[LINK] News: 'New mobile phones will double as credit cards'

[Ivan Trundle]

On 28/04/2007, at 3:26 PM, David Boxall wrote:

> Howard Lowndes wrote:
>>
>>
>> Rick Welykochy wrote:
>>> ...
>>> It won't be fantastic for the environment. What is the average  
>>> lifetime
>>> of a mobile phone right now? How often do people replace them? My  
>>> guess
>>> is far too often as it is.
>>
>> Then I must be bucking the trend.  I've owned 3 mobiles.  The  
>> first was a Voxson 888 bought in '94 - built like a brick and  
>> about the same weight and 12 hour battery life.  That was replaced  
>> in '98 with a Nokia with about 36 hour battery life and that went  
>> out in '01 for another Nokia without the stick out aerial; as the  
>> phone resides in my trouser pocket a stick out aerial is a PITA -  
>> literally.  The current phone had a battery replacement about 3  
>> years ago for a $35 Li-Ion which is half the weight and gives  
>> about 4 days life than the NiMH it replaced.  I was tempted to go  
>> and buy a "gadget" but I think I will stick with just having a  
>> "phone".
>>
> I've only owned one; bought more than four years ago on a two-year  
> contract.  It came with a warning that the phone wasn't guaranteed  
> to last as long as the contract.
>
> It's on Telstra's CDMA network, so I'll have to replace it by next  
> February.  I wonder how many serviceable phones will be made  
> obsolete by the closing of that network.
>
Mine is more than six years old (Ericsson T39), and is still going  
strong: I can pick up replacements for less than $40 from Hong Kong  
(I have a few spare: they are also smaller than most current phones,  
and tougher). I bought a 'gadget phone' recently, but have gone back  
to my original phone, since this is all I need and want. My daughter  
(to whom I donated the gadget phone - which came free on a plan) is  
thrilled at my preference...

But to the point: I read somewhere today that AT&T (I think) in  
America are now embarking on a program to reduce phone handset  
consumption by offering rewards and bonuses if people did NOT  
automatically upgrade their phone. Their aim is to reduce the level  
of 'gadgetitis' and ultimately, landfill and waste. It's part of an  
overall 'green initiative' to reduce consumption and waste, which  
goes far beyond the normal 'let's recycle our packaging' mantra.

iT