Executive TL;DR:

• Repurposing retired phones for low-carbon computing
• Security concerns with outdated firmware and locked systems
• Potential for regulation to require unlockable bootloaders

The Buzz Score

The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical

Forum Voices

Experts weigh in on the potential of low-carbon computing platforms from retired phones.

This is ignoring the fact that the main reason retired phones are e-waste is proprietary firmware blobs and locked-down systems preventing users from maintaining their phone with security updates, and very limited support length from OEM’s leads to VERY insecure devices after they drop out of support.

Others see the potential for repurposing old devices.

I personally have lots of batch jobs like CFD simulations that could easily run on a fleet of phones with no real reliability issues, and I’d love to reuse old hardware and give it a second life.

Technical Perspectives

Some have already begun exploring the use of retired devices for computing purposes, citing the potential for improved cycles per watt.

Focus Keyword: Low Carbon Computing