The replacement for that phone was a refurbished one which came to me with a limp on/off button and scratches on all the corners. Not only had it been used before, but it was pretty worn out. On the other hand, it's a device that runs faster than the first three or four computers I owned, loads things from the Internet quicker than our home DSL, takes better photos than our first few digital cameras, plays every song under the sun, shows feature films from every era, and fits in my pocket.
So, in keeping perspective, as long as it would turn on and off and do the basics (phone calls, texts, camera), then I could live with some of the other stuff. Then they updated the software, which broke wi-fi and bluetooth. It's a tricky issue because there are layers of culpability.
Layer 1: Android. Owned by Google, this is the operating system that rivals Apple's iOS. The major difference between the two is that iOS only appears on Apple devices, where Android appears on many manufacturers' phones. So, when Android updates their kernel (base software), the OEMs need to retrofit the changes in the software to the hardware they've developed.
Layer 2: Motorola. I jumped in with Motorola (now also owned by Google) with my first smartphone, which I loved. That was a giant leap from a flip phone to the world of smartphones. From that first smartphone to the Razr M, it was more of a refinement in what I wanted, and the Razr M covered everything. Small form factor, minimal bloatware, solid performance across the board. However, there must have been manufacturing issues, or maybe the size/performance ratio was too good to be true. Either way, I have had three already with a fourth on the way.
Layer 3: Verizon. The juggernaut. We'd been on AT&T and T-Mobile in the past and neither came close to the coverage that Verizon has. We figured that since the cost was so similar, we might as well be on the best network, and we've been with them for quite a few years now. The Razr M would have been my choice on any network, but as luck had it, they were very inexpensive coupled with a 2-year contract on Verizon. And, when the first two went awry, Vz was very good about issuing replacements (although they also had defects).
Earlier this year, Android put out an update to their kernel to address a security issue they had discovered. In the meantime, they also tidied up some other things, including their bluetooth implementation. After having some work done on my car where the power was disconnected for a while, I could no longer pair my phone to the car anymore. Worse yet, wi-fi barely worked, and if an app didn't have the directive to only use wi-fi, it would revert to network data. I first noticed the difference when our bill arrived the month after the update.
There were clearly numerous issues, but it was hard to pin down who would be responsible. My first point of contact is Verizon, since I got the phone through them. Since my warranty was up, their primary directive was to sell me an extended warranty, but really, a warranty would only cause them to send me a new phone with the same software, and thus the same issue. (Until there's an update to the car stereo or the phone's OS bluetooth implementation, nothing will change.) So, I'd be spending more money to not have a phone that would be constantly in transit.
Second contact was to Motorola, who seemed to be much more contrite and offered to send me another replacement "just in case" it works. My hopes are low, but I figured I might as well get a newer phone in the short term. However, since it's out of warranty, they're not taking any chances with me; my options are to send out my phone and wait for the replacement to arrive, or let them hold $100 on my credit card and ship the replacement first.
I opted to send my phone out first and take a few days off from smartphones. It's a little startling how embedded it has become in my daily routine. I can't check the traffic en route to work. I can't quickly access the weather. I can't dictate a quick message to Jennie.
On the other hand, I read a whole article in Wired (the paper version) this morning, was able to call my folks from the car on my old flip phone (battery lasts forever!), and I looked up the weather when I got to work. Maybe I need to be more conscientious about when and where I'm using it when I get it back. I feel like I had been using it less, but not having it in my pocket leaves me feeling exposed. I can't call up an answer at any given moment.
Maybe that's not the worst thing. I've toyed with the idea of going back to a standard phone (man, that sounds like an addict talking, doesn't it?) but I think I get enough value out of the smartphone on a regular basis that I'll keep it. It's changed how I get places, find my car, track my fitness, and other things I didn't have options for in the past. Mostly, though, I think I had an inclination that this day would eventually come when I was selling modem attachments for Palm Pilots around Y2K. The utility of a smartphone is everything I had hoped for back then and much more, but it's the coolness factor that will probably keep me hooked.
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