I first laid eyes on this beauty In Barcelona in February 2015, where she was modeling at a booth at the Mobile World Congress. Then in October of that same year, I saw her in a department store aisle in central Tokyo and decided on the spot to take her home. Everyday since, she has been close to my heart for over three years now. Whether it be in Barcelona, Tokyo, Paris, London, Singapore, or Tallinn, she turns heads and has had no trouble communicating in any country I take her. It’s the longest relationship of this type that I’ve ever had. In fact, I would venture to guess that few people in the developed world have maintained a relationship of this nature for so long.

I am of course referring to my Miyabi android smartphone (what did you think I was talking about?). The Samurai Miyabi, created by the now-defunct Japanese company Freetel, has exceeded all expectations in terms of reliability, longevity, and relevance in this age of rapid technology obsolescence.

Although she remains just as beautiful as the day I first saw her, the Miyabi’s reflexes are slowing, she can no longer last a whole day without resting and recharging her batteries, and increasingly she seems to be one step behind the spiraling demands of our resource-hungry environment.

So I’m preparing to say goodbye to my dear Miyabi, at least for daily use. But this is really less of a さようなら and more of a またね, because I will continue to bring you along on regular bike rides and jogs.

みやびさん、お疲れ様でした！