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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: 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.