Time for a New Phone Challenge!
Readers of old will remember that I like to have a challenge when it comes to my smartphones now and then.? Well, dear reader, its time for something new!
Setting the scene
So, I have completed a number of challenges over the years, with the one that got the most traction being the ‘old phone challenge’.? At the heart of that challenge were two key drivers:
Well, since that challenge back in 2019 I have remained on iPhone.? Amazingly the ‘old phone’ that I went back to was an iPhone 6S, and since then I have upgraded a few times to the point where the phone currently in my pocket is the iPhone 14 Pro from 2022.
Now, the battery life on my current iPhone is dwindling.? Thanks to the return to regular commuting and the heavy use of Bluetooth headphones, the battery on this phone has taken a spanking and it’s now at the point where it isn’t making it through the day reliably.
The Challenge
The challenge I have is one I hear a lot of people having these days.
I’m not unhappy with Apple, my device works just fine for me.? I’m still getting updates and new features, although I am missing out on all the Apple Intelligence hype.? Not the end of the world to be honest at present!
The logical next step is to move to the successor to my current phone – the iPhone 16 Pro.? I like having a new shiny phone (who doesn’t), but I remember clearly when I bought the current phone I was left feeling pretty underwhelmed.
At that time the shift I made was from iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro and the biggest difference was the introduction of the ‘dynamic island’ feature rather than the notch at the top of the screen. ?It is a kind of cool and clever feature, but ultimately I was left with a feeling of ‘is that it?’ after spending ￡1000.? The 14 Pro has worked just fine, but it feels more like a utility than a cool bit of tech now.
Fast forward 3 years, and I’m facing the same issue!
Maybe it’s because I buy my phones outright (rather than from a carrier with a contract) and the cost of these devices hits harder, but I’m just not cool with spending that much of my own money on something that leaves me feeling so underwhelmed.? The way I see it I have 4 options:
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My Decision
Option 1 is off the table.? I’m hacked off with recharging my phone during the day and it’s only going to get worse.
Option 2 is what happened with the ‘old phone challenge’ last time.? I DIY’d the replacement that time, but opening up an iPhone 14 Pro is something I’m not prepared to take on. ?There are all kinds of places offering the service, but if I was going to do this option it would need to be an Apple certified repair (I rely on this device for my work).? That’s ￡95 and not bad value in my opinion.? But it’s a hassle and it would make for a boring challenge if I chose this!
Option 3 is actually rather interesting.? Rumours are that a new iPhone SE4 is imminent, and that this could be the first SE device that sizes up and does away with Touch ID.? I can see this flying off the shelves if it does launch at the rumoured ￡500 price point.? That sweetens the deal of staying on Apple substantially, but the dealbreaker on this option for me is the camera.? Whilst I’m no David Bailey, I do like to be able to take decent quality snaps…something will have to give at this kind of price point and the camera will probably be bare bones for sure.? So, I’m not going with this.
That leaves Option 4….
Go back to Android!
This is where I’m going I think.? The last time I was over there I was using a Samsung Galaxy S8.
Even a brief browse tells me there is waaaaay more choice over in Android land and some of options look really tempting.
Tune in next time to see what my criteria for an Android phone are and the shortlist I’m drawing up!? Feel free to comment on any recommendations to get me started….what would you buy for the price of an iPhone 16 Pro??
As always, here at Kocho we’re happy to advise on Device Strategy (for all endpoints).? Feel free to get in touch if you’d like some guidance in this area:
#apple #android #ios #newphonechallenge #brownsbytes
Cyber Security I Cloud l Identity l Network l Microsoft - Specialist
6 天前Great article Andy Brown. I tell you what, I also recently moved away from apple and the IOS platform after becoming bored of a complete lack of innovation to phones. I moved the the Samsung Galaxy, Android platform and can confirm I will not be returning to apple and IOS products. I have been nothing but impressed with the phone and everything it has to offer. The integration with AI is simply amazing too.
Business Change Consultant at Kocho
3 周This one really resonated with me Andy Brown ?? As a self proclaimed Apple fanboy from the first generation iPhone, I stopped upgrading to the latest model each year since iPhone 11 Pro but recently made the jump from 11 to 16pro. Battery life, UI speed and most importantly for me, the camera quality have been a huge improvement for me. That said. Apple Intelligence has been really underwhelming IMO. It’s just not intuitive enough and I can’t say it adds any value to my day to day mobile use. It doesn’t feel integrated, more of an add on app and just doesn’t feel like it knows enough when called upon. Shame. Especially since they marketed it so aggressively. ??