EU Just Changed Smartphones Forever

Mr Tangerine Man said:
Well apart from companies like apple charging loads of Dollars for a repair. 🙄
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I don't see how it does that.


Mr Tangerine Man said:
It also reduces the amount of E-waste that is being made..I.E Save the planet and save your pocket... 🙄
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Again, I have my doubts.


Presumably you'll accept that companies like Apple know more about designing phones than the EU, so if they've gone down the integrated battery route, there's likely a good (consumer led) reason for that.
 
On balance a good thing. The temptation currently when the battery becomes less and less efficient is to compare the cost of replacement with splashing out on the latest model.

This legislation aims to put the choice more in the hands of the consumer. I'm sure the big tech companies will find a way round it through planned obsolescence anyway though.
 
I have a Samsung s9 it's a few years old, it's also a perfectly good phone and does everything I need, the battery is getting too old though, a busy day at work and it needs charging in the afternoon. If the battery was replaceable I'd have years of use left. As it stands ill have to get a new phone soon for something like 800 quid.

Well done EU , just about the only organisation that's big enough and willing to stand up to these mega corps.
 
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Foolweary said:
I have a Samsung s9 it's a few years old, it's also a perfectly good phone and does everything I need, the battery is getting too old though, a busy day at work and it needs charging in the afternoon. If the battery was replaceable I'd have years of use left. As it stands ill have to get a new phone soon for something like 800 quid.

Well done EU , just about the only organisation that's big enough and willing to stand up to these mega corps.
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The EU and others have been complicit with China sweatshops which have for decades seen Chinese workers exploited beyond belief.
This has driven many workers to suicide and has ruined the lives of countless others.

I think this is is good idea and will hopefully help the consumer. Allegedly these phone companies have been using software to degrade the battery life, effectively forcing the consumer to upgrade.

The problem is that they’ll find another way to keep their profits rolling in. They’ll probably just rely on the mentality that many consumers have - in that they need they absolutely must have the latest version.

Remember the ad campaign ‘ashamed of your mobile?’
That was effectively trying to embarrass you into upgrading.
It’s as much an about whether the phone is fashionable as it is about serviceability. People upgrade perfectly functional phones just because they want the latest with the new camera which is even more amazing than the previous - not that the naked eye can tell. 🤔

So well done to the EU but not nearly enough has been done by such trade blocks to protect workers rights. They’ve been too little, too late and have been complicit in virtual slave labour conditions in Chinese sweat shops.
 
God, you talk a load of rubbish.

Have you ever been in a factory in China?
It's because of companies like Apple, Nike & the EN guidelines that have turned China into a global manufacturing powerhouse.
These factories producing consumer goods are audited on a yearly basis by the companies or retailers using them.
Staff, amenities, working hours, daily pay have to be shown.....and yes, even suicide..... if they fail an audit, the company will move production

I used to work for a Nike supplier and I have imported thousands of containers over the years mainly from China.
Before shipping anything, your products must be manufactured to EU standards for fabric, consumables, the plastic protective bag, the dye in fabric, the buttons, and even the design itself, so it all must conform to the EN requirement number or it gets pulled at the port or retailer reject it

Poor manufacturers do exist in China, but they manufacture for their home market or Africa, but they wouldn't get a sniff of anything that has to be exported to Europe or the USA, it just doesn't happen.....
 
Foolweary said:
I have a Samsung s9 it's a few years old, it's also a perfectly good phone and does everything I need, the battery is getting too old though, a busy day at work and it needs charging in the afternoon. If the battery was replaceable I'd have years of use left. As it stands ill have to get a new phone soon for something like 800 quid.

Well done EU , just about the only organisation that's big enough and willing to stand up to these mega corps.
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Had an S8 until recently, bloody brilliant phone that's a proper size and still way quicker than any budget offerings from the big brands.
 
Lost Seasider said:
I don't see how it does that.




Again, I have my doubts.


Presumably you'll accept that companies like Apple know more about designing phones than the EU, so if they've gone down the integrated battery route, there's likely a good (consumer led) reason for that.
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The development of smartphones has kind of plateaud - There's now, no real reason to not have a phone for four or five years. I've had my low end phone for 3 years. It's absolutely grand, I've got absolutely no desire or need for a new one but the battery is shagged.

Battery life is one of the reasons why people trade in phones and get new ones.

They're essentially buying an entire new phone for a new battery.

They may tell themselves they're getting the latest feature set but there's really not much advancement now.

Apple do know a lot about design. They also know a hell of a lot about designing great stuff with a shelf life. Modularity is their enemy.

It's the same story with laptops. I've owned numerous apple laptops and I won't go near them now as everything is locked away. You used to be able to upgrade your own ram, replace your own battery.

Now you can't - why? Because a ram upgrade and a battery replacement = and extra 18 months/ 2 years till you buy a new one.

True modularity is a desirable thing if we want to reduce consumer waste. It doesn't stifle innovation - if anything, it should spark it cos basically all phones (aside from fancy niche folding ones) are just iPhone clones and laptops just ripoff MacBooks.

Fuck me, that's boring. Sorry.
 
It's not just phones though, it will apply to laptops, tablets etc, in fact anything that needs a battery. Probably even EV batteries could be replacable by the layman eventually.
 
I changed a samsung s7 due to the battery to absolutely goosed. Needing charging 4 times a day so reluctantly had to change it. I'd have kept it forever if I could have
 
B_Side_The_C_Side said:
God, you talk a load of rubbish.

Have you ever been in a factory in China?
It's because of companies like Apple, Nike & the EN guidelines that have turned China into a global manufacturing powerhouse.
These factories producing consumer goods are audited on a yearly basis by the companies or retailers using them.
Staff, amenities, working hours, daily pay have to be shown.....and yes, even suicide..... if they fail an audit, the company will move production

I used to work for a Nike supplier and I have imported thousands of containers over the years mainly from China.
Before shipping anything, your products must be manufactured to EU standards for fabric, consumables, the plastic protective bag, the dye in fabric, the buttons, and even the design itself, so it all must conform to the EN requirement number or it gets pulled at the port or retailer reject it

Poor manufacturers do exist in China, but they manufacture for their home market or Africa, but they wouldn't get a sniff of anything that has to be exported to Europe or the USA, it just doesn't happen.....
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It’s a bit disrespectful to accuse me of talking rubbish. An emotional response I suppose as you’re clearly triggered for some reason as illustrated by your opening gambit of ‘God’!

The part of your response where you list all the standards relating to a products specifications, is … what’s the word …. oh yeah - irrelevant. It’s a load of words trying to make a case to counter what I wrote, but it’s absolutely nothing at all to do with what I wrote. So please stick to the subject where possible.

The fact that you used to import from China doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence regarding your impartiality.

Furthermore, the very fact that the audit, by your own admission, has to include data on suicide, is evidence that there is indeed an issue. Imagine - we need to check how many have committed suicide in Chinese sweat shop factories before we authorise a deal. Why do you think that is? It’s because of exactly what I claimed. The only reason they’re doing the audits is because of whistle blowers and workers who made secret recordings.

You’re incredibly naive, perhaps kidding yourself for your own peace of mind, if you think all is rosey in there factories. It isn’t. What’s happened is that they now play this game of audits where they and the brand can present a better image and claim they have all things in order. But it’s far from that and as you should know, companies can play the game and distort stats and fudge reports and sweep things under the carpet. If VW etc can lie about diesel emissions, then these factories who have exploited workers in terrible conditions for years, and caused many suicides, can certainly fudge whatever they need to in order to keep their exploitation going and their profits rolling in.

I’ve just googled China sweatshops and it shows that 61% of Apple workers are working more than 60 hours a week. They set up these factories far from where the workers live. They import them to the factories and provide accommodation. The workers are isolated and away from their families. The pay is such that they have to work long hours to make a living. It’s forced labour and if anyone complains about the long hours they have their hours reduced leaving they can’t earn enough to get by. It’s disgraceful. It’s still happening.

A quick google will show the top brands using Chinese sweatshops. One of the main companies is NIKE.

So rather than tell me I’m talking rubbish, I suggest you do your research. I’m flabbergasted you weren’t already aware as I’ve personally seen documentary after documentary about it. You need to wake up and stop defending the indefensible.
 
It’s funny how people go quiet when they’re hit with facts.

As I mentioned, audits and inspections can be done in collusion. Stats can be distorted to make things look acceptable.

The chap who says I’m talking rubbish and who thinks ‘it just doesn’t happen’, acknowledges that one of the things these factories get audited on are the number of suicides.

The only reason they’re having to keep stats on that shocking metric, are because there’s been many suicides in these cruel sweatshops.

Having been exposed by whistleblowers they have had to report the stats. So guess what? They can report a much improved situation. They can show that suicides are down and thus conditions must be better? Well stats are merely stats and aren’t the full story.

To address the truly awful situation where these poor workers felt their felt best option was to jump off a factory balcony or out of a window, the factory bosses did what? Improve working conditions? No.
They put up rope nets across the open balcony’s and they sealed up the windows. So yes these bosses could then sit in meetings and show the big brands such as Apple, that they’d cleaned up their act. Suicides had all but been eliminated.

But as I say, stats are only one indicator and they can be manipulated.

Theses top bands such as Nike and Adidas are still using sweatshops in China. They know what’s happening but turn a blind eye. They can point to their audits to show how ethical they are, but it’s box-ticking and it’s not about protecting workers rights. It’s smoke and mirrors. Suicides are down (cos they’ve sealed up the windows, and put up rope nets on the landings). 🤷‍♂️
 
God, did you just make all that shit up in your head?
I am seriously worried for you....You need something to fill up all this spare time you have......like a job!!!

So answer me this
How many times have you been to China and to what parts?
What types of factories have you been inside?.....or (as I suspect) you just Google this stuff and then make up the crap in your head.
And when did you work for Nike or Adidas, as you seem to know they are using sweatshops.....or was this just another google?
You may also find that Adidas own a lot of their factories (most of which are not in China!!!) to ensure quality and continuity.
Which 'sweatshops' don't provide.....

So you're 2 posts tell me that you really know very little and just Google or make this shit up
And NO, suicides don't form any part of any factory audit, but factories will report them (IF) they happen.
Do you honestly think people are just throwing themselves off the roof every day in China?

You just proved to me that your blagging it, so why pretend you know stuff, you just end up embarrassing yourself.

P.S.
Sorry to be blunt....But don't bother to respond, I've done my bit for Mental Health this week and I just don't give a shit what you say.
 
B_Side_The_C_Side said:
God, did you just make all that shit up in your head?
I am seriously worried for you....You need something to fill up all this spare time you have......like a job!!!

So answer me this
How many times have you been to China and to what parts?
What types of factories have you been inside?.....or (as I suspect) you just Google this stuff and then make up the crap in your head.
And when did you work for Nike or Adidas, as you seem to know they are using sweatshops.....or was this just another google?
You may also find that Adidas own a lot of their factories (most of which are not in China!!!) to ensure quality and continuity.
Which 'sweatshops' don't provide.....

So you're 2 posts tell me that you really know very little and just Google or make this shit up
And NO, suicides don't form any part of any factory audit, but factories will report them (IF) they happen.
Do you honestly think people are just throwing themselves off the roof every day in China?

You just proved to me that your blagging it, so why pretend you know stuff, you just end up embarrassing yourself.

P.S.
Sorry to be blunt....But don't bother to respond, I've done my bit for Mental Health this week and I just don't give a shit what you say.
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Another emotional angry rant.

So the premise of your rude dismissal is that unless I’ve been to China then I can’t comment.
Never mind there’s the press, and investigatory documentaries by Panorama and others, plus a plethora of credible information available via Google.

Using your logic, I suppose I can’t have the view that the Chinese have imprisoned Uyghur Muslims because I’ve not actually been to their prisons in China. Yeah. Makes sense.

It’s actually a relevant example given that these same sweatshops have been exploiting the Uyghur Muslims too.

Anyways, you’ve shown you’re not capable of a mature discussion, as evidenced by your rant and your very flippant attitude to mental health.

I’m not sure why you’re so enraged but given how you conduct yourself on here, I’ve no interest in engaging with you further.
 
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B_Side_The_C_Side said:
God, you talk a load of rubbish.

Have you ever been in a factory in China?
It's because of companies like Apple, Nike & the EN guidelines that have turned China into a global manufacturing powerhouse.
These factories producing consumer goods are audited on a yearly basis by the companies or retailers using them.
Staff, amenities, working hours, daily pay have to be shown.....and yes, even suicide..... if they fail an audit, the company will move production

I used to work for a Nike supplier and I have imported thousands of containers over the years mainly from China.
Before shipping anything, your products must be manufactured to EU standards for fabric, consumables, the plastic protective bag, the dye in fabric, the buttons, and even the design itself, so it all must conform to the EN requirement number or it gets pulled at the port or retailer reject it

Poor manufacturers do exist in China, but they manufacture for their home market or Africa, but they wouldn't get a sniff of anything that has to be exported to Europe or the USA, it just doesn't happen.....
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Luckily we've got away from all that protection of the workforce and can get back to bigger profits from worker exploitation. #Brexitbenefit
 
B_Side_The_C_Side said:
God, you talk a load of rubbish.

Have you ever been in a factory in China?
It's because of companies like Apple, Nike & the EN guidelines that have turned China into a global manufacturing powerhouse.
These factories producing consumer goods are audited on a yearly basis by the companies or retailers using them.
Staff, amenities, working hours, daily pay have to be shown.....and yes, even suicide..... if they fail an audit, the company will move production

I used to work for a Nike supplier and I have imported thousands of containers over the years mainly from China.
Before shipping anything, your products must be manufactured to EU standards for fabric, consumables, the plastic protective bag, the dye in fabric, the buttons, and even the design itself, so it all must conform to the EN requirement number or it gets pulled at the port or retailer reject it

Poor manufacturers do exist in China, but they manufacture for their home market or Africa, but they wouldn't get a sniff of anything that has to be exported to Europe or the USA, it just doesn't happen.....
Click to expand...
I think you should Google dangerous Chinese imports on Amazon. You might be surprised to see headlines such as “

Unsafe products on Amazon mostly come from Chinese sellers”​

 
Mr Tangerine Man said:
About time someone showed some common sense.. takes the EU to do it...

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I sometimes think that it might have been a good idea, for the UK to stay attached to the world's largest trading bloc that is about 13 miles away. On the other hand I received a stamp in my passport last week and that is now blue , so swings and roundabouts.
 
It's like buying a car with a full tank of fuel then changing it when it's run out, ** madness. It's a bit of a pain but if you don't fancy doing it yourself with tiny screwdrivers hairdryers & guitar picks, made really easy for you! just pay £20 & get a new battery. I think my 7 year old phone has had about 4 batteries. Presumably the self destruct processor failed.
 
Sooty59 said:
It's like buying a car with a full tank of fuel then changing it when it's run out, ** madness. It's a bit of a pain but if you don't fancy doing it yourself with tiny screwdrivers hairdryers & guitar picks, made really easy for you! just pay £20 & get a new battery. I think my 7 year old phone has had about 4 batteries. Presumably the self destruct processor failed.
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It's more like buying a car with a battery that'll last the same amount of time until you have to bin that too, but that's apparently the way of the future.

At least the phone doesn't cost £30,000+.
 
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