ObsoMobile

Frequent replacement of devices is one of the main source of information and communication technologies (ICT) environmental impact. Our consortium, at the intersection of Software Science, Design, Human Computer Interaction and Sociology will study obsolescence factors and replacement dynamics of smartphones. We will investigate how software factors influence obsolescence and we will seek to quantify the extent and the speed at which mobile apps “expire”, and the underlying reasons. In parallel, we will conduct field work to understand how users make their devices last longer (or not), and the social factors that shape such practices. Finally, we will explore, through speculative design, futures in which smartphones can be long-lasting “by design”. Building upon these three studies, we will develop prototypes of lasting alternatives that we will deploy over months to understand how more durable smartphones could lead to emerging practices of maintenance and care for devices. Throughout the project, we will regularly update an “observatory of smartphone obsolescence”, where we will publish results from our studies and explorations under a open-source license to foster its spread. We will use it to support outreach activities directed towards professional and general audiences.