moylan writes:
An article from the Chicago Tribune discusses people who are changing their smartphone for a dumbphone. From the article:
When Ryan Gleeson punches out a text message or takes a call on his cellphone at parties, he prepares to hear questions from onlookers, and sometimes snickers. That's because the 24-year-old carries a $50 flip phone - the Samsung Gusto 2. There's no touch screen or apps. No Web browsing capabilities. No collection of music to enjoy through earbuds.
"Definitely it's like a black sheep in the room when I pull it out," said Gleeson, a postproduction associate at a documentary production house in Lincoln Park. "I work with a lot of Apple people - creative types. Everyone has an iPhone." Gleeson is among cellphone users who choose to be dialled out of the world of iPhones, BlackBerrys and Androids. In an increasingly connected and accessible culture, these stalwarts have chosen hand-held devices that offer only the basics, despite the social isolation and limitations that may come with them.
For Gleeson, hanging up the iPhone demonstrates no "grand realization about humanity," he said; rather, it's a way to tamp down his compulsive email checking. With the basic phone, "It's a lot easier now to just step away and say, 'I'm not going to work right now,'" he said.
[...a survey] found that 35 percent of U.S. adults carry a cellphone that is not a smartphone.
As someone who got rid of an iphone and android device and replaced them with 2 feature phones I thought I was in the minority. But I have noticed more and more folk around carrying a second dumbphone for when the battery goes on their smartphone. Anyone else doing this?"
[Editor: Yes, me!]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @01:56PM
I keep an old Blackberry OS7 phone. Basically, no apps. It does phone calls, email, photos, and has a basic browser (good enough to check the weather or read a few sites designed for mobile). Apps never appealed to me; I'm well-served by a device that's focused on communication.
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:28PM
I'm kind of the opposite. I'm way less interested in a phone than I am having a portable computer.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Nerdfest on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:32PM
I should add that I'm getting out of the 'contract' lock as well and switching my device to a 'tablet' data only plan that I'll run VOIP on for voice. Many start at $5/month for a small amount of data and scale up quite reasonable. For those of us with wifi at home and work it's a great option.
I'm also somewhat looking forward for a fight with the providers over using a tablet plan on a phone. I've set a couple of my friends up with this option though and have had no problems, but I was warned by the reseller that it might be a problem.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Ben4jammin on Wednesday March 26 2014, @01:57PM
Have caused me to consider this as well. Last time I got a phone was told by ATT that there had to be a data plan on the phone. Considering the extra costs, I wouldn't be surprised to see people go back to "dumb" phones if they are significantly cheaper
(Score: 4, Informative) by everdred on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:37PM
It sounds like the latest Nexus phone, bought direct from Google, is a good call for people who want to go data-plan-free. Relatively low-cost, unlocked, 100% yours, no-contract. The amount you save by going without the data plan should pay for the phone in, what, about a year?
Now if AT&T is saying that you need a data plan with any smartphone, regardless of whether you bought it from them or brought it yourself, you should tell them where they can shove it.
We don't take no shit from a machine.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by visaris on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:14PM
This is what Verizon told me last time I stopped by one of their locations (a month ago?). I would have to add a data plan if I wanted to use (attach) a smart phone to my existing plan (shared with the wife or I'd just leave Verizon). It's required. I don't really want a smart phone anyways as I want a physical qwerty keyboard. So, I now use the Samsung Intensity II. Not the greatest, but has what I want...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @10:36PM
Try looking into switching to a MVNO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_State s_mobile_virtual_network_operators [wikipedia.org] and you should be able to find something that fits your needs/wants a little better.
I wanted to stay on Verizon's network and ran into the same problem as you (no smartphone without data). I switched to a MVNO and I've used a Droid 3 and an LG Ally (both with physical keyboards and around $40 and $20, respectively). A basic android phone with the complete text-only wikipedia (aardict) and offline maps (osmand) comes in handy.
My MVNO in 1337 speak so this looks less like an advertisement: P463 P1u5
(Score: 1) by tftp on Wednesday March 26 2014, @10:56PM
Yes, this is correct. AT&T and Verizon tack the data charge to your bill automatically, as soon as they see a smartphone's IMEI/MEID on the network. They don't care who you bought the smartphone from - as long as it is on air they want your money.
I'm in the same boat. I'm carrying an ancient flip phone. It's on third battery now. Bits and pieces of the plastic chipped off years ago. But it works. I have no desire to pay for the data plan that I will never use. I do not need a portable browser that is as large as a few postage stamps. I do not need Twitbook, or any other "social" networks. I'm too busy with my first life to worry about the second one. I can survive without email for a few hours just fine; all the other time I'm near computers.
If this requirement is lifted, I would get a smartphone to just act as a small computer. I have a tablet that runs some of my ham radio software. A phone could do that too. But I will not pay for the data service.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 27 2014, @09:02AM
Check out Wikipedia's list of MVNOs and find one that uses your current network. Most allow smartphones without data and are typically cheaper per month (even with the early termination fees from your old contract).
Check the other replies to the parent for a link.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by mmcmonster on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:34PM
You should look into Go Phones or similar pay-as-you-go options.
My smartphone broke and I needed a phone for a few days. Got a Go Phone from Target. The phone was $40 (it was an Android smart phone on sale) and the prepaid three month plan was another $20 or 30. No long term contracts.
And the nice thing was that I could have picked up a slightly better smart phone for $10-30 more or gotten an even dumber phone for $10-20 less.
Now, I can use it as a secondary line and reactivate it whenever I need it, or give it to my kids as a YouTube device when they're being especially good.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday March 26 2014, @08:47PM
Another one I've looked into, and am considering going with, is Zact
http://www.zact.com/ [zact.com]
Two fairly inexpensive phone options, and pay only for what you use.
Since I use the phone only a couple days a month, even a $10 prepay is mostly wasted. :(
(Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday March 26 2014, @08:38PM
Unfortunately it is required.
I already ran into this setting up a phone for an older gentleman. Doesn't use email or Internet and just wanted a "freakin god damn phone".
Month after month I was running into issues talking with the provider since they were charging like $15 in overage fees for Internet use.
Turned out the phone itself is generating traffic. So whether or not you want the data plan, smartphones are just little computers after all, you are using up bandwidth.
Of course a $15 overage fee for what amounted to a few megabytes of base line traffic is beyond unreasonable. That's like me asking for your first born because you scuffed my shoe.
(Score: 2) by everdred on Thursday March 27 2014, @11:28AM
That's insane. Am I reading this right when I assume that not having a data plan on the carrier in question means automatically being on some kind of pay-per-MB de-facto data "plan," and that there's no way to say "really, don't allow data for my account at all"?
Can I also ask whether this is a GSM or CDMA carrier?
We don't take no shit from a machine.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday March 27 2014, @02:26PM
CDMA
Was told that it was Verizon's network they were using.
Yes, per MB is de facto.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:26PM
I'm also with ATT* and have been talking shit for years about smartphone users on Slashdot. The reason why I sold out and upgraded was because ATT recently changed their pricing structure, so I'm paying the same amount (including the payments for my new phone) with a new smartphone as I was with my old dumbphone - fifty bucks a month, and that includes a data plan. Yeah, foreigners, I know we're still getting ripped off.
Dumbphones are now significantly cheaper according to the newer rules. However, there might be a time when I actually need to use some of the enhanced functionality on my new phone, and better to have it than not. I still navigate with maps and atlases and leave my phone in my car or at work on silent mode.
And most importantly, I still understand that it's rude to be fiddling with my smartphone during conversation, that it's rude to be playing music aloud in public while headphones are available, that it's annoying to show a lack of patience by constantly playing with my phone during lectures or work. This should be common fucking sense to all of you, even those of you starting your first class or job. We got 2 new people where I work and instead of seizing the opportunities they had, they sat there for 2 whole weeks thumbing their phones waiting to be told what to do. We're already looking for replacements, by the way.
* Before the NSA scandal broke, I angrily called ATT customer service to complain about a charge, and I told the manager that I demanded his helping the unconstitutional spying of the NSA stop. Must have blown his mind when the Snowden scandals broke a year later, haha
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Random2 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:03PM
The primary motivating factor switching me from an iPhone to a regular cell phone was cost; why would I pay ~$1,000/year + $600 for a device when I can do $40/year and a $50 device if all I use it for is to make calls?
I never had much interest in the phone apps or using my phone as a computer when I had... a (already payed for) computer. Or paying for streaming internet content when I could access the internet.. on my (already payed for) laptop and internet connection. Or using the GPS capabilities when I could use... my (already payed for) GPS.
But most people I know don't go for that option, because 'ooh status' and 'ooh shiny' and 'ooh I have to be like everyone else'. At least marketing seems to be alive and well.
If only I registered 3 users earlier....
(Score: 1, Interesting) by NullPtr on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:41PM
> But most people I know don't go for that option, because 'ooh status' and 'ooh shiny' and 'ooh I have
> to be like everyone else'. At least marketing seems to be alive and well.
Either that or they want to surf, email, stream, game, take photos/video, use facebook, shop, chat etc etc as well as make phone calls.
Don't you have a phone at home? If so, why have another phone? You didn't get a mobile phone because everyone else did, but if they get smartphones then it's down to `marketing`?
Your costs are way out, too. I paid £400 for my phone almost 2 years ago, with no contact, and I pay £12 a month for unlimited data and more minutes than I can use (hardly surprising as I use about 5 minutes a month). That's hardly extravagant.
(Score: 2) by egcagrac0 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:18PM
The phone at home doesn't serve me well when I'm not there.
Convincing someone to buy 1 device to do the same thing as the 7 they already own - yes, that's marketing. (Yes, I understand that "only one item to carry" is a significant convenience - but most of the time, I got by not carrying all that other stuff just fine.)
I'm glad that you're a savvy shopper. The prices you've found are hardly representative of the market around here - ours are typically about double that for the monthly plan (non-contract), with a mediocre service area to go with it.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:29PM
Yes, everybody who sees things differently from you must have been corrupted by slick advertising.
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Daniel Dvorkin on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:50PM
And the computer at home doesn't allow you to web surf, check e-mail, shop online, etc. when you're not there either. IOW, the justification you have for carrying a "dumb" cell phone is exactly the same as the justification other people have for carrying smart phones. I'm actually with you in sticking with an antique flip phone, but you're giving yourself way too much credit, or other people way too little.
Pipedot [pipedot.org]:Soylent [dev.soylentnews.org]::BSD:Linux
(Score: 3, Interesting) by egcagrac0 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:26PM
In my case, the "computer at home" is portable - I take it with me.
In fairness, I do understand why you might carry a Leatherman all the time, and keep a set of tools in the workshop, too. I don't really understand why you'd get a Leatherman to leave it in the workshop - which is a bit what it sounds like if you're already carrying a laptop and have a GPS in the car.
As far as usability, texting on a dumb phone seemed a lot easier and faster (even without T9 input acceleration) - there were buttons, I could work them with one hand, and I didn't have to look at the thing (much) to do it. The smartphones seem to want both thumbs, both hands, and often use a simulated keyboard on the screen (which wants both eyes, too). (Voice input and I don't get along.)
(Score: 1) by tathra on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:56PM
T9 made texting really fast, but once you get used to it, Swype input is pretty dang fast too, especially with a stylus. i only do single letter input when i'm too intoxicated to get the word right or when the word wont show up (like with a lot of profanity at first; there's probably a way to add new words in but i'm pretty sure it does it automatically after using it a few times, so its unnecessary). it does still take two hands though.
(Score: 1) by dyingtolive on Wednesday March 26 2014, @05:18PM
Yeah, Swype's gotten me to the point where I can top with about 80% accurate without evil looking at the scirt.
(Score: 1) by redneckmother on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:55PM
I don't have a hardline at home - I'm in the boonies. I paid ~2000 USD for a commercial cellular repeater to get service in my house - and it is EXTREMELY limited.
All that I expect from my "phone" is voice calls. I don't need no steenkin "doodads".
(Score: 2) by Random2 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:44PM
I only have 1 phone, which the cell phone I carry with me so I can go on 8-hour trips across the country and have a way to contact help if I get stuck in a ditch somewhere. The iPhone I had was a gift, and was on someone else's plan (which I promptly discontinued once I saw haw ludicrously expensive it was).
My costs are accurate for the US market, such as the $190/month ($2280/year) plan for 20Gb data [att.com] which isn't even the 3rd most expensive option. They are not accurate for your clearly European market, which apparently isn't infested by companies that are basically the scum of the earth and drive prices to absolutely ridiculous levels.
If only I registered 3 users earlier....
(Score: 5, Insightful) by TheloniousToady on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:08PM
Although TFS is about someone who gave up their smartphone, I'm a person who has never had one. The main reason is that I'm too cheap to pay the monthly cost, but a secondary reason is that I think I spend enough time on the Internet already, and I'd much rather spend that time with a couple of large screens, a mouse, and a keyboard. (It's called quality time... ;-)
As an outside observer, the thing I notice is that folks who have a smartphone are constantly looking at it whenever they would otherwise be bored. They probably see that as a good thing: they never have to be bored anymore. But at some level (which I can't really justify), I feel that it's actually good for people be bored every now and then. When else will you ever have a chance to just think your thoughts?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:57PM
For me that happens during my commute.
That said, I definitely agree with you enough that if Im ever a parent I will not let my kid fail to develop patience by giving them non-stop access to a smartphone. I flew with one of those monsters recently, she couldn't even wait a few minutes to get to cruising altitude without crying. Never never never.
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:13PM
HAA!! Sorry, couldn't resist (I'm a parent)
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:15PM
I know. :/ Im gonna want an automated babysitter more than anything, aren't I?
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:10PM
I have friends that try to strictly manage to keep their kids to the limited tv/game time rules. Good on them for at least trying.
I also avoid these friends' houses for gatherings. I can deal with the kids being whiny when they use up their time, they are kids that is what they do. But the parents deal with this by making deals with them for additional time for considerations like earlier bedtimes or subtracting time from the next day. Kids have no mental capacity for compromises or consequences, so instead they go completely apeshit when they realize they dealt away their valuable time on a WiiU for some shitty phone-app earlier in the day.
It happens Every. Single. Time. I can't figure out who is crazier.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Wednesday March 26 2014, @11:03PM
Im gonna want an automated babysitter more than anything, aren't I?
You might be far better off getting an automated baby.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:12PM
(Score: 1) by Rune of Doom on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:23PM
I'm a smartphone (Android) addict myself, but I do empathize for those who opt out of that ecosystem. One of my close friends has avoided smartphones (although his current 'dumb' phone is downright brilliant by the standards of less than a decade ago) and I've considered following that example more than once. A phone that never crashes, has massive battery life, still has a camera, all with mil-spec durability is appealing all on its own, before you get around to thinking about the merits of a 'connected' lifestyle.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by TheGratefulNet on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:32PM
I very reluctantly gave in and got an android phone.
the main thing I use it for: always updated gps. I have a gps in the car but its 10 yrs out of date and there have been enough road changes to make it useless in many cases. I can't trust it anymore. the google maps can really suck sometimes (bay area, oddly enough) but at least they are updated and they can also use cell towers for quicker locating. of course, the n1 phone I use is the buggiest POS google ever put out and I have to do a phone reboot before using gps or it will crash DURING a trip. nothing like hearing voice prompts during a trip - followed by long periods of silence and the shimmering X appearing on your phone (ie, a reboot by itself). google does not even have the grace to add a checkpoint feature on CRITICAL apps like gps nav, and so even after a crash, they don't auto restart the last app and place you were at. stupid google, seriously stupid google! I thought they were smart people working there? sigh..
I don't install many apps. apps can be hostile and I just don't trust most android devs. way too much privacy leakage going on in apple and android phones.
but I just can't live without having gps available, including portable gps (gee, where is that store or restaurant? I had to park way out here and walk; now where IS that place?).
one really cool app that helps keep me sane: mrnumber (mister number). it crowd sources incoming phone calls and lets you know if its been tagged as spam. love that app!
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:53PM
> the main thing I use it for: always updated gps.
If you shop hard, you can get a garmin GPS with free lifetime map updates for ~$100 - smartphones have really hurt their market so they've got nice units for cheap nowadays.
Plus side is that google isn't recording every move you make with a standalone GPS the way they do with a phone-GPS. I actually have a smartphone and I never even turn on the GPS receiver because my garmin does everything I need (OK, not quite, I wish it had a speed camera database, my valentine1 radar detector can't detect cameras).
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Wednesday March 26 2014, @07:25PM
a receive-only gps is definitely more private! agreed.
but then I have to carry a 2nd box and also keep it updated. if I have to carry a voice phone, anyway, its hard to justify extra boxes.
this is why for most people, mp3 players are now dead, cameras are now dead, pda's are totally dead, microcassette recorders are dead, etc. all purpose-built things are better; but they take up more room and power and cost money.
smart phones have the worst apps compared to purpose-built things, but the convenience factor of having just one box is what makes them sell and be so popular.
if I did have a 'infinite updates' garmin in my car, I'd use that over my phone; but if I have to buy a new box to get these infinite updates, that is a non-solution when my phone is already there and working and cost of app is zero.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 1) by Gryle on Thursday March 27 2014, @09:53AM
Likewise, though my secondary reason was durability. Maybe they've improved over the years, but a lot of smartphones seem very fragile. My flip-phone was literally run over by an SUV (I left it on the back of my pick-up and it fell off into the street when I rounded the corner) and all I had to do was pop the battery back in and it worked.
Ignorance can be remedied. Stupid seems to be a permanent condition.
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:11PM
I was seriously considering getting a Nokia 7110 with the Matrix-style spring loaded cover, mainly for the awesome battery life. I couldn't care less about picking up my personal email while I'm out, and I have point-blank refused to hook my personal phone up to my work email at every job I've ever worked with no ill effects on my productivity.
The phone I ended up getting was definitely purchased on the strength of it's features - Nokia Lumia 720. Yes, it's WP8 with all the problems and niggles that brings, but the bundled GPS guidance app is exceptionally good, the screen is sufficiently sensitive to work through my armoured gloves and the 4-day battery life raises everyone's eyebrows (more like 2-3 if I need to use the GPS for anything over a couple of hours, which is rare). I have biker mates with Galaxy S4's and iPhone 5S's who envy my phone while we're out riding. Not that they envy my bike, though. :/
(Score: 5, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:15PM
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789
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:48PM
Reminds of a person (friend of a friend) without a car that told me that I was required to drive them from (event) to train station because I had a car. Her 'logic' was that as a car owner I should be grateful for people like her that didn't have a car. I offer rides often but it no way is it my duty.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:54PM
123
456
789
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:37PM
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 3) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:55PM
123
456
789
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:11PM
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 2) by nukkel on Thursday March 27 2014, @07:40AM
I suppose you could offer the rides in exchange for sex ;)
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday March 26 2014, @08:52PM
Same here. I do not want to be followed around by the phone. I had a dumbphone for a while but ... too much money for too little use (One or two calls a month doesn't justify $30, or even $10). I'll probably get another because I no longer even have a home phone (and don't really want one) just so I can do those calls that need doing when I get to town, but it'll be a pay-as-you-use, or none at all.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by goodie on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:16PM
While there are definite advantages to a smartphone (gps/directions, quick browsing/email checking), I have always thought it was somewhat of an unhealthy distraction. I don't just mean things like texting/browsing/checking email and driving, but more along the lines of never giving your mind a break type of thing. To me, it's like always having the tv on or something, it's just too much distraction. Sometimes our mind needs to rest be idle to refuel. Anyway that's the way I see it. Waiting for an apt? Embarrassed in any awkward social setting not knowing where to put your hands? Grab your smartphone and pretend you're busy. Costs are definitely a concern too but overall there are advantages to these devices. The issue is more related to making a conscious effort to not have them rule our lives. A dumber device helps put the smart back in the human ;). I never wanted an iPhone but ended up getting one when my wife did. I don't regret it but I am still at the iOS version it came packaged with and use it for not much else than browsing simple sites and receiving/making calls, although the camera is pretty convenient I must admit.
On a related note, I read this today and thought it was oddly related to the submission: http://www.infos-mobiles.com/nokia-3310/lentrepris e-francaise-lekki-remet-le-nokia-3310-sur-le-march e/58025 [infos-mobiles.com] (French article). Basically, a company wants to reissue the 3310, which I still have lying around somewhere at home actually ;).
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:27PM
Just because your phone has these capabilities doesn't mean you need to use them all the time.
Personally, I rarely text, and only with my wife. I've never liked texting very much, but it can be handy for quick notes to someone you live with and interact with on a daily basis.
Browsing isn't something I do often, but when I do, it's handy. Online coupons have saved me a bunch while shopping, and you can't get those with a dumbphone. I don't always know where I'll be ahead of time so printing them ahead of time doesn't usually work.
GPS/navigation is a pretty killer feature. On the spaghetti-like roads here in the northeast where I now live, there's no way I could get around without navigation. Garmin et al, AFAIK, require you to know an address. Google Maps doesn't; I punch in "italian restaurant" or whatever, select the one I want to go to, (check the reviews to make sure they don't suck), press "navigate" and then put the phone in a holder attached to the windshield and drive there. I've seen built-in nav systems in brand-new cars which look up businesses like this, but these are incredibly expensive options, and unlike Android apps, never update, so 6 years from now, you'll be stuck with a 6-year-old navigation system on your car, whereas my phone always has the latest version of Google Maps (or any other competing mapping software I may choose to install). Also, the car-based systems require you to pay for updates; online mapping doesn't.
The camera on smartphones is also very convenient. The quality isn't that great, but I don't always have my high-quality dedicated camera on me, and a mediocre-quality photo is better than no photo at all.
It's also nice to be able to pull it out and play a game when I'm really bored, like if my wife is trying on some clothes.
Being able to store my music (in Oggs, no less) and play them on headphones is also a nice feature, meaning I don't need to carry around a separate MP3 player any more.
(Score: 1) by goodie on Thursday March 27 2014, @10:07AM
What I like about texting is that it's the right amount of delay between synchronous (ie phone) and asynchronous (ie email) communication for me. I pretty much only text with my wife too but a text is like "hey answer when you have time" while an email is like "ok whenever, it doesn't matter" and a call is "I need to talk now". Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like a good compromise between the 2 "extrmes".
The music thing would be nice but I have an iphone and refuse to use iTunes so screw it, I use my old sansa :).
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 27 2014, @11:07AM
Yep, that's basically the way I see it too, but slightly differently. A call is "I need to talk now, and/or I want to have a lengthy conversation". A text is "I have something extremely short to tell you and don't need to go through the formality of a call".
As for music, dump the iPhone and get an Android. Android phones have their issues to be sure, but music they do extremely well, far better than iDevices (at least my HTC does). I can just plug in my phone to my computer with USB, mount the phone as a USB drive, use rsync or just plain cp to copy .ogg files over, and after that I can just play them with the built-in music player. Works great, no special software needed. And I don't think Sansas support oggs.
(Score: 1) by goodie on Friday March 28 2014, @02:06PM
Funny, I was just thinking about this today. My wife starts texting me like she wants to have a conversation... I ended up calling her because I just can't type that fast (I don't use the autocorrect feature because it does not always serve me well) and texting is just not to have a conversation for me ;)
My next phone will definitely not be from Apple that's for sure. Like I said I got it a while before whatsapp etc. back then iMessage was supposed to be useful. Turns out now that's not really the case so I'll be looking at an Android next. But first I'm going to let that one die out, it still works fine except for the music part that's broken by design ;P
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Friday March 28 2014, @03:31PM
My Android phone gives you word suggestions as you type in text messages, which I find very helpful (they're optional, you tap on the word on the bar over the keyboard if you see the one you're trying to type out), but I have autocorrect turned off. My wife and I work pretty well that way; if she wants a conversation, she just calls; texting is just for brief messages.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:23PM
"But I have noticed more and more folk around carrying a second dumbphone for when the ..." ... security theater dweebs say no smart or camera phones in this area. Unless those two bit ex-mall cop 24-watching fox new addicted losers have given up and moved on to bullying people some other way. But other than that, I really love those guys.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:29PM
What areas are those? Everyone has a smartphone these days, so there aren't many places where they can realistically restrict people from having them. I actually work at a defense contractor where you're not supposed to have any cameras, according to the posted signs. Everyone has smartphones here, and no one enforces the rule any more.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by hendrikboom on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:29PM
Long ago, before smart phones, I went through callphones at an alarming rate because they kept breaking. But Bell Mobility kept replacing them, until finally I said, I want one that's rugged. I got a Nokia phone, and am still using it. I think it's about ten years old. It works, though its screen has become dusty behind the protective glass, it's at most about a hundred pixels across, and the keys exhibit a but of bounce. I might want to replace the debounce software, but otherwise, it still works.
I also have a Nokia N800 tablet. It that had ever morphed into a smartphone that was actually available in Canada (the N900 series wasn't) i would have switched and had only one piece of personal electronics to carry around.
I have a large Android tablet that mostly stays at home; it doesn't fit in my pocket.
Still waiting for a fully programmable phone or tablet that supports all the protocols I'm used to on my desktop (such as, for example, sshfs).
-- hendrik
(Score: 2) by istartedi on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:56PM
I'm not sure what my Nokia's model number is. I got it in '05. I also have the dust behind the screen problem. Also, most of the black paint on the front is gone. For a while it looked skuffed, then killer-whale, then grey mottling, now mostly grey. The original battery still holds charge just fine. I priced batteries at $60. If the battery stops holding charge I'll get a new phone and yes, it'll be quite dumb. I might want to send/receive text; but other than that I want "just a phone".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tynin on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:42PM
Up until two years ago I was still using my very first phone (hooray for the invincibility of nokias). When my son was born, I knew I wanted to start keeping a camera with me to capture random moments of awesomeness. It just made sense to get a phone with a nice camera in it. Sure, I had a good camera, but I didn't want to lug around another device.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Tork on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:49PM
I am not part of the 'I dont wanna smartphone' crowd, but I don't feel like I am on the opposite side of the world from them, either. By being reliable through text-based communications I have trained my colleagues to not call me. For this reason I don't get after hours phone calls anymore and I spend a good deal more time at my desk clicking the mouse instead of yakking on the phone that rings every time I try to concentrate. If my assumption that some who won't
go the smartphone route are concerned about being tethered is correct, then it's easy to imagine our philosophies aren't that dissimilar.
* Sent from an iPhone while waiting for the doctor who is late to the appointment thus giving me more for my SN fix
Slashdolt logic: 1600 x 1200 > 1920 x 1200
(Score: 3, Interesting) by mendax on Wednesday March 26 2014, @02:54PM
Well... sort of. As I see it, a smart phone is nothing more than a route to a life which is more complicated than is necessary. When one thinks about it, what features on the smart phone are really necessary to modern life? While there have been times when I have wished I was able to check out something online but not very often.
I have a pay-as-you-go plan from Verizon with an el cheapo Samsung flip phone and an older LG flip phone for a backup in case, as has happened before, the Samsung goes tits up. I can send and receive text messages and play Scrabble on it. There's even a web browser on it but I never use it because it's as slow as tar in winter. The geek in me enjoys the idea of having a smart phone but the practical side of me soon steps in and reminds me that it is an expense and a complication that I do not need.
Actually, does anyone really need a mobile phone? Having phone service is a requirement, of course, for modern life, but a mobile phone? Well, it is a compromise for me but a reasonable one because it is a bargain and does what I need and little more. Voice mail service, text messaging, I can turn it off, mute the ringer, mute the phone, the phone has caller ID so I can screen calls, free long distance service, speaker phone, etc., etc. It's not so bad.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 1) by gonnzo on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:23PM
I used a Motorola Razr flip phone until about a year ago. My wife and kid got new smartphones (BB and iPhone) with data plans, so the provider threw in a Sony for me (no data, I use wi-fi only). I'm pretty close to being an "emergency only" user and message ~10 times/month. The only useful thing the smartphone does is run BOINC 22 or 23 hours/day when it's charging.
The warranty is almost up, and if it dies (the iPhone has already been replaced by Apple) I'll find a cheap "dumb" phone in a heartbeat. No offense intended - I am not a Luddite and have other Sony gear that sees everyday use; I just don't need 90% of the features of a "smart" phone.
(Score: 2) by mendax on Wednesday March 26 2014, @05:04PM
I am not a luddite either. But I need to live a relatively simply life to stay sane. Living a simple life is my advice to the rest of humanity, but with everything, "your mileage may vary".
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 2) by Lagg on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:01PM
http://lagg.me [lagg.me]
9467 6082 8A35 2E1E 2D6B 76C4 5E9A ED56 076F 9E89
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:03PM
Increasingly, Apple is not for doers. It is not for power users.
It is not for creators. It is not for people who think different.
It is for posers. It is for hipsters. It is for metrosexuals. It is
for wannabes and pretenders.
-- Seattle Rex
(Score: 4, Informative) by zim on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:08PM
That's it. No software, no 'apps', no camera, no games, no useless toys.
Crappy little samsung flipphone that fits comfortably in my pocket. And gets 3-4 weeks of use per charge.
I'll keep the computing shit on my actual computers.
(Score: 1) by NeoNormal on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:28PM
> My phone does two things. Phonecalls. Text messages.
I'm in a similar boat. I have an aging Samsung Convoy. It's "ruggedized"... for dropping.
Mine does have a low-res camera that I use from time to time. But my portable entertainment is my Nexus 7 tablet.
(Score: 2) by NikeAjax on Wednesday March 26 2014, @05:15PM
But my portable entertainment is my Nexus 7 tablet.
My portable entertainment is a book. I don't need a smart phone, facebook, twitter, GPS, or cell-based surfing or email. My dumb phone lets me send the occasional text or take the occasional photo or make the occasional call. I don't need to be entertained 7x24. YMMV.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 27 2014, @05:24PM
Just like my smart phone. Sure, it *could* do a lot more but it only ever does these two things. Why? Cost, trojans, privacy-invading apps and there being no need for running the "social" app du jour.
My next phone might very well be a dumb phone.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Buck Feta on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:13PM
Call it a "burner phone", and no one will give you any guff.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:15PM
I recently (a week ago) got a smartphone (my first), mainly because I kept running into situations where I needed a GPS. So far it's been great- I set it up with my email, got rid of all the apps I could, and I've already made use of the GPS. I find the alarm and timers especially useful.
So here's the thing: it is a tool like any other. If used appropriately, and if you can exercise a modicum of self-control, it is very useful. If you find yourself compulsively checking Facebook or browsing the internet on your smartphone, perhaps the problem isn't the phone, it's you.
(Score: 2) by dotdotdot on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:46PM
This. I would rather have the features and not need them than vice versa. For me, it's about consolidating devices. I got the Nokia Lumia 1020 for the camera which is amazing. So these are all the things I can leave at home now:
- DSLR
- mobile hotspot
- calculator
- pocket recorder for meetings
- flashlight
- notepad for short notes (OneNote)
- GPS
It even saved me money recently when I needed a guitar tuner.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:35PM
A phone camera is never going to be a replacement for a DSLR. The laws of physics prevent it (unless they invent a new lens that can outperform standard glass ones; that'll probably happen before too long, but it isn't here yet).
A phone's light doesn't replace a serious flashlight either. It simply isn't bright enough.
Features like these are nice to have on phones, because a crappy something is better than nothing at all. But don't delude yourself into thinking they're as good as high-quality versions of those things.
However, AFAICT, phone-based Google Maps GPS is better than purpose-built devices, mainly because it's combined with a business directory and reviews site: you can look up restaurants or whatever, see all the matches nearby, look at peoples' reviews for them, and navigate to them, all with one handheld device. Something that requires me to know a street address simply isn't very useful to me.
(Score: 2) by dotdotdot on Wednesday March 26 2014, @05:13PM
All that is true. However, there are plenty of times when "good enough" is just fine.
I was invited to a luncheon today, and when I showed up, my boss asked me to take pictures. I pulled out my Lumia 1020 and got some great shots. Would they have been better with a DSLR? Of course. But even for the low light that's typical for such events, they were very good.
The LED flash on the camera is also fine for most of what I need a flashlight for. Would I strap it to my head if I were hiking in the woods at night? Of course not. I have a headlamp for that.
I would rather carry one device that does a lot of different things well even if they are only 80% as good as a purpose-built device. If I can plan ahead and know when I'll need something more, I'll carry that too.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday March 27 2014, @11:03AM
Right, this was my point: "good enough" is fine, most of the time. But you said before the phone would allow you to eliminate those other things. It doesn't. You no longer need to use them 100% of the time (when you would need those things), but you'll still want to keep around the dedicated devices for the 10% of the time when you really do want the better performance of the purpose-built device. You just won't need to lug them around so much any more.
(Score: 1) by Yow on Wednesday March 26 2014, @05:45PM
Calculator in my pocket! Sometimes camera. Wishing I could go back to my Razr. Lost it.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:46PM
Lots of confusion in this discussion.
The only difference between a iphone and a ipod touch is (or at least was) the iphone costs more than twice as much and costs about a thousand bucks per year extra for service over a dumbphone. When in range of a wifi, there is (was) no difference between a free ipod touch and an iphone.
Before I got into the whole republic wireless thing, which has been great, I carried a dumbphone and a ipod touch for recreation/data. The ipod touch didn't work where there's no wifi, which doesn't really matter for me.
The republic wireless is still overpriced, like $25/month, which is about $15/month more than a dumbphone solution would cost, but its OK. Its quite possible my next phone will be a dumbphone and I'll carry my tablet, which I seem to carry everywhere anyway and generally use in preference to the phone.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:49PM
Pretty simple here, the market for people who can afford smartphones is saturated. I looked at them, and no thanks. I can't afford one. Anyone who can afford a smartphone already has one, especially Apple which has saturated the high end. The people who buy iPhones are ones who can't miss what they cost each month.
Any time I hear that regular cellphones are going to be phased out for smartphones, I laugh, knowing whoever said that is so out of touch they don't have a clue.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:22PM
Some people just don't realise that their world of apps and streaming is far removed from the reality of more than a third of the population (and that's in developed countries)
(Score: 5, Funny) by nitehawk214 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:00PM
You don't have a TV either.
Seriously, nobody except other people with flipphones and no TV care.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 1) by tathra on Wednesday March 26 2014, @04:36PM
wait, what? what kind of social isolation comes from not using a smartphone? if people are shunning you because your phone is different, its pretty obvious that you need some new friends/associates/whatever, since they care more about your image than you.
i used 'dumb phones' up until just last year, and every one of them cost less than $100 and let me surf the web. you'd have to get the really dirt cheap options to not even have internet service. i finally got a smartphone (galaxy s3) because i wanted a new phone anyway and i was able to get it for ~$250, and it only increased my bill from $35/mo to $40/mo (unlimited voice/text/data).
(Score: 1) by technopoptart on Wednesday March 26 2014, @07:17PM
I had an Samsung Moment, with Sprint, and it was OK,. It was Samsungs first android phone. But when the 2 years was up and it ate thru a battery in about 24-32 hours. I downgraded to a flip phone. 2 years later i have just moved to Ting, using the same now 2 year old phone that works just fine and my bill is now half of what Sprint was charging me.
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Wednesday March 26 2014, @07:41PM
I went to a basic Nokia when i went to Afghanistan. primarily for simplicity and dual-SIM capability. being separated from the constant connection was jarring, but also liberating. Although mine had an 8G memory card and mp3 capability. I hate to give up easily portable, always with me music as well.
Back in the real world, I am back on a smartphone. As I am sort-of always on call, the ability to check email and remote to machines for a quick fix is invaluable.
(Score: 1) by Aiwendil on Wednesday March 26 2014, @07:42PM
Seriously, I avoid the "mail-stress" simply enough by having wifi on and 3g off on my smartphone, this means that if I'm near a network where I normally check mail I will get the mail, otherwise it is a normal phone where I can enable internetaccess if I want to.. So one can avoid "mail-stress" without resorting to dumbphones (and it is kinda nice to be able to notice ones telephone (no telephone has a good vibration these days) ringing when one is listening to music while out for a walk)
Then again, I miss my dumbphone simply due to its reliability, physical keys (it is nice to be able to answer the phone onehanded without having to remove gloves), good batterytime and a better antenna (my dumbphone worked everyplace I was in my off-hours, my smartphone fails to get reception at the same places)
(Score: 1) by koreanbabykilla on Wednesday March 26 2014, @08:54PM
Posted from my LG VU. I use it cause data is only 10 bucks a month and its easy to usb tether. I use the phone to talk and txt and the laptop for everything else.
(Score: 2) by elf on Thursday March 27 2014, @07:18AM
Here in the UK things are so much different. I have an unlocked phone and use the http://giffgaff.co.uk/> service and pay 12 pounds per month (~$15) for unlimited data, unlimited texts and 250 free talk minutes. There are so many more phone providers and they all try and outbid each other.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 27 2014, @02:57PM
Since HTC is such a bitch, that they wouldn't update the desire Z (may 1000 gods breathe fire upn them), i'm just waiting for the battery to go bad or the phone to break and then i think i'm gonna start using a dumb phone. Definately won't ever buy an iphone, and i'm starting to get pissed of at android (because the apps are always trying to get permissions they don't need, so i won't install them), and windows phones are out of the question. Jolla might still be an option, if the price gets right, but i'm leaning towards dumb phone. Sure smart phone has it uses, but nothing essential to me.