I got my iPhone because I finally broke down and was going to get a MP3 player and didn’t want to carry both of them.
Since them my phone has become my life I don’t own a computer so outside of work it is my only access to the internet and emails. All of my music is stored on it and I listen to it while I drift off to sleep as well as my alarm clock in the morning. I take down notes on things I want to buy or things to remember and instead of watching the news in the morning I decide what to wear based on the weather app. If I’m in a place that doesn’t have cell reception and I’m bored I have a couple of games on the phone that I can play. I occasionally use it to talk on the phone or send texts (67 min and 130 texts this month).
I don’t really care about upgrading my phone since I live in an area without 3G. Most of my friends bought iPhones after playing with mine but they’ve all upgraded and I now have the oldest one in the group which doesn’t bother me.
You’re completely right, and I shouldn’t have given you one. People are often a lot more condescending when asking why one would have a smartphone and I directed my frustrations from them into this thread. You were obviously just fighting some ignorance, and I apologize.
I think what it boils down to is the definition of “communication device.” Some people can’t understand why people e-mail when post is just fine. Other people can’t understand why people text when calling is just fine. Some people still pay for AOL on top of a regular ISP because they like AOL’s homepage. People are still determined to believe that Twitter is nothing but people talking about their poop. But normal, day-to-day communication for me happens in all kinds of forums beyond calls and texting. Any “communication device” I’d own would have to include calls, texting, IM, and Twitter at a minimum.
Then toss in some 300+ RSS feeds in Google Reader, and roughly the same number of Twitter accounts I’m following, and the myriad of other stuff I occupy myself with online, and a smartphone is a no-brainer.
I got a Blackberry as my second cell phone ever because I used to have a Palm Pilot and I missed all of the functionality. Switching OSs was easier for me than paying for a Palm with phone/internet I use it for the calendar, the address book, the list making tools, reading (the internet or books) on the bus/in line, email, texting, taking notes in meetings, the camera, and sometimes to call people. Its most of the internet, plus my whole memory, in my pocket!
A smartphone is a really useful general-purpose tool just like a computer.
I have an 8GB memory card in my Nokia smartphone and use it as my main audio player. Saves me the bother of carrying another device and it's especially convenient if I receive a call while I am listening to something. The phone will automatically transfer me to the call and switch me back after the call is over.
Having access to the Web wherever I go is very convenient. Say I find some books or DVD’s on sale. I can quickly pull out reviews and see whether they are worth buying. Or if I am stuck in a line, I can check the news or my e-mail.
The camera has autofocus and can serve as a makeshift scanner; I can photograph text and it will be legible. At other times I just take a snap of something I find interesting.
The GPS and Google Maps comes in very handy from time to time especially if I am in an unfamiliar area. Maybe I have some time to kill and want to find a nearby bookstore.
Actually not two months ago I considered doing just that for monetary reasons, but decided to retain it … well I guess because of paranoia. If something happens to my car or me I want to be able to contact help. Likewise if something happens to my kids I want to know right away, not hours after the fact. Between work, school, and family responibilities I spend all day kinda driving in circles, so who knows when I’d get messages.
If your phone has a camera, you can (probably) scan the barcode and see if that item is available cheaper online from the retailer whose store you’re standing in. Pair that with in-store pickup and you can save some real cash.
When you poison the well with these kinds of ridiculous comments, what do you expect the responses to your question will be? Nobody is looking for a phone to do random, unrelated tasks like bake bread or act as a hovercraft. Some people need computer-like functionality from the road, so they get a device that will perform those functions. You seem to be completely unable to understand that some people have needs that differ from yours.
Gorgon, a couple more thoughts that might help you with your paper, or at least might bring up some more interesting conversation on this topic:
1 - From the few people I know that own smartphones, they can pretty clearly be broken into two groups: young people who want them because they’re fun and/or a status symbol, but don’t really use them, or older (not old) professionals who need the various apps and really do use them for business-related purposes. I would argue that the marketing aspect of smartphones really only works on the young, as is probably the case for 99% of all forms of marketing anywhere.
2 - Though it may seem like I was complaining about smartphones in my previous posts, the truth is that I’d really like to have one someday when they get better.
This basically sums it up for me. My current phone can do most of what Oredigger describes, even though it’s not a smartphone. It is lousy for MP3 playback, though. I’d like to replace my MP3 player with an advanced phone because it would be great to incorporate everything into one easy device. But the problem for me is that smartphones are not yet a suitable replacement - my MP3 collection exceeds 70 GB, and I know I’d use up more memory for apps and pictures and whatever else. I’ve also read that the battery life is very short.
One day, though, phones will likely be capable of supporting enough memory and battery life that I can do everything I want on one device. When that day comes, I will get a smartphone because of the convenience it will provide. Until then, the reason I don’t get a smartphone is that I can’t justify the cost of it.
Now, if only they could invent a smartphone that acted as a wallet and had a built-in compartment for your car keys… then I’d never have to worry about pocket space again.
Labrador Deceiver - Let me explain. I know, I think, three people who have these things now, and all the use I’ve ever seen any of them get out of it was to look up YouTube videos. Seriously. They’re just showing off toys.
What Troy, Xavier and others are saying is more like what I wanted to know. That people actually have use of all the whackiness the gadgets are capable of.
Or I should say I now know the difference between people who do and do not need smart-i-phones. I assume in years to come people will be more familiar with the things … that’s what I have to comment on in the paper.
See here’s where I stand, Xavier - I was sure this actually existed in “Galladinium’s Fantastic Technology”, but it was actually a chronometer with a hidden compartment. When real technology has outstripped science fiction technology, the world is just going way too fast for me.
This sentence serves as both a summary as to both the appeal of smartphones as well as providing a good indicator as to where they’re going. A phone isn’t a phone anymore – it’s a universal electronic widget.
The phones are already more than capable enough. It’s everything else that needs to upgrade.
Wallet: There are already vending machines in some parts of the world that let you pay using your cellphone. I don’t think they’ve caught on in the U.S. Just imagine that only as ubiquitous as credit card acceptance, and you’re golden for paying for almost anything.
Car keys: There are cars that support wireless key fobs in lieu of keys. There are cars that support bluetooth. Smartphones support bluetooth. Put the three together, and there’s no reason why your phone can’t have a program that lets it send the authorization signal to your car.
Also: While even if I did ever manage to fit an entire Risk board game into the bathroom stall and set up the board with all those tiny pieces, I’d never be able to fit 5 other people in there to play with me while I poop.
The battery life isn’t bad on the iPhone. When I originally bought mine it was for a trip to Australia and I wanted something to listen to on the plane ride. I got 19 hrs of continuous play over the headphones. Using the external speakers or surfing the internet is where problems occur and typically I get about 4 hrs of heavy use which still isn’t bad. You’re right the memory isn’t great thought.
SimplyMedia will stream your entire MP3 collection from iTunes, letting you dedicate all your other memory to videos, pictures, etc. (Apps take up VERY little room.)
I’m thinking about getting an iPhone for a couple of reasons; my husband got an iTouch for Christmas last year, and he loves it very, very much, my old cellphone is ooooold (people laugh when they see it - it’s about three generations away from being one of those old brick phones), and I would like to have more functionality in one device. I’m certainly no early adapter - my old cellphone has been fine for my needs for the last four years or so, but there comes a point where I’ll make the jump up to the next level of technology.
I’ll agree with technology moving too fast, though. I’m starting to have thoughts like, “My dvds play perfectly well on my inherited hd tv - why do I need a blu-ray player and a plasma screen?” In fact, I’m noticing that the hd tv we got from my sister plays dvds TOO well - I don’t need to see every pore in every actor’s face! And sometimes I start rambling and forget the topic I started off talking about…
My husband and I both use iPhones, but for varying purposes. I need the daily planner tools. I store all my appointments in iCal, access my email frequently on the road and update my work if I’m running late. I commute to work so I frequently check on train delays while in between stations. I store books in my Stanza application and recently finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo on it. I use it to count my knitting stitches, patterns, and notes in a knitting application and the functions of the one application alone trump any hand held stitch counter. I take photos and upload them to friends and family. I listen to music.
I didn’t buy this phone for bragging rights and I don’t use it to show off. It’s an amazingly practical and useful tool that has functions for many aspects of my life. Hell, if I get bored on the train it’s invaluable just for keeping my brain occupied with games or websites.
Then, there’s my husband, who remote connects into his work computer on it and keeps track of his business emails and tech tickets 24 hours a day. We can use it to remotely control the laptop if we hook it up to the TV and want to watch streaming video.
Sure, maybe a portion of the iPhone user community are just tech-braggers but I know a lot of people who are using smartphones every day for the sheer number of functions they now contain.
I got the Motorola Razr 2 years ago when I signed up with AT&T and although I liked being able to finally take pictures on my phone, I hated it for most other things. It was also way too small and too thin and I could never find it in my purse.
When I got the iPhone, though, I was still a cheapskate and got a refurbed 3G rather than the brand new 3GS that had just come out (I got mine in Aug 2009).
And now here’s the really big confession about part of the reason why I got my iPhone:
I go to DragonCon every year. This year was my 3rd year going, and I wanted to get it before DragonCon so that I could check the website for schedule updates without having to worry about paying for in-room internet or finding a wi fi cafe to lug a laptop to.
The other really handy thing is:
I’m a contractor, and a lot of places I work for has blocks on websites at work. So checking emails about potential new assignments, checking agency websites for new postings, etc are just really hard to do. And some of my assignments can be pretty boring during the day without FB or LJ or SDMB!
I use my phone a lot - although I don’t currently have an apps that I haven’t gotten for free. Usually during the day I use it to IM my bf, check/update FB, Twitter, check emails, and get directions (I’m geographically challenged).
As far as updates and whatnot - I’m not typically the first in line for new phones. I wait out my contracts like a good girl as much as possible. I don’t even have a blue tooth for the iPhone - I use the rubber headpiece and talk that way.
I use it for the calendar, the address book, the list making tools, reading (the internet or books) on the bus/in line, email, texting, taking notes in meetings, the camera, and sometimes to call people. Its most of the internet, plus my whole memory, in my pocket!