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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: 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.