I don't want a smartphone!!

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee OP here, For far away friends/family I like Skype. For far away meetings i use Go to Meeting. For these I like to use my biggest screen--my MacBook Pro. don't think I would like Skype/Go To Meeting on a small smartphone screen. Plus these programs use alot of data so you need to be on Wifi. My Last Go to Meeting lasted 3 hours.

WhatsApp for all of the that. I'm a poet and don't know it?
Facetime is dependable too, when both ends are iPhones.
Whatsapp and Facetime work well with 4G. With 3G, Whatsapp works well while on voice.
When you have sufficient data, you can use it.

[target2019]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownyourfuture Disclaimer: This is a smartphone, & I’m a very ‘light’ cell user, so this plan may, or may not be suitable for you. I'm also one of the few souls on earth who still has a landline. LOL

A few years ago I put my landline number on a tracfone. Allows us to keep the old number, and have a phone for use by travellers who stop by.

[ownyourfuture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrabbler1 My dad has the same plan which costs $15 a month for low usage. That's his monthly payment, and I know it because I paid it one month for him when he injured his hip and in a rehab center. Consumer Cellular sent him a text when he hit 90% of his usage to warn him that he would get bumped up into a costlier plan if he exceeded his use. We then told others who sometimes called him on his cell following his injury to call him at the rehab center's land line to keep him from getting needlessly bumped up. He was fine after that, and has made a full recovery.

Thanks!

[ivinsfan]

Smartphones are not only phone but tools, no one has to have one.

I'm early sixties and got my first one on Black Friday..yesterday we left DD's house for the 2 and a half hour ride home, perfect so would expect good road conditions.

We needed to stop at a warehouse club and load up on beef for summer grilling. We had 2 choices of where to stop. Do a quick check on google maps and see a huge traffic pileup on the interstate where they say traffic has stopped completely. I looked at the news reports later and it looks the traffic did not move for 2 hours.

We stop at the closest club which as luck has it is 5 miles before the stoppage going westbound. Shop, have lunch, check maps again, traffic is finally moving and off we go.

I think if they quit calling smartphones phones, people might be more willing to upgrade and check them out. I can already see that being mobile with a good smart phone is a good thing for me.

[FIREmenow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan I think if they quit calling smartphones phones, people might be more willing to upgrade and check them out. I can already see that being mobile with a good smart phone is a good thing for me.

+1. They're high-end computer systems that just happen to have voice capability.

Besides the normal email, text, weather and navigation, I have used mine for all kind of utility items such as:

• Sticky notes synced with DW (for groceries, etc)
• Photo record of things when out and about that I want to remember
• Videos of problems I'm having to discuss with someone else
• Flashlight
• Magnifying glass
• Bubble level
• Price comparisons with bar code scanning
• Pedometer and route tracker
• Calculator
• Calendar with reminder alarms, synced with DW
• Music player
• Mobile check deposits into the bank
• Budget register
• Encrypted password management
• Access to all wallet cards and shopping rewards numbers
• Secure, encrypted cloud storage access to all photos, important documents, etc.

....and that's not even everything. The amount of time and effort saved by only half of these easily pays for whatever "plan" I choose to be on. Talking to someone without cords is just a bonus.

[gayl]

Quote:

We have a MacBook pro we use at home that does everything we need on the internet plus we have an iPad we take when traveling.

Seriously? I have a SmartPhone. I also have a computer but I don't need to use that anymore. I also have a camera but I don't need to use that anymore. And I don't have a tablet. My smartphone is not only my phone but also my computer, wallet, calendar,
tablet, camera, TV when travelling. why would I need all 7? Plus it fits into my back pocket. But then I did not retire on such a fixed income that I can't absorb the price of my cell service @ 113 a month. Dirt-cheap in my opinion

[harllee]

Op here. No way I could give up my MacBook Pro. While I am retired, I still do a lot of nonprofit work. I need a computer for spreadsheets, my own financials, doing my taxes, word processing, graphic design, etc. I do a lot of meetings on Go to Meeting. Last meeting was 3 hours. I cannot imagine doing it on a smartphone. We had to look at graphics, etc. No one of the 10 people at the meeting (who were spread throughout the country) was on a smartphone, all were on some kind of computer.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gayl Seriously? I have a SmartPhone. I also have a computer but I don't need to use that anymore. I also have a camera but I don't need to use that anymore. And I don't have a tablet. My smartphone is not only my phone but also my computer, wallet, calendar, tablet, camera, TV when travelling. why would I need all 7? Plus it fits into my back pocket. But then I did not retire on such a fixed income that I can't absorb the price of my cell service @ 113 a month. Dirt-cheap in my opinion

(My bold above). DW USED to carry hers there, but gave it a swim in the toilet once too often.

[gayl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 (My bold above). DW USED to carry hers there, but gave it a swim in the toilet once too often. [emoji23]

Waterproof so even when I took it in the ocean it wasn't damaged. But the toilet? Yuck

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gayl Waterproof so even when I took it in the ocean it wasn't damaged. But the toilet? Yuck

She's not the first lady to do that!

[explanade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Op here. No way I could give up my MacBook Pro. While I am retired, I still do a lot of nonprofit work. I need a computer for spreadsheets, my own financials, doing my taxes, word processing, graphic design, etc. I do a lot of meetings on Go to Meeting. Last meeting was 3 hours. I cannot imagine doing it on a smartphone. We had to look at graphics, etc. No one of the 10 people at the meeting (who were spread throughout the country) was on a smartphone, all were on some kind of computer.

I haven't given up my MacBook Pro, iMac or iPad.

But I have an iPhone as well.

Smart phones aren't a need. But they're not complete luxuries either. Between their utility and their cost, they fall somewhere in between a need and a luxury.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee OP here, I do text. I can use the flip phone for short texts. For longer texts I can use my iPad (have an app for that, easy typing). For group communications I much prefer email. I realize young folks don't like to talk on the phone or email but if they want my attention (and gifts) they need to answer my calls and emails and they almost always do. I appreciate all the suggestions of cheap smartphone plans but I think to receive coverage in the N.C. mountains where my cabin is I will have to stick to an expensive Verizon. I have checked with some of my mountain neighbors and they say only Verizon will work not some of the cheaper cell companies they use Verizon towers.

The absolutely best part of my smartphone is being able to dictate texts rather than type them... it is amazing how good today's Android voice recognition is compared to the IBM ViaVoice of 20 years ago, which wasn't really usable.

All I need to do is touch the microphone button, dictate, do a quick check of the results and hit send. Easy peasy.

[gayl]

Quote:

I realize young folks don't like to talk on the phone or email

So is it a generational thing? FWIW: we do excel & email on droids

Anyway, glad you found tech that works for you ... it's all about keeping it simple but effective IMHO

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gayl So is it a generational thing? FWIW: we do excel & email on droids Anyway, glad you found tech that works for you ... it's all about keeping it simple but effective IMHO

It sure isn't a generational things, one reason I finally got my phone was my 60 plus year old brother uses texts almost exclusively...I've "talked' to him more in the last 6 months then in the last 3 or 4 years put together.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gayl Waterproof so even when I took it in the ocean it wasn't damaged. But the toilet? Yuck

Most people wash their hands after using the restroom. Many folks use their smartphones for reading in the restroom, however I've never seen anyone washing their smartphone.

Don't believe me people read? Bathroom graffiti is at an all time low. Young folks post pictures of bathroom graffiti on reddit as it's rare these days.

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski The absolutely best part of my smartphone is being able to dictate texts rather than type them... it is amazing how good today's Android voice recognition is compared to the IBM ViaVoice of 20 years ago, which wasn't really usable. All I need to do is touch the microphone button, dictate, do a quick check of the results and hit send. Easy peasy.

I have not had good luck with the talk to text program on my Mac and iPad. It comes out junk. My friends have the same problem with their iPhones. I can type pretty fast (took typing in high school!) so it is much faster for me to type a text or email than to dictate and have to go back and fix it. Maybe it is my southern accent from N.C.that Siri cant understand. What type of phone and software do you use for your dictation?

[pb4uski]

Andriod, in my case a Motorola Moto 4 Play.

[Milton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Anyone else on this Forum who still has a dumb phone? Are you finding events, etc. where you must have a smartphone to participate?

No, and no: (1) I don't own or use a mobile 'phone of any description; (2) it has not been a problem. Landline and laptop are quite sufficient for my needs.