# Don't need no stinkin' smart phone any more!



## roadfix (Nov 15, 2014)

I decided to go back to the old style flip phone.  I'm not a heavy phone user, use a pre-paid plan, so all I need to do is to transfer my voice only sim card to my new flip phone.  I wanted something rugged so I ordered an unlocked Samsung Rugby 3.  I really miss those old flip phones.  I think this one's gonna be a nice change, will be able to really 'feel it' in my hand and in my pocket.  
As for data, I have plenty of other wi-fi devices so I'm fine there, so I don't need it in my phone.


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## Kayelle (Nov 15, 2014)

Good for you RF. I've never had a smart phone and don't want or need one. My little flip phone with a pre paid plan is just fine with me. It's turned off when I carry it giving me all the power I want. It's amazing how powerful one can feel being undisturbed when out and about, the way we all used to be. Sometimes progress is a PITA.


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## bakechef (Nov 15, 2014)

We really enjoy our smart phones and use them often.  No longer do we need a separate GPS device and manually updating maps.  Easy to look up reviews on products while in store, and comparing prices before purchasing.

If my hotel wants to charge for wifi, I just use my phone as a wifi hotspot.  the high quality camera on my phone has replaced point and shoot cameras and the video is so good, I see no need for a video camera.  Everything is backed up to my online account without any action by me.

It's nice when we are traveling to look up restaurants and checking reviews.   Sharing recipes on the spot by emailing them to people is a pretty cool feature.

Smart phones definitely aren't for everyone that's for sure and if you really don't use yours to it's full potential, it may very well not be worth the money.

Luckily I don't have a lot of people calling me, and if they text, I can respond when I feel like it. I'm definitely not one of those people with it in my face at all times.


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## Steve Kroll (Nov 15, 2014)

bakechef said:


> We really enjoy our smart phones and use them often.  No longer do we need a separate GPS device and manually updating maps.  Easy to look up reviews on products while in store, and comparing prices before purchasing.


Bakechef, I am with you. Although I work in IT and normally embrace technology, I resisted buying a smartphone for many years. I just didn't get it. Then my wife got an iPhone and once I saw the different things she was able to do with it, I was hooked. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and will be upgrading again here soon. Just a short list of all the things I use it for:


Email
Photos
Taking notes in meetings
Maps & GPS
Comparing prices
Music
Watching Hulu and Plex (sending to Chromecast)
Clock and wake up alarm
Recipes
Remote control (my phone has an IR blaster)
Grocery lists
Audio books
Checking flight information
Flashlight
Browsing the web
Keeping up with football scores
Calendar
Storing contact information
Buying movie tickets
Texting (although not that often)
Set up reminders (to take pills, for example)
Stopwatch and cooking timers

The list goes on. The few times I have forgotten it at home, I've felt totally disconnected and lost.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 15, 2014)

I dumped my landline about a year ago.

I carry an old Kyocera "burner" that originally cost about $15.00 and costs me about $100.00/year in minutes.

I use the alarm clock feature to wake me up for "The Father Brown Mystery" on PBS. 
.
The only feature that I would like in a newer telephone is the camera.


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## bakechef (Nov 15, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Bakechef, I am with you. Although I work in IT and normally embrace technology, I resisted buying a smartphone for many years. I just didn't get it. Then my wife got an iPhone and once I saw the different things she was able to do with it, I was hooked. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and will be upgrading again here soon. Just a short list of all the things I use it for:
> 
> 
> Email
> ...



Ditto on most of those.  I cast to my roku often because it's easier to search Netflix, Hulu, plex etc.  I also use it to stream stuff from my server while working out at the gym.  

I love it as an alarm clock, mine has touchless control.  While out of town for work, I could just lay in bed and say "OK Google Now, set alarm for 6:30am tomorrow" and it does it.  Grocery lists and appointment calenders have become even more useful than I thought, put an entry in your smartphone and it's in the calender across all devices.  

My mom always emails me her flight itinerary and it automatically keeps me updated about her flight status via Google Now, without me having to do anything, same for hotel reservations, along with maps and traffic info along the way.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Nov 15, 2014)

I have one of those old Black Berry type pre paid phones;
I spend less that $60 per year... I text or call DH when necessary, 
that's it!
I don't need to be doing anything else when I'm out and about.
When I did work, I did IT (back when it first started out, ack!) stuff and I really don't want to be
_tied_ to that anymore.
I'm with you,  I don't need no stinkin' smart phone 
so ... 



Apple or Samsung, or any of those other ones out there!


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## roadfix (Nov 15, 2014)

I'm the only odd one in the family.  My wife and our daughters with their families are all under a single family account and they're all iphone users.  In fact, my wife just got her new iPhone 6 a couple of weeks ago and she's loving it.  Now, the rest of the family is thinking about "upgrading".     They're nice, but not for me.


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## creative (Nov 15, 2014)

I have a laptop, landline phone but no mobile phone...never felt a need for it.  Guess it may depict a certain lifestyle and I am a semi recluse by choice!


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## roadfix (Nov 16, 2014)

I was one of the very last ones within my circle of family and friends to acquire my very first cell phone.   
Even til this day, when my phone rings, chances are, it's a wrong number.   I'm not a talker.


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## Roll_Bones (Nov 16, 2014)

I hated the thought of a a smart phone until I got one. Now i cannot and will not leave home without it.
It works really good when there is a need to settle an argument.

Especially at the local watering hole where it seems someone always has some outlandish proclamation, that is easily debunked with my phone.
I love the "Our Groceries" app and a couple others that are very helpful.


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## Andy M. (Nov 16, 2014)

I got my first cell phone when I started dating SO (1999).  We still have flip phones.  Most of our calls are to each other.  SO has difficulty with her iPad.  Texting and such would drive her crazy.  I'd like a smart phone but can't justify the added cost right now.


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## roadfix (Nov 16, 2014)

Upon acquiring my first cell phone I immediately felt this sense of security as I used to often go out on mountain bike trips or just be out with friends, away from the house or whatever, or not being able to keep in touch with my business.  I used to carry a pager (my last one being a wrist watch pager) but I never like those things.


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## Katie H (Nov 16, 2014)

The only reason I ever bought a cell phone was because Buck insisted it after I was nearly killed in a vehicle accident.  He wanted the security of being able to communicate with each other when one or the other of us was not at home.

We had a land line so we purchased one TracFone to be used by whomever was going to be away from the house.  Worked fine for us for years and we probably would still be following the same plan had he not died.

After his death, I still maintained the land line because it was the most economical avenue for running Internet and also had the cell phone with me when I went out.  It was turned off when I was at home.

Now, Glenn and I do not have a land line.  He didn't have one when we married, just a cell phone for himself.  After we married he bought me a "real" cell phone (a flip phone) and that's what we currently have.

Barely any of the features of any of the Smart Phones are of any interest or use to us.  Largely because we live quite simply, don't travel a great deal, which negates the need for GPS, don't wish to connect to the Internet via phone, text or "save" memos, photos, or conversations.

To us, viewing videos or movies via the phone screen is hilarious.  If we desire to see these forms of entertainment, the big screen is our preferred choice.  I would imagine viewing the burning of Atlanta from _Gone with the Wind_ on a cell phone screen be nothing short of silly.

Even though both our phones are bare bones models, they do have cameras that take both still and video pictures, a timer, alarm, and other features we have yet to figure out.

We've set up our account with our service provider to only have call "receive" and call "send," along with call waiting.  No texting or other messaging is included in our bill.

We're not anti-techonolgy, it's just simply that, at this time, none of what a Smart Phone does would be of any use or interest to us.


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## bakechef (Nov 16, 2014)

My phone has a 5" screen and it's really handy to have when you want to show people pictures, almost the size of a traditional print.  Actually I haven't printed a photo in close to decade!


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## roadfix (Nov 16, 2014)

I agree, the big smartphones are great for photos and videos.....and yet small enough to slip into your pocket.


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## Steve Kroll (Nov 16, 2014)

Katie H said:


> To us, viewing videos or movies via the phone screen is hilarious.  If we desire to see these forms of entertainment, the big screen is our preferred choice.  I would imagine viewing the burning of Atlanta from _Gone with the Wind_ on a cell phone screen be nothing short of silly.


These are some of the things that people without Smartphones don't understand. 

I don't have to watch movies on the small screen. I can pull up any movie I own on my phone (I have 400 in my personal library, including "Gone with the Wind") or from Netflix and, using Google Chromecast, send it to any television in the house, including the 65" in our media room. 1080p full HD with Surround Sound.

I can do the same with music. I can play music in one room, or I can play it in every room in the house (at least the ones that have speakers). It's great for dinner parties where you want some background music.

As far as viewing on the small screen goes, you might be surprised. I've watched movies on my cell phone on planes, and while the phone might only have a 5" screen, the clarity is still HD quality and absolutely stunning. And the sound coming through the headphones is as big as it is in any theater. I'll admit it isn't the perfect viewing venue, by any means, but is anything on a plane perfect?


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## Andy M. (Nov 16, 2014)

Back in the old days (he croaked from his rocker with a blanket across his knees) we had a New England Telephone Company phone with a party line and no TV at all.  A computer was something scientists talked about.  The changes I have seen in my lifetime are mind-boggling.  

I think smartphones are amazing technological breakthroughs.  I am fascinated by all you can do with one.  Apps that do so many different tasks are free or cheap.  Practically anywhere you go, all the information in the world is at your fingertips.

When I tell you I don't have a smartphone, it's not an indictment.  It's an acknowledgement that it's a toy that I can't justify buying.


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## bakechef (Nov 16, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> Back in the old days (he croaked from his rocker with a blanket across his knees) we had a New England Telephone Company phone with a party line and no TV at all.  A computer was something scientists talked about.  The changes I have seen in my lifetime are mind-boggling.
> 
> I think smartphones are amazing technological breakthroughs.  I am fascinated by all you can do with one.  Apps that do so many different tasks are free or cheap.  Practically anywhere you go, all the information in the world is at your fingertips.
> 
> When I tell you I don't have a smartphone, it's not an indictment.  It's an acknowledgement that it's a toy that I can't justify buying.



I remember party lines.  I remember mom asking Betty when she was finally going to get off the phone!


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 16, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> When I tell you I don't have a smartphone, it's not an indictment.  It's an acknowledgement that it's a toy that I can't justify buying.



I'm in the same camp.

For me it is about appropriate technology defined as sound solutions to real problems.  I just don't have many of the problems that a smart phone is designed to solve. 

I can see one in my future as various apps become available to monitor old duffers, assist them with various reminders, wellness checks, etc...  I think they could  become a valuable tool that allows people to age in place until they just can't navigate and have to send that final text.


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## Cheryl J (Nov 17, 2014)

I have a Samsung Gs4, but only because I'm on my daughter and SIL's family plan and they give me their 'old' phones when they get an upgrade.    Daughter programs it for me for what I'm likely to use, and I'm happy to accept that.  I've asked them before what my share of the family plan is and offered to pay for whatever that is and share the cost of any upgrades, but they tell me not to worry about it, so I don't.   

I do love the quality of the pics and videos and how handy it is to use!  I haven't even used my digital camera in a couple of years because my phone takes better quality pics and videos than my little Nikon digital, and is so much handier.  Not to mention the few apps I use, such as weather reports and couponing.


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

One thing for sure, the cameras in phones have gotten so much better they replace most point and shoot cameras.


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## Addie (Nov 17, 2014)

I have one of those free cell phones that are paid for by the government. I can send and receive calls and I can text. I just don't know how to text yet. Maybe someday. Anyone who knows me, knows not to text me, because I don't know how to retrieve it either. And besides, I like the sound of a human voice. I get 250 minutes a month free. And for $5.00 I buy an additional 250 minutes. I very rarely use all my minutes each month. 

Because of my heart condition, I do take my phone with me everywhere I go. Even to the bathroom. I keep it in my housecoat pocket. I got rid of the landline. And if I know I am going to be on the phone for a while, I use my computer to make a call. For one, it saves my minutes and it is free also. I call through my Skype account. Which is free also. I too can see no need for me to have all the extras that the latest and greatest has to offer. When The Pirate is here and his phone rings, he tells me to answer it as he is busy. I still haven't figure out to even answer the fool thing.


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

Addie said:


> .....I too can see no need for me to have all the extras that the latest and greatest has to offer......



My wife's new smart phone....  she only uses it to make and receive calls, the other 95% of the features of her phone is practically useless for her.   She has absolutely no use for data, she's never been a computer person.


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## jennyema (Nov 17, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Bakechef, I am with you. Although I work in IT and normally embrace technology, I resisted buying a smartphone for many years. I just didn't get it. Then my wife got an iPhone and once I saw the different things she was able to do with it, I was hooked. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and will be upgrading again here soon. Just a short list of all the things I use it for:
> 
> 
> Email
> ...


 

All of the above.  Plus 

Reading newspapers every day
Bank of America,
OpenTable,
Uber,
Facebook,
buying train tickets,
Buying anything and everything on Amazon
Kindle
I couldn't live without my iPhone.  I am waiting for my new 6 to arrive!


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

jennyema said:


> ....I couldn't live without my iPhone.  I am waiting for my new 6 to arrive!



Congrats!  Which one did you order?  My wife loves her big one as she had trouble using the smaller phones previous to this.


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## Dawgluver (Nov 17, 2014)

I find it amusing that we've come full circle on phones.  Used to be that smaller was better, easily tucked into any purse or pocket.  Now, with all the features available, we're back to big, honkin' phones!

I like both my iThings, especially my iPad, which has pretty much replaced my PC.  Been thinking about going iPhone 6, but I like the size of my 5s.


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

The younger folks have no trouble with teeny devices.  At our age we appreciate the larger buttons and icons.   Many of the smart phones we use practically look like mini tablets these days...  My wife is petite and her new phone is as big as her head....


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## jennyema (Nov 17, 2014)

roadfix said:


> Congrats! Which one did you order? My wife loves her big one as she had trouble using the smaller phones previous to this.


 

Just a regular 6.  I carry a bag but often put my phone in a pants pocket and the 6+ or whatever it's called just seems a bit big.  But I hear you about smaller phones being harder to use.  I hated my Blackberry because of that.

The cameras on the new iPhones take stunning pictures!


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

jennyema said:


> J
> The cameras on the new iPhones take stunning pictures!



Yes they certainly do!   I always carry with me, in my man purse, a separate point and shoot camera.  
I just wish one day some of these advanced point and shoot cameras come installed with phones.


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## roadfix (Nov 17, 2014)

Just received my new flip phone in the mail!   My little grandkids are gonna flip when I show them my new phone.......they've only known smartphones.


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## CharlieD (Nov 17, 2014)

my Samsung Galaxy 3 old phone, a year and a half old, died on me. I went back to iPhone the other day. Love it. I am not as advance as Steve, but I do like the phone, it really is convenient. 

Steve, speaking of grocery, what's the name of that Grocery app you shared before?


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## Dawgluver (Nov 17, 2014)

CharlieD said:


> my Samsung Galaxy 3 old phone, a year and a half old, died on me. I went back to iPhone the other day. Love it. I am not as advance as Steve, but I do like the phone, it really is convenient.
> 
> Steve, speaking of grocery, what's the name of that Grocery app you shared before?




OurGroceries is the app.  We use it every day!


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## CharlieD (Nov 18, 2014)

Thank you.


Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


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## roadfix (Nov 22, 2014)

Now that I've been using my new flip phone for a few days I miss not being able to cancel an incoming call simply by swiping the screen like I used to do with my smart phones.
I can only do one of two things with my flip phone.....either let it ring without answering (which is annoying) or flip open the phone and close immediately to hang up on the call.  The latter will cost me a call since I'm on pre-paid.
Other than that it'a a nice, rugged phone.  I already dropped it a couple of times to test its ruggedness.  I don't think I'll test its waterproof feature although they claim it can be immersed in 3ft of water for 30 minutes.  That claim, I don't trust.


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## roadfix (Nov 23, 2014)

Funny thing is that hipsters are trending back to the old flip phones.
My family was poking fun with me just last night about how I started riding fixed gear bicycles on the street some 20 years ago (and still do) and how the hipsters caught on a few years later.   Now they're making fun of me with my new flip phone and fixed gear bicycles. 
I am not a hipster.


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## Roll_Bones (Nov 23, 2014)

roadfix said:


> Funny thing is that hipsters are trending back to the old flip phones.
> My family was poking fun with me just last night about how I started riding fixed gear bicycles on the street some 20 years ago (and still do) and how the hipsters caught on a few years later.   Now they're making fun of me with my new flip phone and fixed gear bicycles.
> I am not a hipster.



I'm not a hipster either. I think?  Not really sure what a "hipster" is?
But I also ride a big tire old fashioned beach bike (except its not that old).
I listen to old rock and I am a liberal.
So, am I a hipster or just hip?


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## roadfix (Nov 23, 2014)

....


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## Andy M. (Nov 23, 2014)

I have never been connected to the word 'hip' in any way.  That could change in the future if it's used in conjunction with the word 'broken'.


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## bakechef (Nov 23, 2014)

Hipsters like to create an image outside the "norm", often shunning popular things.  Once something becomes mainstream, they move on to the next thing.  Vintage attire mixed with eclectic things and music that nobody has really heard of is a big part of the lifestyle.


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## roadfix (Nov 23, 2014)

When I say goodbye to my family members and close friends I say "too hip, gotta go"....


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