Barriers to device longevity and reuse: A vintage device empirical study

TL;DR

This study investigates the barriers to reusing vintage Apple devices by testing app installation and functionality, revealing significant challenges and proposing solutions to extend device lifespan and reduce e-waste.

Contribution

It introduces a methodology for assessing app compatibility on vintage devices and provides detailed analysis of barriers to reuse, offering practical solutions for prolonging device usability.

Findings

Only 12.6% of apps could be downloaded directly.

60.9% of apps were downloadable with assistance.

61.3% of apps tested were functional on vintage devices.

Abstract

This extended paper contributes a methodology and a detailed analysis of app installation and functionality on a 'vintage' device. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate barriers to the reuse of vintage Apple devices. and solutions are posited. 230 apps across 23 unique app categories were tested to determine if they could be downloaded, installed, and opened, and whether they appeared functional on a vintage Apple device. Only 29 (12.6%) of the apps could be downloaded directly, and in contrast 140 (60.9%) of the apps were downloadable with the aid of another Apple device. In total, 141 (61.3%) of applications downloaded either directly or indirectly were considered functional and capable of running on the device. We discuss measures Apple and developers could take to support legacy device users, prolong device use, enable reuse and, potentially, prevent functional devices from becoming e-waste.