Should You Use A Smartphone For 7 Years Like Chris Evans?

 


Last week was not much interesting news in the world of technology because traditionally June is not a busy month for new product launches. So among the news that got the most public attention was Chris Evans, the actor who made Captain America iconic in the MCU world finally replacing his iPhone 6S to the iPhone 13 Pro.



It is very surprising to the public to know that among the world's famous actors who recorded an income of more than RM191 million in 2019 are still using the iPhone that was launched in 2015! We ourselves switch iPhones every year and Android phones once a few weeks for work reasons. Quite absurd an actor who has a pile of money is willing to use a phone that is more deserving of being put in a museum.


So the question arises should you follow in the footsteps of Captain America, Buzz Lightyear, and Johnny Storm by using a smartphone for as long as possible until it sounds the last ringtone?


IPhone myths

Before getting started let’s discuss the urban myths and legends that the iPhone can be used without problems for up to five years. This is not true at all and may be just a belief that wants to appease the heart. We can say this is a myth because we used the iPhone 7 Plus-which launched in 2016-until 2020. After three years the device started to feel slow especially when the controversial iOS power reduction mode was activated.



Worse after the health of the battery plummeted to around 65% and the device could not last half a day. Charging twice a day will become a daily routine. If the battery is changed though the difference in the smoothness of the iPhone 7 compared to the iPhone 12 is like heaven and earth. The quality of the camera is also like a potato camera.


That is why the iPhone 7 which is already too slow to use has been replaced with the iPhone X which is already five years old. The performance of the iPhone X is also not very satisfactory and "can be used without problems for five years" can already be buried like the popular Mythbusters series.


Chris Evans himself admitted in his tweet that the performance of the battery and the 6S camera used so far is no longer satisfactory.


Why Now?

What changes have taken place that make the modern iPhone unlike the iPhone of yesteryear? If you remember there was a time when iOS users were proud of the iPhone which was only equipped with only 2GB of RAM but still smooth. Then on the iPhone 7 it increased to 3GB RAM before increasing to 4GB RAM on the iPhone XS Max and now 6GB RAM on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.



Modem apps require more power and memory unlike the early days of the iPhone. The iPhone era all only required 2GB of RAM allowing the old iPhone to be used for years now no more.


Just look at what happened to the iPad this year. Only the iPad with the M1 chip can support the new Stage Manager feature on iPadOS 16. The iPad Air Gen 2 launched in 2020 is now no longer given the long -requested macOS -like desktop feature.


What about Android?

The current iPhone situation is deplorable but on the Android platform this is the old norm since time immemorial. Normally we can only recommend Android devices for up to three years as no more Android version updates are provided. The security patch is then given every three months. In a world where smartphones are daily -use computers for banking and storing personal data, an important security patch in case serious vulnerabilities are discovered should not be provided every three months.



iOS may now be too heavy for the old iPhone but at least the iPhone is committed to providing security patches immediately without going through an iOS version update like they did before starting with iOS 16 via Rapid Security Response.


Apple also still supports security patches on iPhones and iPads that no longer accept the latest iOS version (simultaneously with newer devices) until now to ensure user safety.


Should I Use a Phone for 7 Years?

So should you wear a smartphone for up to 7 years? The answer for us is no if you can afford a better device. The reason is that the device will no longer run smoothly after using a new operating system that requires more processing power and RAM. The second reason is that vulnerabilities may exist and will not be patched quickly because old devices are at the bottom of the strata of interest to be given updates.


But if you insist on using the phone for up to 7 years for reasons of not wanting to contribute to electronic junk, no need to use the phone faster or no funds at the moment, the safest smartphone to use is still the iPhone. Their commitment to continue to support simultaneous security patches on all models should be commended. This good support still doesn't exist on Android because the patch is discontinued after 5 years unless you use a supported Fairphone for 7 years!

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