I Don't Need This Year's iPhone - Guided Meditation

Every September is a month filled with desire. Apple’s keynotes use all sorts of persuasion tactics to get you to upgrade your iPhone. In recent years, they’ve spent big money inviting influencers from around the world to tell you why this year’s iPhone is a “must-buy” and which model is best.

My 5-year-old iPhone 12 Pro is still alive and kicking. I don’t need the latest iPhone.

I don’t need USB-C.
I don’t need faster charging.
I don’t need ProMotion 120Hz.
I don’t need Apple Intelligence.
I don’t need Always-On Display.
I don’t need 3x better battery life.
I don’t need Action Button controls.
I don’t need Camera Control button.
I don’t need 48-megapixel cameras.
I don’t need Dynamic Island features.
I don’t need ProRes 4K 120 fps video.
I don’t need a bigger, brighter screen.
I don’t need Ceramic Shield back glass.
I don’t need 2x better CPU performance.
I don’t need 2x better GPU performance.
I don’t need Dual Capture dual recording.
I don’t need titanium or aluminum unibody.
I don’t need 4x or 8x optical zoom options.
I don’t need 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera.

No AI, poor battery life (75%), screen not good enough—these are actually features that help me use my phone less, not problems that need fixing.

Same as last year—get a new screen protector, buy a new case, charge up the power bank. My iPhone 12 Pro can fight for another year.

After all, the most eco-friendly iPhone is the one you already own.

P.S. OK, I was planning to write this and convince myself to hold on for another year, but after writing this, and looking at this list, the upgrade value seems pretty high. So, I’ve decided to surrender and upgrade to the latest iPhone 17 (lol). I’ll convert my current one to a test device for development. Pat myself on the back for holding out for 5 years. Here’s to another 5 years (?).