phonebloks..
Sep. 12th, 2013 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smittenbyuSo Apple released some new phone models...one to help boost their losses in China & developing nations...a few million dollars short? What has this crazy world come to?
We are so crazy in disposing our phones so frequently without even stopping to ask why?! I remember the craze being even bigger while living in Malaysia. My friends would get a new phone every few months (because of SIM technology, they can!)! I remember the ghastly looks I got when I went shopping for a phone that was the most basic of all, and required no camera! I sent all the shop folks who were often young and very trendy and used to selling to a similar clientele scrambling to meet my requirements. What do you mean you don't need a camera on your phone?! I told them, I had a camera that was far better than 1MP, why would I need one on my phone that I probably forget in my bag? And what do you mean that it should not have flashing lights all over the place? umm..wouldn't that just waste battery life? And that the phone should last me more than a year?? My sis would tag along for the entertainment it would create!
When I finally did buy a smartphone last year, I bought it with the mindset that it will last me minimum of 3 years if not longer. I didn't get the latest model because it didn't fit what I wanted. I didn't need to spend $600 for it either. Most of us barely use the phone's full capabilities. And I didn't sign up for any contracts because they were giving me a free phone. At the end of 2 years you would have paid the phone's full price anyway. At least buying the full unlocked version (which would allow me to use the same phone when I go to India) gave me direct updates from Google (security updates often). Otherwise, I would have had to wait for the updates to go via samsung & then to phone carrier and then to me.
People found that so strange. But yeah. Google has come out with two new models of the phone I have already. Apple now seems to be doing what the rest of companies do. So, how is it anymore special now? Friends (only a few who know of our purchase) ask if I would upgrade to a new one. I see no reason why.
The only reason I would get a new phone at some point is if anyone comes out with this phoneblok idea! Their thunderclap page seems to be down... What a neat idea. But I imagine all the phone companies not happily jumping on this wagon!
We are so crazy in disposing our phones so frequently without even stopping to ask why?! I remember the craze being even bigger while living in Malaysia. My friends would get a new phone every few months (because of SIM technology, they can!)! I remember the ghastly looks I got when I went shopping for a phone that was the most basic of all, and required no camera! I sent all the shop folks who were often young and very trendy and used to selling to a similar clientele scrambling to meet my requirements. What do you mean you don't need a camera on your phone?! I told them, I had a camera that was far better than 1MP, why would I need one on my phone that I probably forget in my bag? And what do you mean that it should not have flashing lights all over the place? umm..wouldn't that just waste battery life? And that the phone should last me more than a year?? My sis would tag along for the entertainment it would create!
When I finally did buy a smartphone last year, I bought it with the mindset that it will last me minimum of 3 years if not longer. I didn't get the latest model because it didn't fit what I wanted. I didn't need to spend $600 for it either. Most of us barely use the phone's full capabilities. And I didn't sign up for any contracts because they were giving me a free phone. At the end of 2 years you would have paid the phone's full price anyway. At least buying the full unlocked version (which would allow me to use the same phone when I go to India) gave me direct updates from Google (security updates often). Otherwise, I would have had to wait for the updates to go via samsung & then to phone carrier and then to me.
People found that so strange. But yeah. Google has come out with two new models of the phone I have already. Apple now seems to be doing what the rest of companies do. So, how is it anymore special now? Friends (only a few who know of our purchase) ask if I would upgrade to a new one. I see no reason why.
The only reason I would get a new phone at some point is if anyone comes out with this phoneblok idea! Their thunderclap page seems to be down... What a neat idea. But I imagine all the phone companies not happily jumping on this wagon!
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no subject
Date: 2013-09-12 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-12 05:51 pm (UTC)Hubby is more like you are...all his friends were shocked that we got a smartphone! lol... I like my Android, but then I wouldn't know any different... never freezes on me...well, umm... shouldn't have said that probably on the internet, but had no issues so far!
We still have our no frills phone that I got in Malaysia that we are using every now and then!