Living without a smartphone

[frayne]

Smartphones are nothing more than a tool that makes life easier. Like any tool only as good as the knowledge and expertise of the user.

 

[audreyh1]

It took me a very long time to get a smartphone probably because I had an iPad. What finally pushed me over the edge was European travel where it was so easy to deal with international texting and calling via a smartphone. Plus lots of other benefits like GPS routing, checking email on the fly, address lookup, etc.

Now I couldn’t live without one, especially as I am very dependent on my Apple Watch.

 

[jim584672]

I like my smartphone. Having Android on a portable device opens up a lot of useful apps that a desktop just doesn't have.

 

[ivinsfan]

We have a Mazda CX-5 with built in nav. No smartphone needed

I been in a few cars with built in Nav (including our Nissan) and have yet find one that even comes close to Google maps.

 

[Corporateburnout]

I been in a few cars with built in Nav (including our Nissan) and have yet find one that even comes close to Google maps.

My car navigation system is a voice activated navigation powered by Google with a 8 inch screen that is far superior to my smartphone. It's a paid package that includes remote starter, car finder, SOS emergency to name a few features activated by my phone app. With Sirius XM subscription it connects to updated traffic information.

The best feature is that I got it for free with my 3 year lease.

But I agree that google maps is superior to most standalone car navigation systems.

 

[Music Lover]

Don't want one. Just another burden.

It's only a burden if you let it become a burden. You have the choice to use it as much or as little as you want.

 

[Nightcap]

No smartphone?

“P.S. please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernons grave in the bak yard.”

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I am a light user of my smartphone. I like using Google maps for navigation, occasionally checking my email, and also reading on my NYT app if I am stuck waiting somewhere. Other than that I just use it for phone calls, texting and the occasional photo.

 

[ls99]

I do have two smart phones. One inherited from late DW, is not subscribed for phone service, it sits in my suburban, loaded with with music. Plays through the radio.


Another one does have service but is always powered off unless I want ro make a call. It resides in my travel bag which I tote stuff in, to go to the mancave.


Then there is the old T mobile flip phone which is also always powered off except to make a call. It is the one which gets the most use. This is the one gets tossed in the glove box of whichever mobile I am driving. Assuming I actually remember where it was the last time.
I got rid of electronic leashes when I destroyed the pager upon quitting a paging company. Anyone remember pagers?



Then there is the Ipod old Ipod touch parked in the Caddy to play music through the radio.
My soon to be, new to me truck, will have a USB stick plugged in for music.

 

[RobbieB]

I have one and it stays in the house unless I'm on a trip out of town.

 

[FIREd]

I have one. I keep it turned off unless I need it.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

How do you non-smartphone folks call for Uber or equivalent if needed?

I have never called Uber. As far as I know there is no Uber in our town.

How can those of you without a smartphone keep up with all the latest and greatest posts on this forum? You might miss something on the happily married, singles or even the viagra threads! Don’t you want to be in the know?

I sit down at my desk and I view the thread on my laptop.


There is a town near us where the gas station cannot accept any credit cards, the town has no phone lines. No phone company, no phones. Without phone lines nobody there can use CCs.

When I moved here after retiring, I checked specifically for the cell towers. Most towns in this state lack cell towers. Where I live there is a cell tower nearby.

When our son visits us he travels with his Iphone. It is not compatible with our cell service, but it picks up the wifi in our home, and only inside our home does his Iphone work.

 

[HFWR]

My smartphone gets lots of use, sometimes even for calls...

 

[kcowan]

We both have smartphones. I use mine a lot for check deposit, reading news, ordering online, online checking and boarding pass when we travel, walk navigation in big cities and sometimes car navigation but I mostly use my car's navigation system. DW on the other hand uses it primarily for phone and text and periodically for navigation but she prefers her portable Garmin GPS. The main feature for her is her ability to communicate with her family overseas using Whatsapp and skype for audio and video calling and texting.

A few weeks ago, I was notified by our pro football team that our season tickets will not arrive in the mail but will only be available on the their app. People without smartphones will have to contact their customer service department. You think they would have giving us the courtesy of choosing which method we would like to use.......

We have 2 iphones and 2 ipads. Most use is texting because the young ones always do that. BUt recently I received a check. I download the banks app so I could deposit the image. Now I use the app for monitoring spending in real time and tracking the portfolio. DW has a full plan on her 8Plus and I just have text and voice on my 4S. We have a GPS but prefer Waze because of the real time aspect.
I also find it easier to keep up with the GCs on Instagram.

My smartphone gets lots of use, sometimes even for calls...

Yes the main phone calls are between spouse and I. We do find that we have to omit the cell phone when making appointments because the young ones default to calling the cell. My drug insurance provider wants me to switch to their app. So far I have resisted.

 

[Koolau]

I'm seriously considering upgrading my phone. It cost $15 and the only things I do with it are talk and text. It's the old abc def ghi, etc. which makes texting really slow and painful (no punctuation, either.) So next phone will be - wait for it - A $20 phone which has a key pad. Now I consider THAT a Smart Phone (for me.) YMMV

 

[jazz4cash]

My iPhone 6 died while I was taking a trip in my 30 yr old hobby car. I had to navigate from toll booth to toll booth. I bare remembered the address I was going to (only because I had to manually enter it into the GPS). I was also going to meet some friends for lunch but I didn’t have their numbers memorized. Never felt so helpless in all my life.
I understand that an old phone can be used to dial 911 even if you are not on a service plan.

 

[Firedafter30]

Lets see, we have 4 iPhones and 4 iPads in my family of 5. Personally, I love having a smartphone and carry it when I'm out at all times.


We recently moved to the Comcast Xfinity Mobile plan (basically resold Verizon service) and its saving us some money. It's $12 per GB that we can all share with no device monthly fees (unless you purchase a new phone on a payment plan). (You have to be a Comcast customer to get these rates - but they're the only cable modem service in my part of town).

 

[kcowan]

My iPhone 6 died while I was taking a trip in my 30 yr old hobby car. I had to navigate from toll booth to toll booth. I bare remembered the address I was going to (only because I had to manually enter it into the GPS). I was also going to meet some friends for lunch but I didn’t have their numbers memorized. Never felt so helpless in all my life.
I understand that an old phone can be used to dial 911 even if you are not on a service plan.

I was in downtown Toronto for a financial meetup and my battery died. Could not remember the location but I knew one of the guys attending so I stopped in at a restaurant and asked the proprietor to call him! Disaster averted. I don't live in Toronto.

Yes we do develop a reliance on our devices.

 

[harllee]

These stories are sad.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

When I retired. I decided that I wanted to live very rural in a lush forest. After so many years of being retired I can say that I have done this.

Being tethered to the internet is not a requirement for living in the woods.

In our township we have cell signal [most townships in this state do not have cell signal].

Inside my house I have wifi. [the only wifi that exists in my town is the wifi provided by homeowners in their homes].

This forum is about 'early retirement'. I worked out my path to supporting my family without any need for me to work, and I accomplished the quest at 42.

I do not see how any of this is improved upon by being connected 24/7.

After a bunch of years of being retired, I am finally learning to relax a bit. Yet in this thread the discussion sounds like it wants me to go back to work again.

 

[RobbieB]

You are working, you're a farmer. I know, you just love it so it's not really work.

But everyone else in the world will tell you it's hard work. My buddy tells me his dad (farmer for life) has hands that will never be clean because the dirt has been tattooed in.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

You are working, you're a farmer. I know, you just love it so it's not really work.

But everyone else in the world will tell you it's hard work. My buddy tells me his dad (farmer for life) has hands that will never be clean because the dirt has been tattooed in.

I am going through radiation treatment for my cancer this year. So this year, I am not doing anything on my farm, no livestock, no crops. Just living on my pension, and once or twice a week going down to my rental real estate to track what the contractors are doing.

My wife decided to run for an office as a state legislator, so I spend 10 hours a week driving her around for her door-to-door campaigning.

I am re-thinking the farming thing.

 

[Independent]

When I retired 11 years ago, I planned to do a lot of traveling. If modern smartphones had been available then, I'm sure I would have bought one.

But, they weren't. And, life happened. Now I'm at home or at my kids. An old fashioned PC keeps me connected. I like the 22 inch screen I have at home.

 

[Music Lover]

When I retired. I decided that I wanted to live very rural in a lush forest. After so many years of being retired I can say that I have done this.

Being tethered to the internet is not a requirement for living in the woods.

In our township we have cell signal [most townships in this state do not have cell signal].

Inside my house I have wifi. [the only wifi that exists in my town is the wifi provided by homeowners in their homes].

This forum is about 'early retirement'. I worked out my path to supporting my family without any need for me to work, and I accomplished the quest at 42.

I do not see how any of this is improved upon by being connected 24/7.

After a bunch of years of being retired, I am finally learning to relax a bit. Yet in this thread the discussion sounds like it wants me to go back to work again.

You make the false assumption (and arrogant?) that people with internet are "tethered" to it 24/7.

Internet is connected 24/7...so it's there whenever a person wants it. It's not a leash.

You somehow managed to reply to this thread, so you do use the internet, even if it's rare. If you're not paying for it, then you're just piggybacking on someone else's dime....and then lecturing us while doing that.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

You make the false assumption (and arrogant?) that people with internet are "tethered" to it 24/7.

Internet is connected 24/7...so it's there whenever a person wants it. It's not a leash.

You somehow managed to reply to this thread, so you do use the internet, even if it's rare. If you're not paying for it, then you're just piggybacking on someone else's dime....and then lecturing us while doing that.

I have internet access in my home. I have never said otherwise.

Looking around it is obvious that people with smartphones are tethered to them.