It’s that time of year again: Apple has unveiled the latest model of the iPhone. Every year now since the initial launch of the iPhone in 2007, we’ve become expected to buy a new model every year since then, it seems. However, I won’t be rushing to buy the iPhone 7 anytime soon.
First of all, here’s the most obvious reason: there’s no headphone jack. While in a sense, the wireless headphones may be more practical than the wired ones, it’s going to be difficult to transition. Since I often listen to music while walking to and from class, and while at the gym, this feature will make my daily routine more complicated as I would have to program the headphones to interact with my phone. There is also the issue of the headphones being easier to lose. And this isn’t even going into the fact that the headphones alone cost 150 dollars.
Also, the iPhone 7 is less durable than previous models. According to YouTube user JerryRigsEverything, the 7 is less durable and more prone to scratching than earlier iPhones. This is probably due to the fact that the 7's home button and camera are made of regular glass as opposed to the more durable sapphire that previous models have been made out of. Of course, if you use a protective case like I do, this is not much of an issue. It still is a setback, however.
These issues aside, the iPhone 7 does not seem to be all that different than the iPhone 6. I myself have been using a 6 since February 2015 that still works extremely well. Before I got the 6, I used a 4S for nearly three years. With this in mind, is new technology necessary every single year?
In today’s day and age, the answer from most people would most likely be “yes.” However, the focus mainly seems to be on improving minor things rather than improving the product as a whole. In fact, from what I’ve heard, the iPhone 7 is hardly an improvement from the 6. Furthermore, buying a new phone every single year gets expensive. (Obvious statement, I know.) Furthermore, the "gotta have it now" culture is draining in the sense it makes people feel as though their year-old or two-year-old products are inferior to the brand new products. This is not to say that you shouldn’t get the iPhone 7, especially if you are in need of a new phone. I get that the world is ever-changing and that our technology must keep up with it. However, the pressure to upgrade every year is unneeded.
