It’s Time To Change The Way We Think About Phone Ownership.
Do you really believe that after buying a new phone, the phone and all its components will completely be yours?
To get a better picture, you can imagine that you’ve just come back from the local Apple Store with a shiny new iPhone. You’re excited about your new device and cannot wait to use it.
But hang on, do you actually own this phone?
Surprisingly the answer is – no. You’re not the real owner of the phone that you have bought.
The physical device may be yours, but the software responsible for running all those wonderful applications isn’t yours at all.
Think back…
The Licensing Agreement
When you first connected your iPhone to the Apple store, you had to agree to the terms and conditions of the Software Licensing Agreement in order to activate it. It was pages upon pages long and – like most people – you probably didn’t read it. You were just excited to start using your phone.
What it actually said was that while you may own the physical parts of your iPhone, the software that makes it work is not yours at all.
In other words, as Apple puts it on their website: “Your use of Apple software or hardware products is based on the software license and other terms and conditions in effect for the product at the time of purchase.” And continues with: “Your agreement to these terms is required to install or use the product.”
What’s the big deal?
In short, Apple’s famous operating system, iOS, is forever owned by the company itself. It merely licenses the use of it to you. It’s the key component to your phone’s functionality and it’s illegal to attempt to install any other software in its place.
This begs the question – what is smartphone ownership at all?
Without the operating system, our phone is just a collection of metals and plastic. Keeping in mind all of the energy and resources that go into creating your device which ultimately ends up in a landfill, we quickly see how the entire concept seems like a wasteful illusion.
Finding An Alternative
Let’s be real. Most likely, you’re going to continue to use your phone regardless of the terms and conditions. However, by acknowledging our lack of true ownership, we can begin to shift how we think about electronics consumption and support more sustainable systems.
Beneko offers a solution that enables users to have the lowest prices available on the latest tech while also contributing to a green initiative that tackles global issues such as e-waste, global warming, and over-consumption of electronics. Their sustainable business model and eco-first marketplace offer a convenient service and solution to consumers.
By challenging a lesser known gap in a widely accepted industry standard, Beneko has disrupted the world of consumer electronics and put themselves in a position to become an industry leading marketplace.
Rethinking ownership allows Beneko to offer better prices than all other major marketplaces. Users are also given greater freedom as they can upgrade their devices at any time while only paying for what they use. Lastly, Beneko extends the lifespan of electronic devices and keeps them out of landfills. They provide end-to-end assistance that ensures used devices are responsibly recycled or resold to put additional money back into the pockets of their customers.
This model is based on the Circular Economy and results in drastically reduced waste, cheaper prices on quality products and more power in the hands of consumers.