Throwback Thursday to the the 00s Cellphone
It seems like only yesterday that when you wanted an iPhone, you either had to buy a sketchy jailbroken, blackmarket one and try to slide it into your network under another name, or go for broke with AT&T. It seems like forever ago you could call the number of bars your friend would have on sight of the iPhone. But it wasn’t that long ago (7 years) and a lot more than the iPhone has changed for mobile since that time.
Jailbroken Networks
Remember way back in 2010 when someone whipped out an iPhone and it was either unlocked (and a tiny bit broken) or on AT&T? That was a tough time for people who got odd service, or wanted a different network (AT&T customers do not like staying loyal to AT&T ). The iPhone was also more expensive, didn’t sell well with Asian markets who needed a larger screen to browse and write characters on. But it was the thing for people who wanted the newest.
Now the big, beautiful, colorful iPhones on the market look like the post-puberty version of the original iPhone, although you’ll still have to ‘unlock’ it if you buy through AT&T (you don’t have to unlock if you buy it from T-mobile) but you no longer are stuck without choices. It was a simpler time to have a smartphone. There’s so much that has changed since then. From smart homes, to mobile wallets, G-Maps, and the explosion of mobile browsing dominance that it’s weird to think of it as only a couple years ago.
Smart Homes
Smart homes are loads of fun, and the addition of a cellular remote make them more accessible. Who doesn’t want to lower their energy costs by only jacking up the heat (or AC) when you’re at home, or being able to connect to a live fridge cam when at the supermarket. You can even update a normal device into a smart device if you want to upgrade without the cost. It’d blow your 2008 mind to see someone whip out their phone and turn on sinks, control the heat, start their car, and raise the blinds.
Paying For Stuff
Cash is king and VISA is accepted everywhere, but if someone in 2008 asked you if you wanted to pay by swiping your phone, you were either really in the know or having a mild stroke. But now with Apple Pay, proximity related payment methods, and stuff like Google Wallet, mobile payments are on the rise. That means that you might forget your wallet at home and still be able to pop tags and go out. Paying for things with your phone is great, but it also has come with a medium amount of security uncertainty.
Browsing Dominance
People are on their phones now. Way back in 2007 when the iPhone was first introduced, desktops were still the biggest way people got online. Now most people use their pocket connection to the world more than ever (and for more time than ever). Which is huge when you start talking about the immediate access to information, social media, and the importance of a good (responsive) website design. More people than ever are looking at their phones, and more people care about navigating on those mobile friendly pages (like AMP and Facebook’s IA) that didn’t exist back then.
Printing Is Dead (ish)
If you are a responsible adult, recently purchased a desktop computer, or run your own business, you probably own a printer. But many Americans do not (or they do and it’s tucked away in the garage out of ink). Luckily the struggle is pretty passe when you don’t own a printer. Many forms are able to be filled out online and even airline tickets can be scanned from your phone. You can even check into a concert or event using your mobile phone and a selfie (great if you’ve got a very cracked screen and can’t scan). Do you remember way back in the day when people used to print off Mapquest, and that died with G-maps on mobile? Printing isn’t dead, people still like holding books, tickets, or photos of their loved ones. But mobile browsing dominance brought an end to a lot of printing, no more maps, tickets, receipts, or tax printing. Just save it to the cloud or look at it on your phone.
Dangerously Seductive
Phones are dangerously seductive. It’s not that they weren’t before, but a hot pink Razor flip-phone with all your mates on it has nothing on the massive attention suck that is the high speed world wide information superhighway. Cell-phone related accidents have skyrocketed since the 00’s, 26% of car accidents have cell phone related causes, the distraction can make your house unsafe, and could even get you on the sidewalk. The cellphone can be a deadly distraction, and is becoming more dangerous as more people jump on the bandwagon. In 2010 there was 1500 emergency room visits from distracted walking (an upward trend marked with cell phone use), that’s more emergency room visits from texting/cellphone in America than all the terrorism in America from 2002 onward. Cell phones are dangerously seductive tech.
The cellphone game has changed a lot since the iPhone came out 10 years ago, and even more since we broke out of the 00s. Become an omni-tool whose awesome power draws us in (to the point of injury), the cellphone has become a very impressive piece of tech. If you’ve got anymore #throwbackthursdays about the cellphone game, throw it down below in the comments.
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