Marketing

Planned Obsolescence

What it is

Deliberately designing products to fail, become outdated, or lose support after a calculated period to drive replacement purchases.

How it works

Products can be engineered to break down after a certain number of uses, software updates can slow older devices, fashion cycles can make last season's products feel outdated, and ending repair support forces upgrades. The customer has no choice but to repurchase on the manufacturer's timeline.

Real-world examples

  • •Smartphone manufacturers releasing software updates that slow older models.
  • •Printer companies using chips in cartridges to reject third-party or refilled ink.
  • •Fast fashion producing clothing designed to fall apart after a few washes.

Ethical guidelines

  • ●Products should be designed for maximum useful life, not minimum profitable life.
  • ●Consumers have a right to repair and maintain products they have purchased.
  • ●Planned obsolescence generates massive waste with environmental consequences.

How to defend against it

  • ►Research product durability and repairability before purchasing — sites like iFixit rate this.
  • ►Support right-to-repair legislation and companies that design for longevity.
  • ►Consider refurbished products and independent repair shops to extend product life.

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