Endgame

So, the end point of my phone journey was the purchase of an unlocked GSM phone and the purchase of a special kit to transfer my current number to the new phone.

The new phone is bigger and physically clumsier. It doesn't fit in my pocket. It's loaded with Google crap I don't want on my desktop, let alone my phone. It cost me twice as much as the previous phone did. The kit I had to order was shipped with two-day delivery and came in six.

All of this because the phone I had stopped working and I wanted to keep my number in addition to not signing up for some multi-year plan and get on the carousel of new phones every other year.

And not one damn flying car yet.