From Flip to Smart

[CoolBlue71]

I'm in the market to switch out of my old phone plan, still with the use of a flip phone, and will be making the move to a smartphone.

I'm leaning to the iPhone. (This is, of course, due to my having plenty of iTunes in both music and video formats already on my computer … and copied to my iPod Classic which, as news broke last fall, has been discontinued by Apple.)

I want to ask people here to comment regarding how they feel about having a smartphone. For example: What you remember, in your experience, as you made the transition. (It can be addressing any smartphone; this isn't limited to iPhone.)

 

[ManLicker]

It will quickly contain your life. Take all the steps needed to make it secure.

 

[T-Rexx]

Smartphones are great, except for use as telephones.

There are so many things that they can do that they will change the way you live. For example, I use mine to surf the internet during breaks at work, to request an Uber car, to buy food from vending machines (via the NFC chip), to listen to music (streaming and mp3), to take pictures and videos, to check my email, to play games (usually when I am stuck standing in line somewhere), and even occasionally to call people.

The BIG problem with smartphones (essentially all of them, except possibly the Motorola Droid Maxx) is the battery life, which is typically less than a day. That means they must frequently be plugged into the wall, during which time they are not available in your pocket, of course.

I still carry an old-fashioned flip phone (in addition to my smartphone) for actually making and taking phone calls. I can use the thing for a week off the charger, and the battery still shows 100% charge. It's amazing. It's also somehow more satisfying to place a call on a phone with actual keys to press (as opposed to the virtual keyboards of smartphones).

 

[jjonn3]

Smartphones are great, except for use as telephones.

That covers the main issue -

I switched from flip to iPhone - I use it a LOT more than I ever expected - but as a phone - it is ok but not great.

I have not put my mail on the phone - I am very happy to have the occasional break from e-mail -

But it is amazing how many times I am at dinner and we get in a conversation about something (movie / news / etc) and it is great to have the Internet right there to answer the question...

 

[CoolBlue71]

Thank you, everyone, for the responses!

In my opening post, I mentioned leaning to an iPhone.

Well, I may opt for something else.

Due to the fact that I'm out of contract with my current carrier, I have consumer freedom to go elsewhere. And I may end up with a prepaid plan. (I'm doing my best to control my costs to keep within my comfort level. Part of that is breaking down month-to-month costs over the next 24 months.)

I determined that I should be good with 1GB of data. (This is my likely personal use for me, personally, with my life. Nothing in the way of business. I do have a sibling with a smartphone that is from his employment because that employers determined it's necessary for performing the work.)

I wonder what people mean the smartphone not being good as a phone. Is it the quality of sound? (By the way: Part of my research includes the February 2015 issue of Consumer Reports. I'm likely going to go with Verizon Wireless, which is not my current carrier, because it was rated above the other three traditional carriers on voice, text, data ["web problems"], and 4G.)

I appreciate everyone's input on this topic. (Thanks, once again, Just Us Boys members!)

 

[jjonn3]

By "not great as a phone" - it is not that comfortable for a long conversation and the ear piece and mouth piece are very compact and don't have as a good a sound quality as some of the older filp phones (when people used to use a phone to talk rather than text).

Verizon has the best coverage of any company - but they are more expensive. They have had to cut rates recently to combat the competition but they are still higher -

I have a 2GB plan and have never come close to using that much data (I do not watch movies or stream music) -

 

[T-Rexx]

And I may end up with a prepaid plan. (I'm doing my best to control my costs to keep within my comfort level. Part of that is breaking down month-to-month costs over the next 24 months.)

If cost is important to you, a prepaid plan will definitely save you money. If you are careful planning, prepaid can save you a lot of money. [Just for example, I bought an excellent Motorola smartphone for just $50 and pay only $10/month for voice, text, and 4G LTE data. I do have to ration use of the carrier's data network, but that's less than I paid years ago for my old landline phone.]

iPhones do tend to be expensive, of course, even on prepaid (~$300). If you want to save, Android phones are cheaper. Because you have not had a smartphone, it is difficult to know what features you will use, ahead of time. One of the great things about prepaid, however, is that there is no penalty for changing phones at any time. You can start with something cheap, then upgrade as you see fit.

I wonder what people mean the smartphone not being good as a phone. Is it the quality of sound?

Yes, it's the quality of the sound, which is acceptable but not as good as what you would get with an old-fashioned land line.

It's also something more nebulous, however. It's just not as comfortable to put a big candy bar up to your ear as it is a flip phone. You don't get the auditory and tactile feedback from the keyboard as you do on a flip phone. And it's just slightly awkward always having something that big, expensive, and fragile in your pocket.

(By the way: Part of my research includes the February 2015 issue of Consumer Reports. I'm likely going to go with Verizon Wireless, which is not my current carrier, because it was rated above the other three traditional carriers on voice, text, data ["web problems"], and 4G.)

Verizon usually rates highest on surveys for quality and availability of service. Especially with 4G LTE, it can be difficult to find a 4G data signal, depending on where you live.

You may be able to save money, however, by shopping around the various prepaid plans.

I don't personally find the spotty nature of 4G to be that much of a problem. A lot of the places I go have free wifi. And the phone will just drop back to 3G data if no 4G or wifi is available. I find 3G acceptable.

By "not great as a phone" - it is not that comfortable for a long conversation and the ear piece and mouth piece are very compact and don't have as a good a sound quality as some of the older filp phones (when people used to use a phone to talk rather than text).

Verizon has the best coverage of any company - but they are more expensive. They have had to cut rates recently to combat the competition but they are still higher -

I have a 2GB plan and have never come close to using that much data (I do not watch movies or stream music) -

I agree with all of that.

 

[CoolBlue71]

UPDATE on March 27, 2015 | I now have a smartphone.

I moved over to Verizon Wireless.

I have a prepaid plan of Unlimited Talk & Text, plus 1 GB of data, for $45 each month. I am set up for Auto-Pay, and this gives me an extra 100 MB of data. I'm around WiFi for most of my usage of data; so, this means that I didn't need much. I avoided the postpaid plans (which are the common ones) so I am at a subscription level for which I am comfortable. I like the smartphone. I'm new to this. It turns out I needed to get my feet wet before any concern with higher-end phones.

I appreciate everyone's comments.

Thank you!

 

[CoolBlue71]

I'll add this: I was able to get my new phone, originally costing $200, for $100. And the activation fee, normally $35, was waived due to promotional offer for the current month.

Again … thanks to everyone!