No, I Don't Want An Everything Device In My Pocket

I originally started this draft rambling about my reluctance to get a cellphone (they were just emergency devices for this friendless introvert), and how it took me forever to get a proper smartphone. And that’s when it hit me: I was lugging around basic touchscreen and simpler phones from my early to late twenties, while my mom and siblings all had iPhones.

While everyone was obsessing over smartphones, it took me a decade to catch up. Though I technically had a smartphone at some point. It was just…not quite up to modern standards. But it had a sliding keyboard, so that was rad! The Samsung Transform Ultra.

No, I got my first real smartphone back in 2020, the Pixel 5. I actually still have it, but had to upgrade to a 7 when Google said they were dropping support for it. Used for a solid 4 years, as I am not quick to upgrade to the latest thing. I value longevity, and these phones just keep getting more and more expensive. That was one of the things that stopped me from getting a smartphone to begin with, but my desire to play Pokemon Go with better hardware overpowered that.

Yes, that was the one thing to sway me. Not falling for that again, I can tell you that! Would also like to add here that I will be upgrading my phone to a Clicks Communicator; I pre-ordered because I want my phones to be less smart, and allow me to focus on what matters.

That's basically what it all boils down to. I'm sick of all in one devices; never been a fan, but I made an exception for my Pixels. I'm someone who grew up on CD and MP3 players. And I hate that we lost headphone jacks for Bluetooth! I was at first reluctant to even give eink devices a try (I used to be firmly against them, in fact; if it wasn't paper, it wasn't reading), but had Kindles for years before ditching Amazon for Kobo.

I remember being sulky when my mom gifted me the more expensive Kindle Fire instead of the cheaper Kindle I asked for, because I didn't want a tablet. I didn't want to browse the internet or play games. I had consoles and my laptop for either task. No—I wanted the Kindle for reading only.

I was less wary of wearables, like my Fitbit. I like watches, and having one that monitored my health was great! But when I later saw my girlfriend's cool Apple watch, I decided to try out the Pixel watch. And it was all fun and games (really, I valued the health tracker and editable watch face), but by year two it was failing, and I was delighted to be wearing my last Fitbit, which had a superior battery, on top of limited features.

But with all the surveillance and my waning interest in monitoring my every step and sleep schedule, I adopted a form of watch I never explored: the analog. My current watch is a solar Citizen QQ. Simple and clean.

A few years ago, I backed the Tangara—my first MP3 player in almost a decade. I never stopped buying music (remember Google Music?!), but I switched to Qobuz and Bandcamp, rather than give Amazon more money.

Sadly, it'll be some time before we replace our Fire TV, which I regret getting because it can't be altered, unlike the Firestick. Though we're considering a projector to cut down on space and make better use of our walls. And gosh, how did I get this far without mentioning DVDs and Blu-rays? I never stopped buying them, and have a good collection to keep me occupied. The only thing I really stream these days is anime from my girlfriend's Crunchyroll account. And I always try to be present when watching movies and shows.

Otherwise, what's the point?