Surrender can mean all kinds of things:

A)  As a matter of fact, it’s my favorite Cheap Trick song

B)  It’s the title given to Ren Durr when knighted

C)  I just friggin’ give up!

For those of you playing the home version of our game, the correct answer is “C”.

Today, I arrived home the proud owner of a new iPhone XS.

This is big news in my electronics world. For years, while a proud owner of Apple stock purchased the week of the initial offering and a long-time fan of the company, their innovations and the quality of what they offer, I still went for the underdogs.

Oh, I’m still a PC guy when it comes to computers (for now). I love my Microsoft Surface and the only intention I have down the line is to get a larger one for those times I can spread out. But the way I use laptops, I’m usually scrunched on an airliner with the guy in front of me leaning back and the Surface is the perfect size for someone who likes to fly and be productive, without having to type with his tongue.

Now, back to phones.  Way back when, as the earth was cooling, the iPhone arrived. It cost more than the alternatives and, at the time, since they made Windows phones, I went with that. As I watched friends show me the latest cool apps out there on iPhones and and Androids, I was content knowing that I was using a Microsoft product. Supporting the home team. Admiring the high-quality of those three available apps.

After two Microsoft phones, I suffered way too much from app-envy and decided to go Android. I believe the Samsung Galaxy was the one that lured me over and eventually, I found myself the proud owner of a cutting-edge Samsung Galaxy S6. It was the bee’s knees as us hipsters like to say, had a cool screen, took pretty decent pictures and videos and I was quite content.

For a while.

I think I had that phone for at least three years (or 187 in phone years) and even though I had to replace a screen once and the battery, it still served it’s purpose. After all, this was about making phones calls, right? Keeping up with social media, checking your email, etc. You know, all those things that help you completely ignore what is going on in the world around you.

But the email program never really worked that well. I would send an email and it would take minutes to reach someone across the room. Someone would ask if I had received an email they had sent earlier in the morning, and I hadn’t yet. Or, something I received yesterday could no longer be found.

However, for Samsung and the Android nation, it was the battery life that ended this non-iPhone streak. If I didn’t keep a careful eye on it and continuously keep charging it, I could find myself with a dead phone by noon.  I had to carry a portable charger with me, to bail me out at events where I wanted to at least grab a couple of pictures. Or at least be reachable.

Last week, while driving home from an event, I wanted to call my wife and let her know I was running late. My phone had died, so I charged it up as fast as I could. After getting it up to 5%, I tried to make a call and after a couple of rings, the phone died. At her end, it was the husband she hadn’t heard from trying to reach her and then suddenly be gone. She called a couple of times but of course, I had a dead phone.

Victoria is the proud owner of two iPhones, one for work and one for personal. Both go an entire day without recharging.

So, I decided to see what my options were at the T-Mobile store. I could have gone the way of an iPhone 7, but then I was buying a dependable option from 2015. Or, since I don’t change them up every year, I could go with one of the latest and have it satisfy my technology urges for at least a couple of years.

I’m one of those who loves the new toys and, being electronics, I’m sure this is on the ragged edge of a business expense. (consult your tax professional) But I had reached the point of seriously wanting a phone that could consistently show signs of life. A phone that could get email and take pictures. Bottom line–that worked.

And so, sorry Samsung.  Nextel, you would have gone away anyway. I have joined the Apple nation and am excited about being able to take beautiful pictures, constantly check my social media and email accounts and completely ignore everyone around me.

I have officially surrendered to the Apple Army and am looking very forward to my new adventures.

Tim Hunter