The moment I learned about it I started losing sleep. It was
definitely a level up. It might not be an Iphone5s
like the one it replaced but the freedom that comes with a smart phone is,
for this bumpkin, mind boggling.
My current Samsung is
a far cry. With its temperamental keyboard that sometimes require severe
pounding before it displays an “a”, its minuscule screen, the overly low
resolution camera, and its WiFi un-readiness, I am in need of change. Yes, this
one coming is definitely something to be excited about.
And an IPhone, no
matter if it is only a hand me down IPhone4,
carries with it some bragging rights. I would like to believe this last one was
the main reason for my lack of sleep.
Alas, the road to happiness can sometimes be gutted with
slippery roots and deep ruts. As we later discovered, this model needs to be
factory unlocked before it can be used for other networks. Here in the Philippines
it meant responding to an $85 question. The reason for the hand me down was I
have no $85. If I had, I would have bought myself a brand new android phablet
from Starmobile. Immediately.
I went from asking the shops inside the Alabang Town Center
in Muntinlupa, to Trinity in Baguio City and then finally a friend in San
Fernando in the province of La Union. Desperation brings you places. But no joy
at all.
Thanks to the wisdom I acquired from being friends with my
mountain bike mate Alex, I looked beyond what I cannot have and examined
closely this gadget in my hands.
It may not be able send text messages but my “new” IPhone4 allows me unlimited information exchange with Alex without going through the trouble of searching
which Globe promo on unlimited texting to all networks is currently available
to prepaid users. I can even send pictures or call him from anywhere in the
world free of charge. Viber is heaven
sent, I tell you.
And since my netbook is currently taking ages to load Windows
(it shamelessly accuses me of using counterfeit programs), with this Iphone4 I receive alerts of new messages
in my inbox instantly. No boot up misery hence no 3-day waiting period before
being able to access my email.
A few months ago, Cecille treated us for a vacation in Macau
and Hong Kong. All the great things we saw and experienced were fully covered
by this wonderful thing called IPhone4.
I may not be looking as cool as the next tourist with his latest Nikon
or Canon but man, I was able to take
pictures of all the food we came to seek (then mercilessly devoured) without
being obvious. Some restaurants demand you eat their food not make fashion
models out of them.
Now my friends know what a pork chop sandwich looks like. Or the two ways to put down a roasted duck.
And yes, posting updates on Facebook can never be simpler.
No more lugging my netbook to do that.
I had so much fun I am having second thoughts
about getting it opened to be used on the local networks. I
believe there is severe injustice in the statement “Ate, please load my IPhone4 P50
worth of prepaid credits." Sadly, I will be forced to speak this language once it is made ready to receive a Globe prepaid SIM. If I can, I would like to avoid that route, non bragging rights notwithstanding.
On a more serious note, more important than enjoying it, it’s what I learned
along the way that stands out: impressions are only skin
deep, true value is much deeper. Rightly so. What is profoundly important is not immediately obvious.
Yes the bragging rights may be absent but I have yet to find
something man made, after my bike Efcie, which will give me so much joy in its
incompleteness.
