Smartphones, an unexpected necessity

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I just gotten my tires replaced in anticipation of our recent trip to Portland. In the middle of nowhere, one of the new tires went flat. To compound matters, they had neglected to tell me they had put 19 mm lug nuts on and the lug wrench I had was 21 mm. My largest wrench or socket was 17 mm.

Fortunately, I had driven this road many times before in my life and I knew exactly where I was. I also knew there were tire stores in the towns I was between that provided road service (lots of semi trucks have problems).

If I didn’t have my iPhone, I wouldn’t have been able to research those tire stores nearby. None of them had available service, but I found someone who found me a mobile mechanic. He came by after a while, changed the tire and filled up my low pressure spare tire. I paid him with cash.app.

In all we were stranded three hours. It would’ve been much longer if I had had to walk to the next town with my wife in a wheelchair on a busy interstate freeway towards dark.

Can you imagine what would’ve happened in the 80s? - no cell phone and no way to contact anyone. At best all you’d have would be a paper map and your feet. For all the trouble smart phones can be, at times they’re really helpful. A funny thing: one of my friends has a business selling bees named Miller’s Homestead. I found a restaurant on my phone about 400 yards away from the motel where we’re staying that has the exact same name. I texted her the location from Apple Maps.

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That’s why the minimal phone movement is trying to extract the bad bits of Smartphones and keep the good bits. All the good reasons are why we keep them, but they are like 15% of the experience.

I’ve learned how to function pretty well without my phone and going watch-only. Apple Maps is a pretty decent look up service even on the watch. A watchOS powered phone would have great appeal for me. (Provided an iPad or Mac is given the Watch App for maintenance)

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If I had to use a watch as my main “smartphone”, I’d want one with twice the display, oriented horizontally for older eyes.

Not as garish as what science fiction has dreamed up (no huge 4 inch stainless steel bracelets); but understated and well designed like an Apple device.

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I have not travelled much, the last big trip was before Covid. I am now surprised with how much of the trip is dependent on the phone - esims, travel documents, tourist visas application, currency conversion/payment.

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We live about 2 miles from the Miller’s Homestead restaurant!

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And a LOT more battery life.

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