Upgradeitis Is A Disease

[mrmister]

I know—I used to suffer from it myself for years and years. I'd chase the bleeding edge with the very latest devices, running beta everything. Hell, if I could run alpha software I'd probably try.

I gave it up. I now use that energy at a lower pitch to make sure my tools don't get obsoleted, and instead focus on what I can do with my tech. They are tools for us to use—not to be used by them. Took me a long time to really understand that.

I'm on an iPhone 6. Yes, I know—HOW DO I SURVIVE? I get it.

I do have a few advantages. It's jailbroken (heresay!) and with the animations disabled and custom patches, it has a more responsive interface than the iPhone 8 and iPhone X I've played with. I also know enough iFixit hackery to replace my own battery, replace the earpiece speaker, and light repairs like that, so I've kept it running well hasn't been an issue.

I also started using the ridiculous Apple battery case about two years ago. Yes, it looked weird to me as well...until I used it, and realized with lightning passthrough and full integration, it completely changed how my phone worked for me.

So a new iPhone doesn't feel faster to me, nor does it get as good battery life unless I get a plus, which is larger and heavier. The fact that Apple keeps making each iPhone heavier than the year before isn't helping either—you really notice it when you go from holding a 6 to an 8 or an X.

Downsides? Sure. I'm still on iOS 9 (I know! It's insanity!) where with jailbroken features I have been missing...well, not much. I didn't have to deal with teething pains and weird text bugs, and I have all the emojis, which honestly is the main driver of normal people updating. I can hack the Music app so that it is clear and usable, and it syncs with all my stuff perfectly.

if a security vulnerability develops into such a story that it matters, someone writes a patch I can apply via Cydia. That might not continue forever—but I'm starting my 4th year and there isn't an issue.

Yes, some apps have gone iOS 10 and later—I've run into a total of three so far. A game I clicked on a whim, the Alamo Drafthouse app, and (unsurprising) Apple's own shopping app. I actually thought app rot was going to force me to upgrade sooner, but I'm realizing that Apple's iOS utilization numbers are based on devices that check the app store—there's a bigger than it looks installed base of iOS 9 and below devices, so developers (so far) keep supporting them.

The big hardware downside for me is the camera. I love taking pictures, and this phone is good in good light, but I can tell it doesn't match even the 6s that showed up the next year. I own a good compact DSLR that I bring when I am "taking pictures", but for me the improved camera really seems like the only thing I actually want out of a new phone. I think there are a lot of people like me in this regard.

The best part of not upgrading is that it's cheaper, it's fulfilling to know I've really used the hell out of this integral device, it's good for the environment, and it's actually a lot of fun to see what you can make work with it.

I was once like many of you. If you are reading threads on one issue or another, obsessed with what comes next...well, you can find a used iphone 6 or 6s on Swappa. If you ask around you might find one still on iOS 9. You can make your own fun for a lot less.

Just one person's story.

 

[Surf Monkey]

I know—I used to suffer from it myself for years and years. I'd chase the bleeding edge with the very latest devices, running beta everything. Hell, if I could run alpha software I'd probably try.

I gave it up. I now use that energy at a lower pitch to make sure my tools don't get obsoleted, and instead focus on what I can do with my tech. They are tools for us to use—not to be used by them. Took me a long time to really understand that.

I'm on an iPhone 6. Yes, I know—HOW DO I SURVIVE? I get it.

I do have a few advantages. It's jailbroken (heresay!) and with the animations disabled and custom patches, it has a more responsive interface than the iPhone 8 and iPhone X I've played with. I also know enough iFixit hackery to replace my own battery, replace the earpiece speaker, and light repairs like that, so I've kept it running well hasn't been an issue.

I also started using the ridiculous Apple battery case about two years ago. Yes, it looked weird to me as well...until I used it, and realized with lightning passthrough and full integration, it completely changed how my phone worked for me.

So a new iPhone doesn't feel faster to me, nor does it get as good battery life unless I get a plus, which is larger and heavier. The fact that Apple keeps making each iPhone heavier than the year before isn't helping either—you really notice it when you go from holding a 6 to an 8 or an X.

Downsides? Sure. I'm still on iOS 9 (I know! It's insanity!) where with jailbroken features I have been missing...well, not much. I didn't have to deal with teething pains and weird text bugs, and I have all the emojis, which honestly is the main driver of normal people updating. I can hack the Music app so that it is clear and usable, and it syncs with all my stuff perfectly.

if a security vulnerability develops into such a story that it matters, someone writes a patch I can apply via Cydia. That might not continue forever—but I'm starting my 4th year and there isn't an issue.

Yes, some apps have gone iOS 10 and later—I've run into a total of three so far. A game I clicked on a whim, the Alamo Drafthouse app, and (unsurprising) Apple's own shopping app. I actually thought app rot was going to force me to upgrade sooner, but I'm realizing that Apple's iOS utilization numbers are based on devices that check the app store—there's a bigger than it looks installed base of iOS 9 and below devices, so developers (so far) keep supporting them.

The big hardware downside for me is the camera. I love taking pictures, and this phone is good in good light, but I can tell it doesn't match even the 6s that showed up the next year. I own a good compact DSLR that I bring when I am "taking pictures", but for me the improved camera really seems like the only thing I actually want out of a new phone. I think there are a lot of people like me in this regard.

The best part of not upgrading is that it's cheaper, it's fulfilling to know I've really used the hell out of this integral device, it's good for the environment, and it's actually a lot of fun to see what you can make work with it.

I was once like many of you. If you are reading threads on one issue or another, obsessed with what comes next...well, you can find a used iphone 6 or 6s on Swappa. If you ask around you might find one still on iOS 9. You can make your own fun for a lot less.

Just one person's story.

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I now use that energy at a lower pitch to make sure my tools don't get obsoleted, and instead focus on what I can do with my tech.

Wasted energy. As technology advances tools become obsolete. Nothing anyone can do about it. The buggy whip, the ice box, radio tubes, the rotary telephone. Doesn't matter what kind of device it is, you can't save it from becoming a less efficient and effective tool than current state-of-the-art.

That's not to say everyone needs the state-of-the-art or can take advantage of everything it offers. But let's not pretend upgrading is a fever when the upgrade offers significant improvements. I'm not a serial upgrader myself of most things, but I can definitely see and appreciate differences for the better in my every-two-years phone upgrade or every-four-years car upgrade. OTOH, my 15 year old Rigid power drill is a beast and will serve its purpose until its motor falls out -- no time soon as often as I use it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It’s not a disease as it is an inner personal problem. Doing what you were doing was just the symptom of the root problem.

 

[NoBoMac]

TLDR

But agreee with subject sentiment. Every 3yr cycle for phones for me.

And per my signature, PCs are on an even longer cycle: like a car, work it into the ground.