Prominent Android manufacturers commit to supporting phone software for 7 years
Samsung Extends Android and Security Updates to 7 Years
Hopefully a blow to planned obsolescence
Commitment against planned obsolescence would be 20 years minimum.
Nah that doesn't make sense, but 7 years and open-sourcing drivers would cut it
20 years ago, no one owned a smart phone. And most people still didn't have cell phones or a laptop.
20 years ago, no one owned a smart phone.
The handspring visor, one of the first smartphones, was released in 2000. I owned one, although a few years later and second hand.
It still works too, except the phone part is 1g only, so there's no network for it any more.
OK, almost no one owned a smart phone.
Well, long before that the device would stop working. More important would be improved repairability. My current phone is in year 4 and the hardware is starting to die. But I can't replace the battery or other parts that start breaking. 20 year software support means nothing without that hardware lasting that long.
In that regard I think 7 years is already plenty. If they pair that with easy to replace batteries and screens that would go a long way.
