Reliance on Cell Phones

[JoeWras]

OP has a really good point about having to activate stuff via a phone. This is nothing more than a forced data dump to them. Your mere act of using an app to register the device gives them a data hoard.

Let me give you another situation where you need a phone: concerts and sporting events. Almost all venues have gone to electronic tickets which require a phone.

 

[aja8888]

OP has a really good point about having to activate stuff via a phone. This is nothing more than a forced data dump to them. Your mere act of using an app to register the device gives them a data hoard.

Let me give you another situation where you need a phone: concerts and sporting events. Almost all venues have gone to electronic tickets which require a phone.

My daughter's recent cruise ship entry was via cell phone ticket.

 

[ivinsfan]

Got some whiny comments here. Hubby has all his medical cardio info posted instantly through Epic a complete breakthrough for medical transparency. New pacemaker connects thru phone to
24/7 monitoring in case of problems. But wait it's only good for big brother to get your info..that's fine if you don't want it but don't expect the rest of the world to follow you

 

[Music Lover]

Am with OP.
Still have an ancient flip phone. Always off, unless I need to make a call, which is rare.
I refuse to be on an electronic leash.
Many years ago working for a radio pagin company was on call 24/7 had to pay attention to pager. On my last day there I threw the damned thing against the wall, smashing it to smithereens. Was the last day on electronic leash.

It's a leash by choice. I feel no need to be tethered to my phone 24/7...I got it for my convenience, not the convenience of others.

The good is often overlooked:

One of my wife's parents has a Lifeline and she's the first contact if something happens. Having a cell phone definitely gives her peace of mind.

A former co-worker is deaf. Texting changed their life.

 

[travelover]

..........You might as well say that auto manufacturers that came out with backup cameras, lane change warning systems, touchscreens, automatic braking systems is just another effort to force a constant turnover of vehicles. And now they've got EV's?!

Uh, no. You can still drive a 50 year old car just fine. It might not have some newer conveniences but it still performs its original function. No one is forced to abandon it for lack of compatibility with the road.

 

[braumeister]

You can have your battery replaced on most phones for under $50. However, while your phone will still function, you can't get operating system updates after 3-4 years, so why bother?

A five year old iPhone will run the current OS. It most likely won't have all the features of the current OS, but that's a hardware issue. It will have the security features, which seems most important.

My last iPhone had its battery replaced twice. One of those replacements was free. As you pointed out, not a big deal.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Uh, no. You can still drive a 50 year old car just fine. It might not have some newer conveniences but it still performs its original function. No one is forced to abandon it for lack of compatibility with the road.

Sure, you can still drive a car from 50 years ago. It's going to be lacking many of the features of modern automobiles.

You do realize that smart phones are only 15 years old? The iPhone came out in 2007. The first Android phone came out in 2008. I got a Motorola Droid 2 in 2010. Like 50 year old cars, you can still use these devices as phones. They will be lacking many of the features of recent phones.

Now think about all the changes made to vehicles in the past 15 years. According to your thinking this is being done to force people to abandon vehicles for new ones.

 

[GenXguy]

Get a modern cell phone with a newer version of Android or iOS which will let you do wifi calling over your internet connection - SMS messages will come through there as well..

My Android 10 phone has that, and I was using it at work because I have wifi there but no cell signal. But it suddenly stopped working about a year ago. And now every time I try to enable wifi calling now, whether at work or home, it gives an error and fails. Of course, I did my google searches on the issue and nothing resolved. Too bad, because it was nice to have when I was at work.

 

[travelover]

..........According to your thinking this is being done to force people to abandon vehicles for new ones.

Nope, not the same. The OP complained that a four year old phone did not perform a simple function because the software had been superseded. New features on cars don't render older cars nonfunctional. That is the difference.

 

[Cobra9777]

This thread cracks me up. But I understand the sentiment all around.

DW doesn't really like cellphones. But she understands the necessity. So she tolerates it. But she doesn't really understand how most of it works and makes no effort to learn. Until she has to. And then she gets annoyed. The kids get annoyed with her because she doesn't always have her phone with her. "Mom, how can you leave the house without your phone?"

OTOH, her Mom is 88 and loves her cellphone. She can barely hear anything "normally" even with her hearing aids. But her new hearing aids connect to her phone via bluetooth. For the first time in 15 years, she can have a normal phone call or video call with her 90 year-old sister in another country. She can also hear the TV for the first time. And hear video of her great-grandchildren telling her happy birthday. She's pretty active on social media now as well, even though she can't physically socialize in any conventional way. It's literally been life-changing for her.

Me? I'm a complete techo-nerd. I love cell phones. I love navigation with real-time traffic alerts. I love using hotspot when we're camping in the van. The pictures I take with my Pixel 6 are absolutely amazing. I love checking my outdoor cameras when I'm on the other side of the planet. I love podcasts. I love tracking my workouts and bike rides. I love the speed of 5G and all the functionality that's going to enable in the future. I'm all-in... and it has nothing to do with phone calls and texting and email.

So yeah, amusing thread. My own little 3-person household has a wide spectrum of viewpoints on this. But it's mostly pro, with no card-carrying Luddites, but one aspiring technophobe.

 

[Aerides]

I like having a cell phone, a "modern" one. I don't use Apple, so I get a new phone when I want to, as the newest features have less appeal lately. Better camera, good, better security, good, but other stuff, eh.

I like being able to browse stuff online to read or play when I'm stuck standing at a checkout line. Or at a dinner table if my guest is later than I am. Or if I'm bored anywhere alone. Or finding my way to somewhere new with a real time map that tells me about an accident ahead and a way to get there faster.

Checking prices online when I'm out shopping and deciding not to overpay. Paying with a phone is also super easy.

I'm far from an early adopter, or a gadget lover, and don't like that some people interact more with their phones than with people, but net-net they are good for me.

 

[njhowie]

Hmm... That would be helpful in our situation. Do you have more info on getting/sending SMS text messages over wifi? Of course, I'm betting my four year old phone is too old for that sort of thing.

It happens "automagically" when you go in to Android settings and enable wifi calling.

Notice in the attachment top right, I have no bars...sitting at home right now.

 

[njhowie]

Got some whiny comments here. Hubby has all his medical cardio info posted instantly through Epic a complete breakthrough for medical transparency. New pacemaker connects thru phone to
24/7 monitoring in case of problems. But wait it's only good for big brother to get your info..that's fine if you don't want it but don't expect the rest of the world to follow you

Mom's new hearing aids include an app that lets her manage/adjust a number of settings. It's wonderful.

 

[mpeirce]

One of the biggest issues is the many phones with non-replaceable batteries. A design feature to force you to buy a new phone every 3 yrs.

I know the original questioner has an android phone, but FYI - all (going back to at least iPhone 8) Apple iPhones can have their batteries replaced for either $49 or $69.

https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/battery-power

 

[CardsFan]

Ok now your on to the phone zombies never mind...just tell them to get off your lawn.

In fairness to OP there ARE cell phone zombies. People using their phone instead of enjoying the experience of where they are. Case in point:

https://sports.yahoo.com/pga-tour-spectator-beer-went-193549784.html

Everyone in the photo is taking a picture, except one. He is holding his beer and enjoying the experience.

Oh, and for his enjoyment, apparently he is being compensated:

But what did Radetic get for his efforts? He told The 73rd Hole, "They were promising me — as they said — a copious amount of beer and merchandise and the potential to go to other PGA events. So I am waiting, so we'll see what happens."

 

[scrabbler1]

I have a low-end cell phone, a flip phone from Tracfone. I had to upgrade to a newer version (4G) a few months ago. The new phone was nearly free, I only had to pay a few dollars in taxes. It was a minor hassle to set it up.

I rarely use it, mostly if I am out and have to make/receive a call or text, both very rare events. I use it for those 2FA logins so I can get a special code. But 99% of its minimal usage is from junk calls and texts, sadly. I have taken a few pictures with the camera feature

I used to be able to buy only 1 year of service time from Tracfone ($50) but they stopped me from using a gimmick to avoid having to buy even a small number of minutes with it. Minor bummer. The old phone had a calculator feature this one doesn't have. Another minor bummer.

 

[njhowie]

Am with OP.
Still have an ancient flip phone. Always off, unless I need to make a call, which is rare.
I refuse to be on an electronic leash.
Many years ago working for a radio pagin company was on call 24/7 had to pay attention to pager. On my last day there I threw the damned thing against the wall, smashing it to smithereens. Was the last day on electronic leash.

Unfortunately, more and more companies are looking for ways to use cell phones and let customers do more on their own so they don't have to do it. Most things that are happening do make things easier, better, and/or more secure.

I was a holdout for a very long time. However, I find that things are going to go where the majority want, and it is clearly to move more stuff online, and provide more service utilizing cell phones and mobile apps.

1. We are in escrow selling mom's FL condo. No more fees for sending documents via Fedex - it's all online, using Docusign, documents go back and forth instantly, securely.

2. Real estate agent had a cleaning service go in and clean the condo top to bottom and they wanted Zelle for payment...or mail a check. I have been a major holdout on Zelle, because I am specifically concerned about the security of their platform. I relented and sent the payment via Zelle. A couple days later, after everything had settled, I removed my Zelle registration...I'm still not sold on it.

3. As far as the younger generations - no two ways about it - they are full-throttle doing everything mobile. Venmo is the financial app of choice - cash is non-existent for most everyone they deal with. They prefer Venmo even before credit/debit card. DD still has to send a check to her landlord, but that is the rare exception. Other countries are way further along than the US on this front. I look at DD's checking statement online, and she'll have anywhere from 5 to 10 Venmo transactions a day.

 

[braumeister]

Other countries are way further along than the US on this front.

I was just reading the other day about how Sweden is already almost totally cashless.

https://sweden.se/life/society/a-cashless-society

 

[aja8888]

DW has an Apple 6S+ and it's still working great. She uses it for texting, calls, and that's about it. She uses her IPad for email and internet browsing.

I have a Motorola G Power I bought new for $175.00 two years ago to replace a previous Motorola. Casual use like DW except I use mine for emails. I also have a Chromebook which I can text and do email from if need be.

The older we get (middle 70's) the less enthused we are with tech stuff.

I do control the sprinkler system with my Motorola. I like that feature.

 

[athena53]

I have mixed feelings on this. I saw how much time and hassle I saved on my recent trip to Europe being able to upload passport and vaccine info ahead of time, using a proctored COVID test in my Airbnb instead of having to go to a testing site, consulting Google Translate and looking up obscure information on items in the museums I was visiting. The laundry downstairs in the Airbnb was operated and paid through an app called WeWash. I even looked up a few menu items before I ordered takeout from a Middle Eastern place.

Still, I'm seeing more and more businesses almost compelling you to download their apps. United Airlines doesn't even take credit cards as payment for food on board- you use the app. If my friend wants to use the Digital Key option when we stay at a Hilton he has to download the app and he's not even a member. (He gets a plastic key card.) If you don't shut down Notifications you start getting promotional messages. And then, of course, the apps track what you're doing in all the other apps.

I'm pretty conservative about what apps I keep on my phone. If it's not something I'm going to find useful, it goes (provided it CAN be removed).

Finally, I hate giving up my cell number to just any old business. There have been horror stories of hackers stealing your phone (or stealing the phone number and assigning it to another phone0 I'm not an expert on this) and being able to drain bank accounts since they have the key to 2-factor authentication.

 

[Ronstar]

I was hiking in the wombats of Arizona where I left a pin on my phone for where I parked my truck. All was fine until the phone battery went dead. Luckily I had a paper map of the park and I was able to figure out where I parked from the map. So I carry map and compass now.

I do have a lot of other apps on the phone. Latest is sprinkler control. Bird and plant identifiers, all trails hiking app, step counter, wyze cameras, ring doorbell, drone controller, Omron blood pressure tracking, mcDonalds order app, photo editing app, whereamI to figure out where I'm at, and a few social media apps. I probably use the phone as a phone less than 5% of the total device use.

 

[ivinsfan]

Uh, no. You can still drive a 50 year old car just fine. It might not have some newer conveniences but it still performs its original function. No one is forced to abandon it for lack of compatibility with the road.

A 50 year old car, exaggerate much? Do they meet emissions standards,safety standards, I bet you wouldn't want one . 50 years ago we had us mail and party lines for phones in some .areas.. Did you want to go back there

 

[disneysteve]

I haven't read all of the replies but I proudly count myself among those tied to my phone. And I hate that we still call them phones when they are really portable pocket sized computers. In fact, making calls is probably the thing I do the least with my phone.


On a pretty much daily basis, I use it to send and receive email, texts, do my banking including paying bills and depositing checks, manage my ebay business, "attend" my work staff meetings which are held on Microsoft Teams, communicate with my coworkers in our private Facebook group, get directions, take pictures (including for my ebay listings), use the flashlight, get the news, find yard sales and estate sales where I shop for my ebay merchandise, listen to music and podcasts, communicate with friends around the world (I have one friend in Australia and a mutual friend in Chicago and the 3 of us chat nearly every day via FB Messenger), use the calculator, pay for purchases at certain stores, get discounts at various places, monitor and manage my work schedule, track my exercise routine, shop, make dining and travel reservations, send and receive money to friends and family, order food, and much more. Of course, I also use it for entertainment, playing various games, watching "TV" like Netflix and Sling, and other leisure stuff.


I've said many times that my phone is far and away the single best piece of technology I have ever owned.

 

[disneysteve]

And to whoever said something about a 4-year-old phone being obsolete, I have an iPhone 7. That came out in 2016 so it's almost 6 years old and it can do everything I just listed and far more. I'm not sure why a 4-year-old phone can't.

 

[Katsmeow]

Of course the app has to be side loaded and for whatever reason is completely incompatible with my "ancient" 4 year old cell phone. Sorry, I'm not getting a new cell phone to use a camera.

That seems really odd. 4 years is not that old. I have an iPhone so I'm not up on Android phones. But can't your phone be updated to current OS? If you haven't tried you might look into that.

You also mentioned using up minutes. You might look into an unlimited plan. Used to they were way more expensive but usually that is not the case now and they usually come with unlimited data.

It is possible to buy a bluetooth keyboard for a cell phone (if it has bluetooth), to allow one to type on a larger keyboard. for as little as $10.
making the typing easier.

This. In fact my desktop keyboard, Logitech MX Keys, will connect to 3 devices. If I hit the 1 button it connects to my desktop, 2 connects to the phone (I use this for longer texts) and 3 connects to my Macbook Pro.

I also have another smaller keyboard that runs on batteries. It will connect by bluetooth to my phone as well. I use it when I am in the bedroom using my phone and want to write something longer.

Hmm... That would be helpful in our situation. Do you have more info on getting/sending SMS text messages over wifi? Of course, I'm betting my four year old phone is too old for that sort of thing.

I don't know about Android phones but with iPhones you can send iMessages over WiFi. This works with other people who have iPhones.

The problem isn't the advancement in phone technology. It's that it affects things that have nothing to do with cell phones. In other words, I shouldn't need a phone just to adjust the heat in my home, or to use a camera. Using your analogy, it would be like not being able to watch TV or use your refrigerator unless your car was nearby.

The point is don't put all your eggs in one basket.... The car is a car, the phone is a phone. Think of all the stuff you can't use if your phone breaks.

You may find it easier if instead of using the word "phone" you use the word "computer." Smartphones are computers. Full stop. You can talk on the phone with them. I can talk on the phone with my desktop computer also. However I don't call it a "phone". I call it a computer.

In the past cell phones were mostly used as, well, phones. But with smartphones and time that is no longer the case.

I just checked my phone. My total screen time in the last week is 43h and 24 m. My phone usage was 59m of that. Texts were another 56m.

The biggest use was the Kindle app which I use for reading books - 15h 20m.

Twitter was second - 5h13m. Twitter is basically a news source for me. I read and rarely post.

Everything else was various apps. Some were news related. Others were not. The camera was 44m. Evernote was 46m. My reminder App (Alarmed) was 28m.

Anyway, the point is that isn't that you can't do things if your phone breaks. You can't do certain things if the little handheld computer breaks. In fact, in some cases the phone function can actually not work but you can still do other stuff.

There are actually amazing things that you can do with that little computer that is always with you.

Mom's new hearing aids include an app that lets her manage/adjust a number of settings. It's wonderful.

DH got hearing aids lately. He adjusts them with his phone app. Even better, the hearing aids act like airpods for him. He also uses them as his headset for his computer. Really amazing.