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I hardly use Skype (at least not for calling) recently but I’m still upset that its latest update V8.1 dropped support for iPhone 5 and older devices.

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So this is it, then? That weird alert email Skype users reportedly received about a month ago about Skype dropping support for older devices… this is it. 

That email, though referred to smart TVs and Windows phone and other devices. I didn’t realize it includes my poor old iPhone 5 too. 


But then when I tried updating Skype on my phone, it didn’t let me. 


First of all, why Skype? Why? And you know what, for that matter, Microsoft why? 


Worse, it teases you with all these fancy features, only to let you down. 

Skype has been clunky for the longest time across all devices (and that 1 star review on the App Store proves it), and yet instead of taking the high road and fixing the bugs, you take the easy way out by simply dropping support for all of them “older” devices. 


*Sigh*

I loved Skype. I really did. in fact I still have Skype credit I haven’t used in years. 

Once upon a time, Skype was the household name for VOIP calls. It was the de-facto software for calling your near and dear wherever they are in the world. 

Then all these messaging apps started integrated calling features, cheesy stickers, payment facilities and all the many bells and whistles we never knew we needed but now can’t seem to live without..

Skype however, didn’t budge and relented pretty late. Too little, too late actually. 

Now if they did this in favor of keeping the calls solid, that would’ve been understandable. But that’s not even the case. The service just kept getting worse by the day — calls dropping, call quality degrading and recently, snail-paced response while loading previous conversations in chat. 

But maybe it’s just my device. The iPhone 5, at least the one I have, is actually over 4 years old. And for a modern device, that’s pretty old. 

Still, I can’t help but be upset that I can’t update Skype. Maybe it’s sentimentality taking over. Or maybe I just can’t get over the fact that 32-bit devices are going the way of the dinosaur sooner than I imagined. 

I dropped my iPhone 5 innumerable times and replaced its battery thrice. Replaced cracked screen twice. 

And just like the 4S and the 3GS before it, it’s hard to wake up one day and realize that OMG you “need” to get a newer phone if you wanted to use a decent range of apps. It doesn’t help that the Apple App Store started removing 32-bit apps. It’s almost like you’re being pushed into a corner to upgrade or go Android. 

I was happy when iOS 10.3.2 kept support for the iPhone 5, contrary to many previous reports and speculations. Come iOS 11 though, it’s bye bye iPhone 5. 

Sadly this is our reality. My reality. I just have to either grin and bear it. Or get a newer phone. But with my iPhone 5 still alive and kicking, I simply can’t justify replacing it. 

Maybe soon… when my 5 finally dies on me. Until then, ’till brick do us part. 

Let me know what you think… :)

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● About Me
Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera Marmol aka RJ Marmol profile picture

I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.

I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.

I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.

On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.

Music

HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.

By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.

While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.

“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.

On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.

For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.

Books

Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur

A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.

Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.

Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.

Contact

For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com

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