Apple announced Tuesday the newest edition of the iPhone will go on sale Sept. 20. It will be an upgrade to the iPhone 5, and will come in two different models, the iPhone 5S and the less expensive iPhone 5C. I don’t care. I received an iPhone 4 as a gift almost two years ago. At the time, it was the newest model, but the iPhone 5 was set to be released in a few months. I love my iPhone 4 and do not need nor want an upgrade, and I spend a lot of time on my phone. Twitter, Facebook, email and texting take more of my time than I care to admit, and I have not once run into an issue with how fast it runs. Along with being faster than the older versions, the new iPhones will have a longer battery life, a better camera, a touchpad recognition feature and will come in many colors. It will also be thinner and lighter.
Today’s unveiling included the announcement of the new operating system, the iOS 7.
The thing is, iOS 7 will be available to download on older iPhones starting on Sept. 18. That’s the one reason why I would want an upgrade, and I can get that for free.
If the iOS 7 software is available for my iPhone 4, why do I need to go out and spend money on the iPhone 5, or the new iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C? It’s just not necessary.
What will the new iPhones have that my old one doesn’t? I have solutions.
Longer battery life? Pack a charger. Different colors? Buy a colorful case. Better camera? If you’re that into photography, you probably already have a nice camera, or you should invest in one. Yes, the fingerprint touchpad is pretty cool, but it's not worth all that money.
Some of you techies use your phone way more than I do, I’m sure, but upgrading just for the sake of the upgrade just seems odd to me.
As long as my phone is still working and does what I need it to do, I won’t need an upgrade.
As someone told me, “Well, you haven’t even tried the iPhone 5."
I really don’t need to try the iPhone 5. My current phone is excellent. I spend a lot of money on things I don’t need. I just bought a throwback Phoenix Coyotes jersey on a whim, and I go to Panda Express at least twice a week.
Spending my money on an iPhone upgrade is just not going to happen.
Reach the columnist at justin.emerson@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @J15Emerson
