Apple has suggested it believes you will use your Apple Watch or your iPhone for three years before you're ready to replace them.
In a new document entitled "More answers to your questions about Apple and the environment", a section refers to how Apple conducts product life assessment.
Within a section called "How does Apple conduct its Product Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Assessment?" it shows how it considers the environmental impact during the manufacturing, transport and recycling processes.
Two more years
Apple also takes the power the product consumes within its lifespan into account. The document reads, "Daily usage patterns are specific to each product and are a mixture of actual and modeled customer use data.
"Years of use, which are based on first owners, are assumed to be four years for MacOS and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices."
The Apple Watch is only a little over a year old, meaning the data is likely modeled by Apple itself. This shows that Apple believes it will stay a relevant device for customers to use over a few years, but that's it.
It's also not the fastest refresh cycle when compared to the two year turnover for most smartphones, but it does suggest Apple Watch owners will be ready to lose their wearable after three years or less.
Another case is Apple may expect you to pass or sell on your wearable, but it's likely Apple would consider the environmental impact of all the device's users.
Via The Register
