Why a 40-year-old alarm clock is better than iPhone's alarm

By Charles Passy

You may get a better night's sleep going the old-school wake-up route.

I admit that I'm a sucker for anything old school. I still read a physical newspaper. I like having a landline. And I wake up every morning to an alarm clock - as in, an actual circa-1985 model with a built-in radio and that classic faux-wood veneer.

It turns out that I can feel somewhat justified placing my faith in the latter. In case you missed the news, some Apple (AAPL) iPhone users are complaining that the alarm function on their smartphones may be less than reliable.

"This has probably been the third or fourth day in a row that my alarm clock has not gone off," observed one frustrated iPhone owner on TikTok.

In a report that aired earlier this week on NBC's "Today" show, Apple acknowledged that it was aware of the issue and was working on a solution. (Apple didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.)

In any case, I'd advise all those frustrated folks to put down their phones and embrace my old-school worldview. That 1985 alarm clock has yet to fail me in nearly four decades of providing one jolting wake-up notice - "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" - after another.

And I say this as someone who's an iPhone owner myself. That is, I'm not a complete Luddite and I recognize my phone serves a valuable purpose as a communication tool and a source of constant amusement (think "Seinfeld" reruns while I'm on the treadmill). But having a reliable alarm clock is almost a matter of survival, or at least success.

Speaking of "Seinfeld," that very point about alarm clocks was raised in a memorable episode in which Jerry is charged with making sure a marathon runner gets to the race on time and he nearly fails in his mission. Admittedly, the cause of the problem - a power outage - is something I could similarly face with my electric-powered clock. I guess I'm not so old-school to not switch to a battery-powered model or a wind-up one.

Still, I prefer a clock to a phone. And lo and behold, plenty of folks - and sleep experts - agree with me, and point to sound reasons for their choice of wake-up device.

Chief among them: Having your iPhone as your alarm means having the device by your bedside. And that can be bad for a number of reasons, such as reducing the ability to get a good night's sleep or even facing the risk of a phone-related fire.

But an alarm clock also often wins in the get-your-attention department, advocates say - meaning it can be a lot louder and abrasive versus whatever alarm sound you choose for your phone. And while I appreciate all those alarm choices my iPhone offers, there's no way that the gentle "Milky Way" alarm is going to get me out of my groggy state.

Also, I won't discount style as a deciding factor. As a writer for New York magazine once observed: "Face it: Your phone also has no charm whatsoever."

Granted, some clock enthusiasts opt for new-school models that are heavy on a certain, cool aesthetic. I can't say I'm into that; I like my 1980s model because it's so pathetically unstylish, but I also like to think it's all the cooler because of that. Who doesn't appreciate a good faux-wood veneer?

In the end, however, the clock serves its real purpose, snooze button and all. And if I'm bored, I can listen to the radio, too.

-Charles Passy

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05-04-24 1009ET

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