Phone Launches Every Year Need to Stop for More Reasons Than One

Almost all phone-makers, including Apple, Samsung and Google, refresh their products every single year. This now-standard product cycle is a problem and it needs to stop. The manufacturing and shipping of new phones -- not to mention the disposal of old handsets -- is a significant environmental drain, and I believe it's a major reason why phones continue to feel stagnant and boring. By switching to a longer update cycle of two or even three years, phones could become exciting again and tech firms could give the planet a much-needed break. Let me explain. The tech industry runs like clockwork, especially when it comes to phone launches. We know Apple will release new iPhones in September, Samsung launches new Galaxy S-series phones in January or February and Google will debut its new Pixels sometime in late summer. This predictable cycle means that there's always a flashy new product to buy, whether you're upgrading from a five-year-old handset or you're refreshing every year to ensur ... Read full article.