Opinion – Maria Inês Dolci: Don’t go to the technology pot too thirsty

Dear early-adopters (people who are willing to pay more for a technological novelty), the time is not to spend, it is to save. Even those who still have a job, a reasonable income and, miraculously, are registered in their wallets, do not know what tomorrow will be like. When the effects of the PEC dos Auxílios and the reduction of ICMS on fuel, electricity, telecommunications services and public transport cease —shortly after the presidential election—, the economic scenario will become even more challenging.

Matter of this Sheet shows that smartphones with access to 5G technology are still very expensive. Acquiring this device, therefore, would only be worthwhile for those who effectively enjoy the technological advantages of 5G – exponential increase in data traffic speed, more connections, reduced battery consumption, reduced latency (delay in voice and image) – for to work.

This eagerness to update technologically is perfectly understandable. But it’s a race we can’t win. The development of new features and equipment is constant, and this is expensive, at least when new features are released. When the price drops further, companies are already making new advances.

This goes for smartphones, games, notebooks, televisions and home appliances. These transformations are smart ways to make us go shopping, even though we still have good products in use. The printer, for example, used to be a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment, with expensive cartridges that had to be changed frequently.

Today, there are several much more expensive models that allow refilling of ink tanks. It is an ecological and economical concept, because the inks last much longer. But at the time of purchase, you pay much more than before.

The grandfather of a friend of mine, in the first half of the 20th century, pooled his hard-earned earnings as a barber to always buy the most modern version of a record player. It was a passion to which he put a lot of work and effort. In recent decades, however, technology has changed the world, with the consolidation and popularization of the Internet.

Thus, it is almost impossible to always have the most innovative resource, because old ghosts –inflation, unemployment and low income– have returned to torment us. Companies are eager to sell, mainly through telemarketing, but salespeople do not always have the technical knowledge to help the consumer. So, you have to balance the taste for novelties with income, in a very, very difficult reality.