It’s time for me to get a new mobile device. This is not because there’s a crack running diagonally across the glass of my iPhone, and it’s not because I recently wrapped up payments on this broken thing. It’s not because my iPhone, recognizing the threat of replacement, has begun self-induced reboots and random app freezing. It is certainly a combination of these things, but they run alongside a simple and deep desire to have something new. This thing is 3yrs old. By golly it’s time.
And so, research ensues. I haven’t (ever?!) owned a mobile phone other than an iPhone, which makes this exercise compulsory but also futile. The cards are stacked against my non-iOS options for 2 very big reasons:
- Ease of use: Simply put, I know how to use an iPhone. I know how to sync my photos, change default settings and work the millions of nuances this phone involves. I spend most of my day battling technical (and non-technical) issues; I don’t want the aggravation of newbieness to creep into trying to send a text message (or figuring out how to quickly respond to one).
- My Smart-devices: I spent hordes of time devising mechanisms to ensure that my garage door, home lighting, thermostat and music systems integrate with the Home App, and thereby my voice command. “Hey Siri! Turn off all my lights.” And so She does. This is not to say those features are unavailable with other Smart Phones, but they would certainly need to be redesigned. (By me. By purchasing more new hardware. In what spare time?)
So, while I continue to research the Pixel (the camera makes me green with envy), I know it’s a losing battle. I’m going to get the new iPhone. I’m not up for a life change, which is ultimately what different mobile phone technology has become. If you use your device – really use it – then you know it’s involved in most aspects of your day. It is for me. And I’m not interested in making my days more difficult this time around … but maybe in 3 more years.