established a loyal fan base who frenetically support their new iPhone and their behavior cause unnecessary consumption. Secondly, one of the main arguments against planned obsolescence is the environmental concern. Research shows that phone manufacturing releases permanent biological toxins, including arsenic, lead, nickel, and zinc. In addition, the raw material acquisition stage and design/production process of mobile phone production contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, unregulated overconsumption due to planned obsolescence is causing irreversible environmental damage. Finally, the business model behind planned obsolescence explains this phenomenon and provides a potential solution. From an economic standpoint, it is proven that manufacturing companies have high incentives to introduce new models and make the older ones obsolete. However, since competition with similar products becomes increasingly serve, researchers argue that companies that utilize planned obsolescence strategies can differentiate themselves from the competitors by providing complementary services. For example, Apple could offer more consumer-friendly repairing solutions instead of encouraging unnecessary consumption. In conclusion, this paper introduces the audience to the background of the controversy of planned obsolescence and recommends the audience to make more informed decisions themselves in the future.