The waste part, though, is the innards and bezel. Most of the weight/volume is 18k gold.

Elaborate on this disconnect, because I’m not seeing it. How is recycling the gold any worse than recycling the frame of an obsolete aluminum watch?

If anything, I assume the gold is much more likely to get recycled.

This has to be taken in the context of electronics’ lifetimes.

A smartwatch that was supported for 8 years is pretty great. Who’s doing better?

But if competitors do better, that raises the bar for Apple and is a net benefit for customers. So yeah, Samsung, Google — here’s your opportunity to outshine Apple.

(Google’s already making noises about supporting newer Pixel phones for 8 years, and have committed to supporting some Chromebooks for 10 years. This is a good thing and I’d like to see more manufacturers get interested in offering longer periods of support.)

For now, I suspect Apple will say they’ll be recycle your watch so the materials are not “wasted”.

Naw, it's the tires.

So how should a company that makes tech that people want while being as environmentally friendly as possible present itself? What other company is more environmentally conservative while making the tech that people want (for example Xiaomi, Huawei, etc) than Apple?

"Don't make it" is not a good answer. People buy it, so someone will make it.

And I'm happy that Apple educates their customers about the environmental impact.

"People buy it, so someone will make it" doesn't apply when they're at the size of Apple. They absolutely make things that no one else could make if they didn't.

Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung certainly could, and probably more.

Apple creates the want in the first place or amplifies existing want.

That is what ultimately drives consumption-based pollution, so they are directly to blame.

I disagree completely. People wanted this for a long time, now it's available, that's it. People usually claim that Apple didn't invent anything new...

>So how should a company that makes tech that people want while being as environmentally friendly as possible present itself?

Not with self indulgent high budget folly like ‘Mother Nature’

I never said don’t make the objects I actually said I’m fine with how abhorrent a 3 plastic battery coffins that are AirPods are for how good the experience is.

Just don’t make marketing material like ‘Mother Earth’ when you’re shipping those products.

Many commercials works by saying stuff far from the reality. Can’t help thinking of those gigantic EV advertised everyday and everywhere as climate saving wands. « Change the world, by X or Y » (no pun intended).

So why isn't this considered and treated as fraud?

It is in my country, but not all laws are enforced.