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View Poll Results: Do you like non-smartphones?
Yes 7 63.64%
No 3 27.27%
I'm not sure 1 9.09%
Voters: 11. You may not vote on this poll

 
 
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  #1  
Old August 12, 2013, 09:20:20 AM
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Default Non-smartphone appreciation

These days, smartphones have dominated society. People like them because they can everything that a laptop or tablet can do, only in a smaller size.

However not all of us are into the smartphone market for a variety of reasons with simplicity and low price plans being the one of the main reasons. How many of you still prefer the good old fashion non-smartphones? Why or why not?

I like non-smartphones because of the low cost for monthly plans and durability. Smartphones, especially the iPhones are more fragile and break more easily than a regular phone. For example a smartphone's screen could crack if dropped, where as a flip-phone's screen is less likely to break.
A smartphone WILL require a data plan in addition to the phone plans so monthly payments could easily cost $60 or more for each smartphone. I only pay $30 a month for unlimited talk and text for my phone since that's all I need. If I want to serf the web or play games, I'll bring my laptop or get a tablet since the browser is far better than a smartphone's and games run better on a laptop or even a tablet.

Last edited by BigN64; August 12, 2013 at 09:24:02 AM.
  #2  
Old August 12, 2013, 09:41:54 AM
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I'm with you there man. Still using my Nokia 2760 that I've had for almost 5 years. It has two basic functions: Calling people (crazy thing to do with a PHONE), and texting. However I barely use it beyond seeing where people are and emergencies as most of my talking is through the web (which I'd rather have a full computer to use). I have a pay as you go plan thingy and it only costs me like $10 a YEAR to use it. Even with the fact the phone is almost 5 years old and the battery is starting to take a toll, I still can get a week or so out of it without charging and being on standby. I've dropped the thing countless times and it just keeps chugging along.

However it is going to be retired soon as I need to get a smartphone for work. I'll still hang onto it though, still a good phone.

Last edited by Yoshi648; August 12, 2013 at 09:42:38 AM.
  #3  
Old August 12, 2013, 11:42:24 AM
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I don't have plans to ever get a smartphone. I have almost no use for one. In fact, there have only been a handful of times I have actually thought that having one would have been more useful than my basic Nokia phone, mostly times I really quickly need to check e-mail for work information, confirm a business address (not like I keep the yellow pages in my car, but I do keep an up-to-date map, which has gotten me out of quite a few situations of lost directions), or simply want a little Internet access while at a place I have to wait without a router. Of course, many of those situations are moot now, as I have a FreedomPop hotspot coming in the mail (500 MB completely free per month), which works with my laptop and tablet (and possibly 3DS), for quick use should I ever need Internet anywhere.

Now, here's where things get interesting. I personally dislike the entire image that smartphone users carry around with them. Using one at the table for chatting with someone about something that isn't important instead of chatting with the people physically near you who you barely get to see? I hate you already. I just can't stand people who feel that their smartphone is their third arm. If you can't tell, smartphone misuse is one of my top pet peeves.

If you have a smartphone, please be courteous and turn off all notifications to things that aren't important. I don't want to hear Words With Friends chiming that it's your move and then you immediately pull it out. If you do that, I'm likely to suggest a word you've never heard of for 40 points after you submit your play of "dog" for five points.

It doesn't help the major providers have been seriously pushing smartphones, notably the iPhone and Galaxy line (both often with heavy subsidization so they appear "free" up front), giving plenty of people opportunities to misuse them and lose their friends.

(While we're at it, I dislike texting too...and in general getting calls when I'm busy. In other words, I personally don't like cell phones very much.)


TL;DR: While the smartphone is a useful device, I don't need one, and I hate people who misuse them.

Last edited by Cat333Pokémon; August 12, 2013 at 11:45:03 AM.
  #4  
Old August 12, 2013, 02:06:36 PM
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Even though I appreciate the advantages of modern technology, I still don't understand the allure of smartphones. They force a small battery to run a minicomputer so it only lasts a few hours. You won't even catch me playing any of those friend games. I only listen to music if it's absolutely necessary (Yes, it happens.) I'm rarely on YouTube. Only modern use is for updating a Facebook status quickly or using the internet as a resource.

My first phone was very basic. The only things I could use it for were calling and texting. I didn't like calling, never did. I have to use my awkward voice and I can't pronounce words with my awkward mouth and it comes out jumbled and I can't think of words to say on the fly so I just sit there for 30 minutes in silence when I could be having a phone conversation... yeah, so I stuck with texting. It's easier. My mom got annoyed with the way I texted (fliphone) so she got me one designed for texting. Then I upgraded (BECAUSE IT WAS 100% FREE~! I like free~)

The phone I use today, the Xperia Play I barely treat like a phone. Sure, I still text and call rarely, but I take advantage of the built in PSP controller more. I also experiment with the Android OS, but I don't wanna go into detail with that (;D) Being an only child with two lawyer parents and nothing to do (If you lived here, you'd never want to go outside. Ever), I need some simple entertainment.
  #5  
Old August 13, 2013, 01:15:27 AM
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Am I the only person here using a smartphone for, you know, phone calls and actually texting people? I do use my phone for web browsing more often than not, and Windows Phone does make it easy to post to social networks. Not much of a fan of smartphone gaming, though, and the battery obviously doesn't last very long when you use it to browse the web non-stop, with it being rather taxing to the phone's rather obsolete processor.

Either way, I'd like to think of the smartphone as the "jack-of-all-trades, master of none" gadget these days. A lot of things that smartphones can do, other (still portable) devices could probably do a lot better. Feature phones tend to have a better time holding onto a charge and making quality phone calls; laptops and portable game consoles are usually better at gaming; tablets and laptops give more time and space browsing the Internet; a dedicated camera will take pictures that are usually out of reach of the average smartphone; a true portable media player lasts forever playing media; laptops handle office tasks much better; and so on.

However, there's the "convenience beats everything else" thing that pretty much triumphs everything else when it comes to most people. And I can't say that I'm surprised - my smartphone actually saved my butt multiple times when I'm out of a laptop.

I do also keep a Nokia 110 around for... you know... emergencies and when my phone's dead.

Last edited by Twiggy; August 13, 2013 at 01:15:59 AM.
  #6  
Old August 13, 2013, 11:55:59 AM
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Ooh, lots of stuff to reply to:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
Am I the only person here using a smartphone for, you know, phone calls and actually texting people? I do use my phone for web browsing more often than not, and Windows Phone does make it easy to post to social networks. Not much of a fan of smartphone gaming, though, and the battery obviously doesn't last very long when you use it to browse the web non-stop, with it being rather taxing to the phone's rather obsolete processor.
Nope, you are not. I can name several people who have a smartphone just because that's what their next upgrade was, but they only use it for a little bit of Web use or a social game or two. (In fact, before getting my tablet I did consider a used iPod Touch or using my next upgrade for a "free" iPhone 4 just for Words With Friends. I didn't know it was on Android at the time. Also, if you can't tell, Scrabble is my favorite board game.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
Feature phones tend to have a better time holding onto a charge and making quality phone calls
Yep, I've actually had a comment as recent as Sunday about that. We were out on the lake, and another guy commented that it was crazy how I had full reception when I checked my 2G Nokia phone, while his 4G-compatible smartphone, which was completely out of 3G and 4G range, had only two bars on 2G. (And AT&T really thinks it's a good idea to phase out 2G in 2017? They better patch these dead spots with reliable 3G at least by then.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
laptops and portable game consoles are usually better at gaming;
I've been carrying my 3DS everywhere since I got it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
tablets and laptops give more time and space browsing the Internet
Mobile browsers are often terrible for browsing various sites, but not because of a poorly-made browser. They're usually due to lack of mobile versions of sites and designers not expecting people to zoom way in on a page (and thus have elements on top of each other due to page relativity).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
a dedicated camera will take pictures that are usually out of reach of the average smartphone
And that's always limited by the lens. Ever wonder why the best pictures come from cameras with massive lenses? Many smartphones have stationary lenses (no focus), and almost none have optical zoom. Yeah, not gonna win any awards with that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
a true portable media player lasts forever playing media
I've had my SanDisk Sansa player since around July of 2006 (after, ironically enough, the first one suffered a firmware crash less than a month after getting it and was sent in for a replacement). This replacement is still kicking in my car, and I still update the music on it every now and then. I must have burned through over 150 AAA batteries in its lifetime.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
laptops handle office tasks much better
I can't stand non-tactile keyboards. They're so prone to errors.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
However, there's the "convenience beats everything else" thing that pretty much triumphs everything else when it comes to most people. And I can't say that I'm surprised - my smartphone actually saved my butt multiple times when I'm out of a laptop.
A camera always on hand for candid shots, maps when lost, entertainment when waiting a long time, work e-mail when in the field, etc.

Last edited by Cat333Pokémon; August 13, 2013 at 06:43:43 PM. Reason: Typo
  #7  
Old August 14, 2013, 02:26:05 AM
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And, it's my turn to mass-reply. xD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
Nope, you are not. I can name several people who have a smartphone just because that's what their next upgrade was, but they only use it for a little bit of Web use or a social game or two. (In fact, before getting my tablet I did consider a used iPod Touch or using my next upgrade for a "free" iPhone 4 just for Words With Friends. I didn't know it was on Android at the time. Also, if you can't tell, Scrabble is my favorite board game.)
It's like they're trying to get rid of phones before smartphones.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
Yep, I've actually had a comment as recent as Sunday about that. We were out on the lake, and another guy commented that it was crazy how I had full reception when I checked my 2G Nokia phone, while his 4G-compatible smartphone, which was completely out of 3G and 4G range, had only two bars on 2G. (And AT&T really thinks it's a good idea to phase out 2G in 2017? They better patch these dead spots with reliable 3G at least by then.)
One of the things I appreciate from Nokia phones is that their reception is... well, very good. Most of their phones, even their current smartphones, are mostly plastic. Tacky as it might be, internal antennas work much better with a plastic casing. Aluminium, not so much. (Remember the iPhone 4's antenna reception issues?) There's a reason why the Nokia Lumia 925 (which uses an aluminium frame as the antenna, same as recent iPhones) have a lot of gaps to try to reduce the chances of the entire antenna getting short-circuited.

Doesn't explain Samsung phones, though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
I've been carrying my 3DS everywhere since I got it.
Same for me, though I tend to put my 3DS XL in its own carrying case so that it doesn't get itself scratched up by all the other junk in my bag. Bonus: game cards, too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
Mobile browsers are often terrible for browsing various sites, but not because of a poorly-made browser. They're usually due to lack of mobile versions of sites and designers not expecting people to zoom way in on a page (and thus have elements on top of each other due to page relativity).
It's even worse when a site refuses to serve up a mobile version simply because it thinks your browser isn't mobile, doesn't recognize it, or - even worse - give you WAP versions instead. (Internet Explorer, anyone?)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
And that's always limited by the lens. Ever wonder why the best pictures come from cameras with massive lenses? Many smartphones have stationary lenses (no focus), and almost none have optical zoom. Yeah, not gonna win any awards with that.
Sensors are a big factor, too. One smartphone got very close to getting a photo win an award - second place in reality - and that would be the Nokia 808 Pureview. Its camera module is also... huge to account for the sensor and lens, so there's that. And then we have the 1020 and Galaxy S4 Zoom, which are capable cameras... but, yep, the former has a big amount of space dedicated to the camera (though not as big as the 808, thankfully), and the latter? Trying to cram in a stabilized 10x zoom lens will make the N95 and low-end laptops look thin.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
I've had my SanDisk Sansa player since around July of 2006 (after, ironically enough, the first one suffered a firmware crash less than a month after getting it and was sent in for a replacement). This replacement is still kicking in my car, and I still update the music on it every now and then. I must have burned through over 150 AAA batteries in its lifetime.
Reminds me of my portable radio. A pair of AAs every month is forever.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
I can't stand non-tactile keyboards. They're so prone to errors.
I know, right? Even laptop keyboards of the scissor-switch variety are tactile enough. (And when I do get a Surface RT or its successor, I'm going to get the Type Cover, if only because I need the tactility.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
A camera always on hand for candid shots, maps when lost, entertainment when waiting a long time, work e-mail when in the field, etc.
Sounds like me.
  #8  
Old August 14, 2013, 03:09:30 AM
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I think an interesting question to follow up with would be this:

If you currently use a smartphone, could you live a month with a basic feature phone (with only calling and texting--no data) instead of a smartphone, and why?

If your answer is "no" and you aren't required to use it for work or other actual important tasks, you may be addicted to it.

Last edited by Cat333Pokémon; August 14, 2013 at 03:10:45 AM.
  #9  
Old August 14, 2013, 04:44:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
I think an interesting question to follow up with would be this:

If you currently use a smartphone, could you live a month with a basic feature phone (with only calling and texting--no data) instead of a smartphone, and why?

If your answer is "no" and you aren't required to use it for work or other actual important tasks, you may be addicted to it.
I'm not even sure since the last time I've used a true feature phone is, well, forever. Even the 110 I have is capable of basic Internet access for emails and IM.
  #10  
Old August 14, 2013, 06:45:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat333Pokémon View Post
I think an interesting question to follow up with would be this:

If you currently use a smartphone, could you live a month with a basic feature phone (with only calling and texting--no data) instead of a smartphone, and why?

If your answer is "no" and you aren't required to use it for work or other actual important tasks, you may be addicted to it.
Well, my 3DS replaces the gaming. My computer replaces the internet. I only do texting. So I don't see why not. Pfft, I even still have my first phone on me. We could do this thang RIGHT NOW.

And for the why: the only modern device I really feel addicted to is my iPod. Slow and crash-prone as it may be, it stores a lot of my music and has various useful apps like voice recording and mini piano for when I want to write a song. I just have to have it with me. Smartphones are just a luxury.
  #11  
Old August 14, 2013, 11:30:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggy View Post
I'm not even sure since the last time I've used a true feature phone is, well, forever. Even the 110 I have is capable of basic Internet access for emails and IM.
"No data" = no data access through your provider (i.e. no data plan).
  #12  
Old August 14, 2013, 11:46:49 AM
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I think going with "feature phone and iPod touch" is cheating. Teehee.

Either way, maybe I'll even end up getting used to it. At least Nokia still produces quality basic phones that are good for calls, text, a flashlight app, FM radio, and not much more.
 
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