30 years from now, do you think anyone will be missing their iPhone 4 or debating how the Samsung Galaxy 7 was so much better than the Galaxy 6? Very unlikely, and that’s because there’s rarely a time to look in the rear-view mirror as technology moves at an alarming rate. There will be a Samsung Galaxy 25 and an iPhone 20 by that point, which means the phone you once considered so precious and meaningful to you, will simply be yet another number from the past as you upgrade models.
It could be said that we don’t exactly treasure the physical gadget, simply the data and memories stored on it. Think about it: If your phone was damaged or stolen, would you cry about all the good times you had using the keyboard and pressing the buttons? No, it’s the photos and the useful apps and the contacts that we find trouble replacing afterward. Software gets upgraded, the hardware is improved, screens have better resolution, and the features are always expanded. Technology goes obsolete and there’s nothing we can do about it, but what we can change is how we deal with the eventual decline of the gadgets we know and enjoy.
Use trade-in whenever possible
Major tech businesses offer the possibility to trade-in your old smartphone, smartwatch, or whatever the case may be, when you decide to upgrade to the newest model. Apple, for one, has recently increased the amount of credit you can receive for trading in particular iPhone models. This is great news for anyone who is on the fence about upgrading, but if completed; it means you have one fewer obsolete tech item sitting around in an old drawer, and it will be disposed of correctly. Some stores even buy old phones, as there are many consumers who don’t mind picking up old models, so long as they function well.
Get it insured
Everyone either knows someone or is that person who struggles with the phone screen which is always cracked beyond measure. It really does remain a wonder how anyone can buy an iPhone X, yet be unwilling to spend just a tiny bit more on the device’s protection. After all, there is always some folk who say they are careful but somehow manage to break the phone or drop it in water only a few hours after its purchase.
By not taking care of our belongings or treating them as disposable items, we simply speed up the technological obsolescence, as big tech companies are more than happy for you to fork out another few hundred dollars for a new smartphone! If we could all take care of our gadgets, then maybe, just maybe, we wouldn’t get an updated, must-have iPhone released so quickly. One solution is to consider getting iPhone insurance from the likes of simplesurance, as then at least you’re covered from accidental damage or theft and you’re not required to buy a brand new phone.
Think about the future
There was a time when vinyl was on its way out and record players became dusty relics due to the rise of the tape cassette, then CD, then eventually MP3 and streaming services like Spotify. However, vinyl has returned in a big way during the last five years or so, which means if you were someone who sold their record player and all those original Beatles records, then you’d be kicking yourself. True, it’s hard to fathom that some tech could ever return in the future (rotary phones and VHS tapes, anyone?), but it’s worth keeping in mind that old-school things can become cool and useable again. Nintendo, for example, has been re-releasing all its old consoles, such as the NES and SNES for a new generation.
