Staying Put

As many of you will be aware, the iPhone 5 launched last month. Alongside the many awesome Android phones recently released, there is a rather tempting feast of new technology available.

Coupled with this, my phone contract was up for renewal at the end of September. For a few extra pounds a month, I can join the world of up-to-date shiny new devices.

It would seem that my path forward is simple – but I’m hesitating. You see, I don’t want to be the person that buys something *because* its new and shiny. I don’t want to join the cult of new. I’ve got an 8 year old car, a house that needs doing up, and one of my dogs is starting to show a few hints of arthritis; I love old stuff!

I also love efficiency. I see technology as tools, tools for me to get stuff done. For the first time since becoming a doctor, I got my own room this month; and I’ve loved setting it up just right, so that I know where urine specimen bottles are, so I can maintain eye contact with patients whilst typing, so my every motion can be as effective as possible, giving me time to do the important stuff.

Generally, I like my technology new, because new tends to be faster, tends to be more efficient, allows me more time to get stuff done. But my current phone browses the web, checks emails and takes decent photos. It turns on quickly, it loads information fast: I don’t believe that my workflow will be sped up by a new phone.

I’ve been distracted by newness. As Robert Murray McCheyne said:

“Sit loose to this world’s joy, time is short”

 

Inspired a little by my friend Jon, who recently downgraded from an iPhone 4 to an old, non smart Nokia, I’m going to skip this upgrade, and be content with the incredible phone I already have, and maybe try to rely on it a little less.

8 thoughts on “Staying Put

  1. Also, getting a phone at the cutting edge of x category means that the rest of the phone won’t be optimised to make good use of x. It’s better to get a phone where they’ve worked out most of the kinks of new technology.

    1. I feel the 3310 still has some cutting edge features: a screen that won’t wake up your wife if you check something at night, and battery life of about a zillion years. Or the 3510, which had polyphonic ringtones! Not something the iPhone lists in its specification list (probably)!

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