Sometimes I see this photo when Apple announces a new product and there are some really funny jokes about it on social media. Frankly, I don’t understand the criticism that “Apple is exhausted, it can’t produce anything new” for technological products that have reached a certain maturity. How do you compare them?

I used the iPhone 11 for more than four years and upgraded to the iPhone 16e. I agree that there’s not much difference in appearance, there’s still a notch at the top of the screen, it’s lighter. There’s a single-lens camera, but the quality is better than the older one. I didn’t notice any improvements on the screen because I was happy with the old one too, but the iPhone 11 has a lot of improvements like 5G connectivity, longer battery life and the ability to charge multiple devices with the same cable thanks to USB-C. If I were using an iPhone 14 or 15, I wouldn’t understand these innovations, and When the iPhone 17 comes out, I probably won’t find the innovations that come with it remarkable.

I assign a lifespan to the technological devices I own and try to keep them as long as possible. In return, I expect these products to be reliable or durable. Reliability has two important benefits for the consumer:

  1. When you divide the price of the product over its lifetime, many reliable products that seem expensive become cheaper than their alternatives. It may not always be Apple for everyone. It could be Samsung, Huawei or Xiaomi, depending on your expectations.

  2. More important than the first point I wrote is to avoid unnecessary consumption, and therefore unnecessary production. I am aware that this issue triggers other issues like a butterfly effect, but ultimately the reliability of a product gives you the freedom not to buy anything new for a long time.

This perspective also explains why I love Japanese cars. I often hear people say, “If you’re buying a second-hand car, buy a Toyota”, because people knows the service costs won’t be that high. Cars are expensive things that depreciate very quickly, also they are not seen as an investment especially in the country I live in. Then the importance of longevity, durability and reliability is much better understood.