Apple just announced their new high tech products last Tuesday. They announced some new stuff like a new iPad, a new Apple Watch (Was so glad to hear that after recently buying my series 4…) and the brand new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. It is only a matter of time before Apple hits the switch and slows down all the iPhones 7s, forcing people to buy their new phones. So while those iPhone 7 users saver those last precious moments with their crummy old phones I decided it was best to do some spring cleaning on my iPhone 8 Plus. Well more fall cleaning but that's beside the point.

If you've been following my Odyssey account for a while now you know I wrote about cleaning out my camera roll which was filled with maybe 2,000 photos at the time I can't remember. Well, I'm proud to say that it has only gotten worse from there. Tackling my camera roll is going to be saved for another time (Like we're at 3,000 photos now). So in the meantime, I decided to just fix up the outside of my phone. Like every sensible smartphone user, I have a screen protector on my phone. As well as a case. I rarely drop my phone if not ever, and a lot of the time a corner gets cracked because a pothole hurls my phone out of the cupholder. Me being the perfectionist I am, I usually tend to be annoyed with these little cracks and jump at the opportunity to get a new screen protector. This last summer, however, I was a little more relaxed mainly because my eyes started to block out the hairline fractures on the screen.

Which brings me to now. Its sophomore year here at OU! A new year, new me type of feeling has come over me and probably everyone else here on campus. So as I procrastinated on fixing my internal iPhone struggles, the opportunity arose to fix my screen. I was on snap chat panicking on what to snap to my crush and looking at my front-facing camera. Yes, I have a crush here at school we aren't diving into it. Anyways, so I'm looking at the camera and the picture seems fuzzy. Snapchat usually has a good front-facing camera...usually. So I notice this haze and try to find the actual camera on the front of my phone. I don't know if I am just dumb or just didn't notice that the camera is not in the exact center of the phone. I decide to pick at the screen protector and soon enough the screen protector was starting to peel off. I was like: "Nice I solved the problem" until reality hit. My phone is in danger!

Okay, not in total danger, it just doesn't have a screen protector. And like I said I don't drop my phone like ever. And I certainly don't plan on being in a car in the near future. However, iPhones are expensive. And I am a broke college kid trying to save money to be an adult. Also, AT&T has me wrapped in this loop so I can't upgrade my phone till August 2020. By then the prices for the iPhone 11 Pro will be lowered anyway because Apple still hasn't learned their lesson about supply and demand and charging a $1000 phone to the general public. All points aside, I am in a pickle.

"But Marc Anthony" why not go to Bobcat Depot and buy a screen protector. Ah yes, my child I already did. My story doesn't end here. The next day after I peeled off my screen protector I went to Baker and bought a screen protector. Ironically it was only $20 when last year it was $35. The end is near for my iPhone 8 Plus lol. I take my purchase to the CoLab. I had some homework to do anyway so I decided to just put it on there. After looking up an outdated tutorial on applying the protector on YouTube (No videos were available for iPhone 8s), I managed to apply the screen. I was scrambling to push the air bubbles out and I was pretty happy with it. Except there was one speck or smug or whatever stuck underneath the screen protector. So my bright idea was to try and scrape it off. It was literally one smug but I wanted it gone. I began to wipe it off and reapply the screen. Again and again and again. Thinking that what I was doing wasn't ruining the adhesivity of the protector… I soon realized the mess I created. I think I was more upset about messing up the screen than wasting $20. I guess $20 really does feel like $1 to an adult.

After finishing my homework I decided to devise a game plan. I decided I couldn't walk back into Bobcat Depot and just pick up another screen protector. How do I explain it to them? "Yeah, I am an idiot and got dust all over the adhesive." So my solution to avoid punishment was to head to the College Bookstore. Turns out the Bookstore doesn't really stock up on screen protectors. Well, they do for Samsung phones but literally who uses Samsung?! After no luck from the Bookstore or CVS, I decided for the time being I have to travel with an unprotected iPhone screen. I mean, for the time being, it feels super smooth. But also rough in a few places. I could purchase one-off Amazon but you can never truly trust those packaging companies. I don't want a repeat of those Bluetooth wired headphones (OG Article readers will remember that article).

Let's all just pray that I don't develop butterfingers for now and drop my phone on the cold hard Athens ground. I'm pretty confident in my spidey like grip abilities. Although, if my crush comes along I might fumble it…