I like new technology. I'm a big fan of getting my hands on the newest gadgets, testing out the new tech inside, or the new features and new hardware. I love to see where our favorite industry is going, and where it is taking us. Our smartphones are a means to that end, considering how quickly they're advancing with each new iteration in any particular family of handsets.
Android has helped that cause quite a bit, there's no denying that. Thanks to Google's mobile operating system, we get to see our processors, cameras, and plenty of other details race to a point where "the best" actually means something. For someone like me, who loves to use the latest and greatest, the newest of the new, that race means wanting something new practically all the time.
It's almost frustrating, really. Knowing that there's always something right around the corner.
And let's face it, it's not just smartphones that are seeing constant upgrades. Yearly refreshes for devices, from big to small, are a common practice for just about any company involved with tech and hardware. Offering new devices every year may seem like a bad deal, and it may be for individuals who have to sit on a contract for longer, but obviously these companies are offering up their devices to many, many more people. Someone out there has an upgrade date that corresponds to a refresh, at one point or another.
I can admit that I'm not a fan of waiting, either. It drives me crazy when a company announces a product that I want, but I can't have for weeks, or sometimes even months later. Compound that with the fact that, depending on the time of year, there's probably another company announcing something else I want, and it all just becomes a jumbled mess.
And I know I'm not the only one. I have so many conversations with people who just want "something new," or see something exciting on a commercial or being announced and they realize they have to have it. It doesn't even matter if they're unhappy or bored with their current device. It's new, has new features, new perks, and they want to have it. It's certainly one reason why contracts, with their lengthy two-year constraints, were always an issue. (One of many, mind you.)
The good thing is that the major wireless carriers have started to give a bit of leniency towards contracts, by offering monthly installment plans on devices. While there aren't any contracts, per se, they have stipulations (in most cases) that makes it so you have to upgrade in a certain time frame, no matter what. Six months, a year, whatever the case may be, there's still "a catch."
But, is that a bad thing? I think the contracts were bad in and of themselves, and I'm not a huge fan of waiting, but I am beginning to see the perks of it. The bright side, if you will. Not so much for me, personally, simply because I get antsy when I'm with a piece of technology for too long, but for the majority of customers out there.
Is waiting really all that bad? I mean, outside of your phone (or other device) breaking or screwing up in some way or another, if it works the way you want it to, is it really so bad if you have to wait to get something new? After all, we all know that in a year, or even two years, the new gadgets are going to be even better, right? Sure, that new handset that gets announced a few months after you may have just bought a new phone probably has things you want, or features you need or the most up-to-date software, but just think what happens in a year or two. So much new stuff.
The other thing? Money. Or, the cost of these devices. Just by upgrading so frequently, that's a lot of money going towards technology. Just by waiting, you actually get a decent return for the money you spend on those unlocked, or otherwise contract-free devices. Granted, selling old technology to get new pieces of hardware isn't a new tactic, and I imagine that many people who trade off phones frequently, and often, partake in that particular way of thought. (I know I do.)
I can see the perks of waiting. There are always exceptions, sure, but I can see the silver lining. So tell me, are you someone who can wait to get their hands on a new piece of hardware? Or are you quick to jump on a new phone? How do you weigh your options when you're looking at your old phone, and wanting to buy a new one? Let me know!
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