Upgrade
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2026-04-11T15:07:53-07:00
The App Store presents upgrading as a routine and desirable process, reinforcing the expectation that devices should be regularly replaced or improved. This logic aligns with broader patterns of planned obsolescence, where technological systems are designed to encourage continual consumption.
Even as devices become more efficient, overall resource use continues to expand. As environmental research has shown, efficiency gains often lead to increased production rather than reduced impact. The cycle of upgrading therefore sustains ongoing extraction, manufacturing, and waste, positioning the smartphone within the accelerating dynamics of the Anthropocene rather than as a solution to them.
