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: 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....