Plain o'l cell phone

[jfschultz]

As counter point to the iPhone5 thread... How many are pleased with just a plain old cell phone?

 

[JoannaV]

The phone I am currently using is a Nokia I acquired four and a half years ago. I have had another (plain ol') phone since then, a Sony Ericsson, but it started acting funny so I got my Nokia unlocked so I could use it over here. I love Nokia.

There are a lot of things I don't like about smartphones. They're big. They cost more. Their data plans cost more. They have high-end video ability etcetc which I'm just not interested in. You end up having a lot of data on your phone which you then need to back-up to your computer.

However, my husband's iPhone is indispensable to our household. It's our bank branch And it has all kinds of features which are alluring. Visual voicemail!

Eventually I will get a smartphone myself. 99% sure it will use android. So it won't be a Nokia, which makes me sad :-( There are some great apps out there, and as time passes I see increasingly how owning my own smartphone would help me be more productive in various ways.

But my plain ol' Nokia does please me

 

[Scottish Lass]

On our last upgrade we splurged for phones with keyboards. Does that still count? By the way, try finding one of those without a data plan!

 

[Jack K]

I too have a keyboard for occasional texting. But otherwise, the less on that gets in the way of phone calls, the better.

 

[ubermadchen]

I like still being smarter than my phone so I have a plan old phone. I'll hold out as long as I can!

 

[Athaleyah]

I happy with my phone with the little slide-out tray for texting. My husband got me a Kindle Fire last year, so I have no desire for a smaller-screened, more expensive phone with an expensive data plan. Sometimes it would be nice to have internet anywhere, but I am content to let my phone be a phone.

 

[Zach]

I do enjoy having access to the Bible, the Reformed Confessions, and my email on my phone. Would I be pleased with just a plain old phone? Yes. But a smart phone does make a lot of things easier to do on the go.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

Luddites!

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

I'm very happy with my "dumb" phone (my MacBook Air & Thunderbolt Display at home are sufficient for my cyber needs); I received a notice a couple of months ago from Assurance Wireless saying that if I was a senior citizen below a certain income level I was eligible for a free phone, I only needed to provide a copy of my previous 1040 to certify it, so I did; I get 250 free minutes a month, and 250 free text messages a month. My wife has a T-Mobile "dumb" phone for which we pay $100 for 1000 minutes (the phone cost $12.99), and we figure we can do a year with that (she doesn't phone much), which means she gets her phone for about $8.33 a month. I believe the leftover minutes will roll over when we do it for the next year.

One has to be frugal in this economy, especially if one is on a fixed retirement income (though Pola does do a little part-time nanny work).

 

[jfschultz]

On our last upgrade we splurged for phones with keyboards. Does that still count? By the way, try finding one of those without a data plan!

They are there but stuck well away from the "prime" showcases. So you have to look for them.

 

[Elizabeth]

I have an old LG flip-type Tracfone. No keyboard. Just for emergencies or very quick checking-in type calls. Cheap and there when I need it.

 

[M21195]

I get the least expensive phone available when I need to replace a current phone....I would get rid of it if I didn't need it for work.

 

[Edward]

I have a phone with a slide out keyboard for texting and which is a decent phone. Then I have a Blackberry for work on the other side, which is great for email but a really lousy phone. And a Kindle touch, if I really need to get on the internet.

 

[Scottish Lass]

On our last upgrade we splurged for phones with keyboards. Does that still count? By the way, try finding one of those without a data plan!

They are there but stuck well away from the "prime" showcases. So you have to look for them.

Verizon actually only offered two when we were looking (online and in-store). I do like the slide-out tray, though.

 

[sevenzedek]

I enjoy my LG - Octane. However, to make up for some of it's deficiencies, I carry around an iPod touch mp3 player. I use it as a bible and a personal organizer when I am out and about.

What is nice about this combination is that I get some of the benefits of having an iPhone without the data charge. When I get near a wifi hotspot, I just sync up. That usually happens when I get home. Another advantage is that carrying iPod rather than an iPhone is not as distracting. I have seen other people constantly interrupted by all it's bells and whistles.

 

[TexanRose]

I have a plain old flip phone and am quite satisfied with it. I don't intend to "upgrade" to a smart phone any time soon.

 

[Christoffer]

I get my phone from my employer, for both private and work-related use. I used to always take the cheap ones from the warehouse since I tend to wear out phones quite quickly. So I was at ease with really cheap phones.

A couple of months ago the pixels in the display had died to the point that I could not write text messages anymore so I had to get a new one. My boss then insisted on an iPhone since it is "on the company"