iPod 13

What are you using your iPhone for?

For me I use my iPhone to surf the web, watch videos on Youtube, listen to music on YouTube music, listen to podcasts on Apple Podcast, play Clash Royale and to stay in touch with my family via messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Something is missing on that list, have you noticed?

I don’t really use my iPhone as a phone. At least, that’s what I think. Isn’t that interesting? I actually don’t remember the last time I used my iPhone as a phone. Out of curiosity, I took a look at the recents tab in the Phone app. The last phone call I got is on 21 February 2021. Honestly, that doesn’t seem like that long ago. The next entry though is surprising. The next call is dated 10 December 2020. So, did I just not get any phone calls for nearly 2 months?

Yes and No.

I did get calls between December of 2020 and February of 2021 but those calls were not actually phone calls. They were made via WhatsApp. The internet is so good now that you don’t really need a cellular connection to make a phone call. In fact, my iPhone has been on airplane mode most of the time and it hasn’t been an issue. This is especially true now, given that I have constant WiFi access because I am home all the time. So, that raises an interesting question. Why do we need an iPhone, wouldn’t an iPod, an iPod 13 be sufficient for most people?

The iPod 13 would have mostly the same features as the iPhone 13, minus the ability to make phone calls and send sms messages. The interesting thing about an iPod 13 is that because it is technically not a phone it won’t be subjected to heavy tariffs across the globe. As a result, even if the iPod 13 is priced exactly the same as the iPhone 13 it would be much cheaper for a lot of people because the taxes are much lower. Would you like a cheaper iPhone? I know I do.

In addition, a WiFi variant of the iPod 13 would also be an interesting device. A Wifi only iPod 13 could be much thinner since you don’t need all that extra battery to power the cellular radios. This makes it a better secondary device. Most techies carry 2 phones with them. An iPhone and an android phone. Do we really need to pay for 2 cellular connections? It makes more sense to have a much lighter, much thinner WiFi only version of the iPod 13 that is tethered to the android phone instead. That way you carry less, and you pay less. Perfect.

That being said, it’s not all sunshine and roses. There are people who need an actual phone but those people are not really a huge concern because that’s what the iPhone is there for. Countries could also just impose a larger tariff on the iPod 13 making the value proposition entirely moot. The iPod 13 would also make Apple’s confusing lineup even more confusing than it already is. There’s also an issue with WhatsApp. WhatsApp requires a phone number to work so I don’t know how it would work with an iPod 13. Regardless of the shortcomings, I still hope to see something like an iPod 13 just because it would be an intriguing device.

Before closing, I just realized that you can make phone calls from the cellular version of the Apple Watch. Why is that not considered a phone? I am genuinely curious. If anyone knows the reason, please leave a comment below I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.