The iPhone isn't worth it anymore.
No selfies needed, and no spying anymore thanks Apple....
Welllllll, my iPhone experiment is officially over. I’m now back 100% on team android… Errr well actually tbh I’m on team using an Android with an alternative OS that spy’s on me the least of all phones lol…
So here’s the deal about my phone life (since u asked I know u did!!!).
For the last 3 years I’ve used two phones. One Android and one iPhone.
Let me get into why I’ve made the move and gave the iPhone the boot...
I was never an Apple fanboy, but for my work in social media, I needed to see how the other half lives. Some apps, like Twitter, just work better on iOS. I get it. And I’ll admit, the camera is pretty damn good.
But after a couple years of giving the iPhone a fair shot, my original diagnosis stands: Apple is not for me. The promise of privacy was well... hollow.
Also I’ve given up the selfie sharing life so I have no need for the great camera anymore AND I’m not on social media all day so I don’t need the slightly better performance on social media apps that the iPhone provides….
The crux of the situation is….
I prefer more control. I like to tinker. Most of all though….
I don’t like my phone spying on me….
It turns out, the iPhone isn’t that private at all.
For years, Apple has played a clever game.
They position themselves as the guardians of privacy while quietly building a multi-billion dollar advertising business on the back of your data. It’s a classic bait-and-switch.
Tip of the cap to them, your data is a gold mine and they’ve managed to convince you that they care about your privacy.
In a recent court filing, Apple’s own lawyers admitted it. They told a judge, “Given Apple’s extensive privacy disclosures, no reasonable user would expect that their actions in Apple’s apps would be private from Apple.”
Read that again.
No reasonable user would expect privacy.
So while Tim Cook is on stage talking about privacy as a “fundamental human right,” the legal team is in court saying, “C’mon, you knew we were watching.”
It’s a masterclass in gaslighting.
Again tip of the cap to their marketing team, they’ve done well to convince their customer that their Apple devices are private. To be fair, regulations for privacy are getting very difficult to navigate and it’s quite clear that in the 2020s nothing on our phones or on social is private at all.
That bothers me.
So naturally I’ve been obsessing over just how bad it is and let me reassure you it is in fact REAL BAD!!
The rabbit hole is trouble.
Your data is being harvested.
Your location patterns are being studied.
Your purchases are being used to retarget you with ads.
The list goes on and on…
Wild that most people have no idea.
Wilder still, that some people know but would rather have the convince of the phone.
Now I know what some of you are saying…
Well I can just turn off the settings. I can turn on lockdown mode.
Yeah so about THAT………….
Researchers at Mysk (a software company) found that even when you disable “Device Analytics,” Apple’s own apps like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, and Stocks keep collecting an insane amount of data on you. In real-time.
They’re tracking what you look at, how long you look at it, where you tap, and what ads you see. They’re even collecting your device’s Unique ID (UDID), screen resolution, and keyboard languages. This is called “fingerprinting,” and it’s one of the most invasive tracking methods out there.
As one of the researchers, Tommy Mysk, told Gizmodo: “The level of detail is shocking for a company like Apple.”
You can read that article here… (Click here)
It gets worse.
A study from Aalto University in Finland found that Siri collects data in the background from other apps you use, regardless of whether you’ve enabled voice control.
You think you’re opting out, but you’re not. You’re just turning off the microphone.
The data collection never stops.
If you wanna watch a lil rant about it all feel free to check out the video below…
Why the iPhone 16 is so bad for privacy...
Now look I could write 50,000 words about how the iPhone isn’t private and give you more studies, youtube videos and things to read up on but the reality is most people are not going to give up their phone.
It’s too convenient and I understand that.
I’m not trying to change your mind.
Just sharing my journey and why I’m moving towards become a digital minimalist.
So let’s switch gears for a pivot and talk about that.
Let’s Be Honest: Your Phone is Destroying Your Attention!!
I’ve always been someone that prefers being on a computer.
Its faster. It’s more efficient. It gives you more control over your digital environment.
I’ve been moving more and more towards barely using my smartphone.
Having 3 phones no longer makes sense.
The main phone I’m keeping does not even have a sim card in it…. (more on that in a future newsletter)…
I actually separate all of my devices now.
I have my work desktop computer which I use for all my AI work, writing social media posts, taking calls and interacting with the world.
I have my linux laptop which I use for personal chats, banking and journaling.
I have a dead phone with a sim card in it for SMS 2fa and thats it.
I have a rebuilt android OS for signal and some comms.
That is it.
So I barely spend any time on my phone anymore.
Yes my primary driver is privacy but my secondary driver is also a big deal to me.
And that’s……
Valuing digital minimalism and being more present in the world.
I go for walks without my phone.
I’m disconnected for hours at a time.
Oh and yes my patterns are harder for big tech to track and sell.
This makes me happy.
The real truth is that these devices are dopamine slot machines, meticulously designed to hijack your attention and keep you scrolling.
So I respect that.
I’m not fully leaving the digital world behind (altho I debated it) but rather just making it work for me as a tool.
And that’s I think the way it’s meant to be.