This material was written by guys from the wonderful Revolver Lab studio, and it's about the fact that you and I need to stop buying the latest and coolest smartphone. This requires more and more money, and manufacturers want us to buy their new product more and more often. But why do we really need this?
Races are won by people. But do not underestimate the inventory.
Ole-Einer Bjorndalen
If you at least occasionally browse the news on the web or look into mobile device stores, it means that press releases about the release of the next flagship smartphone have long ceased to surprise you. Apple, Sony, Samsung, HTC, Nokia… And this is not a complete list of all the "contenders" to win the race for the love of buyers. Some very important "details" for which these devices were created have already fallen victim in this incessant rally neither for holidays nor for weekends: mobility and small size of the device.
Thus, battery capacity and battery life without recharging became the first victim of "progress". For the latest (no longer very mobile) devices, it is akin to a fairly hardy netbook: that is, within 6 hours. And the opportunity to safely put a smartphone in a shirt or jeans pocket or type a message with one hand was neglected. For the sake of a large and bright display, on which it is convenient to view video clips. However, "our song is not about that at all."
In all the hype that is associated with the almost monthly entry into the market of the next super-productive and mega-functional novelties, it is extremely difficult for an ordinary user, such as you or me, to navigate. When does it really come time to scrap an old gadget and get a "flagship"? The news about the release of the fifth iPhone has just died down, as its brilliance was slightly clouded by the enchanting Sony Xperia Z model. But this is no longer the "top" of our pyramid of desires, because Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available from day to day. And, if you were not lured by the heavenly "bullseye", then its competitors certainly made you interested.
Manufacturers are doing their best to squeeze more and more money out of us, attracting all available means to this good purpose. But let's shake off the shroud of marketing tricks and PR moves from our ears, that is, sorry, from our eyes, and try to objectively assess how fast smart phones are "aging".
Statistics show that a typical resident of the post-Soviet space buys a new "mobile phone" about once every 2-3 years. However, this period will be significantly reduced if the circle of respondents is narrowed down to young people. For people under 30, choosing a new gadget is more a matter of prestige than an urgent need. Therefore, those whose family budget and conscience allow them to pay a round sum for a new phone, once every 10-12 months make another pilgrimage for a new status toy. After all, hand on heart, each of us is deeply indifferent to what kind of "dessert" from Android is installed on a brand new device. Much more important is the opportunity to "beat up" a neighbor, colleague or sworn girlfriend with incredible mental abilities, if not their own, then at least their own phone.
And now you will learn how to stay "on the wave" without unnecessary overpayments and not sacrifice convenient functions.
Manufacturers of "apple" release a new brainchild about once a year, or even less often. They are diligently working to ensure that hundreds of thousands of their fans "ripen". Moreover, they have matured so much that when the novelty hits the shelves, they immediately discarded all arguments of reason and rushed to the store to change a fresh iPhone 5 to an iPhone 5S. I must say, manufacturers of Android devices have not been able to do this trick yet: there are too many of them, and while Apple is relishing the victory, the other flagships are stepping on each other's heels, trying to attract more customers with at least one inch, megapixel or gigahertz than competitors will be able to.
Let's compare the last three hits from the Koreans. Samsung S2 had a diagonal of 4.3 inches, modest by today's standards, a completely unimpressive screen resolution of 480 by 800 pixels, a dual-core processor and a gigabyte of RAM. What distinguished its closest relative S3? The same amount of RAM, but already 4 cores. More pixels on the screen, a camera from the iPhone 4S and a maximum of 64 GB of memory. There is a step forward, but nothing has changed significantly for solving everyday tasks. In S4 we have the same size. The same maximum amount of memory, but already eight cores in some configurations, twice as much RAM and a little more megapixels in the camera. The speed and brightness of the display really vary significantly. But it's much easier to catch it if you hold S2 and S4 in your hands. Manufacturers make grandiose changes only after a generation. Your smartphone is capable of living happily ever after. Even after two years, the charge will definitely last for a day. About the same as the new flagships. In extreme cases, you can replace the battery with a new one. But by skipping one generation, you can get a really different device, more powerful, faster, productive and, hopefully, more durable.
It's the same with the iPhone. The third and fifth generation differ significantly. A front-facing camera was added, the shape changed and the size increased, the power increased. But the battery of the iPhone 3GS, even after three years of use, is able to hold a charge for more than two days. So was there a reason to change it to the 4th after a year of not the most active use? Was. But it has nothing to do with functionality. It's all about status.
The arms race is still in full swing. And, for sure, you will hear more than one announcement of the new flagship before the manufacturers change tactics. But in this turmoil and confusion, you can still stand out from the "masses" and stand out from the crowd. To do this, it is enough to follow the voice of reason and necessity in choosing things, and not the dictates of fashion. A new phone is not capable of changing your life. Only you can do it yourself.
