The smartphone evolution - an analysis of the design evolution and environmental impact of smartphones

The smartphone industry has always been characterized by rapid technical change and new product proliferation. Although the smartphone has a relatively small environmental footprint compared to other IT products, it has one of the shortest use cycles and at the same time the widest dissemination of any electronic product, making it a product of high environmental concern. In this paper we will provide a market based analysis on smartphone designs for a period from 2000 to mid-2019 showing that smartphones changed towards ""bigger and better"" (bigger displays and batteries, more storage, memory, cameras, faster and better processors, cameras and sensors), with only little variability between models, brands and market segments. Thereby, this product development is mirrored with changing environmental data (e.g. maturing technology, more efficient production) showing how the absolute environmental impact changed.