On Saturday evening my iPhone 6s was scheduled to undergo a battery replacement at the Genius Bar.
Around the time I had paid off my iPhone 6s - i.e. at the end of the two year contract, I began to receive e-mails from Apple and Verizon, my service provider, that I am eligible for an upgrade. At the same time I noticed that my battery was slowing down. The same thing had happened with my iPhone 5. It simply died at the exact time my contract ended, and I had paid it off. Planned obsolescence was my diagnosis, but I nevertheless traded it in for the 6s, and swore I would not do this again.
Around the same time that my 6s began to slow down, articles were published about the fact that these phones were intentionally programmed to slow down. Apple now offered to replace the batteries for $29 instead of $80.
Aha - vindicated. I really do not need an upgrade, no matter how much quicker, lighter, better, more flash, better cameras etc. etc. the latest models are.
I am old enough to remember a time when one could have parts replaced, and objects fixed, instead of being discarded. Workmen took pride in their skills. They had work, landfills were not clogged. And may I remind anyone reading this, it was not that long ago.
In order to prolong my battery life I closed apps that kept running in the background. I did everything I could short of not using my phone at all to prolong its life. This did help for quite a while, but about two weeks ago it appeared to go kaput. I decided to have the battery replaced. Not feeling competent to carry out this operation alone, I made an appointment at the Genius Bar.
Upon my arrival I was greeted at the door by a smiling technician/assistant/greetperson - whatever the correct terminology is, and was directed to the Genius Bar where another smiling polite person, iPad in hand, greeted me again, and after checking my name motioned me to take a seat at a table until I was called.
I am not oblivious to the dazzling displays of everything Apple. I left my seat to look at the enticing items displayed on the walls. Immediately a smiling young man, Zack, walked over to me to inquire whether he could assist me. Actually I think he probably said he would be glad to be of assistance to me.
"Just looking," I told him as a smiling young woman, Melissa, approached me. She would be my Genius.
"What is the problem" she inquired, smiling. I told her and the first thing she said was that I can trade in my phone for the next and best.
"No," I said firmly. To my astonishment she confessed that she still has an iPhone 6s! So, with great understanding she told me she would run a battery of diagnostic tests on my phone. She hooked it up to electrodes placed at various pulse points on the phone, and ran impressive graphs of usage, times of use, battery performance, etc. The equivalent of lab tests to determine what is ailing the patient. After looking at these and nodding she showed me the battery's performance levels and declared that everything is fine. My phone does not need a battery replacement at this time. (Sort of like going to the dentist with a raging toothache only to have it vanish at the appointment time.) She assured me that the battery special is offered until December, so I should monitor its performance. If it REALLY does run slow (she made me realise I had been overly anxious) then I should make another appointment.
But I was not quite ready to leave. Kevin was going to outfit my current phone with an anti-glare screen. This required the use of a special machine to put it on, so that it would be nothing short of perfection itself on my VERY outdated artifact.
