finl

Maybe this appreciation comes from an interest in mechanical watches; seemingly outdated devices for this millennium, also objects that chip, scratch and age with grace. There’s nostalgia looking at a well-loved object – a timepiece, a beaten-up leather jacket – and appreciating the imperfections. The wear and tear holds within one’s story and relationship with the object. If that materialist metaphor muddles minds, then think of patina as the wrinkles we develop over a long-term relationship. I'm not as sharp and slick as I once was, but my face tells a story of time well-spent and lessons learned. Am I putting too much weight on (ironically) stained stainless steel? Of course, but it's Friday evening and there's time for such fancy, flippant frivolity. Do I think we'd benefit if the iPhone 16 returns to stainless steel? Of course not – I’ve already waxed lyrically about titanium on phones. There is a small part of me that’ll miss the patination found on my iPhone 13 Pro. It marked a pleasant smartphone journey, punctuating a switch from Android to iPhone. Perhaps it could act as a touchpoint for Apple to inject some new colors into the rumored iPhone 16 Pro; I can dream.