the.com/product lifespan
the manufacturer decides how long you love something before you have to replace it.
means the length of time a product functions or stays useful before it breaks, becomes obsolete, or gets designed out of relevance.
from tracked back to the 1920s phoebus cartel, which secretly capped lightbulb life at 1,000 hours to force repeat sales, birthing the study of engineered obsolescence.
phoebus cartellightbulb makers colluded to shorten bulb life on purpose
software updatecan kill a working phone faster than hardware fails
right to repairlaws now fight lifespans set by design, not physics
for instance
iphone battery throttling — apple slowed old iphones in 2017, sparked a lawsuit
incandescent bulb — phoebus cartel capped life at 1000 hours in 1924
printer ink chips — epson and hp chips block cartridges before ink runs out
fast fashion seams — zara garments engineered to wear out within a season