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Thread: Time to replace my flip phone

  1. #1
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    Time to replace my flip phone

    I've never had a smart phone! I must be a neander at heart but it's time to keep up with technology. I noticed that amazon had an "unlocked" version of an LG smart phone for about $150. What does unlocked refer to and is that a decent deal for someone to start smart phoning?

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas L Carpenter View Post
    ... it's time to keep up with technology.
    You don't indicate your level of familiarity with smart phones, but you can conduct 95% of your life thru a phone now - calls, text, email, web-browsing, shopping, banking, POS payments, etc. I booked an entire weeks biz travel in less than 5 minutes - flight/hotel/rental car - all thru my phone. It can be VERY handy. Or, very confusing. My suggestion would be to start at your current provider's local retail outlet and try several.

    First , look at the display. Its it big enough (i.e. matches your visual capability)? Can the screen be customized to suit you? Is making and receiving a call intuitive? Dialing? Answering? Put the call on speaker? It it loud enough? Video call? (if that's what you want)

    And then come the apps. And apps! And more apps!! Decide what you want to do with the phone. Will it handle your choices?

    And GET A BULLET-PROOF CASE!! Its cheap insurance (just ask my sons.) If you drop a bundle on a new phone, and then drop the phone, you'll spend the next 24 months guessing what the $#@@ you're looking at.

    My dad (90y.o.) struggles with his smart phone. Hearing is an issue to some extent, but biggest hurdle he has is with the touch screen. 'Tap' vs. 'Touch/Hold' vs. 'Swipe' has him frustrated at times. If you test drive them, you'll at least know what you're in for. Then start shopping for a bargain.

    -------
    Adder: If immediate family or nearby close friends have a particular make/model of phone, you might give serious consideration to matching it...??? They can be the best source of 'tech support' available. My father had Android OS for his first, but everybody else close to him has Apple - so we struggled trying to help him navigate to various settings (that he invariably turned off accidentally). We got him to switch to Apple and now it is a simple matter to remotely talk him thru a 'reset' when needed.

    Hope this helps!
    Last edited by Malcolm McLeod; 11-13-2017 at 9:35 AM.

  3. #3
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    "Unlocked" means that it can work on most carriers' networks by just using their SIM card (The SIM card is a tiny thing that provides your phone with it's identity to the wireless networks) Buying an unlocked phone is a good idea because it give you great flexibility to move between carriers for cost control and even use pre-paid services if your usage is low.

    Please don't buy a smartphone purely on price...you may regret that as it may mean slower performance or getting a unit with an older, slower, more security vulnerable version of the phone's operating system. For this, I'm speaking about Android which is the predominate operating system for smartphones that are not Apple's iPhone with iOS. You need to consider durability, too. I absolutely agree with Malcolm about going out to various places that sell phones and trying them out in your hand, even if you ultimately buy online. Also consider that in the Android world, pretty much every manufacturer customizes the user interface so each one may actually look different than the next one, unlike in the Apple iOS world. Only Google, for the most part, offers a "pure" Android distribution with their new Pixel 2 device.

    Personally, I use Apple's system and prefer it over Android. But that's me and it's a "religious" thing for most folks. LOL
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
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    Malcolm gives some very good advice. Especially the part about getting the type of phone your family and friends use. My parents who are in their 70’s started out with Androids about 5 years ago and it was a disaster. They aren’t tech savvy but they tried hard at it and still had repeated issues with simple things. And I couldn’t help them since I wasn’t familiar with how Androids are laid out. Once they switched to iPhones it was much smoother and if they had a question it was a simple text or phone call to walk them through it. Also, it’s easy to Facetime with them and they can see their grandkids a lot more - much better than dealing with Skype or another service.


    That all being said, and iPhone will cost more.

  5. #5
    I wish someone would make a phone for calling, texting and gps and that's all.....

  6. #6
    I've never had a good relationship with phones. Back in the late 80's (pre-cellphone days) the phone switching station was gutted by fire and we were without phone service for 5 weeks. I loved it. But now that land lines are a thing of the past...

    If you can surf the Internet for hours, smartphones can steal your life and turn you into a zombie. They are mini computers with 24/7 Internet connection. And everything you do through your smartphone is unsecure unless you use encryption. We're in the Big Brother era now.

    Also, when you sign up with a carrier, check what happens when you go over allotted texts or data usage. You can be in for a big shock if you go over your limits.

    Good luck entering the smartphone world, Thomas. Just don't let it insert itself in between all your human contacts.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  7. #7
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    Random data point: I finally got a smart phone last year. The "killer app" that drove me to it (no pun intended) was that my new Honda has no nav system, but it has a touchscreen and Android Auto built-in. So the phone handles the GPS side of the nav equation (with some assist from cell-tower triangulation) and displays Google Maps on the car's display.

    I went with Consumer Cellular (AKA "BoomerCom") at their lowest talk/data tier, currently $21/month all in with AARP discount...they transferred my old number from Sprint painlessly. Hardware was a Samsung J3 for $125, cheapest phone they had with the version of Android required to talk to the car.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
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    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm McLeod View Post
    You don't indicate your level of familiarity with smart phones, but you can conduct 95% of your life thru a phone now - calls, text, email, web-browsing, shopping, banking, POS payments, etc. ..It can be VERY handy. Or, very confusing.
    One key thing to remember is that, while you can treat the phone as a "computerized life partner", you don't have to.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  9. #9
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    make sure the carrier you use will support the phone model before you buy.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas L Carpenter View Post
    I've never had a smart phone! I must be a neander at heart but it's time to keep up with technology. I noticed that amazon had an "unlocked" version of an LG smart phone for about $150. What does unlocked refer to and is that a decent deal for someone to start smart phoning?
    What carrier do you use. How many minutes do you need. I have a Tracfone that I use and really like but I don't use it as a primary phone and it works well for me. I ended up getting it from one of the shopping channels as it was way cheaper then going through Tracfone. I got the phone and 1200 minutes of talk 1200 text and 1200 data for less then Tracfone wanted just for the phone. The minutes last for a year and I get a new phone every year and transfer the remaining minutes to the new phone. Have been doing this for about 4 years now and always have a new phone.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee DeRaud View Post
    One key thing to remember is that, while you can treat the phone as a "computerized life partner", you don't have to.
    I assumed most SMC readers would be suitably mature and astute enough to differentiate between a phone (however much computerized) and a life partner. Silly me.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Malcolm McLeod View Post
    I assumed most SMC readers would be suitably mature and astute enough to differentiate between a phone (however much computerized) and a life partner. Silly me.
    I've seen too many otherwise intelligent people get one of the things and promptly lobotomize themselves...reminds me of woodworkers falling into the "Turning Vortex".
    Last edited by Lee DeRaud; 11-13-2017 at 2:24 PM.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  13. #13
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    Hey, Lee, I resemble that remark.
    Joe

  14. #14
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    Thanks all. I've been computer literate since the 70's and have been an Android (tablet) user for around 5 years and prior to that used an IPOD. I don't worry too much about about making this a life changing event but simply as i said earlier, keeping up with technology. I plan on buying an inexpensive phone initially as a learning tool and to determine how much I will use it. I'm pretty aware of all the capabilities of smart phones even if I don't know the mechanics yet. I haven't bought one previously because in my opinion, its nerdy to have one of those things fastened to your hip. Not sure how I''m going to handle not being able to keep my phone in my britches pocket but I'll give it a shot. Thanks again all. What brand, monthly costs, and how many minutes do you use a month?

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas L Carpenter View Post
    I haven't bought one previously because in my opinion, its nerdy to have one of those things fastened to your hip. Not sure how I'm going to handle not being able to keep my phone in my britches pocket but I'll give it a shot.
    Unless you buy one of the huge top-of-the-line mega-phones (AKA "phablets"), you may be pleasantly surprised. My Samsung (5.5" screen) is much less obvious/intrusive/annoying than its foldable predecessor, which was much smaller but at least 2.5X thicker. The new one slips into a front jeans pocket like it was made for it, even with the case...the old one felt like a tennis ball.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

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