I don't want a smartphone!!

[harllee]

In a generation or two, people will ask, what is this thing you call paper?

And in a couple of generations we won't have phones at all, communication will be accomplished by some means we can't even envision now.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Do not disagree, except perhaps on the timing.
Some changes take longer than others.
For example, the demise of paper (and books especially) was first predicted in the mid to late 1980s, as i recall it was an occasional water cooler conversation at the time back at mega corp. Well, here we are 30+ yrs later, and paper, and especially book reading is still very much around.

 

[IMATERP]

I'm quite happy with my flip phone. Consumer Cellular @ $15 per month. If I go over 250 minutes, I am automatically bumped up to the $20 plan.

I use a phone in order to talk to another person. That's it.

 

[bw5972]

Do not disagree, except perhaps on the timing.
Some changes take longer than others.
For example, the demise of paper (and books especially) was first predicted in the mid to late 1980s, as i recall it was an occasional water cooler conversation at the time back at mega corp. Well, here we are 30+ yrs later, and paper, and especially book reading is still very much around.

True, but we are getting there. Ask someone under 20 if they ever bought a book or newspaper themselves.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Well, it is just anecdotal evidence, but the one 12 yr old I see often has bought several young adult books and teen books with her allowance. She also very much enjoys writing in journals and receiving both books and journals as gifts. An outlier? perhaps i have no idea.

 

[RunningBum]

My 27 yr old son manages a bookstore. They're still making money. No idea of the ages. We're about to go on vacation together, I'll ask him.

 

[JP.mpls]

Harllee,
Texting, taking/sending/receiving photos, fast internet website access (early ret. forum?), e-mail access and navigation apps really make it worth moving to the smartphone.


Some comments:
Texting:
Most communication for people under 40 is being done by texting, and most people older than that are switching over to this. I didn't like it at first, and it seemed silly, but it does have it's advantages. For example: My sister will text to our whole family that she is having Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone replies if they will be there, and what they will be bringing. Family pictures and comments get passed around too. That group communication would be difficult to do just on the phone. I suspect you are being left out of the loop on many things. Maybe your preference.


Cost:
There are many lower cost smart phones and providers. We recently purchased beautiful Samsung J3 Emerge smartphones for $50 each through Boost mobile. $35/month service with no contract. Not much more than your flip phone.


Listening quality:
- My wife didn't like talking on the smart phone as much as on our land line phone. I bought her a blue tooth headset for when she wants to talk with her sister for a long time, and she likes that best. It is hands free, and she can hear very good on it. We finally let go of the landline after she got this. (Saved almost $50/month) We even moved our long time landline number over to her cell phone.


Take care,


JP

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, it is just anecdotal evidence, but the one 12 yr old I see often has bought several young adult books and teen books with her allowance. She also very much enjoys writing in journals and receiving both books and journals as gifts. An outlier? perhaps i have no idea.

Nope... my daughter buys books all the time.... we used to go to the library on a regular basis, but now she is doing too much other stuff for her to go...

 

[Texas Proud]

Harllee,
Texting, taking/sending/receiving photos, fast internet website access (early ret. forum?), e-mail access and navigation apps really make it worth moving to the smartphone.


Some comments:
Texting:
Most communication for people under 40 is being done by texting, and most people older than that are switching over to this. I didn't like it at first, and it seemed silly, but it does have it's advantages. For example: My sister will text to our whole family that she is having Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone replies if they will be there, and what they will be bringing. Family pictures and comments get passed around too. That group communication would be difficult to do just on the phone. I suspect you are being left out of the loop on many things. Maybe your preference.


Cost:
There are many lower cost smart phones and providers. We recently purchased beautiful Samsung J3 Emerge smartphones for $50 each through Boost mobile. $35/month service with no contract. Not much more than your flip phone.


Listening quality:
- My wife didn't like talking on the smart phone as much as on our land line phone. I bought her a blue tooth headset for when she wants to talk with her sister for a long time, and she likes that best. It is hands free, and she can hear very good on it. We finally let go of the landline after she got this. (Saved almost $50/month) We even moved our long time landline number over to her cell phone.


Take care,


JP

Just a comment on texting.... my DW will text with some of her friends for a LONG time trying to get something done.... when a call that last less than 3 minutes would get all of it done and also with better understanding....

I have actually forced her to call when she wants info from me for a friend... if not I will be interrupted for an hour or two with more question... better to talk 5 minutes and be done...

 

[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.

 

[target2019]

OP here. I can do all of that on my MacBook/Ipad. Heck, I can even call people on my flip phone. Sometimes I even visit my family in person!

True dat. But hard to visit someone 12,000 miles plus distance.

It's acceptable that some do not want to move forward with the next phase of communications.

However, I embrace it. My kids can contact me by text, voice or video - 24 hours a day.

 

[meierlde]

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.

Of course modern smart phones also do email, and sending email is little different then than sending a text (same text entry system) and no size limit. Yes it cuts into the data allowance but text/text only in email is a very light user of bandwidth.

 

[ER Eddie]

And for everyone's viewing pleasure, here is one of many YouTube videos about the perils of texting while walking (and driving).

I probably enjoyed that a little more than I should have.

 

[harllee]

Yes, me too although some of those people look like they were seriously hurt so I didn't like those. I especially liked the one with the bear.

 

[harllee]

True dat. But hard to visit someone 12,000 miles plus distance.

It's acceptable that some do not want to move forward with the next phase of communications.

However, I embrace it. My kids can contact me by text, voice or video - 24 hours a day.

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.

 

[badatmath]

I love my dumb phone (landline). Its cheap, it never gets lost, never needs updates, don't have to charge it. And most importantly I don't have to freaking carry it everywhere I go!

 

[JP.mpls]

Harllee,
It sounds like you are using most of the technology already on your tablet. The smartphone would simply allow you to use those technologies wherever you are. You probably don't need that. The cost difference between the smart phone and the flip phone should be minimal, so that shouldn't be the main factor.


I prefer my laptop if any amount of typing is involved. I'm not very fast at texting.


One of my pet peeves is the smartphone etiquette. I make it a point to prioritize the people around me over the silly phone. I'm definitely in the minority on this.


Take care, JP

 

[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

On December 29th 2017, I purchased the following from Home Shopping Network

Samsung Galaxy Luna Pro 5" (nice camera, memory, etc)
1500 minutes * just a little over 2 hours per month*
1500 texts
1.5 GB data
car, home, & usb charger
1 year service *Tracfone*
Total Cost: $97.58 ($8.13 month)

If you decided to purchase something like this, one suggestion I would make, is that when you receive the phone in the mail & activate it, do it online.
On my 1st one, (this is my 2nd purchase from HSN) I tried to do it over the phone, & I couldn’t understand the person on the other end. Nuff said

When the one year service contract ends, I literally throw away the phone.

 

[ownyourfuture]

I'm quite happy with my flip phone. Consumer Cellular @ $15 per month. If I go over 250 minutes, I am automatically bumped up to the $20 plan.

Just curious, & no disrespect intended, but is the 'total' really 15$ a month ?
I only bring it up because just today, I received an offer from my local telephone company, an offer for cable/internet/phone service for $69.99 a month. But when I called the 800-number, I found out that after all the taxes, fees, Etc, it was over $99.00 a month.

 

[scrabbler1]

Just curious, & no disrespect intended, but is the 'total' really 15$ a month ?
I only bring it up because just today, I received an offer from my local telephone company, an offer for cable/internet/phone service for $69.99 a month. But when I called the 800-number, I found out that after all the taxes, fees, Etc, it was over $99.00 a month.

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.

 

[target2019]

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]

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]

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]

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.