But before we get to all the things that make smartphones bad, we'd better first look at the design aspects in which the smartphone actually shines: They are equally bad for right and left-handers.

That may sound sarcastic, but it is meant seriously. Smartphones are largely subject to complete consumption and a total sense aesthetic that excludes every logic or rational. The pure mathematical shape, the slippery material (try to hold an Iphone 6 with sweaty hands) is not at all designed for human hands. The only good thing about this narrow approach to design is, that developers understood the fact that there are right and left-handers, hence made one design for both hands. This is often enough forgotten elsewhere, so I want to give them credit for it. However, it is also quite likely, that the same reason why all smartphones look alike is the same reason, why they are equally bad for left- and right-handed individuals.

Another good thing is, that we as of now, are down to “just” two kinds of chargers used: USB-C and Lightning. 2 options are still one to many, but a big improvement from the pre-smartphone era, where every brand had it’s own charger!

Speaking of holding a slippery, mis-shaped device in one hand: You will eventually drop your device at some point. Smartphones are articles of daily use and will eventually end of in free fall. But the materials used are not geared towards stability - as the immense industry of cases, bags and similar, so-called gagdets, impressively proves. Again, the approach is backwards:  If people tend to drop their smartphones, then the devices have to be built to be more stable. It is useless to use glass or other porous, poorly processed material. It's good capitalism and creates value due to service and reperations, but it has nothing to do with sustainability and good design. Resistant, weatherproof material with long durability must be used. Nothing else can even be considered.

The inner workings and the workmanship are worth a blog post of its own. They tell the tale of modern slavery, a world we know and which we ignore because we are trained not to take responsibility for other people outside our community, nation, continent. The raw materials used are being harvested by wage – and perhaps real - slaves in third world countries and then put together partly by machine, but mostly by the hands of thousands of workers across Asia. The people in company villages like Foxconn work long days, doing hard labor under enormous pressure and suicide amongst workers is quite common. The big producers maintain entire cities for the mass production of electrical appliances under inhumane conditions. We know that - we don't care. Obviously, undermining people’s rights on a global scale is serious design flaw!