The Joy and Pain of a New Phone

When I got my iPhone 11 almost five years ago, it changed my life. It was not my first iPhone. I got my first in 2010, and I replaced it with a newer model in 2016.

But what changed my life when I got the iPhone 11 in January of 2020 was the larger screen. I had already switched over to e-books in 2012 and I had been carrying my Kindle around with me so that I could read when I was riding public transportation or waiting interminably in a doctor’s office. When I got the iPhone 11, however, the screen real estate was so much bigger than my previous iPhone. I started to use the Kindle app on the phone and leave the Kindle at home. This meant that I had my reading material with me all the time.

The downside of the larger screen was that the phone was larger and heavier than what I was used to. If I was carrying a small handbag instead of a backpack, it made the bag too heavy. I started carrying the phone in my coat pocket, but it didn’t always fit nicely. In 2023, I started using my phone to pay for my subway and bus rides, and then I carried it in my pocket all the time regardless of what handbag I was carrying.

The bulk was started to annoy me. I recently started wondering: do iPhones come any lighter and smaller than this one? I discovered that the new iPhones were coming out in September. I looked up the weight and length of my iPhone 11 and waited for the specs of the new phones to be made public.

My phone was 6.84 ounces and 5.94 inches long. When the iPhone 16 specs came out, I learned it was 6 ounces and 5.81 inches long. Would that 7/8 of an ounce really feel different?

I’m now the proud owner of an iPhone 16 in bubble gum pink! And yes, the weight and size really do make a difference. I’m so delighted with my smaller, lighter phone.

What did I do to prepare for switching to a new phone? I made sure that the phone was backed up to my computer via iTunes. I knew that this would enable me to easily set up the new phone once I brought it home.

Before I backed it up, I looked at all the apps on my phone and deleted the ones that I wasn’t using. I also rearranged the layout and grouped some of the apps together into folders to cut down on the visual clutter.

When I went to the AT&T Store to buy my new phone, I learned that the phone uses a USB-C cable instead of a lightning cable. Apple no longer supplies the power adapter that plugs into the wall. They just supply the cable. The salesman selected a USB-C power adapter for me as part of my package.

Once I got home with my beautiful new, streamlined phone, I went to connect the new cable to my PC to set up the phone. I realized that the cable that came with the phone was USB-C on both ends, but my computer has no USB-C ports, only USB. Yikes!

I took my dog for a walk and we went straight to Best Buy three blocks away. I came home with a happy dog and a USB-C to USB cable. I plugged in the new cable, connected it to my new phone, and started the setup process. It was so easy!

Once the setup was done, I streamlined my apps even more. I now have all of my most frequently used apps on the first screen, and everything else on the second screen.

So what did I do with my old iPhone and the related paraphernalia? I’m happy to say that the AT&T Store took my phone as a trade-in and gave me a nice discount on the new phone. As for the paraphernalia, I listed my phone case and my extra screen protectors on Buy Nothing. Those are now in the hands of other iPhone 11 users.

I also reviewed my plethora of cables and plugs to see what I could get rid of. I can’t ditch all of my lightning cables because I still need them for my iPad. However, I was able to reduce what I have. I took some of the excess to Staples for recycling. (Just a reminder: you can take electronic waste to Staples and Best Buy anytime.)

I also followed one of my best practices and labeled my new plug and cable so that I can easily pick it out of the drawer. I spend way too much time helping clients figure out what cables go with what device and what can be discarded. I used a labeler, but you can easily use masking tape or scotch tape to label yours.