But there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Dutch company Fairphone is working on a mobile phone in which every component can be replaced by the user, so long as they can use a screwdriver. 'We're focusing on longevity and repairability to extend the phone's usable life and give buyers more control over their products', says the company's website, adding that it is also designing conflict minerals out of its supply chain.
The phone – called the Fairphone 2 – is set to be available in 2016 and will be supported by an online shop which will sell all the necessary components.
Olivier Hebert, chief technology officer, said: "Our goal was to reinvent the phone's architecture to make it easier to assemble and service. We wanted to make it fast and easy for anyone to do basic maintenance on their phone, bringing it back to full functionality without professional support. Our solution was to engineer the Fairphone 2 around an innovative modular architecture that would enable subsystems to be easily repaired and replaced."
Three cheers. It's about time this nettle was grasped.
Click here for the earlier blog
