[ad_1]
The blue iPhone 12. A special object of affection.
They call it a improveis not it?
When you fly, the word automatically fills you with joy because you are getting something better for free.
When buying a phone, on the other hand, the price of an upgrade can be steep, and the accompanying joy graph might not benefit from such a sharp upward gradient.
Still, Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer, said last week on an analyst call that demand for the 12 “exceeded our own internal expectations at the start of the quarter.”
That might be true, but when I switched from iPhone XR to iPhone 12 six weeks ago, I didn’t have high internal expectations.
Apple phones haven’t aroused awe in recent years. When the XR and XS first came out, I didn’t see the point of paying exalted dollars for the just nice iPhone XS.
A convenience relationship must end.
I chose an iPhone XR to replace my iPhone 6, which should tell you that I don’t need the supposedly instant gratification of every new iPhone.
When I bought the XR, it was my first time succumbing to Face ID. Going from the iPhone 6 meant accepting a bigger size and weight. Somehow I still believed in XR felt like an iPhone. I was still wondering if I would keep it for as long as I got the iPhone 6.
I thought to myself that I loved the battery life of the XR. I told myself that I loved its robustness and reliability.
I often tell myself lies, especially in relationships.
In less than a year, I realized that it was a relationship of convenience.
The XR started to weigh me down. Apple helpfully tells me that I use my phone on average two and a half hours a day. Holding it with one hand was getting tiring (first world). Every once in a while I would stretch my thumb to click on an app and the rest of my hand would start kvetch. It was an irritating imbalance.
Yes, the battery life was a huge improvement over previous iPhones. But as the XR started to age, I started to look at it with a hint of pity. And not such affectionate pity either.
He had never become adorable. It had become like the portable vacuum cleaner you keep by your couch to quickly vacuum up your neglected crumbs. Helpful, but never adorable from a distance.
Parting, then, was not a sweet pain. It was more like a Hollywood actor divorcing a famous star at the end of their carefully crafted marriage contract.
We shook hands. We said thank you, it’s time and goodbye.
Six weeks with iPhone 12. It’s getting scary.
I wasn’t at all convinced that the iPhone 12 would offer much of a difference.
Indeed, I went to an Apple Store to examine it for myself before succumbing to a completely surprising sales experience.
The sales clerk didn’t sell too much on the 12th. Instead she said, “This is probably the most similar to what you have. The difference between the 12 and the 12 Pro is the telephoto lens. So , if you’re some kind of videographer, get the Pro. “
I’m not (yet) a spy, so I chose 12.
I admit that I found the color blue to be slightly appealing. The moment I bought the phone, I whispered, “The 12 felt lighter and slightly thinner than my XR, oddly but not unpleasantly retro, and now I have two cameras, something I never consciously wanted at all. “
You see? No absurd enthusiasm there. Just the feeling that at least this thing could be a nicer touch to the hand.
The past six weeks, however, have tended to be scary. I find myself enjoying the square edges of the phone. I find myself rethinking the more rounded edges of the iPhone XR and concluding that they looked cheap.
I also find myself believing that the screen has a much sharper resolution and a much better microphone. He clearly takes better photos too. I really like holding this phone. Someone seems to have spent a little more time adapting their ergonomics to my hand.
What bothers me the most is that I start to feel a slight affection for this object. A phone, nothing less.
I take it with a hint of reverence, rather than with a hint of impatience. I even look at her every now and then and think, “Oh, you look really pretty.” (Thanks, Sauvignon Blanc.)
Yes, I can have Delusional Lockdown Syndrome. It could be a sad and bizarre throwback to the iPhone 5 – where the 12 drew much of its inspiration – and how much more exciting life was in those days.
No, I am not in love. Maybe it’s just a silly phase I’m going through. I still wonder if this particular iPhone, however retro it might be, could make a lasting impact in the twisted annals of design.
This phone cost me less than the XR, but it’s so much more stylish.
Maybe that’s why Apple claims it has seen the most people upgrade in a single quarter.
Most of them did it for the infinitely improved cameras, right?
[ad_2]
Source link