Ay, Phone!

 

     A nephew wanted a new phone so we accompanied him to the mall. His current phone’s old (a mid-range Android phone) and everyone in his office is using an iPhone, so his choice was an iPhone. He’s still young, a fresh graduate, so he’s still vulnerable to peer pressure. The phone (iPhone 16 Pro) jaw-droppingly cost almost a hundred thousand buck (including the tempered glass, casing, and other whatnots), but thank goodness, it’ll be paid via installment, but still, it’s quite pricey. That phone is even smaller than my mid-range Android phone (which cost me just around 15K three years ago).

     My nephew’s an IT guy so a high-end cell phone, one that’s state-of-the-art when it comes to technology, is sort of a prerequisite.

     But would I buy that kind of phone for myself if in case I could easily afford it? I don’t know, I’m not an IT guy and I’m not into things that will only serve as a status symbol. My mid-range smartphone will probably be with me until it conks out. I am very loyal, you see.

     Anyway, while we were still inside the gadgets store, a woman, who probably was in her seventies and wearing simple clothes, entered and started looking at the brand new iPhones with fascination.

     “I thought your iPhone 15 was still okay?” the old woman’s young female companion asked her.

     “Yes,” she answered. “But I still want to buy this new iPhone. It’s inexpensive anyway.”

     And I never felt poorer upon hearing it.