Article: iPhone Adventures (A Narrative)
A Word From the Editor: Although the audience of SchwarzTech varies, we always enjoy the thrill people get when they get a new gadget. Since we also like guest pieces (that are relevant to our site), we thought we’d share a story about the transition to the iPhone by longtime friend of the site, Katie Schmalzel. Enjoy.
I am a recent owner of an iPhone 4, a white one at that. Yes, I realize the iPhone 5 will be hitting the streets soon, but I am perfectly content with learning what the iPhone has to offer from the current version.
Before I go into a detailed (and hopefully witty) account of my experience, let me preface you about my relationship with technology. Simply put, we don’t get along. Modern technology never seems to work when I touch it. Henceforth, I am often slow to adopt new things until I feel comfortable with their presence. Let’s take a quick diversion to talk about adoption theory. If we consider Joe M. Bohlen, George M. Beal and Everett M. Rogers’ technology adoption lifecycle, I would probably put myself into the late majority category, with a bit of distance from the laggard group This can be attributed to my background and interest with fashion, and the world of merchandising in general. Generally, I would say I am an early adopter of all things (I consider classy) influencing the fashion world—jorts and jeggings are not classy. Because of this upbringing, I refuse to be the last to own something awesome.
For the past few years I have been contracted with a cell phone carrier not associated with the iPhone. However, my contract was nearing an end and with a new job looming, I thought this would be the best time to go big or, really that was the only option. On the last day of my contract, I waltzed into an AT&T store in Tucson, Arizona, and said, “I want a white iPhone.” And that was that.
It has been about three weeks and the learning curve has been smooth. In the first six hours, I had already downloaded multiple apps, both useful and useless, figured out FaceTime, and configured all of my Facebook, Twitter, and iTunes account information. Going from a T9 phone to a phone with a virtual keyboard was much easier than I had anticipated. Texting is easy and the phone is great at quickly predicting the ridiculous adjectives I use and the locations I frequent. I love sending picture messages—and the iPhone has made it more than convenient for me.
I had no idea how many apps actually existed. I had seen a few ridiculous ones friends downloaded for kicks and know about the trendy ones, such as Words With Friends, Angry Birds, and Cut the Rope from daily conversation, but I managed to find a few additional ones I was interested in. Cupcakes allows you to create your own cupcake and send it to friends via email with a message. Nike+ GPS tracks the speed and distance of your runs. GasBuddy has been helpful as I find cheap gas and navigate around a new city. For the chicks following this website, I highly recommend iP. Trust me. And of course, Groupon highlights daily deals in a city near you.
It has been wonderful to have a smart phone as I navigate to buy essentials and get my car registered. The iPhone has been quicker than my navigational GPS to find addresses and search for business names.
I also have continued to develop my connection to social media. This may or may not be good for me. I thought it was pretty connected before, consistently on Facebook at home. However, Twitter is my new favorite social media site, and the iPhone makes it easy to use and stay connected to world happenings. I am not a huge fan of Facebook for the iPhone, but it is handy to post a picture or check your new notifications.
Syncing my iPhone to my Mac (also a more recent acquisition) is also a feature I am excited about. Just in case I drop the phone, lose it, or it gets stolen, I have all my contacts, my apps, and music on my laptop. I’m still deathly afraid to drop it and watch it shatter. Thank goodness for my precious purple Speck case!
The iPhone is definitely a phone being adopted by the masses, and it does not look like its popularity will decline in the near future. As someone who is more concerned with keeping up with her friends and family and the latest fashion news and trends than the latest technology, this phone satisfies my social and media needs and has been simple to integrate into (and in some ways enhances) my lifestyle. Eventually I may upgrade to the iPhone 5…but I need to buy more new shoes first.