I am writing this post on Saturday afternoon while waiting to get my phone back from the repair place. I took it in for repairs because I've been seeing this screen way too often:
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| georgejmclittle | Deposit Photos |
It turns out the battery in my iPhone SE (3rd generation) was 76% degraded. So it's getting a new battery installed.
Since I have no life without my phone, I am here at home on my laptop, writing this week's post about ... my phone.
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The iPhone SE (3rd generation) was released on March 18, 2022. I bought mine the following month. I'm not usually an early adopter -- I had a perfectly serviceable 2nd generation SE at the time -- but Apple sucked me in with the promise of lightning-fast 5G service, which the 2nd-generation phone wouldn't support. As I was newly retired and intended to keep my phone for a really long time, I went ahead and got the 5G-enabled phone.
The SE models never really caught on; people seem to want to carry massive electronic slabs these days. But I like the smaller size. It fits in the pockets of all of my slacks (although it's a tight fit in a couple of them), so I don't have to carry a purse if I don't want to. I've got the phone in a wallet-type case that has just enough slots for my driver's license, my debit card, and my all-important buy-nine-salads-get-the-tenth-free punch card from the boutique grocery store near the office.
It cannot be overstated how much having a computer in my pocket has changed my life. It's not just that it feeds my social-media doomscrolling habit; it also provides ready access to news, weather, and entertainment. I blogged here not long ago about how many daily games I've gotten used to playing; they're all on my phone, of course. (Update: I'm playing Connections off and on these days. I'd love to update my Flow Free streak for you, but alas, that info is on my phone.)
The older I get, the more limiting the print on a small screen is becoming. But I want to keep the phone to a small form factor, so I'm mildly interested in the new flip-phone models. I might eventually get one. But I'm going to wait to see how it goes with this new battery. And I'll also see how long Apple keeps supporting my SE. Once they stop pushing down updates to its security and operating systems, I'll have to consider getting a different model. Mama Google's best guess on that is another three to five years. But only Apple knows for sure, and they're not telling.
I also wonder whether you can even get a physical wallet for one of these new flip phones. I mean, my driver's license and debit card can be added to my phone electronically, but my free-salad punch card can't!
(Good thing I'm not itching to get an iPhone Duo; they won't be released until this week, and already they're backordered into January.)
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It's a little scary how much I depend on my phone. After dropping it off, I went to run some other errands, including picking up something I'd ordered -- the order number for which was, of course, in an email on my phone. Luckily they were able to find the order with my phone number.
Also, random questions pop into my brain during the day, and I'll often pull out my phone to look up the answer on the spot. Not today, babycakes! I suppose I could have made a note to look up those questions later, but I didn't have pen and paper handy. And why should I? There's a notes app on my phone.
I suppose this digital detox is good for me, even if it's only for an afternoon. But that doesn't mean I'll be going cold turkey anytime soon. By the time you read this, I'll happily have my phone back, and all this whining will be but a memory.
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What's your cell phone situation these days? Are you carrying a slab, a folding phone, or (you brave soul!) nothing at all?
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These moments of phone-free blogginess have been brought to you, as a public service, by Lynne Cantwell. Get out and vote! I already did!
