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MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:00 AM Sep 2017

Not Everyone Who Prefers Flip Phones is a Luddite

I have one. I use it to make and receive phone calls when I'm not at my desk. I'm an old fart with 72 years under my belt. But, I'm an early adopter when it comes to technology. I took my first computer programming class in 1963, when you had to put your programs on IBM punch cards. Before I retired, I was a Contributing Editor at PC World magazine and reviewed the latest hardware and software for a living. My tech stuff, other than my cell phone, is all current technology, and I use it extensively every day. Cell phones are just not a thing of mine. I use a tablet when I want to access apps that do stuff when away from my desk. The cell phone is just a phone. That is all I need it to be.

I bought my first cell phone, a Motorola bag phone, in the 80s, then replaced it with one of those Nokia brick phones. That gave way to a Motorola flip phone, as soon as they were on the market. For me, cell phones were just phones that didn't have wires connecting them to the POTS network. Since then, my cell phone has always been a small flip phone that I can slip into my shirt pocket without any part of it sticking out. I love my current Nokia flip phone. Its battery lets it stay on, waiting for calls for as long as 5 days. It works great for how I use it.

Sure, sometimes people chuckle when they see this old man haul his little tiny phone out of a shirt pocket. I don't care. It works for me. It's ideal for what it is, and I have other devices for doing other things.

Me? I chuckle when I see coverage of people standing in line at the Apple store, impatient to replace last year's iPhone with the latest and greatest from Apple. It seems silly to me, somehow. Worse, Apple is a major corporation that exploits low-wage workers in many places in the world, so it can profit from a manufactured need to have the latest technology as soon as it drops on the market.

My flip phone is eight years old. It still looks and works like new, and does a great job of making and receiving phone calls, which is why I have it. It has a camera, which I never use. It can text, but I don't text. Nobody has its number, either. My phone number for business and personal use is my landline number. I use call forwarding to send calls to my flip phone when I'm not in my office. I don't need anything else in my pocket for that. I do number

I don't care if other people want something more capable. That doesn't matter to me, but I wonder sometimes why there is a desire to replace a currently working smart phone with one that is only marginally more capable. I wonder.

67 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Not Everyone Who Prefers Flip Phones is a Luddite (Original Post) MineralMan Sep 2017 OP
Great Observation. delisen Sep 2017 #1
And then there are most people, who are in the middle BannonsLiver Sep 2017 #2
Yes, which is why Android phones outnumber iPhones by such a large MineralMan Sep 2017 #4
Android is an operating system, not a manufacturer Major Nikon Sep 2017 #14
Breaking: iPhones and the others are all smart phones. BannonsLiver Sep 2017 #23
This 66 yo old woman had a flip phone until July this year. mnhtnbb Sep 2017 #3
Wow your son did good Egnever Sep 2017 #32
I am enjoying it. mnhtnbb Sep 2017 #46
I feel his pain Egnever Sep 2017 #47
And not everyone who wants the latest iPhone B2G Sep 2017 #5
OK... MineralMan Sep 2017 #6
Lol. OK. nt B2G Sep 2017 #7
I have both. leftyladyfrommo Sep 2017 #8
My husband uses a flip phone for a specific reason. Tikki Sep 2017 #9
My smart phone doesn't fit in my pocket. leftyladyfrommo Sep 2017 #64
Younger than you are, but am also a flip-phone carrier... cbreezen Sep 2017 #10
There are security-savvy people who use flip phones to avoid being hacked, chia Sep 2017 #11
Yes. Everyone has his or her own criteria. MineralMan Sep 2017 #12
"It's so much more than just "marginally more capable" than a flip phone." Egnever Sep 2017 #35
You're so right - and I completely forgot about the map/GPS feature I use so frequently... chia Sep 2017 #44
My poor flip phone is in the verge of death Siwsan Sep 2017 #13
here you go: MineralMan Sep 2017 #15
Thanks! Siwsan Sep 2017 #20
Have you seen this Egnever Sep 2017 #36
That almost looks like one of those 'too good to be true' things Siwsan Sep 2017 #54
Lots of reviews on it Egnever Sep 2017 #58
You know - it can't hurt! I might just give it a try! Siwsan Sep 2017 #63
Admit it - you're stilling playing Star Trek with it, aren't you? underpants Sep 2017 #16
Not really. MineralMan Sep 2017 #17
Yeah but underpants Sep 2017 #18
Hmm...I don't remember that either. MineralMan Sep 2017 #19
Good God, Jim Warren DeMontague Sep 2017 #21
Season 1, Episode 9. "What are Little Girls Made Of?" Cuthbert Allgood Sep 2017 #65
I could give a flying fuck what other phones people choose to use. Warren DeMontague Sep 2017 #22
You actually talk to people on your phone? Wounded Bear Sep 2017 #24
I'm definitely a Luddite and too dumb for my smart phone. Vinca Sep 2017 #25
I have an old flip phone because I hardly ever call anyone and hardly anyone ever calls me. tanyev Sep 2017 #26
We have a Samsung 4G tablet on our Verizon account. MineralMan Sep 2017 #28
I like having a landline phone, too. tanyev Sep 2017 #29
I keep it for 911 calls during massive power outages MineralMan Sep 2017 #30
I'll be clinging right along with you. GoCubsGo Sep 2017 #38
The same here. GoCubsGo Sep 2017 #42
You're right. Not all flip phone owners are luddites. Act_of_Reparation Sep 2017 #27
The idea of spending $800 for a damn phone is obscene. DK504 Sep 2017 #31
It's a choice, of course. MineralMan Sep 2017 #33
Us true reformed Luddites are still walking around looking for phantom pay telephone booths Brother Buzz Sep 2017 #34
I know where there's a working one nearby. MineralMan Sep 2017 #37
Sorry but pretty sure that is the exact definition of luddite Egnever Sep 2017 #39
I'm with you there. Binkie The Clown Sep 2017 #40
There you go! MineralMan Sep 2017 #45
Yes, but keeping a flip phone cuts you off from generations Jersey Devil Sep 2017 #41
No kids or grandkids. No problem. MineralMan Sep 2017 #43
Why do some people replace a working smartphone with one marginally more capable? onenote Sep 2017 #48
I still Lord_at_War Sep 2017 #57
Eww..... MineralMan Sep 2017 #61
Many people replacing phones crazycatlady Sep 2017 #67
I didn't mind flip phones...until texting become common. ileus Sep 2017 #49
"No one makes calls on a cellphone anymore" MineralMan Sep 2017 #50
I moved from a Motorola Flip Phone Locutusofborg Sep 2017 #51
Just so you know, I'm not on your lawn right now. Bucky Sep 2017 #52
Well, if you do come on my lawn, could you please MineralMan Sep 2017 #53
I still use a Nokia "candy bar" phone Lord_at_War Sep 2017 #55
Those are really, really reliable phones, too. Cheap, to boot. MineralMan Sep 2017 #56
I just read and replied to this with my iphone. JDC Sep 2017 #59
Yeah. OK. I'm writing this at my desk, in front of a 27" monitor, MineralMan Sep 2017 #60
LOL. JDC Sep 2017 #62
Yeah they are. (n/t) Iggo Sep 2017 #66

BannonsLiver

(16,161 posts)
2. And then there are most people, who are in the middle
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:06 AM
Sep 2017

They don't want some crappy flip phone they want a smart phone but the last thing in the world they want to do is stand in line or pay realease year prices for the newest thing. That's the group I fall into, and I suspect the vast majority.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
4. Yes, which is why Android phones outnumber iPhones by such a large
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:10 AM
Sep 2017

percentage.

Apple's very successful with their marketing strategy. I'll give the company that, for sure.

http://bgr.com/2017/07/19/android-vs-ios-market-share-2017-q2/

67% of phones are Android.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
14. Android is an operating system, not a manufacturer
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:35 AM
Sep 2017

It covers a much wider range of devices, manufacturers, and price ranges compared to iOS which only serves one manufacturer and a relatively few devices. If you compare manufacturers, Apple far eclipses anyone else.

The link you references also states that the reason Apple activations are down is because they haven't released a new model in a while. I'm not s sure if this is accurate or not, but it does stand to reason as Apple new activations tend to be more cyclical following new releases vs Android new activations which tend to be more constant.

I don't have any data to support the overall trend, but most people I know that have Apple products don't upgrade with every single new model and will often skip two or three iterations. When a new model does come out, lots of people upgrade to the previous model as prices come down.

BannonsLiver

(16,161 posts)
23. Breaking: iPhones and the others are all smart phones.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 11:40 AM
Sep 2017

Not sure why you've jumped on the Android over Apple in overall sales thing. I couldn't possible care less one way or the other. My point to you is that just as not everyone with a flip phone is a Luddite, not everyone who wants a smart phone is some crazed technophile with a desperate need to have the best and latest.

mnhtnbb

(31,318 posts)
3. This 66 yo old woman had a flip phone until July this year.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:09 AM
Sep 2017

What happened in July? I had a knee replacement. Decided I wanted to be able to text friends/family more easily. Wanted to be able to use
cell phone camera. No GPS in my car. Wanted to be able to access maps/directions when driving.

Had my tech son recommend a cell phone for me and purchased the latest model of the android he uses: OnePlus5. Very happy with it.

My 74 yo husband still has a flip phone which I have to remind him to carry.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
32. Wow your son did good
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:24 PM
Sep 2017

The one plus might just be the best bang for the buck on the planet currently.

Hope you enjoy it you made a good choice.

leftyladyfrommo

(18,815 posts)
8. I have both.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:17 AM
Sep 2017

I carry a flip phone in my pocket. I go in and out of empty houses all day. I keep my little phone on me so I can call for help if I get hurt.

My smart phone is my computer and it is usually in the car or in my house with me. I use it for business calls and texts. And as a computer.

Tikki

(14,537 posts)
9. My husband uses a flip phone for a specific reason.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:18 AM
Sep 2017

We are retired.
Out here in California he is always in shorts and a t-shirt.
He gets up, dresses and puts his phone in his back shorts pocket.
There it stays all day as he does a mountain of physical activities.

When his original 'flip phone' ran down our son gave him a smart type
phone and as he moved around, up and down he sometimes would
inadvertently call another phone. It can be embarrassing.

Son has been able to find him flip phones over the years, no troubles.

Tikki


cbreezen

(694 posts)
10. Younger than you are, but am also a flip-phone carrier...
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:23 AM
Sep 2017

and use it in the same manner you do. Also, use a tablet for nearly everything else. We do have an 8 year old HP desktop that still runs like a champ. It is used by my son, for the most part, but I use it for word processing and printing.

My electronics are the cheapest things I can get by with. And, you are right... I am not a Luddite, either. Just conscious of how I spend my limited cash since I have no credit cards.

chia

(2,235 posts)
11. There are security-savvy people who use flip phones to avoid being hacked,
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:26 AM
Sep 2017

and there are people who use phones only to make phone calls. Both are good reasons to have a flip phone. Another good reason is elderly people like my mom who is confused by any other use for it, but dutifully carries it with her everywhere she goes so she has a way to call for help if necessary. Another good use for a flip phone is for your child's first phone if they're still in grade school or jr. high, waiting until they're more mature to give them a phone with all the bells and whistles.

As for myself, my phone isn't just a phone. And that's why I have it. I take photographs that I treasure, that wouldn't exist if I didn't have my iPhone with me. I text with family and friends, keeping more in touch with them than if I only relied on calls or emails from my laptop. I read the news, read forums like DU, count my footsteps from time to time (not obsessive about that, but it's a nice feature), write notes to transcribe later, buy tickets, listen to music, identify birds or constellations, check my calendar, and on and on.

The point is that I'm not carrying just a phone, I'm carrying a computer, a camera, a pad and pencil, a calculator, a calendar, a bird book, etc. It's so much more than just "marginally more capable" than a flip phone.

People should carry the phone they like, and/or the phone they can afford. However close or far away to the margin of capability that it is.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
12. Yes. Everyone has his or her own criteria.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:33 AM
Sep 2017

I don't mind smart phones. My wife uses one and updates it frequently. I'm the tech support person, though, for her phone. When something isn't working the way she wants it to or some feature disappears, she hands it to me, I fix it and hand it back to her.

My favorite story about that was the time when she gave her iPhone and said, "It stopped ringing when someone calls." I asked what she had done to try to fix it, and she told me about what she had done. I fiddled with it for about 30 seconds, handed it back to her and called it from my landline phone. It rang just fine. She asked what I had done to fix it. I told her that I moved the little switch right above the volume buttons that silences the phone, so it would ring again. "I hate you," she said, as she laughed and went back to what she was doing.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
35. "It's so much more than just "marginally more capable" than a flip phone."
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:28 PM
Sep 2017

So much more.

it is a pocket computer with an excellent camera and GPS. if all you want is a phone then there is nothing wrong with a flip phone might even be your best choice.

For most smart phone users I would venture the phone part is actually the least important aspect. Very few chose their smart phone based on the quality of the phone reception.

chia

(2,235 posts)
44. You're so right - and I completely forgot about the map/GPS feature I use so frequently...
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:50 PM
Sep 2017

And also agree the phone part is the least important for me, since I hardly use the phone as a phone at all, now that I think about it...

Siwsan

(26,176 posts)
13. My poor flip phone is in the verge of death
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 10:34 AM
Sep 2017

It was a very inexpensive phone on a very low end, pre paid plan, and I can maintain the account for $10 a year. The screen is totally whacked so my plan was to keep it in the car, as an emergency phone, but now I'm pretty sure I'll be tossing it. I really don't understand all of the 'ins and outs' of SIM cards, but if I could find a cheap, compatible flip phone, for my T-Mobile card, I'd definitely buy it.

I'm with a different service, now, with a brand new phone number that I am VERY guarded about sharing, and using a pretty basic android. It is an adjustment.

Siwsan

(26,176 posts)
20. Thanks!
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 11:05 AM
Sep 2017

I'll check this out. I really like the idea of keeping a cheap phone in the car, so if I need to make a call, in an emergency, I don't have to fumble around in my bag to find my phone.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
36. Have you seen this
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:31 PM
Sep 2017
https://www.freedompop.com/phone

That is a free cell service provider. For your needs it might be exactly the right fit for you. Don't know if it is available in your area but worth looking into.

Siwsan

(26,176 posts)
54. That almost looks like one of those 'too good to be true' things
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 02:22 PM
Sep 2017

Do you know anyone who has used it?

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
58. Lots of reviews on it
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 02:48 PM
Sep 2017

Have a sim card from them myself but have not tried it.

It uses the sprint network so if sprint is unacceptable in your area it probably wont work well for you but if sprint is decent where you live it should be fine.

Cuthbert Allgood

(4,857 posts)
65. Season 1, Episode 9. "What are Little Girls Made Of?"
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 03:43 PM
Sep 2017

Rewatching TOS these past couple months. Good stuff.

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)
22. I could give a flying fuck what other phones people choose to use.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 11:10 AM
Sep 2017

It's like being bothered that your gay neighbors are allowed to get married, or that Bob down the street likes to relax with a spliff of Skywalker Kush on friday night--- or obsessing over which celebrity is fucking which other celebrity.

Who has time for that shit? Seriously.

Wounded Bear

(58,437 posts)
24. You actually talk to people on your phone?
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 11:47 AM
Sep 2017

How 90's.

Seriously, I think many, many people are over-phoned. I have a smart phone, just sort of graduated to it. It's an older model, I don't surf the new tech wave. I can't afford it anyway, but really, I wouldn't use most of the 'features' they have. I do enjoy the qwerty keyboard part of the newer phones for texting.

I guess I'm a semi-Luddite.

tanyev

(42,356 posts)
26. I have an old flip phone because I hardly ever call anyone and hardly anyone ever calls me.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:01 PM
Sep 2017

But if I want to surf the internet or watch a video, I have an iPad Surface Pro with a gloriously large screen.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
28. We have a Samsung 4G tablet on our Verizon account.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:10 PM
Sep 2017

That has replaced the notebook computer and cellular dongle we used to take when we travel. We typically set it up as a wi-fi hot spot and then use other devices in wi-fi mode, like my Kindle Fire and my wife's iPhone SE. My wife uses the tablet on the plane to play downloaded movies, as well. We have a cute, foldable bluetooth keyboard for the tablet, so we can use Office 365 for work when we're traveling, as well.

Personally, I hate hauling all those devices along on trips, but it's necessary, I guess. We often have some work to do for clients, so all of that is needed. I won't miss the notebook computer, though. I'll hang on to my flip phone, though, and will continue to call forward to it from my primary landline number, even while traveling.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
30. I keep it for 911 calls during massive power outages
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:20 PM
Sep 2017

and to provide service to the half dozen antique phones I have connected in my house. They include an old oak wall farmhouse phone that still works just fine, as long as you don't need to call out. You can, but you have to use the earpiece cradle as a switch and count the numbers off with a pause between them. I never bother to do that, though. I do answer it once in awhile if I'm in the kitchen though, where it's mounted on the wall. I even have a stool in front of it, like people used to do.

My house is a telephone museum, more or less. The old POTS line still works with just about any antique phone.

GoCubsGo

(32,061 posts)
38. I'll be clinging right along with you.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:35 PM
Sep 2017

I like not worrying about getting my call dropped, or being in the wrong room and having crappy reception. Not having to worry about getting brain cancer is nice, too. My only gripe is that I was forced onto digital phone, and I'm SOL whenever the power goes out--unless I want to spend a hundred bucks that I don't have on a damn back-up battery. I miss my old copper line.

GoCubsGo

(32,061 posts)
42. The same here.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:47 PM
Sep 2017

I can't justify the expense of a smart phone that will only get used as a mini computer most of the time. I have a laptop for Internet things, and an Amazon Fire tablet on which I side-loaded the Android software to access Google Play. A few other tweaks have allowed me to use it as an Android device, only without the telephone. If I want good photographs, I use my old digital camera. It works for me. An, I don't have to worry about losing all capability, if the device goes down. If my cell phone craps out, I still have everything else. My phone is Net10, and I can get a replacement from Kroger, and have it up and running within a half an hour, any time of day or night. I don't have to wait for the Apple/cell phone store to open to get a new one.

DK504

(3,847 posts)
31. The idea of spending $800 for a damn phone is obscene.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:22 PM
Sep 2017

I'm all for telling the A&TT, MediaCom, whoever.com, etc. to go to hell, and have my own phone/plan at my own price, but buying a phone for $800 is beyond the pale. The fact that we do this is mind boogling.

I will never buy an iPhone or a MoFo, don't need it, don't want it, so why spend all that money for something that will completely seperate me from the rest of society as a I look at a screen scrolling messages that mean nothing, say nothing spending more money than I have. I just don't get it.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
33. It's a choice, of course.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:27 PM
Sep 2017

For some people, it must make sense. On the other hand, when I needed a new Windows desktop PC, a nice brand new one from Dell only cost $400. My old monitor was just fine. A dandy update at an affordable price. That's sort of my maximum price point for technology stuff. It's a nice change from the $1600 my first PC clone cost, back in 1984.

But, I use my cell phone as a telephone and nothing else. I have other devices for other things. Still, my desktop PC is the most expensive piece of tech junk I own. Works great.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
37. I know where there's a working one nearby.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:33 PM
Sep 2017

I used to have an old pay phone booth and phone in my house in California. I have no idea what prompted me to buy it, but there it was at a garage sale, so I loaded it into my pickup and installed it in the guest bedroom/family room and connected it. Still worked just fine, after I rejiggered the phone so it didn't need coins. When we sold the house, we threw that in as a bonus feature for the new owners, who thought it was cooler than cool. Their tween daughter got the room, and now has a private space for whatever reason she needs.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
39. Sorry but pretty sure that is the exact definition of luddite
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:37 PM
Sep 2017

"a person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology."


Choosing a flip phone over a much more capable smart phone is the very definition of Luddite. The only argument that can be made where a flip phone is superior is in battery life. Beyond that you are choosing a far less capable piece of technology.

That said I couldn't care less what you choose to use as a phone.

Binkie The Clown

(7,911 posts)
40. I'm with you there.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:37 PM
Sep 2017

I'm 72. I started working as a programmer fresh out of high school. A neighbor worked at IBM and gave me some contract programming work to do while I was still in high school. That lead to a full time job, and eventually, years later, an MS degree and a solid career in high tech, both software and hardware in aerospace. I built one of the first home computer kits (Altair 8800), had a KIM, an Apple I (yes, I, not II. $666 without a case or keyboard), and an Apple II, and the first model of the Mac, and more PCs than I can count, most of them built myself from components.

Now I'm retired, and I have a flip phone as my only phone. Am I a Luddite? I just finished building a spot welder from parts out of an old microwave oven so I could weld battery tabs on the power pack for the home brew electric bicycle I'm almost done building. This is my second electric bike. I'm a early adopter of technology that makes sense for me and my lifestyle. If I want to watch a movie I use my big screen TV. If I want to take a picture I use my top of the line SLR. If I want to play video games I use my desktop PC or my laptop. If I want to read a book I use my Kindle Fire. If I want to talk to my out-of-town kids, we use Skype or Ventrilo. If I want to "message" someone, I use email.

I'm laid back and relaxed. I have no need to send people pictures of tonight's dinner, or tell them that I'm at Walmart to buy a roll of toilet paper. I'm never in a hurry, so I have no "urgent" texts I have to send. Most people don't care what I'm doing right now, I, frankly, I don't care what they're doing right now. Tell me about it tomorrow when you send me an email. I'll probably read it by this time next week. I'm done with "hurry up".

Jersey Devil

(9,863 posts)
41. Yes, but keeping a flip phone cuts you off from generations
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:42 PM
Sep 2017

I'd be perfectly happy with a flip phone. Make calls, receive call. Who needs more?

Well, the problem is that the younger generations just don't make or answer phone calls. Everything is text. So if all you have is a flip phone be prepared not to hear from your kids and grandkids because they just are not going to call you.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
43. No kids or grandkids. No problem.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 12:48 PM
Sep 2017

The nieces and nephews do text us, and we text them back. They do that rarely, though, and usually to text something "THX" when we send them a $20 for their birthday. They also use email, which we have available to us wherever we are.

onenote

(42,374 posts)
48. Why do some people replace a working smartphone with one marginally more capable?
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 01:25 PM
Sep 2017

You could just as easily ask why some people used to buy a new car every year (something that was not uncommon when I was growing up), replacing a currently working automobile with one that is only marginally more capable? Or why some people replace perfectly good items of clothing with new ones that are more currently fashionable? Or replace a perfectly fine pair of basketball shoes with the latest fad sneaker?

Maybe its fashion. Maybe its that the "marginal" improvements aren't merely marginal to the person making the purchase? Maybe its just their way of making themselves happy.

Why should anyone give a rat's ass about other peoples' decisions about what phone, car, clothes or brand of soap they buy?

For the record, I recently replaced my dying iphone 5s with a 6, foregoing the opportunity to go to a 7 or to wait for whatever was coming next. But my wife went from her iphone 5 with a 7. Why? I didn't bother to inquire.

crazycatlady

(4,492 posts)
67. Many people replacing phones
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 03:51 PM
Sep 2017

ARe replacing phones that no longer work as they once did. My 3 year old smartphone doesn't hold a battery charge like it used to. I'm upgrading sometime next year and will keep it until it no longer works. I also drive a 1999 car so I'm like that. Just replaced a laptop that was slowing down after 7 years.

In the case of Apple, they flat out stop supporting older models (known as 'bricking'). A friend upgraded to a 7 after they bricked her 4 last year. Planned obsolescence.

ileus

(15,396 posts)
49. I didn't mind flip phones...until texting become common.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 01:29 PM
Sep 2017

I remember sending one text with my old motorola flip phone before upgrading to a "texting platform" phone the same year the Iphone come out.

No one makes calls on a cellphone anymore....Other than my week on call for the hospital it's all texting for person to person communication. Then of course are all the real reasons we own "cellphones".

I can look at my 15yo daughters info and a normal month for her is 10 minutes talk time and that's to Mom.

My current "smartphone" is 4 years old and it's starting to show it age when it comes to function. Just like anything else technology gets old fast.

We just "upgraded" from a 07 Xterra to a 17 Rogue. While the Xterra still serves us well the useful technology in the Rouge can't be denied. I plan on having the Xterra (184k miles) several more years but the upgrade was worth it. Now imagine the upgrading a phone for less or around a grand.



MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
50. "No one makes calls on a cellphone anymore"
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 01:35 PM
Sep 2017

That's not accurate, by any means. A lot of people make voice calls on their cell phones, if the conversations I hear going on all the time at the supermarket and elsewhere are any evidence. that and people driving their cars talking into their cell phones.

Locutusofborg

(524 posts)
51. I moved from a Motorola Flip Phone
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 01:58 PM
Sep 2017

To an I-phone 6 plus about 3 years ago. I am in the Apple ecosystem with other devices and I have found the I-phone to be an elegant, easy to use and reliable device. When I bought my first computer in the early nineties, I also purchased a few shares of Apple stock. With stock splits and never selling any shares I now get about 5 grand in dividend checks from Apple every year which I use to pay for any purchases of Apple products. Apple will have a range of phones this fall with pricing from $349 for the SE to $1,149 for the most expensive X-Plus. I like having price options but its even better that Apple pays me to buy their products.
"The only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys."

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
53. Well, if you do come on my lawn, could you please
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 02:05 PM
Sep 2017

move the sprinkler to cover the nearest unwatered patch? There's a good lad!

 

Lord_at_War

(61 posts)
55. I still use a Nokia "candy bar" phone
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 02:25 PM
Sep 2017

That I bought as a "transition" phone when I moved in 2005 so I could get my washer/dryer and furniture delivered before my landline was active. It's a phone- no camera, no apps, and I've sent exactly one text the entire time I've had it- and it's all I need.

I'm also not a "Luddite"- I'm the computer guy in my family. When my mom (she was 73 at the time) got the "you've been watching child porn" virus that locks it up, I fixed it in three hours. Most of that time was cleaning up all the crap my mom had on her computer from playing on-line games- she had 37 different toolbars!

I told her that she never had a problem saying no to me... Say no, mom!

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
56. Those are really, really reliable phones, too. Cheap, to boot.
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 02:34 PM
Sep 2017

I had one for a short time, but I prefer the flip phone for its durability and easy fit in any pocket. They're tough, too, so you can even safely carry one in the back pocket of your jeans without worrying about it.

I hear you about mothers and computers. I had to clean up my mom's PC many times. She never deleted a single email on AOL. She never updated anything. She clicked on every link in every spam email, as well. She never understood any of the error message boxes that popped up on her screen, and called me every time something like that appeared. I'd ask her what the box said and then tell her what to do about it. She never really did understand how the mouse worked, either, and would keep wiggling it while trying to click on something. Frustrated the dickens out of her, that did.

When I visited her and my dad, I always planned two or three hours to undo all the damage she had done. Finally, at age 88, she decided that she didn't need that "TV with the keyboard" any more, and just walked away from it. She didn't even shut it off, since she was never sure how to do that.

For her, the only thing on the PC was AOL. The next time I visited, I took the whole thing away and relieved her of looking at it.

MineralMan

(146,190 posts)
60. Yeah. OK. I'm writing this at my desk, in front of a 27" monitor,
Wed Sep 13, 2017, 03:04 PM
Sep 2017

typing on a keyboard attached to a spiffy desktop tower running Windows 10.

Later this evening, I'll be posting on a Kindle Fire. Many of us have multiple options for accessing DU.

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