True Cost of an iPhone

Here’s a pretty snazzy infographic detailing the complete lifetime of an iPhone, from design to production to use to waste.

While I find the invocation of Foxconn workers’ suicide rate inflammatory and a bit fallacious (considering it’s below China’s national average), it’s only an infographic, so I’m giving them a pass on not providing all of the context.

The concepts it portrays are worth thinking about. Where do are electronics come from? What are the hidden costs of those products? What happens once we’re done with them? And finally, why aren’t we considering these costs when we make all of our purchases?


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