Encryption doesn't require 16 GB of RAM. Phone upgrades are like subsidies to me...

dangus · 2025-05-01T20:45:56 1746132356

No of course not but you’re now at the other end of the extreme.

An example of a more reasonable deprecation is 32-bit processors.

Another thing about old hardware is that especially in the case of phones and other mobile devices they get physically degraded and damaged.

mherkender · 2025-05-02T14:39:34 1746196774

It's not that extreme -- I had to get a new phone recently and it has 12 GB.

There is such a thing as reasonable upgrades and necessary replacements. But long-term FAANG software projects are built like sedimentary rock -- layers upon layers. This bloat has a real cost in performance but hardware upgrades help defer the problem and users pay for it.

dangus · 2025-05-02T15:33:53 1746200033

You call it deferment of the problem but I call it elimination of the problem.

Yeah, a $500 phone comes with 12GB of RAM (Pixel 9).

A $150 GB phone comes with 6GB of RAM. Still quite a healthy amount and less than my last grocery bill. That’s cheaper than two iPhone battery replacements for an entire new phone.

This is before the devices have depreciated on the used/refurbished market. I can buy last year’s Pixel 8 for $230 and it has 12GB of RAM.

It’s totally fine to not want software bloat but at some point it is better economics to improve the hardware.