Commonplace
Mar 11, 02:41 PMAt some point in the last three years, something strange and wonderful happened. The iPhone went from being a miracle to being mundane, from a device that legitimately transformed the way we interact with other through the internet to a best-of-breed device.
The plaything of the technical elite, of the early adopter, of those who were crazy enough to get a phone that didn’t support MMS (gasp!) to a very good phone. Best out there? You betcha, by a longshot. But other manufacturers are finally catching up, realizing that design does matter.
I’ve watched how the members of my family have changed their interactions with the iPhone, as well. My son will be 5 this year, and he’s an expert at using the damn thing. He can navigate to his favorite movies or games without any issues. No big deal, right?
It is a long, long time since he smashed my iPhone to bits.
In the time since the iPhone was launched, I have bought… a lot of them. For family and as replacements. I’m currently using a black 32gb 3GS. It’s not a big deal, it’s still an iPhone, right? Just with enough room for a lot of movies. A lot of movies! It’s a constant companion, much like yours is, I suppose. I’ve taken to blogging a lot on it while feeding my baby at 4 in the morning – not that you’d know it from here, cough, cough, sorry about that – and it’s a vital lifeline to the outside world.
It’s not that there’s no sense in wonder in the iPhone anymore. Far from it. I see it every time someone picks up one for the first time and finally convinces themselves to make the switch. But it’s there for other phones, too, now — the Droid is a worthy challenger, even if I don’t like it personally. Having phones that do more for you than just take calls is the norm, not the exception.
But it doesn’t leave a lot to write about.
There are an absurd number of apps in the App Store now. I don’t use most of them. Sometimes there are specialized apps that catch my attention, but really — I don’t need them. I need a web browser, email, maybe a twitter app, maybe a blogging app… but really not much more than that. Friends recommend apps, sometimes they’re really good, sometimes they’re not so good. Apps are traded around by word of mouth, and sometimes they’re the right fit, but often they’re not.
That’s okay. There might be an app for that, but you probably don’t need it — unless you really do need it, in which case, bravo!
I’ve given up on trying to argue with people about the merits of the iPhone. There isn’t any point. It’s not a fledgling phone, trying to break a million units, leaving everyone wondering if it could possibly succeed. It has succeeded, in a huge way. When people at work ask me about it now, it’s just a one-line answer: “this is the single best phone I have ever owned, and I have no intentions of switching.” Ooo! Sometimes it’s a two-line answer: “I have owned one since it was released and have never regretted the choice.”
Which is true. I have never regretted owning it.
It sits with me now, never far from me. I took a vacation with it recently and captured great shots using the new camera. The video capabilities are great. The best camera you can have is the one you bring with you, after all.
But there’s nothing earthshattering about this, no great revelations. The iPhone does its job. It does it well.
It is a commonplace item that does what it is supposed to do very, very well.
I (obviously) don’t have much to say about the iPhone these days. Still have it, still use it, still love it, just don’t have much to say about it. Sorry about that.
So.
What’s new with y’all?
