Sorry if this is a dumb question, but does anyone else feel like technology - specifically consumer tech - kinda peaked over a decade ago? I’m 37, and I remember being awed between like 2011 and 2014 with phones, voice assistants, smart home devices, and what websites were capable of. Now it seems like much of this stuff either hasn’t improved all that much, or is straight up worse than it used to be. Am I crazy? Have I just been out of the market for this stuff for too long?
I feel like smartphones + internet peaked about 10 years ago and has now steadily become enshittified. I have never used “google assistant” because it takes less time to just type something in to my phone or tap the setup for my alarm.
So yes, definitely feel that way. Consumer tech had less bullshit masking as improvements ten years ago.
I dunno, I just upgraded my six year old phone to the latest model and it’s pretty fuckin dope. I don’t use anything Google, though, so I can’t comment on their assistant.
What did you got on that new device that wasn’t available 6 years ago?
Much more storage space, a higher-rez 120hz screen (beautiful), cameras that rival my DSLR but take MUCH better low light pictures (cats), USB-C, more speed (I didn’t need more speed, but it’s nice that it’s there), and absolutely bonkers battery life (my old phone still lasted most of a day on one charge, which is crazy… but this phone lasts FOREVER!)
Much more storage than 512GB?
Much higher res than 2160x1080? And Is the difference between 90hz and 120hz really that noticeable?
I’m sure other devices already had cameras just as good, but for the comparison I’m going with I’ll grant that it’s very likely your new phone has a better camera
Almost every phone was USB-C 6 years ago
Probably the only number that would be extremely higher on your new phone is a benchmark for speed, which probably won’t mean much unless you’re a heavy gamer on your phone, and even then most games try to hit a wider audience so they have lower specs.
Much more than 4000 mAh?
So, let’s forget the camera and benchmarks for a second, compare your phone with this: https://www.phonearena.com/phones/Asus-ROG-Phone_id10914 which you could have bought 6 years ago for $900 and tell me if your new phone is really that much better or cheaper. Then let’s do the same with an extra 6 years, so find me the best smartphone you can from 2012 and see if it’s even comparable, and if you go back 6 extra years there weren’t even any smartphones. And that’s the whole point OP was making, your new shiny phone is great, but you could have gotten a very similar thing 6 years ago when you bought your previous model, you would still be wanting to change it now because that device would not have received updates and the battery would probably have started to lose it’s charge faster, etc, but technically phones today are not that much better than 6 years ago, especially not considering the amount of advances that happened in the 6 years prior to that, or the 6 before then.
Lawl I’m not reading all that removed, go away
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m glad you’re happy with your new device, but the fact that you could have gotten almost the same device 6 years ago only serves to prove OP’s point.
Yes. Name one useful product Google has released in 15 years.
I can think of one (assistant/gemini) but it actually gets worse every minute so it supports the main idea that shits lame for a while now.
I haven’t adopted a Google technology since 2010 when I got my first Android phone. They haven’t made anything that lasted since; basically everything they introduce is going to be abandoned and shut down in ~3 years because they haven’t changed away from their “move fast and break things” era. “Google Wank is now Android Jerk. No Wait, Android Jerk is being sunset in favor of Play Withyourself. Wait no, users are being migrated over to Youtube Crotch.” Fuck it I’ll use my hand.