I have used Android for a long time now and it was way superior to the Symbian OS that was quite famous those days.
I tried iPhone by chance not by choice. My mom struggles to use these Android phones. She can get to an app through icons but cannot make it back to the home screen. She often struggles to navigate through these options.
None of the apps remain in position. One day the phone icon is at the bottom neatly aligned but the next day you have to swipe to find it.
But she likes to watch Youtube, take photos, listen to music, etc.
My mom will like this phone!
I thought I will give her something simple to use - a used iPhone 7. I got it for a decent price($100) with everything working well. When I bought it, she was outside for a week so I used it with my SIM in it.
But before I tell my experience using this phone let me tell you a few complaints I have about the recent smartphones.
- they are big and heavy.
- they have less battery backup.
- they have curved bezel.
- requires deep pockets to own😅
Why would anyone make a phone with curved edge screen?
I tried to come to terms with it but I just can’t. It makes the phone look futuristic and all but at what cost?
- it reduces battery life.
- you will always be touching the screen.
- if the phone falls then the screen certainly gets damaged.
- phones become a lot more slippery.
Curved edge screens are bad.
I do not know why multiple smartphone manufacturers do this.
The phones we use today are yesterdays tablets!
Phones these days are so huge that the apparel manufacturers are designing deeper pockets.
Along with a case or cover the phone literally looks like a panzer.
A bigger phone has more cons than pros.
- hard to carry.
- low battery backup.
- comes with an even bigger charger.
- hard to use it with one hand.
They have come up with a one-handed mode these days!
Phones are meant to be used in one hand!
Stop making bigger phones. Make the small phones better.
iPhone 7 is so good
Coming back to my experience with the iPhone:
Surprisingly - me being an Android guy - got pleasantly surprised with how it is built! Except for a missing headphone jack, everything about this phone was good. You cannot say the same thing for many Android phones.
- It is small(iPhone 7), easy to hold, and easy to carry in pockets.
- One button to come back home(fewer decisions to make).
- Low to no customization options(which is good for consistency).
- Bezels are big enough to avoid any accidental touch while using the phone.
- Screen lights up when I pick it up from the table!
Many other small things make this a great phone.
I’m thinking to switch to iPhone. I don’t game on phones. This was purely for calls, calendar, whatsapp, and email. This phone handles all of these amazingly well.
Simple yet powerful
I wish I had realized this sooner. Maybe I would have used the same phone for years. My android phones usually last for 3 years. But I have a feeling that these iPhones will last longer.
Got myself an iPhone 12 Mini
I got a used iPhone 12 Mini at a reasonable cost. I just love it. It feels even smaller than iPhone 7.
I can notice that it is a tad bit thicker in the pocket but not a big deal.
The main complaint the first owner had was its battery backup. But for me it lasts for almost 2 days on a single charge.
I tried getting an iPhone 13 Mini which I consider as the best iPhone ever made. But I did not find a used one in my budget.“
The best budget iPhone
The performance of this iPhone 12 Mini is so good. I use my phone mostly for UPI payments outside and this one does it blazing fast. The experience has exceeded my expectations.
The Face ID kind of gets out of the way in authorization. Previously I had to touch the home button but now I don’t have to do anything!
The main benefit of this one is the camera, night vision, HDR etc. I also got the iOS 17 update recently.
This one fits in my pocket perfectly. Doesn’t feel heavy even in the pockets of my night pants or boxers.
It has an OLED screen which helps saving some battery if I use dark mode and darker wallpapers.
To summarise,
- amazing performance
- outstanding camera
- fits in my pocket
- usable with one hand
- rectangular corners and has tiny bezels
- crisp OLED display (highest ppi among iPhones)
- magsafe wireless charging(I’ll use in the future maybe)
- strong build and tough screen
- 5G support on this small form factor!
- bad battery backup
- missing fingerprint scanner(i don’t miss it at all)
- the big notch hinders fullscreen video experience
I have made some changes in the settings to increase the battery life
- dark mode and dark wallpapers
- reduce white point 100% and increase brightness (for complete darkness)
- no notifications for most apps
- no backround refresh for most apps
- set to check new mails once every hour instead of always
This has helped me make my phone last a lot longer than it usually does. I’m a minimalist when it comes to phones. I do not install social media apps (except whatsapp). I do use Twitter but the web version is pretty good. This has an added advantage in battery backup.
A single charge lasts at least two days for me with these optimizations.
With the kind of battery life this phone has, it makes me use it less than I would like to. This in-turn lowers the time I spend on phones! A win-win!
In the future if I get my mom a newer model of iPhone she will know exactly how things work. Thanks to iPhone for retaining the same layout, icons and settings.