I don’t know about you, but I have, for the past few years, watched the Apple Townhall where they release their new hardware for the following year. The one thing that I find when I watch them release all their latest tech is that I find myself salivating as something that they put out. This happens, and as upgrading every time something else comes out that new and different could get pricey, I have had to live with my technology for a more protracted period. The issue that I have is that when the new stuff comes out, it’s inevitably cooler than what I had. The other effect that I found was that the aftermarket stuff that I would want quickly vanished and got replaced by other stuff meant for the next model. I have had to develop a few different strategies that I can use to make sure that I don’t go crazy buy everything the instant it comes out.
1) Don’t spend millions on stuff all the time – I think it would be way cooler to have all of the latest gadgets that Apple pumps out every year, the problem is that I’m not able to afford all of it. Because of this, I have to be selective about what it is that I get/ to be clear, I do indulge myself every once and a while, but not nearly as much as I would like. It’s crucial to pick your spots with what Technology you buy and make sure that when you do buy something, you’re willing to live with it for a few years.
2) OS updates will keep you up to date with what’s new – When the new hardware comes out, nine times out of ten most of the features that make the new stuff fresh (I’m thinking of the phone specifically here) is in the operating system of the more modern devices. The conclusion is that after a relatively short period the new OS will be available for updating in your current device. Usually, the only thing that will get a significant upgrade will be the camera, and quite frankly for most of the pictures that usual people take will look the same in every camera. It’s only the serious photographers and professional photographers that will notice a difference.
3) Set yourself up with a contract – This is one of the ways that I hinder myself from giving in to the temptation of buying a new phone. When I enter into a phone contract with the company that I’m with it makes it so that I can’t buy a new phone at the drop of a hat. I mean, I CAN buy the new phone, but to use it I would have to, but the new phone, pay out my contract and get the new phone set up. This alone costs thousands of dollars, which I can’t mentally justify. While going on a contract makes it so that I have the same phone for a while, it also means that when I do eventually upgrade my phone, I usually can bargain with my provider and get some free stuff along with it.
Whenever you buy technology, the inevitable will always happen. Something will come out the following year which will be cooler, have more features, and will make you want to spend more and more money on upgrading. I get this feeling a lot. Sadly I don’t have the budget to upgrade every time Apple brings something new out, but with my strategy, I make it so that I can take as much advantage of new tech as I can, as often as I can. It’s important to remember that when the tech companies come out with new products, it’s crucial for them to sell them like they are the latest and greatest things that could ever have been imagined. But with a little time and patience on your part, you’ll find that life will go on without a new product every single year.
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How long do you wait to buy the newest phone or tablet?
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