By Bodhi Haugen
For the past several years, innovation has been the last thing I’ve seen when I look at Apple and its products. The new features are becoming predictable: another camera, a different color phone, or maybe a better battery life that inevitably depletes within a year.
I owned an iPhone around six years ago, and it did its job just fine. It took photos, sent messages and the battery life was okay for a couple years. Fast forward and things don’t seem much different; the shape and design have been practically the same since the iPhone X, which came out in 2017. The software update that changed the app icons was the biggest milestone to note since Face ID. All my close friends and family still have iPhones, so maybe I was missing something. Could it be that the newest phone is now orange instead of silver?
Any new iPhone that comes to the market is either just shy of — or miles above — the $1000 mark. If there’s only one or two little changes every time, why spend so much money to make an upgrade? It’s an easy way for big companies to keep reselling you the same thing while trying to convince you it’s somehow different.
The truth is, you’re probably due to get off your high horse and consider other options. The new flashy iPhone isn’t doing anything for you or others around you. The novelty of an iPhone being trendy died a long time ago; nobody cares that the back of your phone now has an aluminum frame instead of titanium.
iPhone users shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with other brands. I used to hear my dad complain all the time about his shitty iPhone. I would ask why he didn’t switch brands and he always said he didn’t know how to work anything else. I used to think this was because he was just old, but I’m seeing this same behavior with friends and college students alike.
If you’re dissatisfied with Apple’s innovations, look into what other brands may offer. Companies like Samsung, Motorola and Razer have been creative, with design innovations that users can see. You can fold a Samsung Z Flip7 in half, and it has a touchscreen on the back of the phone for the same price as an iPhone. Even my flip phone, made by a tractor company, can literally have DUO Mobile installed.
It’s time for Apple to step down as the king of phones — and it’s time for you to wake up. Plenty of other phones are on the market, but consumers are looking the other way. If we want to see innovation in products, we need to show companies we actually care by supporting brands that are doing it.
Selling your iPhone won’t only save you some money, but it might send a message.
Bodhi Haugen is a journalism major and writer for the Lumberjack at Cal Poly Humboldt. Bodhi is on KRFH and enjoys reading, writing, photography, and art. You can reach him at bgh27@humboldt.edu.