iPhone 17 Pro Max Enters Time Capsule, Could Be Old Goods in 2276

JAKARTA - A bright orange iPhone 17 Pro Max was buried in the America250 time capsule to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence. The device is scheduled to be dug up again in 2276.

However, there is a big irony behind the choice. The phone, which today is considered a cutting-edge technology, will most likely not be able to be used when the time capsule is opened.

CNET reported on Tuesday, July 7, that the iPhone was put into America's Time Capsule along with the Notes app containing "digital artifacts" for future readers. The time capsule is indeed designed as a marker of the times. However, for digital devices such as the iPhone, 250 years old is clearly not a simple matter.

The Forbes report said the iPhone may not be usable by future generations. The weak point is the battery. Lithium-ion batteries, the type of battery commonly used in modern mobile phones, will decline in quality over time. In a span of two and a half centuries, the chances of it still working are very small.

The problem is not just the battery. Forbes also highlighted Apple's strict practices for old devices. The discontinuation of support for old models can make the phone completely unopenable, even though the physical form is still intact.

Not to mention the supporting ecosystem. Will humans in 2276 still use outlets and chargers like now? Is the standard for electrical voltage still the same? Are Apple servers, namely the online system that supports a number of services and device activations, still active? All these questions make the iPhone in the time capsule closer to a collection item than a device that can actually be worn.

America Innovates, an event co-organized by Forbes and America250, has not explained whether the inclusion of the iPhone was indeed intended as a dig at its "planned obsolescence" strategy. The term refers to products that are made with a limited lifespan. Representatives of America Innovates did not immediately respond to a request for clarification from CNET.

Even so, burying technology in a time capsule still has historical value. Functionally, the hardware may have expired long before 2276. However, as a time object, the iPhone can tell the story of how important digital technology is for 21st century humans.

The 900-pound (408 kg) time capsule contains not only iPhones. It also contains photos, documents, and various objects from the three branches of the United States government, as well as from all 50 states and territories.

Some of the items that were also stored included a stainless steel rosary from Puerto Rico and a Pocket Constitution signed by Supreme Court judges.

Experts have long doubted the effectiveness of time capsules as a way of storing information. One of the risks is groundwater. An article in 2019 said that 99 percent of time capsules that were dug up were damaged or, worse, their contents were boring.

"Literally burying something is the worst way to preserve it for future generations," Paleofuture blogger Matt Novak told Mental Floss. "But we still do it."

CNET also noted that this iPhone is not the first Apple product that has ever been buried to be dug up again. In 2013, "Steve Jobs time capsule" that was lost and buried 30 years earlier was found. The contents include an Apple mouse, six Ballantine beer cans, and a Rubik's Cube.