Well it looks like the end to this fiasco is in sight! Sort of..
With the new Apple hardware subscription service there will be no need for planned obsolescence techniques once the iPhone ultimately becomes ‘subscription only’ (probably a few years off as it’ll be phased in).
I would imagine there’ll be a limit on how long they will operate once they’re subscription only, so you might be able to keep the phone maybe 4-5 years, at which point it has to get replaced, and the old one is returned for ‘recycling’.
At least it’s a more honest approach from Apple, and these ‘issues’ with lag and stutter will be a thing of the past!..
Apple’s subscription model allows to replace a device every year iirc. So the devices taken back early have to be marketed somehow (2nd hand, refurb etc.), as recycling after one year would be a very bad thing to do on multiple levels!
Also, Apple can’t simply „switch off“ a device after 4-5 years and demand recycling. That would cause a - justified! - uproar among customers and governments alike.
The trend is currently going towards a _prolonged_ device lifetime (even laws are underway to support that), so Apple needs to find better ways to keep their customers satisfied. Maybe they even get their act together to ensure long-term and consistent software quality. 😮
Sounds like Science-Fiction, I know, but a man can dream, right?! ;-)