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Apple doesn’t expect them iPhone, iPad or Apple watch to last more than three years.

How long do you plan to use the Apple device that you own? While, you might want them to last for as long as possible given that they cost a lot of money, Apple it seems has a life expectancy measure for all its devices.

In an FAQ on the company’s website, regarding environment and its devices, Apple gave out the time-frame for its iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch before any user upgrades.

The Cupertino-tech giant’s reply reads, “To model customer use, we measure the power consumed by a product while it is running in a simulated scenario. Daily usage patterns are specific to each product and are a mixture of actual and modeled customer use data. Years of use, which are based on first owners, are assumed to be four years for OS X and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices.”

In short, Apple expects Mac and MacBook owners to stick with their devices for 4 years and gives three years to iPad and iPhone owners. Apple Watch’s life-cycle also comes within the same period as iOS devices.

But, this doesn’t mean the product will last only three years. The three years is an assumption of years owned by first owners, but not including the iPhone getting handed down or traded in, in order to measure/asses Product Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle. The Q&A basically explains how Apple measures.

The timeframe also reiterates that Apple devices have more life than most of the Android smartphones. As far as iOS devices are concerned, there are quite a few users who have not yet given up their iPad 2 or iPad 4 for a newer device. With MacBooks or Macs too there is a tendency among people to use these beyond the four year mark.

Apple’s environment FAQs, which have been posted before also, gives details on recycling, transportation used and model manufacturing phase by the company as part its efforts to remain green.

Also read: Here’s how Apple certified pre-owned iPhones are different from refurbished devices

Apple says that it also engages in third-party verification for their carbon emissions reporting. The World Resource Institute (WRI)/World Business Council for Sustainable Developments (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol was used by the company its calculations.

Interestingly in India, Apple has submitted an application to sell pre-owned iPhones which are certified by the company. As we had explained in an article earlier, the certified pre-owned iPhones that Apple wants to sell in India are manufactured afresh and have to pass through the same tests and processes, as a new phone and get all the mandatory government certifications and have the same 1-year warranty as new iPhones.”

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