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5/3/2013 3:32:24 PM
19
Smartphones... what's the point?
I remember being filled with so much excitement back in 2007 when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone. Since then, a lot of companies have hopped on the smartphone bandwagon and now these things are even [url=http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/smartphones-out-ship-feature-phones-worldwide-first-time-6C9635107]starting to outsell feature phones[/url].
But I still don't own one.
Since late 2010, I've walked around with the same iPod Touch (4th gen.) in one pocket and a flip-phone in the other. I have no data plan. I purchase pay-as-you-go minutes in $100 increments and the effective cost of my phone service is roughly $15 per month. I have no contract, and I can change my carrier whenever I want to.
Yet I've come to understand that a significant number of people these days are walking around with only one device that they pay closer to $35-50 per month to use, and are locked in to two-year contracts with carriers that place caps on their internet usage. To me, this system feels like a scam. I'm fully aware of the utility of having a GPS I could put in my pocket and being able to access the internet anywhere I could get a phone signal, but I still don't see myself investing in these devices any time in the near future.
[b]TL;DR:[/b] does anybody [i]not[/i] own a smartphone, or not think smartphones are worth their cost? Does anybody find smartphones and/or their services indispensable?
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I've had the same flip-phone (Samsung Alias 2) for 4 or 5 years now, and I have a 4G iPod Touch that I don't use for anything other than music. I probably don't even need the phone because I only use an hour's worth of phone-call minutes in a given month and a few dozen texts, or so. So I don't need a smart-phone but if I weren't a social outcast I'd think it would be a fair investment.
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I just noticed that your avatar looks like a girl wearing a thong tehe
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Mobile productivity. Being able to do things on a computer nearly anywhere at any time is critical to our time of fast, instant communication. Plus "just in case" is reason enough.
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I need a good camera, a GPS, phone, internet, etc. all in one device. The iPhone delivers this to me, and I'm fine with it...
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I got my first phone recently, it's a samsung. I don't even use a lot of the features :/ It irritates me when people get their kids smartphones before they're even 10. I can't stand spoiled little shits.
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I don't have one yet, but I'm considering getting one eventually. Buying a smartphone isn't a scam. The two year contracts that people stupidly sign on to, on the other hand...
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My HTC evo can almost replace my computer. In fact, all my recent posts inthe past couple weeks were off my phone because iI am having computer problems.
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The camera is the main reason I own a smartphone. I travel a lot, so having a high quality camera built into a phone is extremely useful.
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Just like having dual monitors, once you've experienced it, there's no going back. I actually got my first smart phone last November, but before then I had my normal cell phones for about 9 years in existence. For tech savy people, or those that require them for your jobs, they're a must have. Mobile communication is increasing daily for website traffic, applications, sending and receiving reports, emails, faxes, messages, file transfers and so much more. I only pay $40 a month for my smart phone plan (Verizon), but I've never liked the way pay as you go plans work. Pay as you go forces you to burn up the minutes/data etc or you're out your money for the time limit. It works for some, but I wouldn't consider it my primary phone plan.
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It's like DVR, or heroin. Once you've had it, there's no going back.
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i also do not own a smartphone and quite honestly i don't need one. i have a crappy phone for calling / texting and i have an mp3 player for listening to music. that's all i need when i'm on the go technology-wise and whilst it would be nice to have a device that does both, no phone i have found adequately replicates an mp3 player's functionality, sound capability or space for music. would it be nice to have GPS? sure. would it be nice to have the internet wherever i go? of course, and when i find a constant need for them, i shall consider acquiring something that fulfills those purposes. but right now i like being unconnected with the rest of the digital world when i'm outside enjoying the real world; in my opinion we humans spend far too much time staring blankly into boxes of artificial light.
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Phone retailers have pushed traditional phones out of the market because of data plans that are relatively cheap for them to provide. To use a smartphone with a major provider, you must buy a data plan. I currently get unlimited data for $30/month, and I don't consider that expensive ($360/year isn't a huge deal) when I use it daily and get a ton of entertainment and utility out of it. But for someone like yourself that does not need to be able to access email or documents anywhere you are, and doesn't need an hour or so of calls per day, then a simple wifi device and flip phone is a good combination. Everyone's needs are different.
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Edited by A Good Troll: 5/3/2013 5:55:40 PMEveryone has different priorities. I pay $110 a month or so for two phones for my wife and I, and that includes a massive corporate discount. I need it for work. But along with that, outside of doing work at home, I never use a computer anymore once I'm out of the office. If I was at a job that was 9 - 5 and that is it, I could probably never buy a laptop or desktop at home again. So yeah, I might pay $110 a month for that, but I'd also not be spending thousands on new computers every few years as partial savings.
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Edited by Flee: 5/3/2013 5:57:29 PM>iPhone. >No contract. >$15 per month for virtually unlimited data usage (2GB/month) and texts (2.000/month). I charge my phone for $15 when I want to. This gives me one month of 2GB of data and 2.000 texts for free. When the month is over, I still have the $15 in credit left. 1 text or 1 mb of data then costs me around 8 cents, so that credit still usually lasts me for 2-4 weeks. Then I charge it again, and it all starts over. Effective cost: 15$ per 1.5/2 months for all the data and texts that I want. Pretty good, I'd say. And what do I think of smartphones? I think I've gotten to the point where I kind of do need one. I'm 20 years old now, and up until 5 months ago I had an old Nokia model. I like to think I'm in a pretty extraordinary position though. My girlfriend lives on another continent, so these apps are really useful. Texting her would cost me 70 cents per text, and a phone call would cost 1.5$ per minute. Now we use apps like Viber, Textplus, Whatsapp and Skype, which makes it so that texting and calling is essentially free, as long as you have an internet connection. If it weren't for my girlfriend and our situation, I probably still wouldn't have gotten a new phone.
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1 ReplyIf you need a phone then you get one, they are useful to keep yourself in touch with others and thanks to the latest consumer technology advancements they can also fulfill other miscellaneous things such as entertainment or useful gadgets for multiple purposes. Are they necessary? Yes and no.
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2 RepliesI don't own a [i]phone[/i]. Not even a landline D:
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1 ReplyGPS doesn't use Data if you use it right. If you get the right App.. you can download the maps you need and run solo on the GPS satellite. How do I know I'm not using data? I have Data disabled while using the GPS (Though I don't use GPS that much either. It is still not as good as a dedicate GPS device) I noticed the smartphone trend was starting to pick up speed in 2010 and I knew eventually smartphones will be the only option you'll be able to get, its becoming the standard for cell phones. So I went out and bought the Galaxy 3 with AT&T.
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3 RepliesConnectivity is important. Smartphones provide internet access and connectivity. Therefor people use smartphones. Its not a difficult concept
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2 RepliesYeah, they're mostly a scam, but they're so damn convenient. Having one device rather than two to three is nice. GPS wherever you are, Music player wherever is good too (Especially good since streaming services are growing). I don't [i]need[/i] my smartphone, but it is truly useful.
