Escape from the Island of Misfit Phones!
Big tech industry players like Brightstar Corp., ModusLink Global Solutions, and Sprint Nextel have announced the Device Renewal Forum, an effort to address the glut of slightly older phones on the market.
“With the lifecycle of wireless phones diminishing, companies are looking for ways to re-introduce affordable phones to market and minimize the environmental impact of old technology,” said Scott Crawley, President of Integrated Services for ModusLink. Where some see lifeless plastic casings and annoyingly unpredictable service, Crawley sees gold.
He’s not the only one. The hardware specs on older phones are sometimes extremely advanced when they’re discarded. Users are sometimes won over by the appeal of a brand new phone, and the value of the old ones, though relatively high, is lost to the ether.
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It also means Mother Nature has to take another hit, and given how much of a stressor to the supply chain cell phones already are, that’s not the nicest thing to do to the old doll.
Considering how much money there is to be made from doing the right thing, analysts expect this to be a growing concern for manufacturers over the coming years. With a well-designed refurbishment standard, companies will be able to squeeze more profit out of products presently outside of the market – giving consumers what they want and Mother Nature what she needs.