Why do tech companies design phones to fail and what can I do about it?

Planned obsolescence is the opposite of wu wei—it's forcing action through artificial scarcity and decay. Companies slow down old phones via software updates, make batteries unreplaceable, or simply stop supporting devices after three years. The profit motive is clear: planned replacement drives sales. But this creates mountains of e-waste while extracting fresh minerals endlessly. What can you do? First, reject the narrative that you need the newest model. Your three-year-old phone likely works fine; the desire for upgrade is manufactured, not organic. Second, buy from companies with longer support windows (some Android makers now offer seven years). Third, choose repairable devices—look for right-to-repair scores on iFixit. Support legislative efforts like the EU's Right to Repair directive. Finally, examine your own relationship with tech: do you actually use those features, or are you chasing the story the company tells? This isn't about asceticism. It's about noticing where the system nudges you and choosing differently. One person keeping a phone for five years instead of two shifts something small but real in the supply chain.